Weber Workshops Key

[JohnA]

wow, i must have gotten lucky, as i was charged $225 processed through DHL

[JohnA]

I just paid the taxes and duties for mine and its showing as delivery by the end of of day 06/09
Have also made room on the bench for it.

I decided i will try it out, have waited over a year for the damn thing, may as well use it.
Will have more to add in the battle of the giants thread soonish

[taylorblend]

Got all of my keys finally. Now I need to off load them. Took too long for delivery 😬

[JohnA]

just got an email saying mine is been prepared for shipping now. Only been a year and 1 month...WOOOHOOOOO

[jasiano]

Ah, I get what you mean now.
Yes the ring can be lifted whilst it’s running - but just lifting it up won’t adjust anything. That said if you lift the ring slightly and then rotate it which will adjust the grind setting you do risk the burr locking if day you adjust it finer.

I can honestly say though, I’ve never accidentally knocked the adjustment ring off/lifted it up whilst grinding so to me I don’t see the issue.

[JohnA]

The fear is if the adjustment ring isn't seated properly the burrs spin and lock?
Have read a few instances of this, so this is why i asked the question. If you lift the adjustment ring whilst it is operating, is there a fear of that happening.

[jasiano]

- Can you only adjust the grind setting with the grinder off?

I think you can adjust it when the grinder is on or off... the adjustment is moving the outer part up/down effectively so it's closer/further from the central burr... TBH I have not tried to adjust it whilst the grinder is running (because why...), nor is it something I would try... it's not like you can just 'accidentally' bump the adjustment ring whilst grinding.

Aside from a very rare stall initially (when the RPM's was too low for a lighter roast) beans don't get 'stuck'.

[JohnA]

My Key should be arriving late next month, (just over a year since placing order) and at this point i am unsure if i will just sell it straight up or give it a test run to see what i think.

Reading about been careful to make sure the grind adjustment scale is seated properly before starting the grinder has led me to ask this question.
Can you only adjust the grind setting with the grinder off?
If this is the case, it kind of goes against the norm of not adjusting finer whilst it is off as a bean could be stuck in the burrs.

What have owners experience with this been so far?

[mjj]

I can only speak for myself, but I'm 100% happy with my P64. Nothing I'd change except a little heat shrink round the portafilter forks. We'll, I guess that's not 100% but it's pretty minor as far as it all goes.

Every time I use it I'm happy.

[craiggillespie71]

Nice summary. Thanks this is useful.

[Dimal]

There is probably not enough torque

Yes, that is the direct limiting factor but demonstrates an inherent engineering/design shortcoming...

[mthomas87]

EG-1 will still stall, as will the Monolith Flat Max (though not as bad). None of them will stall if you run them anywhere near the RPM of a commercial grinder though.
Maybe Weber will add in a gearbox like the HG-2 to let you do lower RPMs.

[level3ninja]

I think, at this price point, many expected a few less quirks. The stunning looks perhaps suggest a perfection that is not possible given the design. Maybe any design...

My gut feeling is that the stunning looks were prioritised over function. I can think of three design changes that would improve performance at the cost of the aesthetic.

1. Suitably sized motor for all possible scenarios (e.g. high density filter roast at espresso settings and minimum RPM setting)
2. Shorten the unsupported shaft length. Right now the whole shaft is unsupported once it is below the top section. Add a support near the bottom.
3. Add a loading chute to get around the new support from #2 above.

Then it's just a matter making the marketing department talk to the engineering department before releasing anything. Under promise and over deliver.

[jasiano]

From what I gather, the RPM range of the Key is MUCH lower than most (all?) other grinders, and that IMO is a major factor. There is probably not enough torque to work through harder beans if there isn't the velocity to help it.
Why they chose that low of an RPM range? Not sure.
Anything above 80/90 RPM on the Key I have not had any stalling, which is still very low compared to a lot of other grinders I believe.

[jasiano]

I think 'fussy' is the right word. I've not had alignment issues with mine, and getting grounds from the tumbler to the PF is not an issue for me (once I figured out the right 'shake')... but the rest is true.
I don't know if other grinders have similar/different/more/less fussy issues either, but the price point DOES make it seem a little less attractive.