Ten years ago (or so) I whisked the first UK K30 off the Mahllkoenig stand, in London, as it was a light bulb for the coffee world. In hindsight, there was so much wrong with it. This K30 grinder was relatively incredible, compared to everything else around. Mazzer Jolly or a K30? K30 or Compak? K30 or Cunhill? Top trumps. It was on top until the arguably more consistent, yet slower Mythos 1 was born.
The story of the dosing grinder has evolved.
This story is one of an average K30 that was bought secondhand 8 years ago. It has quietly been churning out 17g doses all day every day, with a La Spaziale S5 for company. It’s not unusual for a grinder to keep on going, like a modern car, it’s just that most people like to change their cars every few years. Is this for depreciation, comfort or safety I wonder? Keeping a grinder working for longer should include cleaning the burrs a least every thousand shots, change the burrs every 50K and it keeps on going. The only reason this grinder caught my eye was that it was one of the originals. the first burr housing. At their worst, these grinders were very messy and inaccurate. These early versions of the K30 are not the easiest grinders to service on site and can end up becoming two pieces that need a workshop, heating, a full set of tools and a fluent tongue in “Horlicks (or alternative expletive here….)” So there it is. a dirty 10-year-old grinder.
Bang for Buck$$$
This led me to thinking, 325,581 cups of coffee for a grinder that was about £1000 ten years ago. This K30 has contributed to turning over somewhere between 1/2 and 3/4 of a million pounds.
So next time you look at a (or your) grinder, it is kind of amazing what they can do and how little they cost to own.
Yes, clean the outside regularly. Clean the burrs. Yes change the burrs every 50,000 shots or if you prefer £100,000.
