Germany

Mahlkönig has announced new and further developments for its popular gastronomy grinder K30 and the semi-professional models VARIO home and ProM.
The RFID version (RFID= Radio Frequency Identification) of the popular K30 espresso grinder has been developed for the specific requirements of specialty coffee roasters and, above all, coffee bars. This technology enables a data exchange between the beans` reservoir and the grinder, meaning that control and recording functions are possible way above the counting and logging of portions ground per day.

Using a quantity indicator, it is possible to measure the remaining capacity and the portions that are possible. A signal warns in good time if the coffee supply is running low. These are only a few of the functions that are possible in this unique unified information system. In addition, there is also a new RFID version which functions via a smart card and is interesting, above all, for roasters who fund an espresso machine for their clients. With the RFID smart card you can ensure that the grinder genuinely only grinds the amount of coffee delivered and is blocked for additional “external grinding”. The smart card is loaded with a pre-defined grinding length (in seconds) – similar to a pay card – and is delivered to the client by the coffee roaster along with the coffee. The appliance is activated with the loaded-up smart card by holding the card against the transmitter or the grinder’s antenna. The credit balance is loaded from the card onto the grinder and the grinder is unlocked to grind, for example, 1 kg of coffee.
After the pre-defined grinding time required for 1 kg of coffee beans, for example, the grinder is blocked and only grinds again if it is activated with a new smart card.
Mahlkönig is also keeping up with the growing trend of filter coffee preparation in the gastronomy industry with a further version of the popular VARIO home. This is not a reference to classical filter machine methods, but the elaborate and professional filter coffee preparation using a French press, aero-press or ‘Karlsbader Kanne’ in so-called ‘brew bars’. The new VARIO-W is designed exclusively for grinding filter coffee and therefore does not grind for a pre-defined time but according to weight. Highly sensitive scales which measure the coffee powder to the exact gram are fixed under the ground coffee container. This means that the amount of coffee, which is ground, can always be reproduced exactly. The grinding degree can be set infinitely variably and very finely via two slide controls.
The new ProM Espresso, a further development of the ProM all-round grinder, represents the antithesis of filter coffee grinding. It has a large hopper which takes at least 600g of espresso beans. For easy dosage of double or single shots, the new display has been provided with a touch screen. To use more than one variety of espresso, the hopper can be closed by using the hopper slide and replaced. There is a video in English describing how RFID Technology functions, as well as the ProM Espresso and VARIO-W at  http://vimeo.com/25808154