Which to buy · Every setting
Mahlkönig EK43 S vs Rancilio Rocky
Two grinders cross-shopped at the same money. The Rocky is numbered 0–55; the EK43 S is numbered 0–16.
Which to buy
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
- grind Turkish fine as well — Mahlkönig rates it for filter, espresso and Turkish
Choose the
Rocky if you…
- pair it with a Silvia — Rancilio pitched the Rocky as its partner
- want fixed steps — up to 50, Rancilio says
- are buying used — Rancilio no longer lists it
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.
Rancilio no longer lists the Rocky and sells the Stile as its home grinder, so you'd be buying the Rocky used.
Sources: Rancilio Group — Rocky (archived Jan 2022) · Rancilio Group — Rocky SD specifications (archived May 2022) · Rancilio Group — Stile · Mahlkönig — EK43 S
| EK43 S | Rocky | |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | Mahlkönig | Rancilio |
| Scale | Numbered dial | Numbered dial |
| Dial range | 0 – 16 | 0 – 55 |
| Burrs | Flat | Flat |
| Espresso → filter | 7 numbers | 20 numbers |
| Filter → coarse | 7 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 8 sits at grind index 27.5 on the EK43 S but 5.6 on the Rocky — 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.
| EK43 S | Rocky |
|---|---|
| 2 | 5 |
| 4.8 | 9 |
| 7.1 | 14 |
| 7.8 | 18 |
| 8.5 | 22 |
| 9.3 | 26 |
| 10.7 | 29 |
| 12.1 | 32 |
| 13.4 | 36 |
| 14.3 | 39 |
| 14.9 | 42 |
| 15.4 | 45 |
| 16 | 48 |
| Rocky | EK43 S |
|---|---|
| 5 | 2 |
| 9 | 4.8 |
| 14 | 7.1 |
| 18 | 7.8 |
| 22 | 8.5 |
| 26 | 9.3 |
| 29 | 10.7 |
| 32 | 12.1 |
| 36 | 13.4 |
| 39 | 14.3 |
| 42 | 14.9 |
| 45 | 15.4 |
| 48 | 16 |
Side by side, by brew method
Where each grinder lands for the same brew, worked out from its own dial curve.
| Method | EK43 S | Rocky |
|---|---|---|
| Espresso | 3.7 | 8 |
| Moka pot | 7 | 13 |
| AeroPress (short steep) | 7.8 | 18 |
| Pour over — V60 / cone | 8.8 | 24 |
| Siphon | 9.3 | 26 |
| Pour over — flat bottom | 9.8 | 27 |
| Steep and release — Clever / Switch | 10.3 | 28 |
| Drip / batch brew | 10.7 | 29 |
| Cupping | 11 | 30 |
| Chemex | 12 | 32 |
| French press | 14.1 | 38 |
| Cold brew | 15.2 | 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.
Mahlkönig EK43 S
Rancilio Rocky
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.
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.