KINGrinder K6 Review

I never imagined I’d be reviewing a manual coffee grinder, but here we are. My journey into the world of coffee enthusiasts began with trying a Nespresso Vertuo and feeling a bit disappointed.

KINGrinder, a Taiwanese brand, produces high-quality coffee grinders at relatively affordable prices compared to the competition. Let’s take a closer look at their latest top-of-the-line model, the K6, and see if it’s worth investing in.

What is a Hand Coffee Grinder?

A manual coffee grinder is to coffee what a pepper grinder is to spices. Given the technical nuances and brewing methods involved with coffee, these grinders are naturally more expensive and complex.

By hand, we mean that the grinder is manual and typically requires a person to rotate the burr thanks to mechanical parts to grind the coffee.

These hand coffee grinders, known in French as “Moulin à café,” used to resemble a wooden drawer with a metal crank on top. Interestingly, they were designed to be held steady between your legs to prevent them from moving around.

I believe conical-shaped hand coffee grinders were first introduced in Turkey and were predominantly made of metal. Some of these classic pieces are lust by collectors.

Why a Hand Coffee Grinder?

You can easily find electric coffee grinders for under 100 euros. Some use blades, which is generally not preferred due to the lack of consistency. Others use burrs, which can be made of ceramic, metal, or even hard plastic.

Low-budget electric coffee grinders tend to have lower quality burrs compared to manual grinders, as part of the cost is allocated to motors and electronics. This means you’ll find excellent hand grinders for under 100 euros, but almost no electric ones of comparable quality.

Difference between conical and flat burr grinders

The primary difference between conical and flat burr grinders lies in their shape and the resulting grind quality. Conical burr grinders feature a cone-shaped center burr that fits inside a hollowed-out burr with serrated edges, while flat burr grinders consist of two parallel, flat burrs with teeth that face each other.

Conical burrs tend to produce a bimodal grind distribution, meaning there are both larger and smaller particles, which can enhance certain flavor profiles and provide a more forgiving grind. On the other hand, flat burrs typically produce a more uniform grind size, leading to a cleaner and more consistent extraction, favored in professional settings.

Each type has its advantages, with conical burrs being quieter and less prone to overheating, and flat burrs offering precision and consistency, making the choice largely dependent on personal preference and brewing methods.

Since flat burrs require high RPMs, they aren’t typically used in manual hand grinders, which favor conical burrs that rely on gravity.

The quality of the grind is one of the biggest variable

Anyone new to the coffee world quickly realizes that the quality of the beans and the grind are likely the two most important factors for a good cup of coffee, though temperature and brewing techniques also play significant roles.

The size and consistency of the grind determine factors like the precision or blurriness of the taste. If the grind contains pieces of varying sizes, the flavor profile will be inconsistent, making it difficult to appreciate the clarity of your coffee.

It’s also important to have a grinder that can achieve precise grind sizes, from coarse to very fine. Different coffee recipes and brewing methods require specific grind sizes.

More about the brand KINGrinder

KINGrinder is a Taiwanese company founded in 2020, specializing in hand coffee grinders.

They have quickly gained a reputation for offering high-quality products at very competitive prices, especially compared to their European counterparts, typically German. Germans and Japanese are renowned for producing top-quality mechanical devices.

Typically, these German hand coffee grinders like 1Zpresso or Comandante can be priced from 70 euros up to 300 euros.

The top-tier model from KINGrinder costs 80 euros, while they also offer models starting at 30 euros with the P series.

KINGrinder are actually having a lawsuit from 1Zpresso because their designs are quite similar in some ways.

What is their range of product

They essentially offer two product lines: the K series, which includes regular-sized hand coffee grinders, and the P series, featuring smaller, portable options.

Each line has a number that theoretically corresponds to the size and quality of the burr. The lower the number, the more beginner-friendly the grinder. Only from the K3 model onward can you grind finely enough for espresso.

The K4 is a grinder specialized for espresso, while the most versatile model, the K5, has now been replaced by the K6.

To get a better understand you can visit this page : https://www.kingrinder.com

The K6 : the top of the range

The K6, being the top of the range, features an external adjustment mechanism with a large 48mm burr that adjusts by 16 μm per click and a larger hopper with a 30~35g capacity.

The burr has a heptagonal shape, and the entire device weighs 630 grams, offering a very nice build and feel.

The K6 comes packaged in a box that includes a hand crack and a small brush for cleaning coffee residue from the machine. A white O-ring & Circlip was also provided perhaps if you want to fix your crank to the top cover.

It also comes with a manual featuring a chart that outlines the different grind sizes suitable for various coffee pots and types of coffee.

Our experience with the K6

We tried this Hand Coffee Grinder with a Bialetti Venus so we had to go for the Moka Settings which was 120.

This was our first experience with a grinder, and we had to match the double settings on both the body and the top to reach 120. Although it wasn’t the most intuitive concept, we grasped it fairly quickly.

Occasionally, we would reset back to 0 just to ensure we had the correct setting, as the numbers on the body weren’t very easy to read.

We were very impressed by the device’s build quality, which feels heavy and solid. The clicks feel satisfying, and using the lever is smoother than we expected. The only improvement we suggest is having hard stops at the extremities of the settings.

The quality of the grind

We were absolutely impressed by the quality of the grind at 120 clicks for the Moka. They were very consistent in size and the whole process felt very precise, manual and rewarding.

Grinding 20 grams of coffee took less than 30 seconds, and grinding for a French Press took less than 10 seconds. So, for us, it’s definitely not a difficult task for two cups.

In fact, whipping eggs into snow with an electric mixer is more challenging than this. We still have to experiment more with this K6 to fully grasp what it is capable of but our first Moka was amazing.

It was even better than an espresso from a coffee shop using the exact same beans. This might be due to the fact that we opened a fresh bag of roasted coffee beans.

How does this tool compare to an electric grinder

For us an electric grinder is a tool for people who make tons of coffee. We just make 2 cups a day and we are very new to coffee. This is why investing in a hand grinder was a more fitting solution.

If we had a permanent residence with a spacious kitchen, we would certainly invest in an electric grinder and an espresso machine.

Currently, we’re eager to travel more and explore new places, which is why a hand grinder seemed like the better choice for us.

I also think that bang for bucks the burr will definitely be of better quality in a hand grinder for the same price.

Honestly, we also miss the experience of crafting something with our hands and feeling connected to the physical world.

Verdict

8.2 out of 10.

The KINGrinder K6 is definitely a hand grinder we would recommend to coffee beginners. It’s versatile, capable of grinding for French press, drip coffee, moka, and even espresso.

The build quality is excellent, and it offers the best grind quality you can find in this price range. While other grinders like the Comandante or Niche Zero might perform slightly better, the K6 is extremely competitive at just 80 euros.

You could save this money to purchase specialty beans and explore new and amazing coffees.