Compak Grinder Review: Can It Beat Other Professional Grinders?

We’re pretty crazy for espresso here at Home Grounds, which means we take coffee grinders very seriously. An exceptional grinder is just as important when preparing espresso as a top-notch espresso machine.

Today, we’ll look at the Compak K3 Touch Advanced grinder. Is it worth the splurge? Keep reading to find out.

Summary: The Compak K3 Coffee Grinder

• Prosumer-level coffee grinder designed for espresso
  
• High-quality 58mm flat steel burrs
  
• Quiet, fast, and uniform grind

Took me a couple of shots to configure the grind fineness, but it is so efficient and works well.

– Scott W

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Where To Buy The Compak Grinder

The Compak K3 is a popular grinder available from a number of trusted dealers. You can shop around for sale pricing, shipping options, and the best customer service. We’ve happily worked with all of these companies.

Chris coffee

• Finance Available
• Easy Returns

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1st in coffee

• Lowest Price Guarantee
• 1 Year Warranty

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Majesty coffee

• Price Match Guarantee
• 1 Year Warranty

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The Full Compak Coffee Grinder Review

We’ve reviewed many prosumer-level coffee bean grinders and other grinders for home use, and Compak’s portfolio of professional grinders is among the best. From their smooth silhouettes to their intuitive, easy-to-use interface, Compak grinders remove the hassle and mess that can go along with grinding fresh coffee beans for our morning espresso.

Keep reading for Home Grounds’ in-depth look at Compak’s K3 Touch Advanced to see if it is the right fit for you.

Compak Coffee Grinder Review

• Design
• Durability
• Ease of Use
• Grinding Capability
• Value for Money

4.1

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Who Is Compak?

Compak is a premium coffee grinder manufacturer founded by Jesus Ascaso in 1952 (1). After spending a few years as a serial entrepreneur and working with experts in the coffee world, he decided to forge his own path and create Compak coffee grinders, a coffee grinder company wholly dedicated to hand-crafting premium equipment.

Design – 4/5

The Compak K3 Touch Advanced adopts the same curved silhouette that Compak is well-known for.

It has a compact footprint, which takes up just 17 cm by 36.5 cm of counter space, but it is fairly tall at 49.5 cm. So there is no guarantee it will slide easily under your upper cupboards.

At the top of the unit, the 285 g bean hopper sits just above the stepless grind adjustment dial. You can grind directly into a portafilter thanks to the adjustable portafilter holder, so grinding for espresso is an ergonomic, hands-off experience.

Durability – 4.5/5

The K3 Touch Advance is built to last, making it suitable for home use and the rigours of a commercial environment. It weighs a hefty 6.1 kilos, a clear indication of the quality of the components within.

The 58-millimetre tempered steel flat burrs are treated with a pre-wear treatment to keep your burrs grinding consistently over the long run.

Ease of Use – 4.5/5

The Compak K3 Touch Advanced doserless grinder couldn’t be easier to use. The stepless adjustment dial is clearly marked, providing limitless options for dialling in your espresso.

Grinding coffee is as simple as choosing between manual and automatic modes. In manual mode, the K3 dispenses coffee into the portafilter as long as it’s pressing against the lever. In automatic mode, the K3 grinds for a set time – typically programmed for a single shot – then stops independently. If you need a double dose, tapping the lever twice will get you twice the amount.

We found that Compak’s estimate of 7 grams per 1.5 seconds was fairly accurate.

Grinding Capability – 4/5

The K3 sports high-quality 58-millimetre flat burrs and a 210-Watt motor that can churn out a 20-gram dose in less than five seconds – fast enough for use in a small cafe or coffee cart. But if you’re looking for more power, consider the Compak E5 instead; it has a 650-Watt motor.

The K3 performed very well in terms of grind uniformity. We didn’t notice too many fines or boulders in our puck, a crucial parameter when preparing espresso (2).

Even when we pulled 10 double shots in a row, the Compak grinder performed flawlessly. A built-in fan kept the system from overheating, the grind adjustment remained consistent, and we had very little static build-up.

The Compak K3 grinder is designed so that the grounds drop straight down. Gravity is your friend, ensuring less waste and mess.

Value for Money – 3.5/5

The price of the Compak K3 is reasonable for an espresso-capable grinder. Most prosumer grinders at this level fall in the $500 to $1000 range. The uniformity of the grind, ease of use, consistency, and quality justify the cost. However, we’d expect to see larger Compak grinder burrs at this price point. For example, it is comparable in cost to the Eureka Mignon Specialita, which has 65 mm burrs.

Do not Buy the Compak Grinder If:

• You prefer conical burrs: The Niche Zero grinder is a great conical burr grinder at a similar price point. It’s one of our favourite single-dose coffee grinders, featuring 63 mm burrs, a stepless grind adjustment, and a unique design to minimize grind retention.
• You’re looking for a no-frills coffee grinder: The DF64 grinder is a minimalist, single-dose coffee grinder with an exceptional 64 mm set of flat burrs. If you want uniform coffee grounds without any fancy features, the DF64 is an excellent choice.
• You need a commercial coffee grinder: The Compak K3 is suitable for light-duty commercial use but won’t keep up in a busy cafe. Turn to Compak’s higher-end models for coffee shop use, like the Compak K6 or Compak K10.

The Verdict

The Compak K3 Touch grinder is a solid choice for anyone ready to take their espresso to the next level. With a beautifullyl sleek design, curved silhouette, professional-grade flat burrs, and easy-to-use interface, the Compak K3 delivers coffee grounds suitable for cafe-quality espresso.

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