KitchenAid Blade Review
Pros: Cheaper than a burr model, very little spillage
Cons: More expensive than many other blade models, inconsistent grinds
Manufacturer: KitchenAid
Our Verdict
Compare to Similar Products
 This Product
KitchenAid Blade | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awards |  | |  | ||
| Price | $50 List $29.99 at Amazon | $200 List | $269 List | $150 List $128.63 at Amazon | $145 List $139.00 at Amazon |
Overall Score  |
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| Star Rating | |||||
| Pros | Cheaper than a burr model, very little spillage | Great grind consistency, intuitive interface, relatively clean and quiet | Good grind consistency, burly components | Quiet operation, good grind consistency, great for pour over | Above average grind consistency, clean operation |
| Cons | More expensive than many other blade models, inconsistent grinds | Not ideal for French press, expensive | Expensive | Can produce enough static to hang onto grinds, not great at the extreme ends of the grind spectrum (coarse and fine) | Slightly pricier than some comparable models |
| Bottom Line | A standard blade model that may be a bit more expensive than many are hoping | Top-notch performance in every category except for French press | A consumer-level model that is built more like a durable, commercial-level machine | Good grind consistency from a machine that won't wake your housemates | Unlikely to win any popularity awards, but just as unlikely to displease |
| Rating Categories | KitchenAid Blade | the Smart Grinder... | Baratza Virtuoso+ | Krups GX420851 | Baratza Encore |
| Grind Consistency (35%) | |||||
| Cleanliness (25%) | |||||
| User Friendliness (25%) | |||||
| Noise (15%) | |||||
| Specs | KitchenAid Blade | the Smart Grinder... | Baratza Virtuoso+ | Krups GX420851 | Baratza Encore |
| Grinding Mechanism | blade | conical burr | conical burr | conical burr | conical burr |
| Burr/Blade Material | stainless steel | stainless steel | high-carbon steel | stainless steel | stainless steel |
| Dosing Mechanism | manual | timer | timer | scale | manual |
| Dimensions | 7.1" x 4.1" x 3.7" | 12.5" x 8.5" x 16.3" | 6.69" x 6.69" x 12.6" | 10.2" x 6.5" X 18.5" | 4.7" x 6.3" x 13.8" |
| Weight | 2.6 lbs | 6.4 lbs | 7.05 lbs | 6.2 lbs | 6.83 lbs |
| Cup Material | metal | plastic | plastic | plastic | plastic |
| Warranty | One Year Full | One Year Limited | One Year Limited | Two Year Limited | One Year Limited |
Our Analysis and Test Results
The KitchenAid Blade is a fairly standard blade grinder that costs a bit more than most comparable models and doesn't stand out in any particular category.
Likes
The major thing we like about the KitchenAid Blade is its price. It is much less expensive than even the most reasonably priced burr grinders on the market. However, this model does tend to sell for a tad more than most other blade grinders, so price alone isn't a reason to go with this machine.
We also found that the Blade's grind cup is easily removable, and small enough that you can conveniently pour your grinds into your brewer without spillage.
Dislikes
Like all blade models out there, the KitchenAid Blade both fails to produce a consistent grind size, and tends to create different grind size profiles (i.e. the amounts of grinds within different size ranges) each time you grind. This results in a slightly different extraction everytime you make your coffee. This problem arises with every blade grinder, so if you want more consistency you will have to pay more for a burr.
The biggest pain we encountered when using this machine was cleaning out the grind cup and the blades themselves. The machine tends to create a lot of fines (coffee dust) that stick to the blades and cup that must be removed with a cloth or brush. This problem gets even worse if you're using particularly oily coffee, as the oil can combine with the fines to create a hard to clean sludge.
Value
In the world of blade grinders, the KitchenAidBlade's cost is slightly above average, but not outrageously so. Most blade grinders are quite similar to one another, and we have seen lower-priced models perform similarly or slightly better than the KitchenAid Blade. Therefore, while we don't think you'd be overpaying if you went with this model, you can save a bit of money without making any performance sacrifices with some of the other models on the market.
Conclusion
The KitchenAid Blade performs about as well as one would expect a blade grinder to at a slightly above average cost. This makes it a slightly less enticing option for those in the market for a blade grinder.
— Max Mutter and Michelle Powell