I wondered if any member had owned or does own the Kafatek Monolith Conical? I have nearly pulled the trigger on one several times now. I have a friend who has one of the flat versions and he really does enjoy it, especially praising the burrs. Is it an itch….most definitely. Will I scratch it……I hope so. They are taking $1000. deposits (non-refundable) for June delivery. Does anyone have any suggestions of a similar grinder that maybe worth thinking about? I think one of the things putting me off is that I had really wanted 83mm and not 71mm burrs. But I keep on hearing about their in house designed burrs!

I've considered one of the Monolith flats but yeah, serious money and probably enormous costs in getting them to the UK. The Weber Key uses 83mm although that's not a proprietary burr, rather a Mazzer Robur burr that I think they do something to in-house.

I had a deposit for the monolith flat max before financial sanity intervened and I sold it to someone else. I understand the pull as the reputation of the shurikone burrs seems uniformly positive just as it is for the shuriken flat burrs, but it is a lot of money...one thing good is that if u change your mind you should be able to sell the deposit and your place on the waiting list to someone else (presuming if the demand for them is still as robust as it was when I had a deposit)

@"chlorox"#p61996 I think the conical may not be as popular as the flats. I would be quite happy ordering now and waiting a few months. The burning question for me, is will I notice a difference or am I just being daft!

ive lusted after one for years, and never had chance to buy, you have to jump through hoops to get them new, bit charlie and the chocolate factory....

@"dfk41"#p61999 I think you are being daft. You have claimed multiple times to not have a very discerning palate. You have also poo poohed various puck prep/dosing techniques ad nauseam. You have at least one very good conical. That said, life is short if you can afford it treat yourself. You can always sell it on for a minor loss. 🥳

@"dfk41"#p61999 The fact that we r spending thousands on coffee instead kf guzzling instant coffee like most other people is already proof to the rest of the world all of us on this forum are quite daft! So if your finances are in the happy situation of being able to afford it responsibly, then there's no reason why u shouldn't buy one. Worse cometo worse u can sell it if it is unsatisfactory and a kafatek grinder tends to be more in demand than most other grinders.

@"Cuprajake"#p62003 The ordering system is easy and open…..just deposit a non-returnable $1000!

@"Amberale"#p62004 Well summed up sir!

If you change your mind after placing the deposit, your purchase is actually transferable. Meaning, if you change your mind, prior to shipping and your paying the 2nd payment, Denis allows you to transfer the reservation to another person.

dont you have to get in quick though to even pay the deposit?

Kafatek Conical

Igm45

I think grinder style/design does make a large difference. I bought a hybrid 64mm conical/flat burr grinder from here. I sold it a short while after to buy a niche duo (83mm flat).

It’s my only coffee sale that I regret, that grinder made a huge difference and the nicest coffee I’ve ever had.

Cuprajake

the honne are 1500E

Cuprajake

currently 2 kafatecs fs in the uk

dfk41

Cuprajake Like to show me where Jake….I have checked the usual two places I look at but know there are others

Cuprajake

dfk41 have emailed you

cyclezib

I very much disagree with the opinion that the KafaTek grinders are beta test versions. The single complaint regarding the burrs on the MC6 made little sense. The significant differences difference between the MC5 and the MC6 involve a variable speed motor, and a flicker shute to better dislodge residual grind.

But the burrs are unchanged. Meaning that we are now in the 2nd model of grinders using the Shurikone burrs. Probably hundreds of MC5s and MC6s are with consumers. People are allowed to complain and I am not questioning the validity of that one users complaint.

I also disagree with the comment that Denis can be testy. He is far from that and is always helpful. Where he does take a strong stand is when people do not follow written instructions and disassemble the grinders for their own personal reasons. When they get into trouble afterwards, there is just so much assistance that can be provided. I’m sure he finds the situation exasperating.

The KafaTek grinder are precision instruments that are well built. For that single complainer, rather than stand in the way, he provided the old style burrs. What more could you ask for?

JonWoo187

cyclezib Really now, lmao? Every time you blink there’s yet another version with marginal ‘improvements’ being mentioned to be released. Ask those that got their panties wadded up when mention of the 2nd version of Shurikones was installed in the MC6 ordered after a certain date. The FOMO retardism really let loose with that discussion.

I find Denis to be a bit much when he practically warns users to not disassemble the grinder(s) as if nobody can match what he can do with his version of ‘proper assembly’!. I could take one of those things apart/piece back together to match anything he can likely do and I will be blindfolded!

Yes it was good that he provided Mazzer burrs in that case, which clearly points out that although Mazzer may be archaic to some, what they produce is still absolute top notch regardless of the FOMO whining.

