We're Giving Away a £1,899 KitchenAid Coffee Machine (And Here's Why It's Special)

I was going to say that I’m not a great coffee drinker, and that I know very little about coffee. And compared to my little brother Jim (who’s a coffee nerd and thinks it’s normal to take his Trangia stove and espresso maker with him, when hiking up some mountain range), then that is certainly true. And it’s also true that he does make a good cup, so long as I don’t allow him to make it strong. I like mine weak, wobbly, black and with sugar, preferably accompanied by a chocolate brownie, in which case, it’s been known for me to forego the sugar…

So, getting back to my coffee knowledge, or lack of it, I’m certainly not a nerd*, and probably not even a geek*, but nonetheless, I still reckon that I know a good coffee machine when I see, and use one. I’ve a Jura at home which the kind fellows at Jura ‘lent me’ several years ago and I’ve been very happy with ever since.  

* I think of a nerd as someone who is a total enthusiast and has the most esoteric knowledge in their area of interest. Whereas a geek, I see as a less intellectual version, often with a fascination for the latest and newest developments in their hobby.    

Test Driving the new KitchenAid Fully Automatic KF8 Espresso Machine (RRP £1899)

Back in June this year Jeanne (Cobham shop manager), Em (Reigate shop manager) and I went to the Housewares Trade Exhibition at The Camden Business Centre. And were given a preview of KitchenAid’s new range of coffee machines. Now, these machines are really rather nice looking, in that they have a real presence.  Our demo machine is the KitchenAid Fully Automatic KF8 Espresso Machine Black, in my mind not quite as attractive as the stainless steel model.  White and Juniper versions are also available. 

Unlike many in Art of Living, I am not a natural when it comes to lateral thought or using new software. I find ticket machines at stations threatening and computer programs and sophisticated coffee machines opaque. So, when the demo machines arrived last week, I asked for a lesson from Paul T, in the Reigate shop. This was refused me, on the grounds that he was just setting it up! (rather uncharitably, I suspected him of wanting to play with it himself). My first cup of automatic KitchenAid coffee would have to wait.

Forward to Friday, and although it was ready to be taken for a spin when I popped down for coffee, there wasn’t anyone around to train me, so I approached the task with some trepidation, wondering where on earth I should start.

Faced with a colour touch screen, displaying pictures of 4 different styles of coffee, I slightly nervously touched the Americano. The screen changed and asked me what Temperature (Low, Medium or High) I wanted, Low, I replied, and then, what Body (Strong, Medium or Light), and Light was my choice. Lastly what Volume I wanted, I went for the suggested 40ml + 160ml.  Odd, why split it into two?  

So, this last question was an interesting one, which I’ll come back to in a moment.  Having made my choices I then pressed the GO button/arrow, and it started grinding the coffee, swiftly followed by what appeared to be a very small coffee (espresso size). And then it paused. Shortly followed by just plain hot water filling up my mug.

Now, one of the things I am aware of in the coffee world, is that the more water you put through the coffee grounds the bitterer (is that a word?) it becomes. So, seeing only a very short shot (40ml) go thought the grounds themselves and then the mug filled with a dose of plain water, I was intrigued to find out what the impact of this was on the coffee taste. Sure enough, I was rewarded with, what Joey (my youngest and a trained barista) tells me, is how they make Americano in good coffee shops, a double espresso followed by a dose of hot water.  A lovely smooth cup of Americano that I could even drink without sugar, what a great result……………..!

What a result, smooth coffee without even the need for a training course. It turned out that compared to every other Bean To Cup machine I’ve ever battled with, it was an absolute doddle to use.

Here are some other features that I’ve not mentioned above.

• Plant-based drink mode, steam a whole lot more than just whole milk
• 40+ preset coffee styles
• Notifications letting you know when to run regular and longer-term cleaning cycles, like descaling
• A milk container, with a capacity of 790ml for storing cold and fresh milk in the refrigerator.
• Removable bean hopper for the nerd in you. Simply twist and lift to easily remove the bean hopper to empty, exchange or refill with fresh beans to suit your taste
• Bean hopper Capacity for up to 22 shots of Espresso in a single fill
• 7 precise grind settings for optimal results.
• Easy and flexible selection of coffee & water temperature to personalise your drink according to your preferences.
• Quiet Mark certified verified as one of the most silent machines in its class.
• Personalise your coffee & save your favourite drinks with up to 6 user profiles
• 2.2 L water tank holds more so you refill less

Forgive me here if I just go off on a tangent for a moment, the logic of which you’ll understand shortly.

Andi did two things last week. The first was in character. He wrote a piece of original informative copy, specifically on this coffee machine. The second, was rather strange, almost unsettling. He decided to clone himself.  And so yes, there now exists another Andi, an Andi 2.0. His new self is or appears, at first voice, to be female, which you might be forgiven for thinking the spelling of his name, would rather suggest in any case. Why Andi 1.0 spells his name thus, is one of life mysteries. At 14 stone and 5’10” (edit: and a half!)  (he quite often tells me he’s an athlete, usually when rolling his first fag of the day) he is solidly built.  Andi has, on odd occasions, been employed as a bouncer, he isn’t someone that you’d want to pick a fight with, so, as far as the name is concerned, I can only suppose that perhaps he’s fond of irony….? Anyway, he’s also pretty nimble when it comes to employing various forms of AI to our advantage, and last week he managed to persuade an AI program to produce a video about the KitchenAid machine (which you can see here below) albeit ‘Andi 2.0’ can only be heard and not seen, on this occasion.

The other machines in the new range, alongside the KF8 I have been talking about, are the cheaper KitchenAid Fully Automatic KF6 Espresso Machine. I haven’t tested the KF6 myself but despite being the same size, it appears to be a more limited version of the KF8, without the milk container, no facility for plant based milk options, a smaller screen, it can only make one coffee at a time, compared to the KF8’s two, and fewer options to personalise your coffee. It comes in one model, stainless steel.  Priced at £1299.

There is also a KitchenAid Semi Automatic Espresso Machine with Burr Grinder model available in Stainless Steel, Black and Porcelain.  It’s not dissimilar to the Sage: Barista Express. Rather than delivering your favourite coffee at the touch of a button, you have to play the part of Barista yourself. The machine will grind the coffee directly into a coffee holder which you tamp and then move to the coffee head. It will steam milk and provides a variety of baskets to allow you to personalise the style and strength of your coffee. So, a much more hands on experience, but a more affordable price tag to match. Available now for £699.  

Win a KitchenAid Fully Automatic KF8 Espresso Machine worth £1,899

Now, the awfully nice people at Beam, Darren and Chris, to name them, have supplied us with a machine that we can give away in a prize draw.

So that is what we are doing, tempted though many of us were to just pocket (metaphorically) this new KF8 machine, we’ve restrained ourselves, leaving you dear reader with possibility of winning it on Dec 16th when we will be drawing the winner out of a hat (a digital one).

You can enter the Prize Draw on Facebook or Instagram 

If you are coming into the shops (or aren't on Facebook or Instagram) there are other ways you can enter.

Click Here For All The Different Ways To Enter

If, by chance, in the meantime you, as the winner, have already bought one, we will instead just refund you the money you paid. In other words, don’t delay until Dec 16th to buy one.

As a subscriber to this newsletter, you can also benefit, if you buy one this weekend, you’ll receive a £100 Art of Living gift voucher that you can spend on anything in our shops or online**.

I trust you have a pleasant and peaceful weekend.

Warm regards

Andrew

Andrew Bluett-Duncan

Director