Which to buy · Every setting
Mahlkönig EK43 vs Rancilio Rocky
Two grinders cross-shopped at the same money. The Rocky is numbered 0–55; the EK43 is numbered 0–16.
Which to buy
Choose the
EK43 if you…
- grind in volume — 19–21 g a second on average, from a hopper of about 1,200 g
- grind straight into retail bags with the built-in bag clamp
- want stepless adjustment from Turkish fine to coarse filter
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 · Mahlkönig USA — EK43
| EK43 | 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 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 | 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 |
|---|---|
| 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 | 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
Rancilio Rocky
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.
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.