De'Longhi KG79 burr grinder: what 16 settings allow

A grinder for the cafetière first

Start from what De’Longhi’s manual says the dial is for. It names three zones: coarse for percolators, medium for filter machines and moka pots, fine for espresso machines. The KG79 has 16 settings spread across all of them.

For the first two zones that is a workable ladder: a notch either way is rarely critical when the coffee steeps or drips. If you are moving from pre-ground coffee to beans and brew mostly by cafetière or filter, this grinder does what you need in the entry-level bracket, with steel flat burrs where the cheapest grinders have a blade.

How far sixteen settings stretch

Espresso is the hard case. Sixteen settings shared between three zones leave few at the fine end, and the manual’s statement that the fine position is “ideal for espresso machines” is the entire basis for the Yes in our table. We pass it on as De’Longhi’s claim.

What follows depends on your baskets:

• Pressurised baskets supply their own resistance, so the grind only has to be roughly right. This is the use the manual’s fine zone is meant for. De’Longhi’s own Dedica EC685 and Stilosa are the obvious partners, although De’Longhi does not state their basket type.
• Single-wall baskets, as supplied with the Sage Bambino, are corrected by nudging the grind a little finer or coarser. With so few fine positions, nothing in the data assures you that one of them will suit your coffee.

In the second case, look at the Baratza Encore ESP, which sits in the same bracket and which its maker positions for espresso. The grind size guide explains why step size counts.

Dial a number of cups and walk away

Instead of a timer or a set of scales, the KG79 has a selector marked from 2 to 12 cups. You choose a number and the grinder stops by itself. De’Longhi does not explain how the selector measures the coffee, by time or otherwise, which is why the dosing cell in our table reads not stated.

Two practical notes from the manual. Its rule of thumb is a tablespoon of beans per cup. And after grinding 12 cups’ worth it asks for a pause of at least five minutes, to keep the burrs from overheating: fine for a household, a limit if you grind for a crowd.

Small hopper, light body, burrs you brush

The hopper takes 120 g, so a 250 g bag takes more than two fills, and the grounds bin 150 g. At 1.6 kg, with a motor of 150 W, it is a grinder to keep in a cupboard and lift out.

The upper burr comes out for cleaning. The manual is firm on how: the burrs must stay dry and are cleaned with a stiff brush, never washed.

When to choose something else

All three electric grinders we list for the UK are in the entry-level bracket.

• Espresso with non-pressurised baskets: the Baratza Encore ESP, with 40 mm conical burrs, a 300 g hopper and manual dosing.
• More steps and a timer: the Sage Smart Grinder Pro, with 60 settings, a 450 g hopper and cradles for grinding into a portafilter.
• No motor at all: the KINGrinder K6 or the Timemore C3S, hand grinders in the same bracket.

The coffee grinder comparison lists all five, and our budget machine-and-grinder pairings show where the KG79 belongs and where it does not.

Two sources, two sets of figures

The warranty period is not established for the UK, so our spec sheet points you to the retailer’s terms. To see what grinding your own beans does to the cost of each cup, try the cost-per-cup calculator.