scjavadr Senior Member Joined: 14 Feb 2010 Posts: 46 Location: SC Expertise: I love coffee
Posted Mon Jan 28, 2013, 7:26am Subject: Compak K6 - thoughts, info. etc.
I've got a chance to get a Compak K6 for under $300. From what I could find on this site and H-B site, it looks like this is a good grinder comparable to a Mazzer SJ. It appears to be relatively tall and noisy. I haven't seen a lot of mods for the grinder.
So I'm wondering whether anyone has experience with the K6 and what it's good and bad points are. Is the noise really bad, or is it like a Mazzer? This will be for home use. I typically single dose, so I'm hoping it will be useful for that like I've read about SJs. It's been in storage for a few years, and apparently, it's in good shape. I figure if I need new burrs, that's par for the course. Anything else that would help me decide if it's worth the deal I'm getting?
etout00 Senior Member Joined: 1 Sep 2011 Posts: 53 Location: Upstate NY Expertise: I love coffee
Espresso: La Marzocco GS/3 MP Grinder: OE Pharos #720, Baratza...
Posted Mon Jan 28, 2013, 8:36am Subject: Re: Compak K6 - thoughts, info. etc.
scjavadr Said:
I've got a chance to get a Compak K6 for under $300. From what I could find on this site and H-B site, it looks like this is a good grinder comparable to a Mazzer SJ. It appears to be relatively tall and noisy. I haven't seen a lot of mods for the grinder.
So I'm wondering whether anyone has experience with the K6 and what it's good and bad points are. Is the noise really bad, or is it like a Mazzer? This will be for home use. I typically single dose, so I'm hoping it will be useful for that like I've read about SJs. It's been in storage for a few years, and apparently, it's in good shape. I figure if I need new burrs, that's par for the course. Anything else that would help me decide if it's worth the deal I'm getting?
I owned a compak k6 for a little while. The quality of the grind is going to be comparable to a SJ, same burr size. I had the silencio version of the K6 which has rubber motor mounts and thought it was relatively quiet, similar to a baratza vario. Keep I mind that its rather large, I believe a little larger than the SJ...in fact the K6 and K10 share the same exact body. Its a good grinder and under $300 is a decent price.
Posted Mon Jan 28, 2013, 9:22pm Subject: Re: Compak K6 - thoughts, info. etc.
I can't actually compare it to anything, but I like my rebadged K6 quite well. clearing the grind chute after the grinder stops spinning is a bit of a pain but I guess that's typical of most grinders when you're grinding per dose. It doesn't seem particularly loud to me. The hopper opening is smaller than most. I don't use any funnel of any kind. I found a 1 1/2" PVC pipe plug, threads and all, drops into the top just right to cap it off.
Posted Mon Jan 28, 2013, 9:37pm Subject: Re: Compak K6 - thoughts, info. etc.
You should find out if you're looking at the more modern (post 2000-something I think) steppless version. The older stepped K6s are OK, but the newer ones have a much nicer burr carrier that's really good at single dosing, and just better in general. I too have owned a Silencio version and it was great, one of my all time favorite grinders that I'm still a little sorry I let go of. The dosers are better than Mazzer dosers when they're in good working order. The internal mechanism isn't as sturdy as the Mazzer's, but nothing else is either.
All things begin equal, I prefer a K6 to an SJ. If I where to buy one again, I would be holding off for the "Pro Barista" version.
Posted Mon Jan 28, 2013, 9:48pm Subject: Re: Compak K6 - thoughts, info. etc.
russel Said:
You should find out if you're looking at the more modern (post 2000-something I think) steppless version. The older stepped K6s are OK, but the newer ones have a much nicer burr carrier that's really good at single dosing, and just better in general. I too have owned a Silencio version and it was great, one of my all time favorite grinders that I'm still a little sorry I let go of. The dosers are better than Mazzer dosers when they're in good working order. The internal mechanism isn't as sturdy as the Mazzer's, but nothing else is either.
All things begin equal, I prefer a K6 to an SJ. If I where to buy one again, I would be holding off for the "Pro Barista" version.
You've got me qurious now. I've got the stepless version, made in 2003, but the chute ends up full of grounds that I have to clear out and then bump it on again. How much was left in the chute on your K6?
Edit P.S. I've come to believe that the doser was replaced at some point with a slightly different model. It doesn't seem to fit up exactly right and might contribute to my grind retention.
Posted Tue Jan 29, 2013, 11:33pm Subject: Re: Compak K6 - thoughts, info. etc.
CoffeeRon Said:
You've got me qurious now. I've got the stepless version, made in 2003, but the chute ends up full of grounds that I have to clear out and then bump it on again. How much was left in the chute on your K6?
Edit P.S. I've come to believe that the doser was replaced at some point with a slightly different model. It doesn't seem to fit up exactly right and might contribute to my grind retention.
The chute retention was there. You can mod the rubber chute gastet to make the path a little bit more open. I used an inverted silicone prep bowl to flush the chute with a pulse of air (http://instagram.com/p/OFjsXRGgQS/). It still required a bump or two but that was about it. The long straight burr chamber inlet is what I liked the most, no caught beans or grind buildup. The previous stepped versions have a huge hollow space, between the collar opening and the actual burr inlet, which either catched single dosed beans or becomes encrusted with a surprisingly thick layer of stale hardened beans+grind residue when used with a hopper without proper cleaning.
Posted Sat Feb 2, 2013, 11:20am Subject: Re: Compak K6 - thoughts, info. etc.
Cool deal. I think you'll be very pleased. You'll probably want to pull off the autofill switch and flap. Any questions on that let me know. You'll also want to do a search for the tape mod on the doser veins, works really well. Ron
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