Mahlkönig EK43 S

What it does well

It is fast and built for volume. Mahlkönig quotes 19 to 21 g a second and a burr life of about 6,000 kg at a median setting. Seattle Coffee Gear says it can grind a pound of coffee in under 30 seconds.

It fits where the EK43 does not. Seattle Coffee Gear says the lower base and smaller hopper free up about 4 inches of under-cabinet clearance. Its lowered spout suits single dosing and pour-over, per the same listing.

The range is wide. Mahlkönig lists filter, espresso and Turkish fine grinding. Adjustment is stepless.

It can be improved. A Home-Barista owner who has used his EK43 S for five years fitted an aftermarket burr carrier and different burrs. He reports less spurting, lower retention and a wider espresso range after the changes.

Where it falls short

It is still big. Mahlkönig lists 24.5 kg net and 41 cm deep. Plan for a permanent spot on a sturdy counter.

It is messy as standard. The same Home-Barista owner calls it "a mess machine" even with RDT, and shows a week of grounds around the base.

Espresso is touchy on the stock burrs. He found "a very narrow range on the dial," where small moves made the difference between a brilliant and a poor shot.

Alignment can need work. Prima Coffee offers shimming and sanding services on new EK43 grinders. Seattle Coffee Gear lists the S as commercial use, with manual dosing and no programming.

Who should buy it, and who shouldn't

Buy it for a small café or a serious home brew bar that grinds a lot of filter coffee and wants the EK43 standard. It suits someone who enjoys tuning a grinder with alignment work or upgraded parts.

Skip it if you want a tidy, quiet, single-dose espresso workflow. Skip it too if you will not open the grinder up. Its Home-Barista owner says making it home-friendly took several add-on purchases.

How it compares

The full-size EK43 has the same burrs and a much larger hopper. EK43 vs EK43 S shows how their dials line up for every brew method.

For 98 mm burrs in a home body, look at the Kafatek Monolith Flat Max. Its buying guide covers who it suits.

The Home-Barista owner chose his EK43 S in 2018 over a Weber EG-1 and a Kafatek Monolith Flat. He says import costs to the UK made those pricier at the time. Today he notes that cheaper alternatives promise better alignment and workflow out of the box.

The Turin DF83 V2 is a smaller single-dose flat-burr choice. For a large-burr home grinder, see EK43 S vs Timemore Sculptor 078.

Owning it

Burr wear is unlikely to matter at home. Mahlkönig's 6,000 kg figure is far beyond household volumes. When you do change them, follow how to replace grinder burrs and read up on burr alignment.

Cleaning matters more. Given the mess its owner describes, expect frequent brushing. See how to clean a burr grinder and how to reduce grinder static.

Mahlkönig USA lists spare parts and accessories, including an alignment tool. After any burr work, calibrate the grinder and use the settings chart as your starting point.