KitchenAid Burr Coffee Grinder Review 2020 (Model KCG0702CS)

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KitchenAid is best-known for its food mixers, fridges, and microwaves. However, this American brand also has 3 coffee grinders to its name- and they all have an incredible track record of performance and reliability. Of the 3, the KCG0702CS is the top-rated. While this may seem objective, CoffeeVerdict believes this is one of the best solidly-built grinders in 2020. 

In this KitchenAid KCG0702CG coffee grinder review, let’s take you through everything you need to know about it. From there, you can decide whether to purchase it or consider other options.

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This coffee grinder is best for:

• Coffee lovers looking for a durable grinder– unlike its plastic competitors, this grinder’s shell is made of die-cast iron, and the mills are stainless steel. 
• Those who want versatility– the KCG0702CG offers 15 grind settings. Whether you are an espresso fiend or you prefer coarse grounds for French press coffee and Pour Over, there is undoubtedly a perfect setting for you here. 
• Coffee lovers who don’t mind paying more for quality– this is a medium-budget model with much better performance than most cheap blade grinders.
• Those who value a good mix of classic and modern designs– the vintage look of this grinder is one of its key selling points.
• First-timers and virtually anyone who wants an easy-to-use grinder– the beauty of this machine is its straightforward usability. It has no buttons to fiddle around with or modes to get used to. 

KitchenAid Burr Coffee Grinder: Assembly and Set up Review

The grinder will come nicely packaged and pretty much fully assembled for you. Set up is very easy too. The only thing that you’ll need to do is wash the hopper and ground jars and their lids in warm, soapy water (or in a dishwasher). You also need to wipe down the motor housing to remove any dust that may have collected in the warehouse. 

KitchenAid Burr Coffee Grinder: Design and Build Review 

Attractive Classic Design 

We find the glaringly retro design of the KCG0702CG coffee grinder so charming and attractive. We believe it will interest anyone who wants to add a period appeal to their kitchen. It will also come in handy if you are renovating the kitchen of an old home. 

Its classic design aside, all the individual components of this machine fit well together and disassemble in a breeze, too.

View KitchenAid Burr Coffee Grinder on Amazon

Metallic construction and stainless steel burr grinder 

The 0702CG is a remarkable step up from the plastic low-end coffee grinders that fill the market. This model is made from die-cast metal for durability and to withstand rigorous coffee grinding in coffee addicts’ homes. 

The grinding burrs themselves are made of stainless steel. Again, this is a departure from the ceramic burrs that are usually not as sharp and are prone to easy breakages in case of big impacts. 

The major critic that coffee-connoisseurs have against non-ceramic burrs is that they pass heat to the grounds, which could alter with the oils. While there’s little evidence for these claims, this grinder’s burrs revolve at 450 rpm (rotations per minute). This prevents frictional heat build-up, thereby ensuring that the fresh flavor of your coffee beans remains intact throughout the grinding process. 

Importantly, it’s implausible that the reduced rpm will significantly alter the time you take to grind your beans in the morning. 

It uses a conical burr grinder, not a blade!

The grinder of this machine is yet another chief component that we’d like to attract your attention to. If you are not so new to coffee grinders, then you probably know that they come in 2 distinct types; burr and blade. 

Without going too much into the details, burr grinders are highly preferred by pro baristas because of their uniform-size ground particles. These even grounds make for consistent brews. Also, a burr grinder offers you incredible control over the size of your grind.

This means that you can get the coarseness and fineness that your coffee or espresso machine requires. This is actually one of the features that make the KitchenAid KCG0702CG one of the best coffee grinders on Amazon this year. 

View KitchenAid Burr Coffee Grinder on Amazon

15 Settings for Maximum Versatility

This model offers up to 15 ground-size settings. The large, hard-to-miss, black dial at the front allows you to make half-step increments as you select from ultra-fine espresso grind to coarse grinds for Pour Over, Aeropress, French press, and even the old drip brewing methods.  

Bean Hopper and Ground Jar Capacity 

The bean hopper and ground jar are made of glass to minimize static electricity. Needless to mention, these jars are fragile and should, therefore, be handled with care.

The coffee hopper has a capacity of 7oz, which may be a pro or a con depending on how you look at it. On the one hand, some coffee aficionados may find the need for constant refills somewhat inconveniencing. However, if you are anything like most of us, the promise of fresher grounds is worth the hassle.

Make no mistake: while this hopper is on the smaller side, 7 ounces of coffee grounds could give you 8-10 cups of coffee. Whether or not this is enough ground per sitting is open to debate.

