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Hi,
dont know if its any help but having had a kitchenaide espresso machine i looked for help with infomation on it. I dont know where you are however here in victoria in a place called Monbulk they have a store to sell both the machine i had and also the grinder which you have which goes with that series.
I will PM you the address as im not sure weather i can post it on here as it isnt a sponsor
Originally posted by 20252626282136440 link=1259643334/13#13 date=1328530942
Hi Glenn66,
Presumably youve searched this forum for other threads discussing Kitchenaid grinders and coffee machines. There are a number and maybe they can give a clearer answer to which mods might suit your grinder.
You mention in your first post that the grind is too coarse but havent mentioned how you arrived at that conclusion. While it is a common issue there may be something else happening. You havent written about the actual technique youre using, what experience you have and the type of results you can achieve with your Kitchenaid gear.
So I guess we should ask why you think the grind is too coarse ? What have you varied to try and overcome your coffee problems ? Is there more than one model Artisan Coffee machine and which do you have ? And every Coffeesnobs favourite question - are you using freshly roasted beans ? Im not doubting things are working for you, just trying to understand.
Give us some additional info and maybe others will have advice to give.
Thanks for the constructive response!
The espresso machine is the Artisan 5KES100. The reason I say the grind is too coarse is that the coffee POARS through instantly blond and takes about 10 seconds to fill a cup that usually takes 2 minutes. And that was after tamping so heavy something clicked in my shoulder!
Ive been using the canned Illy espresso grind (red can) for ever as it seems to agree with the fairly fussy Artisan machine, even other brand espresso grinds often result in a thin, tasteless pour hence my enthusiasm to start grinding fresh roasted beans.
I found a fairly comprehensive mod walk-through over on home-barista.com but as I said above it only concerns the KA Proline KPCG100ER grinder not the KA Artisan 5KCG100.
To further muddy the waters, a post over on coffeegeek.com claimed the Proline and the Artisan are one and the same, only marketed towards the US and European markets.
I guess Ill have to strip the Artisan down and see if the burrs measure in @ 58mm.
Do not to throw good money after bad by attempting to modify something that should work as is.
Contact the Australian importer. Dont email unless you want to be ignored, business people have legitimate paid work to do that takes preference before responding to countless emails asking for (free) advice. Telephone them and explain your case and see if they can help you. If they can, send it to them and let them fix it (make it fit for purpose to use with their matching machine) . Dont begrudge paying them to do so, if it was never one of their imports they have no responsibility for the new machine guarantee.
If they cant help, ask for the appropriate contact at the brand HQ. Then you can knock yourself out writing emails stating the problem and asking for their help / advice to rectify. DO NOT mention the words guarantee or warranty unless you are prepared to send the grinder back to them (and bring it back afterwards) at your cost. Its not the manufacturer problem if a client buys something and takes it to another country. If you were to pay the freight I believe there would be no reason why they would not honour any warranty that applies to make the grinder fit for purpose. However there is no doubt it would be far cheaper for you to send it to the Oz importer and pay them to rectify and really....they should know how....
If none of that works, stop beating yourself up, park it, and buy a suitable grinder. It will be cheaper to do that in the long run, than muck around trying to mod something so that it may not work properly anyway, or have to be replaced later anyway......ie dont throw good money after bad by paying twice or even three times over attempting to mod something that isnt "guaranteed" to work for you.....
Also buying a replacement grinder cuts to the chase now...no more wasted time and continuing angst
Re Quote :...... been using the canned Illy espresso grind (red can) for ever as it seems to agree with the fairly fussy Artisan machine, even other brand espresso grinds often result in a thin, tasteless pour hence my enthusiasm to start grinding fresh roasted beans....."
If it were me I would buy fresh roast coffee beans and have them ground on the spot to a grind suitable for a Gaggia Classic or similar instead of the supply you have been using. You will get a much better result than using a pre-aged product that is in addition to that, not ground to suit your machine.
Using any prepackaged pre ground coffee in any pump driven espresso machine is very unsatisfying because the grind settings used can be no more than some kind of average grind to try and suit all. So in 99% of cases....its actually the WRONG grind for any particular machine, as well as being old coffee in a pack.....
Also most pre grounds found in a supermarket are ground for domestic STOVE TOP sector not pump driven machines so they are way too coarse anyway.....That will be why the brew just rushes out of your group handle at 100 miles an hour.
Solution....have your grinder rectified (not modded), or buy another grinder.
Also we dont really know what your coffee making technique is like, and whilst there may be a problem with the grinder not grinding in the correct range for a pump driven espresso machine (by the way you can use that line when speaking with the service people who you ask to help), there is no doubt that if you employ best possible practice in your equipment management and technique (grind / dose / tamp), while using fresh roast coffee the problem should be lessened...
Hope all that helps.
I always start these responses with the best intentions at heart, and then they end up being 20 pages long ;D ;D ;D
If you dont feel there is anything useful in this post please ignore.
Originally posted by 1B303932326A6A5C0 link=1259643334/8#8 date=1325338935
Ive just bought an Artisan 5KCG100 and even at the finest setting and with the extra adjustment available after removing the settings dial the grind is still too coarse for the Artisan espresso machine.
It was a christmas present for my wife and she is pretty ticked off at the unsuitability of an Artisan grinder and espresso machine. I cant return the grinder either as it was bought overseas where we spent christmas.
Ive googled for about 2 hrs for any mods but cant find anything. Does anyone have a link at all?
Cheers
I am sending you a PM as I may be able to help you resolve this issue. I know the KitchenAid Pro Line/Artisan grinder inside/out so will be glad to help.
Just to clear things up, Im Australian but living now in the Middle East (Qatar) so any hope of dealer service is non-existant!
I reckon ill mod this baby till the cows come home and if that fails, THEN ill throw it in the trash. I can get the mazzer burrs for about $40 off ebay and a little drilling and turning on a lathe should have some effect, good or bad we will see!
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