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Nine Bar Basics product guide

KitchenAid KF8 KES8558 Fully Automatic Espresso Machine

Households that want 40-plus one-touch drinks and six saved profiles with an automatic milk container

The KES8558 is the top KF8 model: 40 or more drink types, six named user profiles, a 5-inch touch screen, a 2.2-litre tank, a 0.8-litre milk container with dual milk delivery and an alternative milk cycle. Setup covers water hardness, a filter and a grind regulator behind the service door, and every removable part is hand-wash only.

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Published specifications

  • Manual: 40+ drink types, 6 user profiles, 5-inch touch screen
  • Manual: 2.2 L water tank, 0.8 L milk container, water filter
  • Manual: cup clearance 3.5-5.4 in (89-137 mm)
  • Manual: 120 V, 1450 W, grounded 3-prong outlet only
  • Listing: 18.5 x 10.2 x 14.3 in, 40.4 lb
  • Two-year limited warranty from date of delivery

Fit and limits

Strengths

  • Six named user profiles, plus strength levels 4 and 5 that the manual marks for this model
  • Removable bean hopper with a purge routine for swapping roasts
  • Manual covers grind, water hardness, filter life and every cleaning cycle in detail

Caveats

  • No removable part is dishwasher-safe, including the tank, dispenser and drip tray
  • Milk system needs a rinse after every milk drink, before the machine is switched off
  • Maker page would not show dimensions, so size and weight come from the listing only

What the KES8558 is, in KitchenAid's own words

The KES8558 is KitchenAid's KF8 fully automatic machine, and this listing is the Cast Iron Black version, part number KES8558BK. The manual's model table gives it 40 or more drink types, six user profiles, a 5-inch touch screen, a removable bean hopper, an illuminated dispenser, a milk container, dual milk-based beverages and an alternative milk cycle.

Cup clearance is 3.5 to 5.4 inches, or 89 to 137 millimetres, in the same table, which is the number to check against your favourite tall glass. The water tank holds 2.2 litres and the milk container 0.8 litres, and the machine runs on 120 volts at 1450 watts.

The listing's details table gives dimensions of 18.5 inches deep by 10.2 wide by 14.3 high and a weight of 40.4 pounds. KitchenAid's specification panel would not open when we read the page, so those two figures rest on the listing alone. The listing also places the water tank on the right side, so allow access there.

What comes in the box

KitchenAid's page and the listing agree on the contents: the machine, the water tank and filter, the removable bean hopper, the milk container with hose and lid, brew-unit cleaning tablets, a spoon that doubles as a filter mounting aid, and a water hardness test strip.

The spoon matters more than it sounds. The manual uses it both as the measure for pre-ground coffee, one level spoon into the grounds shaft, and as the tool for screwing the water filter into its holder in the tank.

The milk container is one of the parts that separates this model from the entry KES8556 in the same manual: only the KES8557 and KES8558 ship with it, and only those two have the dual milk outlet option.

Setting it up: water hardness, filter and grind

The settings menu covers language, the water filter and water hardness. The manual says to dip the supplied test strip, wait a minute and choose the matching level, with four levels on the chart and level 3 as the factory setting. It also notes that using the filter means descaling is needed less often.

The filter is good for about 50 litres of water, after which the display asks for a replacement. KitchenAid warns to fill the tank only with cold fresh tap water, not deionised or mineral water, and to use fresh water every day the machine is used.

Grind fineness is set with a regulator behind the right-side service door, and the manual is specific that it may only be changed while the grinder is running: left for finer, right for coarser. KitchenAid recommends a finer setting for light roasts and a coarser one for dark roasts.

Drinks, profiles and the bean hopper

Drink strength runs from 1 to 5, and the manual notes that levels 4 and 5 are only on the KES8558. First use needs four or five coffee drinks before results are satisfactory, and the manual warns the machine may be noisy until the water system has filled.

Six user profiles are available on this model, which the manual's table marks as the difference from the four profiles on the other two machines it covers. The 2-cup function is on all three, and all three have dual coffee outlets.

The removable hopper twists off for a bean swap, and a Purge Beans routine in the cleaning menu clears the grinder of leftovers. KitchenAid's product page calls this Auto Purge and says it clears remaining beans between batches. Only roasted, untreated beans go in: the manual warns that sugar-coated, ground or freeze-dried coffee will damage the grinder.

Cleaning is regular, and mostly by hand

After every milk drink the display asks for an Easy Milk Rinsing, which the manual says must be done as soon as possible and at the latest before switching the machine off. A Deep Milk Clean with a milk-system detergent and the periodic disassembly of the frother are separate jobs.

The brew unit is removed and rinsed under cold running water only, with no detergent, and a brew-unit tablet is used for its two-phase cleaning cycle. Descaling is prompted on screen, must not be interrupted and rules out vinegar, and the manual warns that descaler can stain steel parts.

None of the removable parts are dishwasher-safe. The manual names the water tank, dispenser, service door, drip tray and milk container lid among the hand-wash items. Follow the manual's own steps for each cleaning cycle rather than improvising a routine.

Limits, storage and the warranty

The manual sets household limits that are easy to miss: household use only, not suitable for commercial use or for mobile installations, and a maximum altitude of 6500 feet above sea level. The machine must not sit inside a cabinet while it is running.

For storage there is an Evaporate System routine that empties residual water, and KitchenAid warns against exposing the machine to temperatures below 32 degrees Fahrenheit. Standby time defaults to 30 minutes and can be set from 8 minutes to 8 hours.

The warranty is a two-year limited warranty from the date of delivery for the 50 United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Canada, and it extends to later owners. KitchenAid pays for factory-specified parts and labour for defects present at purchase, or may replace the machine, but not for non-household use, accident, alteration, misuse, fire or flood, or shipping to a service centre. The manual says to contact KitchenAid rather than returning the machine to the retailer.

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Primary sources

  1. KitchenAid product page for the KES8558BK Fully Automatic Espresso Machine KF8
  2. KitchenAid owner's manual W11616369 rev D for KES8556, KES8557 and KES8558

Primary sources checked .

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