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Krups Fast Touch Grinder Review

This affordable and compact grinder produces a low quality cup but it's difficult to use efficiently or keep clean
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krups fast touch grinder coffee grinder review
Krups Fast Touch Grinder
Credit: Krups
Price:  $20 List
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Manufacturer:   Krups
By Jared Marquez ⋅ Review Editor  ⋅  Oct 25, 2016
46
OVERALL
SCORE
  • Taste - 45% 5.0
  • Ease of Use - 35% 5.0
  • Mess - 10% 2.0
  • Noise - 10% 4.0

Our Verdict

The Krups Fast Touch keeps it super simple and offers the lowest list price of every grinder we tested. But while this grinder is simple and cheap, its scores suffered from it being too simple. We found it difficult to operate, trying to manage its short cord and having to flip it upside down to brush out the ground coffee. The other blade grinder we tested, the KitchenAid Blade, had some features that worked around these inconveniences and ultimately scored better in ease of use and mess-free operation.
REASONS TO BUY
Cheap
Compact
REASONS TO AVOID
Time consuming
Messy
Makes an okay cup

Our Analysis and Test Results

The Krups Fast Touch offers you the lowest price of all the coffee grinders we tested, which might be why it's one of the most popular buys in the market. It's simple. It's affordable. It gets the job done. It scores rather low in each of our criteria–noisy, messy, difficult to use, and makes okay coffee. But it's by no means the worst grinder we tested. It's a functional unit at a dirt-cheap price

Performance Comparison



Quality of Taste


The Krups makes an "okay" cup, scoring a 5 for quality of taste. In comparison to the KitchenAid Blade, the Krups had a somewhat fuller flavor in its drip brew but it was difficult to make a decent French press coffee with it. With lots of sediment in the cup the brew tasted dirty. Both blade grinders tied for their overall quality of taste.

Ease of Use



krups fast touch grinder coffee grinder review - the krups in action. although the blade grinders we tested produce a...
The Krups in action. Although the blade grinders we tested produce a less consistent grind than most burr grinders, they are much more affordable.
Credit: Jared Marquez

The Krups Fast Touch lives up to its name in its simple design but errs on the side of being too simple. The Krups earns a score of 5 for ease of use. The unit has a short cord that we had to fight with to find a place to plug it in, and is difficult to empty coffee from. The unit needs to be turned upside down (careful not to tug that cord!) and usually needs to be brushed out because coffee tends to stick inside. If anything, the Krups made us more appreciative of the features on the KitchenAid Blade, which has a longer cord and a removable and hand-washable grinding compartment.


Quietness


Like most blade grinders out there, the Krups makes quite a ruckus. While this does make it a bit quieter than some of the other blade grinders we tested (namely the Cuisinart Supreme ), it's still loud enough to offend sensitive ears and earn the wrath of any late sleepers with a bedroom near the kitchen.

Mess-Free Operation


Transferring coffee from the grinder to the brewer can be difficult. The Krups is just short of being the messiest grinder we tested, scoring a 2 for mess-free operation. After grinding, coffee is difficult and time consuming to brush out from the unit. You can save time and have a dingy smelling grinder with coffee residue inside of it, or try to be more thorough and end up getting coffee dust on the counter and on your hands—either way you lose. The other tested blade grinder, the KitchenAid (pictured below and right), scored an 8 with its removable and hand-washable grinding compartment.

We really like that you can remove the grinding basket, and that it...
We really like that you can remove the grinding basket, and that it has markings on the inside to gauge whether you've ground enough coffee.

Best Applications


The Krups Fast Touch is cheap. Really cheap. It is also quite small and portable, making it great for traveling and those that don't have much counter space. However, it doesn't make good coffee. This unit could work for someone looking for the lowest price and is willing to put more elbow grease into his or her morning routine.

Value


You totally get your money's worth when you buy this thing… because it's really cheap. For $20 you can't expect much from a grinder. It will grind coffee, but you'll need to do the rest. The Krups is worth its price, but the buyer should consider whether they are willing to fork out a few more pennies for something with greater value like the KitchenAid Blade, which could pay dividends in morning convenience. The KitchenAid (right) pops apart easily and makes transferring coffee to your brewer much easier than the Krups (left).

krups fast touch grinder coffee grinder review - the kitchenaid blade's parts disassemble for easy cleaning.
The KitchenAid Blade's parts disassemble for easy cleaning.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman

Conclusion


The Krups offers you a coffee grinder at a super low price. It's noisy, it makes mediocre coffee, and it's messy—but it's better than nothing. It's super simple to use and can get the job done. However, after working around its short cord and brushing out the grinding compartment so many times, we can't help but recommend paying more for the KitchenAid Blade.

— Jared Marquez
 
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