Which to buy · Every setting
Mahlkönig EK43 vs Varia VS3 (2nd Gen)
Conical against flat — the VS3 (2nd Gen)'s scale curves where the other runs straight. The EK43 is numbered 0–16; the VS3 (2nd Gen) is numbered 0–19.
Which to buy
Choose the
EK43 if you…
- grind in volume — about 19–21 g a second from a 1,200 g hopper
- want 98 mm cast steel flat burrs, stepless from Turkish fine to coarse filter
- grind straight into retail bags — it has a bag clamp
Choose the
VS3 (2nd Gen) if you…
- single-dose — 30 g hopper, and Varia quotes under 0.1 g retention on a 10 g dose with RDT
- want stepless adjustment marked in 10-micron increments, from espresso to cold brew
- want a small grinder — 3.5 kg, on a 100–240 V adapter
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Sources: Mahlkönig — EK43 · Mahlkönig USA — EK43 · Varia — VS3 Grinder
| EK43 | VS3 (2nd Gen) | |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | Mahlkönig | Varia |
| Scale | Numbered dial | Numbered dial |
| Dial range | 0 – 16 | 0 – 19 |
| Burrs | Flat | Conical |
| Espresso → filter | 7 numbers | 8.5 numbers |
| Filter → coarse | 7 numbers | 9.7 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 27.5 on the EK43 but 32.4 on the VS3 (2nd Gen) — 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.
| EK43 | VS3 (2nd Gen) |
|---|---|
| 2 | 0.8 |
| 4.8 | 2.9 |
| 7.1 | 4.9 |
| 7.8 | 6.6 |
| 8.5 | 8.2 |
| 9.3 | 9.6 |
| 10.7 | 10.6 |
| 12.1 | 11.6 |
| 13.4 | 12.6 |
| 14.3 | 14 |
| 14.9 | 15.6 |
| 15.4 | 17.3 |
| 16 | 19 |
| VS3 (2nd Gen) | EK43 |
|---|---|
| 0.8 | 2 |
| 2.9 | 4.8 |
| 4.9 | 7.1 |
| 6.6 | 7.8 |
| 8.2 | 8.5 |
| 9.6 | 9.3 |
| 10.6 | 10.7 |
| 11.6 | 12.1 |
| 12.6 | 13.4 |
| 14 | 14.3 |
| 15.6 | 14.9 |
| 17.3 | 15.4 |
| 19 | 16 |
Side by side, by brew method
Where each grinder lands for the same brew, worked out from its own dial curve.
| Method | EK43 | VS3 (2nd Gen) |
|---|---|---|
| Espresso | 3.7 | 2.1 |
| Moka pot | 7 | 4.5 |
| AeroPress (short steep) | 7.8 | 6.6 |
| Pour over — V60 / cone | 8.8 | 9 |
| Siphon | 9.3 | 9.6 |
| Pour over — flat bottom | 9.8 | 10 |
| Steep and release — Clever / Switch | 10.3 | 10.4 |
| Drip / batch brew | 10.7 | 10.6 |
| Cupping | 11 | 10.9 |
| Chemex | 12 | 11.5 |
| French press | 14.1 | 13.4 |
| Cold brew | 15.2 | 16.5 |
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
Varia VS3 (2nd Gen)
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 VS3 (2nd Gen)
A compact grinder that tries to cover espresso and brew in a small footprint, and mostly succeeds. The second generation improved the burr alignment that limited the original. Expect to work harder at the espresso end than on a dedicated machine.