Customer Reviews

KitchenAid KPCG100NP Pro Line Burr Coffee Grinder, Nickel Pearl

5 star:		(69)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

[...] I have reviewed just about every coffee mill available known in the free world. I have not found one that was rated five stars (always someone has a petty gripe to knock the product down a notch or two.) I have spent many hundreds of dollars trying to find a perfect coffee mill (Sorry folks! No such animal.) I will address the common gripes that I have read about this wonderful machine:

Gripe #1: Small amounts of grind drop when one removes the glass receptacle causing a big clean-up problem and you need to waste wads of paper towels to clean it up.

Answer #1: Yes, this is true to some very small extent, but quite insignificant. A simple swipe with a damp sponge instead of a paper towel does the trick. The upside is the the glass container which minimizes static (static is the real mess maker.)

Gripe #2: The grind is not uniform. All the grounds must be the exact same size.

Answer #2: Holy cow! For over a year, I have found the grind consistency to be excellent and uniform. This complaint is NOT to be believed.

Gripe #3: This coffee mill is a bit pricey, at $199.00.

Answer #3: Yes, I suppose, if one likes to pay retail. The price on this model actually runs from $299.00 down to $139.00 (I only paid $99.95 during a sale at Costco... Lucky me.) Anything of high quality commands a higher price. KitchenAid is no exception. Consider this when making a comparison: Constructed of Die Cast Metal and Glass (not cheap plastic.) Special stainless steel helical gear controls the delivery of coffee to the burrs for better grind consistency. Cutting burrs turn at just 450 rpm, minimizing frictional heating of the grinds and preserving coffee flavor. Provides simple burr cleaning access. And if all this is NOT enough, try a TWO YEAR, NO HASSLE, replacement warranty (what other company backs their products like this?) KitchenAid has World Class customer service.

Gripe #4: The bottom coffee bin is made of lightweight glass (fragile) and can be easily broken. Plus, there is no way to get a replacement if it does break.

Answer #4: Lightweight? Yes, because the coffee bin is Blown Glass (another high quality feature.) Replacements? A quick call to customer service will get you a new coffee bin, pronto ($11.95.)

Ending. This KitchenAid Proline coffee mill is stylish, beautiful. well designed, quiet, built like a tank (for many years of service), has the best warranty (bar none) and is the very BEST coffee mill I have ever owned. It is well worth the price of $199.00 (But remember, prices can range from $139.00 to $299.00. There ARE deals are out there. Good Luck.

I've used several coffee grinders. My last one was a Braun mill-style, that was so good that when it broke, I managed to take it apart and fix it. Well, one day it finally gave up and could no longer grind beans, and it was time to do research again for the next one.

One of my complaints with the Braun, which really was excellent in its day, was that it was loud. So loud I would occasionally throw a towel on it in a vain attempt to muffle it. So, I decided my next one would be quiet (or at least quieter -- it is grinding hard objects into powder, after all).

Another (minor) complaint was that the grind hopper was plastic, and the little grind particles would stick all over the inside of it through the magic of static cling. Not a huge deal, but it would be cleaner and neater if that didn't happen. So, it would be nice if my next one had a glass hopper.

Finally, while the looks of the Braun were not bad, it certainly wasn't a highlight of the kitchen. So, as a third priority, it would be nice (though not essential) if it looks good.

So imagine my surprise when I ran across this little beauty. All metal. Very attractive. A variety of colors lifted right out of a high end car catalog. Very professional looking (looks right at home next to my Viking range -- that should tell you something). Glass hopper with no static cling.

And (almost) best of all? It is amazingly quiet. Seriously, I can stand right next to it without running for my ear muffs.

Plus, it makes uniform grinds, suitable for an espresso machine or, with a twist of the front dial, a coffee maker. The instruction manual (which is quite possibly the best designed manual I've ever seen, and I used to write them for a living) gives instructions for how to calibrate the grinder yourself to get the finest grind possible, if you need it. I found that wasn't needed in my case, even though I use it for my espresso machine too.

And fast! That wasn't even on my list, but it is now that I've seen it. This thing can reduce a bag of beans to little bits in no time. You can actually see the beans in the hopper going down as they are ground down. Any faster and you would need a sledgehammer. And I don't think that would result in a uniform grind.

Fantastic unit. I really can't say enough about it. It literally has no flaws that I can discern, and I can almost always find at least a few -- not in this case!

