Breville SG to Compak K3 (or similar) - quick easy question!

[damienh7]

As the title suggests, I'm looking at bundling my Smart Grinder in the sale of my Silvia and having read through a number of similar threads on here, I've pretty much settled on the K3 Push (maybe Touch if budget can be stretched that extra $90 or so). Macap M2M could be the other option... $500 really is my limit.

One thing that strikes me in reading through all the threads I could find is that there's not a lot of straight out confirmation that the K3 produces clearly better grind quality than the SG. I'm assuming it does, and it's not just it's build quality, longevity, resale and grind retention that make it "better".

I do like the hands off grinding of the SG which I would miss going to the K3P but can live with that. I also like that the SG is quite neat (I.e. compared to my first grinder, the Sunbeam 0450 which spat grinds everywhere!).

These are two considerations, but ultimately wanting someone to tell me "yes, I've used both and the K3 clearly produces better coffee than the SG..." otherwise, I should consider the newer updated SG model instead at around half the price I suppose!

Thanks!
Damien

[Steve82]

Hi Damien, I had the smart grinder side by side with a K3P for around 6 months. The smart grinder is a great value grinder and excellent entry point into decent espresso grinding. However it was no where near a match for the K3P time and time again. Shots were always richer and more full bodied. At really fine espresso grinds I always felt the SG strained and whined, heated up quickly. The K3 would happily grind finer with ease, like a V8 vs 4cyl corolla.

I had the K3 side by side with M2M for several months, could not pick them apart in terms of taste. Again K3 does things a bit easier, but not by much and the size difference on the bench is quite a bit, so I kept the M2M.

Cheers

[damienh7]

Awesome, thanks Steve. So the M2M is definitely worth looking at too then... I assume it's cheaper than the K3, yeah?

[TC]

Awesome, thanks Steve. So the M2M is definitely worth looking at too then... I assume it's cheaper than the K3, yeah?

Nope. Different manufacturer and the smaller form factor also carries a premium. I doubt you will find the Macap available at a similar spend to the K3P as they wholesale for more.

[Hildy]

I have both on my bench. The SG is relegated to decaf duties. I found that it doesn't suit my espresso making style (can't fit in coffee catcha, steps are bigger than I'd like, never quite got the timed dose to work properly, etc).

[blend52]

I do like the hands off grinding of the SG which I would miss going to the K3P

I believe the K3P , in its latest version , will also do "hands off" PF filling.
And its really easy to mod the earlier versions to also work that way !

[Barry O'Speedwagon]

I have a K3T and M2M, tend to use the M2M more often. Both are great grinders.....can't consistently pick a favourite in the cup. If space is important to you, I'd have no hesitation in going for the M2M. It does tend to 'popcorn' a bit more than the k3, so you need to have a few more beans in the hopper.

I think I picked upt the M2M for about $465 from Cosmorex.

[Steve82]

It does tend to 'popcorn' a bit more than the k3, so you need to have a few more beans in the hopper.

Ahh yes this is a good point, completely agree. It makes me miss the K3 a bit, always ground very smooth to last few beans.

[damienh7]

Space isn't a concern in my kitchen, which is quite large (no overhead cupboards either). So sounds like there's no real reason to overlook the K3 in favor of the M2M, based on what I'm reading here.

[damienh7]

Long story short, I'd lined up a good price on a K3 at a local retailer (always good to buy local where possible!), but stock fell through (change in wholesale arrangement I believe).

Anyway, the Macap M2M was suggested by this retailer also as an alternative, so I'm back to weighing up paying the extra for the Macap and what I get for the extra. From what I can tell it's mainly paying for the brand? And in my case will mean I can buy locally still.

Alternatively I look at the K3 still but would have to travel to Melbourne or get it posted. Would rather see it in person first though obviously!

Hmmm, decisions!

[blend52]

....., I'd lined up a good price on a K3 at a local retailer

Anyway, the Macap M2M was suggested by this retailer also as an alternative, so I'm back to weighing up paying the extra for the Macap and what I get for the extra. From what I can tell it's mainly paying for the brand? ....
Hmmm, decisions!

You should not have to pay more for a M2M than a K3T..
It sounds like a classic case of "upselling" / "sales creep" , by the retailer.
Shop around !

[damienh7]

You should not have to pay more for a M2M than a K3T..
It sounds like a classic case of "upselling" / "sales creep" , by the retailer.
Shop around !

Similar pricing to the Touch. Dearer than the Push which I'd been quoted just over $400 for locally, and was the way I was leaning since it was comfortably within my budget of ~$450 (an arbitrary figure, but that's what I sold my Silvia/Smart grinder combo for). Happy enough to stretch that to $500 but weighing up local retailer vs price vs model availability etc.

[Barry O'Speedwagon]

He's referring to a k3P, not k3T.

And I'm led to believe that the landed price of the M2M is greater than the k3P.

[Yelta]

Had a grin at the last part of the title of this thread "quick easy question" is there such a thing on Coffee Snobs? when even the simplest question will run to multiple pages of replies.

[damienh7]

I did find myself thinking the same as I was half way through writing said "quick easy question"!

Back to my grinder purchase, one plus is that I've managed to dial in my ex café re-branded K8 so the pressure is off a little to rush to a decision... altho the K8 isn't particularly user friendly in a home environment!