yakster wrote:John from Decent Espresso posted about using the Decent portafilter stand and funnel to direct dose into the portafilter on the Weber Workshops forum here: https://weberworkshops.com/pages/forum? ... r-12336802

The funnel into PF works pretty well. There's a picture I posted using the funnel and decent stand on page 47 of this thread with that setup. I haven't changed to a different configuration since trying it.

I'd be curious for someone to try the non-coated burrs. Some of the Kafatek conical users have commented about a taste difference between the coated and non-coated. Should be a lot easier to season too.

cannonfodder wrote:That actually reminds me of the transmission gearing in a KitchenAid stand mixer. I pulled my mixer apart a year ago to clean and repack the transmission and planetary gear.

Given this is on a food service item, you may want to avoid most lubricants and use a food-grade grease, like what I used on my KitchenAid mixer. You can get food-grade grease from any restaurant supply shop or online. Just google 'KitchenAid mixer grease'. It has a high viscosity and is made to stick to gearing in the mixer housing.

https://www.amazon.com/Grade-Grease-Kit ... B0722VGTHJ

Ah that should be a great grease for this application, thank you. It seems impossible for the grease in the gearbox to make its way out, but if you're not super cleanly when applying a regular grease, you could accidentally touch another part of the machine with some on your hands, so good risk mitigation.

Jessipoo wrote:I saw that though it wasn't really revolutionary, it's just products that exist already stuck with double sided tape (not even magnets).

The dust has settled with the KEY, I wonder if the negative voices have been erased now that more people have the KEY in their hands and the reviews overall seem good? Seeing that a lot of the big coffee players have their hands on one too, though that doesn't mean anything since they probably try a lot of grinders that have hype around them. You often see the Niche on their bars though (and it stays there) - wonder if we'll see that with the KEY with time

Yes, hope the dust has settled as well. Would be nice to hear back from Key users that have lived with the grinder awhile. How's it?

I've been living with my Key since the beginning of February and have been more than happy with it. It replaced my Niche (well I moved it to my office), and there are tradeoffs between it and the Key. The key's workflow is more involved than the Niche requiring more steps (RDT, magic tumbler, WDT) but I rather enjoy the prep process so it doesn't bother me. The trade off in additional workflow hassle is offset by the added clarity in the cup. With the Niche, most medium to medium-light coffee's tasted very similar, where with the Key there are distinct flavor notes that can be discerned. In addition, the 84mm burr set produces less body than the niche, so not as thick and syrupy.

I did not season the burrs when it first arrived so I found the first few weeks the shots were wildly inconsistent with lots of channeling and spritzing. I've probably put 4-5lbs into it by now and the shots are very consistent. Lighter roasts do require a much more purposeful puck prep, but medium roasts are more forgiving. In fact with some medium roasts I've tried, I can skip WDT and just rely on the Magic Tumbler with the built-in wire stirring device. RDT is required though as it produces too much static without it.

Overall, I've been very happy with it and will continue to keep it for the long haul. I'm looking to pair it with a flat burr grinder in the future but the Key produces a cup somewhere between the Niche style and a flat burr style cup.

DaMaDo wrote:
I'd be curious for someone to try the non-coated burrs. Some of the Kafatek conical users have commented about a taste difference between the coated and non-coated. Should be a lot easier to season too.

From what I have experienced with MC4, MC4 with coated burrs are very hard to break in. It needs much more seasoning compared to the non-coated burrs and I think this is the reason why people experience different taste (one of the burrs is not well seasoned). The KEY need lees seasoning compared to coated burr MC4

The Key grinder's burrs are partially broken in, then they are TiN coated. My Key produced perfect shots right out of the box with only a bit of RDT, which has nothing to do with burr condition.

On the snow key does anyone have tips for cleaning? I guess my hands were dirty from making a few cortados right before it arrived and I left two nasty finger prints on it I'm having trouble getting off. This sounds stupid but I don't want to damage the finish.

Users that had received slight discolorations on their Keys upon arrival were recommended by Douglas Weber to use automotive scratch removal compound. I had one small spot on my white Key and used "Formula 1 Scratch Out" and it worked like a charm.

If a slight damp cloth doesn't clean it up as expected, you can try that polishing compound on any spots you might have.

I had spritzing and channeling out of the box, too.
After 5kg it is significantly better. I would say right now it is in a normal range I would expect from any grinder. The Weber support told me, that it takes up to 10kg, so I still hope there will be a further improvement.

What amazes me with the key is, that every change I make (grind setting, temperature, dose, time etc.) really impacts the taste of the coffee in a way that literally everybody can taste it.

I came from the 270wi and in comparison those changes were "muted" and not so clear to taste.

BTW:
I was 2 times in contact with the Support by email. Both times I was happy with the answer. Although I have to say, that the answer for my second Email took some time. Actually it took so long, that I was thinking about writing again. But then the answer came. Strangely this deepened my trust in Weber Workshops. I think they have a lot on their plate, but it is a good feeling that nothing gets forgotten.

Plox wrote:
I came from the 270wi and in comparison those changes were "muted" and not so clear to taste.

Came from a 270 to a Key, night and day in flavour. More clarity/less texture which is perfect for my light Ethiopian roasts and from what I understand, still benefits from the conical of easier to dial in.

I rarely have to move around the dial ring very much from roast to roast and even as the coffee gets older surprisingly, the adjustments seem to be more minor than my 270.

Epicurus wrote:I've been living with my Key since the beginning of February and have been more than happy with it. It replaced my Niche (well I moved it to my office), and there are tradeoffs between it and the Key. The key's workflow is more involved than the Niche requiring more steps (RDT, magic tumbler, WDT) but I rather enjoy the prep process so it doesn't bother me. The trade off in additional workflow hassle is offset by the added clarity in the cup. With the Niche, most medium to medium-light coffee's tasted very similar, where with the Key there are distinct flavor notes that can be discerned. In addition, the 84mm burr set produces less body than the niche, so not as thick and syrupy.

I did not season the burrs when it first arrived so I found the first few weeks the shots were wildly inconsistent with lots of channeling and spritzing. I've probably put 4-5lbs into it by now and the shots are very consistent. Lighter roasts do require a much more purposeful puck prep, but medium roasts are more forgiving. In fact with some medium roasts I've tried, I can skip WDT and just rely on the Magic Tumbler with the built-in wire stirring device. RDT is required though as it produces too much static without it.

Overall, I've been very happy with it and will continue to keep it for the long haul. I'm looking to pair it with a flat burr grinder in the future but the Key produces a cup somewhere between the Niche style and a flat burr style cup.

100% my experience on coffee quality versus the Niche, described very well