Highly recommended.

The wife and I both really like this grinder. We've had several grinders over the years spending as little as $25 up to $60-70. We've been happy(at least at first) then disgruntled(they usually didn't last) and even stopped buying grinders and had the store do it for us due to disgust with the grinders we had bought. Dropping this kind of money on a "coffee grinder" was hard. We talked about it for a while and then finally took the plunge. We couldn't be happier.

Things we really like after having used it for about 6 months now. 1) First and foremost is the grind itself. It is very consistent and produces very little dust. Very nice. As far as making a good grind for coffee it is the best we've owned and as good as the big grinders used in the professional places. 2) Secondly is the glass grind hopper and grind bin. The static cling issue one gets with the plastic hoppers is almost non-existent with the glass grind bin. Plus the glass cleans up a lot better than plastic(the wife really likes this one). 3) Overall construction is sturdy and solid. This is not one of those plastic grinders you'll find on most shelves. This thing feels like it will last forever.

Things that could have been better. 1) The instructions give you the basic 2 tablespoons of grind per six ounces of water yada yada but the hopper and the glass bin are sans measurement lines. We had to experiment with how much whole beans to put in the hopper to make "our" perfect pot of coffee. Tablespoon measurement lines on the glass bin would have been nice. 2) The coffee beans sometimes get stuck feeding to the grinder from the hopper (it's just a gravity feed system). I've learned to gently poke at the beans to help them along their way down into the grinder.

That's pretty much it. We really like the grinder and feel confident in recommending it to others.

I bought mine in June of 2004 and have never had trouble.

Recently we ground a screw that somehow got in with the beans. Jammed the plates but was easy to remove by opening up front.

After that it was not right. The gearbox was loud and finally seized up.

Called Kitchenaid for parts and at this point do not sell them. So they are sending me a new grinder no charge and accepting my 3.5 year old one back.

Can't ask for much more than that for service.

This burr grinder deserves 5 stars for high-build quality and feel, attractive look, and ease of use. It also gets high scores for the glass tapper that collects the ground coffee as glass is far better than plastic. For one the grounds don't stick to glass the way they do to plastic. But I must take away a star because the grinder gets jammed if you put too many beans in at a time. I didn't have this problem with a cheaper Starbucks burr grinder I used before the Kitchenaid. I use one full cup of beans with 8 or 9 cups of water (yes, I like my coffee very strong indeed) but must grind a half cup at a time. Otherwise, it will jam. So be patient and grind no more than one half cup of whole coffee beans at a time.

Update a Year Later: Daily use and no problems with the unit. It has proven to be rugged and reliable. Highly recommended.

I agree with all the positive reviews. Now, if you are reading this, I am sure you already know that burr grinders are superior to blade grinders in every way, and the question is which grinder to buy?

A little background: I am a coffee lover, but also a coffee realist. There are some out there who bestow mystical properties upon coffee equipement. I cannot claim that this grinder will give your espresso the special voodoo magic that a Mazzer Jolly will give your espresso. Hello people, this is a coffee grinder not a particle accelerator! The goals are 1. consistent grind that is adjustable 2. ease of use (i.e. not messy) 3. durability

CONSISTENCY
I was hesitant about this grinder only because some reviewers wrote that the grind is too course. I can't say they are wrong, because I have not used their espresso machines. But my experience is totally different. I have a Gaggia Carezza machine. When I first got the grinder my first shot was with the grinder set at "8" - it was so fine it completely blocked the filter and I had to abort the shot and start over. I continued experimenting and settled on the grinder set at "6.5" which provides perfect crema and 25 second extraction. Now, understand I tamp at the recommended 30-40 lb range. It is possible the people who complain about the lack of a fine grind do not tamp at all (not recommended) or are not tamping consistently at same pressure.

EASE OF USE
Another excellent feature is that I do not use the glass receptacle and instead dose directly into the filter basket (minimal mess) Don't even need a funnel. Also, my 2 year old doesn't cry like she used to from the horrible noise that my old grinder made. This grinder is as quiet as a grinder can realistically be.

DURABILITY
I know Kitchenaid makes appliances built to last which drew me to this grinder. Which other grinders are not built entirely of plastic and have a 2 year warranty at this price?

I hope this brief review is helpful - not supposed to be as complete as others (read them too), but directed at explaining a bit more why it is such a great value.

