KitchenAid Fully Automatic Espresso Machine KF2 - Black Matte

The KitchenAid KF2 grinds and brews at the touch of a button, then hands you the steam wand for the milk. Six one-touch recipes hot and over ice, a Quiet Mark certified grinder, and a body just 19.5 cm wide, 7.7 inches.

This is the entry point to bean-to-cup, and it splits the job sensibly. The machine takes the parts that are fiddly and repetitive, grinding fresh and dosing and brewing to the drink you picked. You keep the part that is actually enjoyable, which is texturing the milk. The wand has a Panarello sleeve that draws the air in for you, so decent foam comes quickly rather than after a month of practice.

Highlights

• Six one-touch recipes hot and over ice, with a true double shot for larger drinks that would otherwise taste thin
• Panarello steam wand, which you work yourself but which pulls the air in for you, so cappuccino foam and latte milk are both within reach early on
• Over-ice mode brewing at a lower temperature and rebalancing the extraction, so cold drinks taste clean rather than bitter and watery
• IntelliGrind reads the bean and roast and adjusts grind and dose to match, so you are not recalibrating every time you change bag
• Coffee bypass chute, so one decaf in the evening does not mean emptying the hopper
• QuietGrind, Quiet Mark certified, so the grinder is noticeably quieter than most first thing in the morning
• 19.5 cm wide, 7.7 inches, with wheels underneath and adjustable cup clearance for espresso cups or tall mugs
• 15 bar pump and a removable brew unit that comes out to be rinsed

Who it's for

• Anyone leaving pods behind who wants fresh-ground coffee without learning to tamp
• People who want to learn to texture milk, on a wand that is forgiving rather than unforgiving
• Small kitchens, condos and apartments, where the width and the noise both matter

Three things to be clear about. The milk is yours: the machine does not froth for you, so every milk drink means holding a jug under the wand for thirty seconds. Most people find that is the good part, but it is not hands-free. There are no saved user profiles on this model, so you adjust the drink rather than tapping your own name. And the over-ice setting is not cold brew: it brews at the lowest temperature the machine runs, around 60 degrees Celsius, so the ice goes in the cup first and the drink chills as it pours. If you would rather the machine handled the milk and remembered everyone's order, tell us and we will show you the ones that do.

Living with it

Day to day, purge and wipe the steam wand after you use it, and empty the grounds container and drip tray. Milk left in a wand is the fastest way to ruin one, and it takes about ten seconds to avoid.

Then periodically, the display prompts a cleaning cycle and a descale when they are due, and the brew unit lifts out to be rinsed under the tap. Cleaning tablets and a water filter are in the box. Fit the filter and set your water hardness on day one and descaling stays rare.

FAQs

• Do I have to steam the milk myself?
  Yes, and it is easier than it sounds. The wand has a Panarello sleeve that draws air into the milk as you steam, which is the part that usually takes practice on a bare wand. You hold the jug and move it; the machine supplies the steam. If you want the milk done for you instead, ask us about the automatic options.
• Do I need to know anything about making espresso?
  No. The machine grinds, doses and brews on its own, so there is no portafilter and no tamping. The only skill involved is the milk, and the wand is built to make that straightforward.
• How does the iced coffee work, and is it cold brew?
  It is not cold brew. The machine brews at the lowest temperature it runs, around 60 degrees Celsius, and rebalances the extraction so the coffee stays clean as it cools. Ice goes in the cup first and the drink chills on the way down.
• Can I make one decaf without emptying the hopper?
  Yes. There is a coffee bypass chute, so you can drop in a scoop of decaf for one drink and leave your usual beans where they are.
• Do I have to keep adjusting the grinder when I change beans?
  No. IntelliGrind detects the bean type and roast and adjusts grind and dose to match, which is the part people usually find fiddly.
• Is it quiet enough for an apartment?
  Quieter than most. QuietGrind is Quiet Mark certified, an independent noise certification rather than a marketing phrase, and at 19.5 cm or 7.7 inches wide it takes far less counter than most bean-to-cup machines. It also has wheels, so sliding it forward to fill the tank is easy.
• What is the warranty, and who fixes it if something goes wrong?
  KitchenAid covers the KF2 with a 2 year limited warranty, an extended 3 year limited parts warranty on the grinder, and a 10 year parts and service availability commitment. Coffee Warehouse is a KitchenAid warranty and service centre, so if it needs work it is handled by the people who sold it to you. Call us at 1-888-742-1777.

Specifications

• Type: Bean-to-cup espresso machine with a manual steam wand
• Drinks: 6 one-touch recipes, hot and over ice, with true double shot
• Iced coffee: Over-ice mode, brewed at around 60 degrees Celsius
• Milk system: Panarello steam wand, operated by hand
• Display: Backlit LED
• User profiles: None on this model
• Grinder: Steel conical burr, IntelliGrind, QuietGrind, Quiet Mark certified
• Bean hopper: 250 g, plus a coffee bypass chute
• Pump: 15 bar
• Adjustments: Coffee strength, volume, brew temperature
• Water tank: 1.8 L, around 16 espresso shots per fill
• Dimensions (W × D × H): 19.5 × 47 × 36 cm, or 7.7 × 18.5 × 14.2 in
• Weight: 9 kg, 22.3 lb
• Warranty: 2 year limited, 3 year limited on grinder parts, 10 year parts and service availability
• In the box: 1.8 L water tank, water filter, cleaning tablets, coffee spoon

Why buy from Coffee Warehouse?

• We are a KitchenAid warranty and service centre, so warranty work and repairs are done by us, not couriered off to someone you have never spoken to
• Two Ontario showrooms, Markham and Richmond Hill, where we will put you on the wand and have you texture a jug of milk before you decide, plus live virtual demos if you are not nearby
• Help getting it set up, from water hardness to bean choice, so it tastes at home the way it did here
• Free shipping and financing available
• Toll-free support at 1-888-742-1777, before you buy and long after