we just got back from williams sonoma and asked for a demo and taste taste between the eletta explore and kf8. We brewed a cappuccino with the same beans and same setting and the kf8 tasted noticeably better - a richer coffee flavor while the eletta was a much milder flavor.
The KF8 was much quieter too, but it’s not like the dlongjhi was unbearably loud. Aesthetically, the KF8 just looks more contemporary, and the build felt more premium. The sales rep said that kitchenaid customer service is much better, and kept stating that it’s made in switzerland at the same factory as jura, which is one of the most premium superauto brands.
One of the many things I love about our KF8 is the super accessible and viewable side water tank. The new models are a step back, putting the tank behind the machine and completely out of view.
That’s how I feel about my KitchenAid KF8. Highly raved and praised online but I’m on my third machine after the first 2 were duds. Got it from Whirlpool website so no returns allowed. Retail price is like $2K but it’s all plastic build too some parts flimsy af. I wouldn’t care about all the plastic parts if the machine just worked flawlessly.
Tom doesn't get into the machines as people think he does. He's spread misinformation too as if Delonghi was paying him. In stead of creating original content he'll remake other old you tube videos.
Chances are you machine is not bad. The larger a puck is with a fine grind the more resistance it has. There's no way the ninja will put out espresso with a 20g fine grind puck. None. My hypothesis anyway. That is where the auto grinder comes in. #1 cause of returns IMHO is from people grinding too finely clogging the machine and having extraction issues. The auto grinder probably helps to stop that by limiting the grind.
My guess is the grinder uses a limited fixed ratio grind setting based on users strength/volume settings. Large latte drinkers would be indifferent to it to poor grind. Latte drinkers with 2 pumps is ninjas target demo. Espresso grinders can either grind for espresso or drip, not both.
You just need to get your feet wet. Get a kf5 or whatever in the insiders pass.for like $600. I have a kf8 and a jura. Not sure if get another jura. Set the machine to the second finest grind, temp low. Then adjust the volume to taste. If you like dark roast try peets espresso forte. Med. Roast Starbucks espresso roast. You just need to get your feet wet. It's great coffee, you save money but not using pods.
89% of the people in this sub are heavy milk drinkers but don't want to admit it. I spent months figuring out why all the "awesome" recommendations like super crema were terrible. Everything is great when it's mixed with 8ounces of milk and syrup Probably like this ninja.
Whirlpool has it. It's like a friends and family discount thing. It came out after I got the kf8. Start a new thread and ask for a insiders pass. You can search for insiders pass too for more information. Jura, KitchenAid/Miele are the best super for black drinks. They have the largest dose size and best grind. You'll get better/larger drinks than the pods even the philips LoR. The KA you can get the best deal on. Espresso needs a fine to extract the nuances under pressure. Most machine will either clog too easily before you get decent espresso or not grind finely enough. Not fine enough with a small dose means weak coffee. If you notice your pods use a fine grind.
I should say the new compact ka machines just came out but people are saying the are the same quality as the full size, same brew unit ect, haven't tried it myself. The kf6-8 are the full size machines.
Your Philips 5500 also has the flat ceramic burr, same as the 800 . A lot of Philips machines have the ceramic flat burr. They are not special and they are quite small. The kitchenaids are quite but the whole machine is insulated for sound. My jura has flat burr ceramic discs, they are not quiet and need a thick towel to muffel them.
You want a ceramic flat disc for a certain flavor profile and they tend to stay cleaner. Grinds on a super auto are not that great anyway so I think it would be difficult for anyone to pickup the nuances between a flat disc or conical grinder. The Jura z10 has a conical grinder while the Giga 10 has flat discs for example. The quietness of it is Philips marketing team getting way over their skiis.
I don't think you actually what I am saying, since you proved part of my point already. They don't know how to use the machines, they don't know the limitations or how to maximize. I owned a TK02 and it was terrible at making coffee then again espresso. Why is a coffee roaster testing their own coffee? Why would someone used to a semi auto, and hopefully have a nuanced taste for espresso blindly write a review of super autos? Conversely, why not have someone who has no experience using a espresso machine review the SanRemo YOU espresso machine?
**T**he article did not mention anything about how the machines were adjusted and why are they using specialty coffee? it is awfully specific and quite odd.
You can if you tried it. Not about being a snob as super autos a lower quality anyway but you can taste the difference in the grind and dose size after the ratios are adjusted. The z10s are a waste but a 15g KitchenAid/Miele or 16g jura on sale is a good deal. No one should pay more than $500 for a Philips. The new kf seem to be a bargain.
I think if you get a quality machine it will last many many years of use. The time to make a latte from machine off to coffee in cup for my KitchenAid KF8 is probably 2 or 3 minutes. Cleanup can wait until later in the day when you have time but really it’s just dumping the grounds bin and running a rinse on the milk system. Takes maybe 2 more minutes. In total from powered off to drink made and machine cleaned maybe 5 minutes. Way faster than a traditional espresso setup with a grinder and only maybe a tiny bit slower than a pod machine.
I think there is a pretty notable difference. I went from a Philips 5400 (same machine as the 3200/3300 just fancier features) to a using my brother in laws Delonghi Dinamica Plus pretty regularly, to the KitcheAid KF8 we have now and I would say every one of them was a noticeable jump in quality even though we drink milk drinks 90%+ of the time. The real question I think is if the KF8 is 50% better than the Philips since that is about the price difference and personally I think so, but I’d wager that most people would find it to fall in the diminishing returns category.
Personally I went with the KitchenAid KF8 and it has been spectacular. It makes great coffee and milk drinks, the UI is simple and straightforward, maintenance is dead simple, and maybe my favorite part, it’s very quiet for a super auto.
Delonghi also makes a good machine. My brother in law has a Delonghi and it makes great coffee. It’s definitely better than the Philips my wife and I had before the KA. But I think the KA is a step up from Delonghi.
TK I don’t have any first hand experience with, but they have a pretty rough reputation. Lots of problems with machines, poor performance, questionable customer service, etc. These could be the growing pains of a relatively new company, but it doesn’t fill me with confidence. Note to be fair they do also have a contingent of customers who are very happy and praise the novel design and features. Personally though, I’d stick with a more traditional brand like Delonghi, KitchenAid, Jura, Miele, etc.
Both my Philips and KitchenAid had explicit instructions in their manuals on what can only be described as a break in period. What would you like to call making and dumping 10 shots, followed by not adjusting the grinder for X period of time?
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