Which to buy · Every setting
Ceado E37S vs Mahlkönig EK43
Two grinders cross-shopped at the same money. The EK43 is numbered 0–16; the E37S is numbered 0–50.
Which to buy
Choose the
E37S if you…
- pull espresso — Ceado built it for that, with a hands-free portafilter catch
- want to start grinding with the portafilter
- are buying used — Ceado's E37 line is now the E37Z models
Choose the
EK43 if you…
- brew filter as well as espresso — stepless from Turkish fine to coarse filter
- make batch brew in volume — Mahlkönig positions it for that
- grind straight into retail bags — it has a bag clamp
Shop links are affiliate links: BrewMark earns a commission if you buy through one, at no extra cost to you. The verdicts were written without regard to it.
Ceado's current grinder range no longer lists the E37S; its E37 line is now the E37Z models.
Sources: Mahlkönig — EK43 · Mahlkönig USA — EK43 · Ceado — E37S (archived) · Ceado — Coffee grinders
| E37S | EK43 | |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | Ceado | Mahlkönig |
| Scale | Numbered dial | Numbered dial |
| Dial range | 0 – 50 | 0 – 16 |
| Burrs | Flat | Flat |
| Espresso → filter | 20 numbers | 7 numbers |
| Filter → coarse | 20 numbers | 7 numbers |
The same number means different things
Both grinders use a numbered dial, which makes it tempting to copy a number straight across. Setting 8 sits at grind index 5.6 on the E37S but 27.5 on the EK43 — far enough apart to change the cup.
Converting a setting
If a recipe quotes a setting for one of these grinders, read across for the equivalent on the other. Rows are spaced evenly by grind size, not by dial number — on a conical burr those are not the same thing.
| E37S | EK43 |
|---|---|
| 5 | 2 |
| 9.4 | 4.8 |
| 13.8 | 7.1 |
| 17.8 | 7.8 |
| 21.8 | 8.5 |
| 25.6 | 9.3 |
| 28.3 | 10.7 |
| 31.1 | 12.1 |
| 33.9 | 13.4 |
| 36.7 | 14.3 |
| 39.4 | 14.9 |
| 42.2 | 15.4 |
| 45 | 16 |
| EK43 | E37S |
|---|---|
| 2 | 5 |
| 4.8 | 9.4 |
| 7.1 | 13.8 |
| 7.8 | 17.8 |
| 8.5 | 21.8 |
| 9.3 | 25.6 |
| 10.7 | 28.3 |
| 12.1 | 31.1 |
| 13.4 | 33.9 |
| 14.3 | 36.7 |
| 14.9 | 39.4 |
| 15.4 | 42.2 |
| 16 | 45 |
Side by side, by brew method
Where each grinder lands for the same brew, worked out from its own dial curve.
| Method | E37S | EK43 |
|---|---|---|
| Espresso | 7.7 | 3.7 |
| Moka pot | 13 | 7 |
| AeroPress (short steep) | 17.8 | 7.8 |
| Pour over — V60 / cone | 24 | 8.8 |
| Siphon | 25.7 | 9.3 |
| Pour over — flat bottom | 26.7 | 9.8 |
| Steep and release — Clever / Switch | 27.7 | 10.3 |
| Drip / batch brew | 28.3 | 10.7 |
| Cupping | 29 | 11 |
| Chemex | 31 | 12 |
| French press | 35.7 | 14.1 |
| Cold brew | 41 | 15.2 |
The shape of each dial
Where the connectors bunch, that grinder’s dial is compressed and single steps count for more. Comparing the two shapes tells you which gives finer control, and where.
Ceado E37S
Mahlkönig EK43
Dialing in the E37S
A commercial single-dose grinder with large flat burrs and very low retention for its class. Built for cafés dialling espresso through the day, and stepless — repeatability comes from your own reference, not a click count.
Dialing in the EK43
The grinder that changed what filter coffee was supposed to taste like, and still the reference for high-clarity brewing. Its very large flat burrs produce an unusually narrow particle distribution, which is why coffee ground on an EK often tastes cleaner at the same nominal setting than it does elsewhere. Stepless, so treat the numbers as targets.