Weber Workshops makes some of the most eye-catching coffee equipment on the market. Every single piece of gear they make—from the countertop hand grinder, the HG-2, to the spirographic WDT maximalism of the Moonraker—is a head turner, a blend of form and function that would be a statement piece on any coffee bar where they are found on. And now, Weber is back with the latest version of their Key grinder. The MK2 builds on the success of it predecessor with a handful of new features to give coffee nerds the vapors.
Announced today, much of what was loved about the original Key remains in the new MK2. The massive 83mm conical burrs, “the biggest commercially available,” and adjustable RPMs remain as hallmarks in the updated single-dose home grinder. But the new MK2 comes with a 50% increase in the amount of torque it produces thanks to a “new gearing system and high current power supply,” allowing for the grinder to handle super light roasts—green coffee included—at the even the finest settings and lowest RPM speeds.
Most of the other updates, Weber Workshops founder Douglas Weber tells Sprudge, are improvements to usability and workflow based on customer feedback. “For the MK1, since we had such a big user base on a first-gen product, we were able to get loads of valuable feedback from our customers that all went directly into making the MK2 what it is.”
This includes an all-new magnetic lid, Weber’s favorite new feature. Split into two halves, the “anti-popcorning” lid to the loading chamber is held in place using magnets while coffee is being loaded into it. Then, once loading is complete, the half-lid secures back down to keep any fragments from bouncing out during grinding. The chamber itself also boasts a 30% larger capacity from the previous model.
The MK2 also comes with an updated version of Weber’s Bean Feeder mechanism. Used specifically for single-dosing coffee, the Bean Feeder slowly adds coffee to the grinding chamber to “avoid saturating the burrs at any given time during the grinding.” No more babysitting the grinds.
Other feature include customizable wood accents, an updated Magic Tumbler for reduced grind retention, more durable paint to keep the MK2 working hard and looking good for longer and added detents to the adjustment ring “so it is bi-stable in the up/down position,” per Douglas Weber, “[making] operating it smoother and more intuitive.”
The Key MK2 will be released next month and retails for $1,995. For more information or a full list of features and updates, visit Weber Workshops’s official website.
Zac Cadwalader is the managing editor at Sprudge Media Network and a staff writer based in Dallas. Read more Zac Cadwalader on Sprudge.
All media via Weber Workshops
