Which to buy · Every setting
Ceado E37S vs Rancilio Rocky
Two grinders cross-shopped at the same money. The Rocky is numbered 0–55; the E37S is numbered 0–50.
Which to buy
Choose the
E37S if you…
- want 83 mm flat burrs and a 500 W motor
- grind hands-free — the portafilter catch starts it and fits bottomless portafilters
- have room for 12.5 kg and 557 mm of height
Choose the
Rocky if you…
- want a smaller grinder — 7 kg and 350 mm tall
- grind for drip as well as espresso — Rancilio rates it for both
- pair it with a Rancilio Silvia — Rancilio pitched it as its partner
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.
Neither is sold new. Rancilio no longer lists the Rocky (its page now returns 404) and sells the Stile as its home grinder. Ceado's current grinder range no longer lists the E37S; its E37 line is now the E37Z models.
Sources: Rancilio Group — Rocky (archived Jan 2022) · Rancilio Group — Rocky SD specifications (archived May 2022) · Rancilio Group — Stile · Ceado — E37S (archived) · Ceado — Coffee grinders
| E37S | Rocky | |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | Ceado | Rancilio |
| Scale | Numbered dial | Numbered dial |
| Dial range | 0 – 50 | 0 – 55 |
| Burrs | Flat | Flat |
| Espresso → filter | 20 numbers | 20 numbers |
| Filter → coarse | 20 numbers | 23 numbers |
The same number means different things
Both grinders use a numbered dial, which makes it tempting to copy a number straight across. Setting 25 sits at grind index 40 on the E37S but 40 on the Rocky — close, but worth checking.
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 | Rocky |
|---|---|
| 5 | 5 |
| 9.4 | 9 |
| 13.8 | 14 |
| 17.8 | 18 |
| 21.8 | 22 |
| 25.6 | 26 |
| 28.3 | 29 |
| 31.1 | 32 |
| 33.9 | 36 |
| 36.7 | 39 |
| 39.4 | 42 |
| 42.2 | 45 |
| 45 | 48 |
| Rocky | E37S |
|---|---|
| 5 | 5 |
| 9 | 9.4 |
| 14 | 13.8 |
| 18 | 17.8 |
| 22 | 21.8 |
| 26 | 25.6 |
| 29 | 28.3 |
| 32 | 31.1 |
| 36 | 33.9 |
| 39 | 36.7 |
| 42 | 39.4 |
| 45 | 42.2 |
| 48 | 45 |
Side by side, by brew method
Where each grinder lands for the same brew, worked out from its own dial curve.
| Method | E37S | Rocky |
|---|---|---|
| Espresso | 7.7 | 8 |
| Moka pot | 13 | 13 |
| AeroPress (short steep) | 17.8 | 18 |
| Pour over — V60 / cone | 24 | 24 |
| Siphon | 25.7 | 26 |
| Pour over — flat bottom | 26.7 | 27 |
| Steep and release — Clever / Switch | 27.7 | 28 |
| Drip / batch brew | 28.3 | 29 |
| Cupping | 29 | 30 |
| Chemex | 31 | 32 |
| French press | 35.7 | 38 |
| Cold brew | 41 | 44 |
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
Rancilio Rocky
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 Rocky
A stepped espresso grinder that has been the budget recommendation for a very long time. The 55 steps across 50mm flat burrs are its limitation — for espresso you will sometimes want a setting between two of them and there is not one, and a single step can move a shot by seconds. Twenty of those steps cover espresso through filter, which is more resolution than the fine end usually gets at this price. Two things make it an espresso grinder in practice rather than a general one: changing setting means holding the locking lever while twisting the hopper, and it keeps a couple of grams in the chute, so every switch between espresso and pour over costs you both fiddling and coffee. Most owners pick one end and stay there.