Compak K-10 Fresh - First Impression

Apr 14th 2011 Written by Matt Galyon

Making an appearance at the SCAA's National Event in Houston in a couple of weeks will be Compak's new line of Fresh Grinders. This line, and specifically the K-10 Fresh, has piqued a lot of interest in the coffee world over the past few months. We've gathered as much information as we can about this grinder and wanted to update everyone as to what we've found out. We know that this grinder will feature: three grinding modes (Automatic, Manual, Pre-Programmed Single and Double Shot), low RPM (Revolutions Per Minute) for less heat, stepless grinding adjustment, and an electronic display to monitor and control functions. Other than the ability to monitor and control the grind setting and grinding modes, the electronic display also includes: total and partial coffee counter, promotional message, ability to set password, and configurable burr change warning.

Many people have asked about how this grinder compares to the previous Compak K-10 Doserless model. According to Compak the mechanics such as motor, burr set, and body are the same whereas the dosing system, electronics, and control system are completely new. Perhaps the biggest upgrade to this machine are the three different grinding modes and its integration into the electronic display. There are a handful of espresso grinders on the market that are equipped, or can be equipped, with a dose timer, but to my knowledge none of them integrate the timer in such a way as the K-10 Fresh. The Automatic mode is as it sounds automatic, you can set your time and go. For the Pre-Programmed Single and Double Dose modes you can preselect each respective dose to within a tenth of a second. This should provide pinpoint control with for a grinder with a low RPMs(400) like the K-10. Perhaps one of the nicest features for the K-10 Fresh is that when in Manual mode, the display will keep the time dosed when using the pulse button below the display.

So what's the big deal on having these grinding modes integrated with a dosing timer? The answer is two-fold. First of all, dialing in your espresso (pinpointing the dosage amount that brings out the best taste in your espresso) in relation to dosage time allows you to reproduce your ideal shot. Once you've done the work to calculate what time to set your double and single shots to, you can program the grinder and won't have to worry about dosing the same amount each time. This helps to keep one of the variables in producing a great shot constant. Secondly, it helps cut down on waste. Programming your desired dosage amount ensures that you won't have a heap of extra grounds to scrap off into the trash. This ends ups saving a lot of coffee waste and in turn saves you some money.