INCLINE VILLAGE, Nevada – In October of 2023, Weber Workshops is releasing its next generation of the epoch-making KEY Coffee Grinder. In June of 2021 the KEY marked a new era of home user expansion for Weber by taking the biggest commercially- available coffee burrs to an impossibly compact grinder. The second version of the KEY, the Mk ii, was created to further improve the product usability and workflow with several improvements.
First is an improved bean loading and anti-popcorning lid. Two sides of a magnetic circular lid lift either directly apart, or straight up and suspended with magnets while the beans are loaded into the burr chamber.
Weber Workshops releases KEY mk ii
Once loaded, the cover easily drops right back down into place preventing any fragments from bouncing out. The new loading chamber is also around 30% bigger, allowing for the larger dose size of many pour-over coffee methods up to ~40g at a time.
The Mk ii also boasts a massive 50% increase in torque from its predecessor. This was achieved through a combination of a new gearing system and higher current power supply.
The Mk ii can effortlessly grind through extremely light roasts down to green coffee, even at fine settings at the lowest RPM (30 RPM) setting. Utilizing the same 83mm Mazzer burr set as its predecessor, it remains the largest commercially available conical burr set on the market, with a slimmer footprint than many grinders with burrs a fraction of its size.
Another new feature is the removable and customizable wooden platen and brush handles. This makes it easier for the user to match the wood accents of their KEY to their kitchen or coffee bar. WW plans to release these in Oak, Walnut, and Teak.
The KEY Mk ii will also be shipping with an updated version of Weber Workshops’ industry-first Bean Feeder mechanism, a device made specifically for single-dosing coffee into the grinder.
The feeder was based on observing user patterns where they would “babysit” the shot grinding and feed in the beans slowly so as to avoid saturating the burrs at any given point during the grinding. This ensures that the grind profile is identical at the beginning of a shot as at the end.
The KEY Mk ii will also ship with an updated version of its patented Magic Tumbler, a grounds control dosing funnel with integrated WDT tool (a stainless wire that mixes up the freshly ground coffee to homogenize the grounds, a proven method in improving espresso extractions).
The new version takes a cue from the company’s flagship grinder, the EG-1, and incorporates a replaceable paper wiper that makes physical contact with the exit point of the grounds, ensuring minimal grind retention well beneath 1/10g, below what most coffee scales are capable of measuring.
Douglas Weber, the Founder and CEO of Weber Workshops, says, “The launch of the KEY on Indiegogo in the summer of 2021 exceeded our wildest expectations. We listened to our customers’ feedback to create what we think is a great improvement to an already stellar platform.”
In summary, the KEY Mk ii has improved upon its predecessor in the following ways:
1. 50% increase in torque for the lightest of roasts at the slowest of grind speeds.
2. New magnetic dust/anti-popcorning lid.
3. Customizable wood accents.
4. Integrated bean feeder for optimized single-dosing grind quality.
5. Improved magic tumbler design for reduced static/retention.
Included in the package with each purchase:
• One KEY Mk ii coffee grinder: SNOW or ONYX
• One partially pre-seasoned and TiN coated 83mm Mazzer burr set, pre- installed.
• One Magic Tumbler with 5 sets of spare paper wipers.
• One stainless dosing funnel.
• One solid wood handle cleaning brush.
• One glass RDT (Ross Droplet Technique) water spritzer.
• One blower for air-cleaning the burrs.
Other product details
• Price: $1995
• Size: 109mm wide, 248mm depth, 350mm height (9.76″ x 4.30″ x 13.76″)
• Weight: 9Kg
• Input Voltage (90v-240v, Globally compatible plug-n-play)
• Power: 350W Max
The product may be viewed in more detail here.
About Weber Workshops
Weber Workshops was founded in 2014 by Douglas Weber, an Apple Product Design veteran with a deep passion for design, coffee and kitchenware.
Dedicated to breaking the cycle of wasteful consumption, the company creates heirloom-quality instruments by rethinking and reimagining the products used in specialty coffee preparation. In 2021 it won “Product of the Year” with the KEY Grinder at SCAA New Orleans, and in 2022 it won several product awards with the Unifilter.
WW has continued its hit product list into 2023 with the announcement of the Moonraker and Unibasket products.