FadedFrontiers

JonWoo187 Denis even offered to send him a set of Mazzer burrs and once he installed them he said the espresso was drastically better than the FOMO touted Shurikones.

Sounds like pretty good customer service

BillyG

I currently have a September 2023 Kafatek FlatMax2. Yes, there is a process to getting a Kafatek grinder. Denis seems to have increased his grinder availability, whereas it used to be wait for an email and place an order as fast as possible before they sell out, now he usually has preorders available on his website. There definitely is a wait to get one, as he builds based on preorders. I purchased a preorder in February of ‘23, received it in September of ‘23. I did get some new features on my grinder, and they only make the functionality superior.

The build quality is second to none, this grinder will last much longer than I will be around. There is a definite break in period. These burrs need pounds of beans put through them to get seasoned. Now entering the 6th month of ownership, I truly make amazing espresso with my setup, and it continues to impress me.

Denis offers excellent customer service. He answered all of my questions during my ordering process, and same with after I took delivery. He is present but not overly engaging in his forum, and I appreciate that. Who wants to talk with OCD coffee nerds all day every day :)? There are always some users who are more demanding and needy. I am not one of these.

All in all, if you can afford a Kafatek, I fully recommend it. I have zero regrets with my purchase. It truly is an end game grinder.

chlorox

JonWoo187
I think that rather shows that the guy should never have bought a kafatek as what he really needed was a conical with traditional Italian style burrs like the kony burrs. What the kafatrmis for is for those who want to wander beyond that envelope of taste preference.

Cuprajake

https://www.mischiefworkshop.com/product/mischiefworkshop-demon-singledose-grinder%ef%bc%8c71mm-conical-burr/

Always get that

dfk41

Cuprajake That looks interesting! I always found Dennis easy to get on with but like many, he has two sides. There was only one conical left and it is still there. I am not going to order it. I have thought long and hard for a couple of days now and I think that it is more of an itch than a real desire. In the old days I had everything going and did not appreciate any of them. If my taste buds were better I might have gone the other way. I have no issues with the purchase price of $2450 but when you then factor in postage and vat with import duties it changes the landscape somewhat.

The nice thing is I might see things differently in the future. I would really like to find someone local to me so I can have a proper play

dfk41

Cuprajake I guess there are Chinese knock offs out there. The grinder looks interesting and is priced competitively…….but……..it is a Chinese knock off pretending to be the real thing. I added one to the cart to follow the order through……..$1410 delivered to the UK or about £1114……a lot to take a chance on!

chlorox

Cuprajake
I have seen kafatek knock offs being advertised for sale on alibaba so that’s probably where this one is sourced from. Looks like somebody in China got their hands on a monolith titan grinder ans then reverse engineered it. Apart from the issue of IP appropriation, the problem is also the unknown nature of the parts that were used as well as the tolerances of the burrs and alignment etc if one even assumes that every aspect of the titan grinder has been copied- which is not s given as the similarities may he merely cosmetic in nature. Way too dicey to hazard paying such an elevated price.

chlorox

dfk41
That sounds like a wise decision - always best to try first before u invest in one if hat is at all possible.

Cuprajake

Yeah I’d never buy one 😂 there’s a believer craft ultra to 😂

pjw

I have MC4, the dual burr but the Mazzer is the main burr sets.

It does the job, never regret buying, and no intent to change to MC5/6 as I love Mazzer taste profile for darker/medium coffee.

Conical, so easy to use, trivial to dial, silent. Premium Niche, better built and with obvious benefit of the pre-braker.

If money is not an issue, go for it. Very good grinder.

dfk41

Someone made the point earlier in the thread, that would I be able to detect much of a difference between 63mm and 71mm burrs. That was a very good question and is what has stopped me from pulling the plug on one. I still enjoy using my Niche Zero and T 64 but would like to get a bigger burred conical. I definitely do not want an HG 1 or hand grinder and very few of the other usual suspects pique my interest. SO, if in doubt sit tight….you never know but someone within striking distance might get a Monolith conical and be kind enough to invite me over

DavecUK

dfk41 With my experience of the Mazzer 83mm conicals, is that you would taste a difference.

JimmyP

dfk41 Why not HG-1? 🤔

dfk41

DavecUK I hope so, but it isa case of finding those 83mm burrs in the right grinder….I am struggling to think of many options, although maybe that is a good thing! In the old days I would have just bought a Robur and accepted the retention!

Rob666

dfk41 it isa case of finding those 83mm burrs in the right grinder

Following this with interest, The Niche Zero has served me very well but I am curious about what I might discover with bigger conicals.

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