When our last burr grinder gave up the ghost, I planned to buy another just like it. Upon reading Amazon's consumer reviews of other burr grinders, I decided on the KitchenAid. One of the reviewers mentioned the traces of coffee falling on the base when the bowl is removed. A solution: Give the side of the grinder a little spank, and those traces will fall into the glass bowl. The only complaint I have is the lack of a measuring device. We solved this by starting the grinder and slowing counting to the number of cups we want. We are happy with this machine.


August 29, 2009: Two years later, and this little appliance keeps on applying. It gets used at least twice a day--more if we have house guests--and is still doing the job. Lazy me--I have never cleaned it. The most I do is give it a few little shakes if it gets a coffee bean jammed in its little gizzard. If I could update to 5 stars, I would.

04-15-10: Still works great!
08-29-10: OK. I finally cleaned it. It's so easy, it's embarrassing. Still works great.

I tried several burr grinders from Kitchen Aid, Capresso, etc. and this product is fantastic - the best hands down. No static cling because of the glass bowls. Strongest motor, never slows down during the grind. A previous reviewer even pointed out that the motor survived a utensil handle. Not recommended but quite a testimonial. Well built and solid with modest noise.

Going from pre-ground to daily blade-ground beans was a big flavor improvement but I was really suprised how much of an additional improvement burr grinding made over blade grinding for automatic drip coffee. The result is much smoother flavor, less bitter.

I have finally succeeded in getting to the best cup of coffee ever. Evian bottled water + Starbucks beans + natural paper filters + Kitchen Aid drip coffee maker + this grinder = world class coffee.

This is the best grinder for under $200, I would buy it again.

I purchased and returned several grinders before the KitchenAid Pro Line Burr Griner. The other grinders suffered multiple problems including limited grinding capacity, difficult to clean, frequent coffee clogging. This included $500 grinders like the Mazzer Mini. What makes this grinder better is the straight path. The coffee goes straight down. It never clogs because it goes the direction of gravity. Straight out of the box the settings are perfect for French Press or espresso or even brewed coffee. You will love this grinder. I recommend it.

I've been using this grinder for about a year, and I highly recommend it. Just a few small complaints though, and for these reasons, I can't give it a full 5 stars:

1) A small amount of 'grindage' (as I call it) always falls out when the glass receptacle is removed, no matter how violently I shake the machine to ensure that every last granule is in the receptacle before I remove it. There is NO WAY to avoid this issue, so every day I'm cleaning up grindage from the bottom of the grinder, which inevitably gets on the counter. A damp paper towel works fine, but I think Kitchenaid should ship a year's supply of paper towels with the machine just to be fair. An even better idea would be to have the bottom of the grinder be removable, so that you can easily dump the grindage in the trash. But do they think of these things? No. They're content to charge $200 and let their customers clean up grindage every day of their lives.

2) The grind is not as uniform as it should be for a machine of this price. For $200 I expect every granule to be the same size, but alas, it's not. However, it's close enough for my satisfaction and far better than the large earth-like clods you get from cheap blade grinders, which require a hammer to break apart.

3) For some dumb reason there's slightly extended edges inside the hopper, where a few beans always get stuck. Not a big issue; just shake the machine. Some people might prefer to use a sledgehammer, but I don't recommend that because although the machine is sturdy, it might not stand up to a sledgehammer's blunt force trauma. Better to shake it, and if anyone asks what you're doing, don't be embarrassed that you're rocking an appliance back and forth - simply tell them the truth: "I spent good money on these coffee beans, and I don't want them to remain stuck in the hopper." Any logical person would understand and not mock you.

On the positive side, the use of a glass receptacle means NO STATIC CLING, which was always my main problem with all other grinders. Words can't describe how wonderful it is to grind coffee and have it fall peacefully to the bottom in a loose heap, instead of clinging to all sides of the container. Very easy to scoop out.

The machine is fairly quiet, reliable, and extremely well-built. As mentioned above, it could definitely use some refinement in the future - but even as is, it's by far the best grinder I've ever owned and if this one broke, I'd buy another without a second thought.

PS: if you own a Keurig coffeemaker and use the K-Cup attachment filter to make your own coffee (as opposed to using the pre-sealed K-cups), don't grind any finer than 6.5, otherwise the water won't flow through the filter properly.