Which to buy · Every setting
DF64 DF64 Gen 2 vs Mahlkönig EK43 S
Two grinders cross-shopped at the same money. The DF64 Gen 2 is numbered 0–90; the EK43 S is numbered 0–16.
Which to buy
Choose the
DF64 Gen 2 if you…
- single-dose — it holds about 50 g with the bellows, which come with the lid
- want 64 mm flat burrs on a 250 W motor
- want stepless adjustment
Choose the
EK43 S if you…
- grind in volume — 19–21 g a second on average
- want 98 mm cast steel flat burrs, rated for about 6,000 kg
- want EK43 grinding in a smaller body, Mahlkönig says — 68 cm tall
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Turin now sells the DF64 Gen 2 as the Gen 2.7; the revision names vary by seller.
Sources: Turin — DF64 Gen 2.7 · Mahlkönig — EK43 S · Mahlkönig USA — EK43 S
| DF64 Gen 2 | EK43 S | |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | DF64 | Mahlkönig |
| Scale | Numbered dial | Numbered dial |
| Dial range | 0 – 90 | 0 – 16 |
| Burrs | Flat | Flat |
| Espresso → filter | 55.2 numbers | 7 numbers |
| Filter → coarse | 22.3 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 0 on the DF64 Gen 2 but 27.5 on the EK43 S — 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.
| DF64 Gen 2 | EK43 S |
|---|---|
| 12.4 | 2 |
| 20.8 | 4.8 |
| 30.3 | 7.1 |
| 43.6 | 7.8 |
| 56.9 | 8.5 |
| 67.9 | 9.3 |
| 69.4 | 10.7 |
| 70.9 | 12.1 |
| 72.4 | 13.4 |
| 75.8 | 14.3 |
| 80.5 | 14.9 |
| 85.2 | 15.4 |
| 89.9 | 16 |
| EK43 S | DF64 Gen 2 |
|---|---|
| 2 | 12.4 |
| 4.8 | 20.8 |
| 7.1 | 30.3 |
| 7.8 | 43.6 |
| 8.5 | 56.9 |
| 9.3 | 67.9 |
| 10.7 | 69.4 |
| 12.1 | 70.9 |
| 13.4 | 72.4 |
| 14.3 | 75.8 |
| 14.9 | 80.5 |
| 15.4 | 85.2 |
| 16 | 89.9 |
Side by side, by brew method
Where each grinder lands for the same brew, worked out from its own dial curve.
| Method | DF64 Gen 2 | EK43 S |
|---|---|---|
| Espresso | 17.5 | 3.7 |
| Moka pot | 27.6 | 7 |
| AeroPress (short steep) | 35 | 7.8 |
| Pour over — V60 / cone | 64.4 | 8.8 |
| Siphon | 68 | 9.3 |
| Pour over — flat bottom | 68.5 | 9.8 |
| Steep and release — Clever / Switch | 69 | 10.3 |
| Drip / batch brew | 69.4 | 10.7 |
| Cupping | 69.8 | 11 |
| Chemex | 70.8 | 12 |
| French press | 74.1 | 14.1 |
| Cold brew | 83.1 | 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.
DF64 DF64 Gen 2
Mahlkönig EK43 S
Dialing in the DF64 Gen 2
A 64mm flat-burr single-dose grinder that became popular precisely because it puts commercial burrs at a domestic price. Espresso is the design centre; the burr choice you fit matters more to grind character than the dial does.
Dialing in the EK43 S
The shorter-bodied EK43, aimed at cafés without the counter space for the full-size machine — 28.8 inches against 32.6. It is not a lesser grinder: it runs the same 98mm cast steel burrs as the EK43, so grind character and dialling behaviour track it closely enough that the settings on this page are the same ones. What differs is throughput and ergonomics — a larger hopper, and a slower grind rate that is no handicap for espresso, where dosing shot by shot matters more than speed. The EK43 is the one for a high-volume brew bar; the S is the one for a café espresso station. Sixteen numbers to cover espresso through coarse is very little resolution, so expect to work in half-steps.