Grind setting conversion
Mahlkönig EK43 vs Varia VS3 (2nd Gen)
Two grinders cross-shopped at the same money. The EK43 is numbered 0–16; the VS3 (2nd Gen) is numbered 0–19.
| EK43 | VS3 (2nd Gen) | |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | Mahlkönig | Varia |
| Scale | Numbered dial | Numbered dial |
| Dial range | 0 – 16 | 0 – 19 |
| Burrs | Flat | Flat |
| Espresso → filter | 7 numbers | 5 numbers |
| Filter → coarse | 7 numbers | 13 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 48.6 on the VS3 (2nd Gen) — 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 | VS3 (2nd Gen) |
|---|---|
| 2 | 1 |
| 4.8 | 2.9 |
| 7.1 | 4.6 |
| 7.8 | 5.1 |
| 8.5 | 5.6 |
| 9.3 | 6.4 |
| 10.7 | 8.3 |
| 12.1 | 10.3 |
| 13.4 | 12.2 |
| 14.3 | 14 |
| 14.9 | 15.7 |
| 15.4 | 17.3 |
| 16 | 19 |
| VS3 (2nd Gen) | EK43 |
|---|---|
| 1 | 2 |
| 2.9 | 4.8 |
| 4.6 | 7.1 |
| 5.1 | 7.8 |
| 5.6 | 8.5 |
| 6.4 | 9.3 |
| 8.3 | 10.7 |
| 10.3 | 12.1 |
| 12.2 | 13.4 |
| 14 | 14.3 |
| 15.7 | 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 | 2.2 |
| Moka pot | 7 | 4.5 |
| AeroPress (short steep) | 7.8 | 5.1 |
| Pour over — V60 / cone | 8.8 | 5.9 |
| Pour over — flat bottom | 9.8 | 7.2 |
| Drip / batch brew | 10.7 | 8.3 |
| Chemex | 12 | 10.2 |
| French press | 14.1 | 13.4 |
| Cold brew | 15.2 | 16.6 |
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.
Own a different grinder?
Convert between any two of 78 models
The converter runs the same maths for any pair in the catalog.
Open the grind converter →Send me both charts
Every setting for the Mahlkönig EK43 and the Varia VS3 (2nd Gen), side by side in your inbox.
One email with both charts. Nothing else unless you ask.
Switching grinders mid-bag?
Log a brew, say how it tasted, and BrewMark tells you which way to move — in whichever grinder’s numbers you are actually using. Free on iOS.
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