Size, Weight, and Placement 

With a standalone coffee grinder, you want to be sure that it will fit nicely on your kitchen tops. This machine measures 10.0″ (W) x 5.9″ (D) x 9.8″ (H). Although it’s relatively large, most coffee grinders within its power range tend to come at this size.

Perhaps its major drawback is its weight. At 24 lbs, this burr coffee grinder is quite substantial. What this means is that you’ll be happier to use it at a designated position on your kitchen tops. Otherwise, it might be cumbersome for most people to retrieve from storage now and then.  

All in all, we must acknowledge this grinder’s low-height design. The chief advantage here is that it easily fits in most vertical spaces. This is a bonus if you have a kitchen with low-height wall cabinets.

Also, its heft happens to be its strength in that it makes the machine more stable during operations. Again, this is a plus because in case you’ll want to leave the grinder to do its work unattended. This could save you a considerable amount of your precious time during the morning rush.

View KitchenAid Burr Coffee Grinder on Amazon

Control and Ease of Use

The KitchenAid KCG0702CG burr coffee grinder thrives in its straightforward use. We like how all the parts assemble and disassemble with ease. The glass hopper also fills easily.

After adding the beans in the hopper, the only setting that you’ll need to do is to select your desired grind setting from the 15 options available. Again, choosing the grind size with the single dial is very easy and has no learning curve to it.

Worthy of mention, it might take you a few rounds before identifying the best grind size for your preferred coffee brewing method. For starters, KitchenAid has lots of recipes, guides, and videos to help you out.

How the KitchenAid KCG0702CG Burr Grinder Works

Thus far, we’ve established that this is a conical burr grinder with 15 grind settings and a low-rpm motor for flavor integrity. So, how does it work?

After adding your coffee beans in the hopper and flipping the power switch ON, a motor starts rotating the burr grinder. The burr grinder itself is a pair of 2 plates called burrs. One of these burrs spins while the other remains still. 

As it spins, coffee grounds from the hopper are gravity-fed into a large opening at the middle where they trapped between the burrs. A coarser set of the teeth first crushes the beans into a coarse ground before redirecting it to a finer cutting surface below. The fine ground then falls into the ground jar below. 

KitchenAid Burr Coffee Grinder: Cleaning and Maintenance 

There are no parts that will need any form of maintenance on this coffee maker. Perhaps the only part that you might need to replace is the burr grinder itself after the teeth are worn out. This might take close to 10 years, though, with reasonable care and proper calibration.

The major requirement for this grinder will be regular cleaning. Most people rarely clean their grinders. As a result, coffee grounds, chaff, and oils cake themselves onto the grinding components (hopper, grinder, and jar).

As this stuff builds over time, it goes rancid and ends up giving your brews a funky smell and inconsistent flavor. 

How to Clean the KitchenAid Burr Coffee Grinder

1. Empty the coffee hopper. 
2. Turn on the machine on for around 3 seconds to let it clear all the grounds in the grinder completely. 
3. Remove the bean hopper and ground jar and wash them in warm, soapy water. You can also place them at the top rack of your dishwasher. Allow them to dry. 
4. Loosen the 2 screws that hold the grind setting dial and remove it. 
5. This should allow you to access and remove the burr shaft assembly. Use a stiff-bristled brush to clean this outer assembly.
6. Remove the loose grounds on the motor housing too. 
7. Reassemble the burr shaft component and continue grinding.

Warranty – This grinder comes with a one-year hassle-free replacement warranty.

KitchenAid Burr Grinder Pros & Cons

Our Verdict

The price of this coffee grinder may be an instant put off for some coffee lovers. However, our review team at CoffeeVerdict concluded that it offers an incredible entry-level to high-end conical grinders. It also has quite a good number of great features that might interest most vehement palates, including lots of grind-size settings, ease of use and maintenance, and classic design.

Frequently Asked Questions

Tips for getting the most out of KCG0702CG Coffee Grinder 

1. Clean your grinder regularly to prevent oils and grounds from sticking (ideally weekly).
2. Dig around the manual and YouTube videos to ensure that you are using the right grind setting for your coffee brewing method. 
3. Always grind your coffee beans as close to actual coffee brewing as possible. This will prevent flavor and oil loss from the grounds. 
4. Go for quality coffee beans. Remember that a great grinder is just half of the equation. 
5. If the machine is unusually noisy, calibrate the grinders as soon as possible to prevent damaging the teeth.