The King of Grinders: Mahlkönig EK43 Review
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- čas přidán 29. 08. 2024
- Having used this grinder for the better part of a decade, and now having owned an EK43 for about a year at home, I thought it high time to do a standard(ish) review on this beast. Renowned for its durability, espresso shots, and big burrs, does the EK43 still have what it takes to be at the top of the game?
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IMPORTANT NOTE: I put the wrong footage of the indicator in the video. The phone video shows me with the proper test indicator. I used the wrong one on camera with a dial indicator, as Jlever correctly pointed out. But even with my test indicator, my personal ek is under 5 microns. So, the point stands, but worth pointing out! The 60 micron observation was with a test indicator.
Great...5 microns...I can set my Mazzer Philos to stepless, for less than half the price
But with 64mm burrs. Massive difference. Cannot be understated.
„I have an incredibly well aligned rod“
- Lance Hedrick, 2024
😂😂
Came straight to the comments when i heard that 🤣🤣
lucky him !
16:10 for those who missed it
Completely relatable:):):)
Great to see an EK review. It deserves one just for the culture
Agreed
This is a great review, super fair and very informative. Given how big the EK is, I think a 30 minute “here’s how to fully trick out a new EK out of the box” video would crush. Links to all the things you recommend, step by step instructions to install, etc.
I think that would be a huge help to all the coffee professionals that have these in their shops/roasting facilites
I honestly can’t understand why something that’s $3000 can’t be perfectly aligned from the factory. That is an utter and absolute waste of money. What are you paying for if not quality materials and craftsmanship? A bent rod on something of this caliber seems like it should be a full warranty replacement.
Well you get a huge hunk of metal for that money, but yeah...
@@pierrex3226 that’s my point. Quality materials are pointless without quality craftsmanship.
because youtubers will shill it anyway and muppets will buy it anyway
My thoughts exactly. For that price, I would expect every unit to go through _very_ rigorous testing, and if these things are as easily found as Lance demonstrated, then they should be at that stage. And consequently, they would then either need to replace or repair bent rods, and/or realign burrs.
James Hoffmann makes this very explicit in his reviews of these kinds of high-tier equipment: Grinders at this level don't cost this much because they grind coffee better than cheaper ones at a scale that is proportional to their price. You pay that much because you trust the manufacturer to really put effort into all aspects of materials, construction and testing.
Right!?!?
As someone opening a new cafe and shopping for an espresso grinder, I'm very turned off at the idea of spending thousands of dollars on something that has major alignment problems out of the box and requires me to become an expert in measuring microns of error to then work in a series of shims to set it straight. This sounds like a nightmare!
$3,000 buys the King of Grinders. $99 buys the Kingrinder. :)
Or less hahaha !
best comment (coffee related) ever.😂
@@LanceHedrick Can you do an overview of the Kingrinder range similar to what you did with 1zpresso? :) Both of these companies obviously produce great hand grinders, but man are their naming schemes cryptic and their websites not helpful when trying to find out which one does what.
@@LanceHedrick true, I started on a K1 and made great coffee for almost 2 years before upgrading to the K6
Having both is better ;)
Would love to see the EK43s vs EG-1. Almost pulled trigger with EK but your EG-1 review holds me back for a second to reconsider 😅
Sorry for correcting you Lance but lathe user here... for anyone looking to do this type of indicator reading on their grinder, you really need what's called a "test indicator", not the "dial indicator" Lance used, unless you can orient the "dial indicator's" plunger perpendicular to the axis of rotation...
Yes I have two different ones. I put in the video the wrong one. That's my bad.
As you see in the video I uploaded from the other test, I have one. Just edited in the wrong indicator.
Realy enjoyed this review, the history portion at the top was really interesting. I’d be interested to see more reviews of comercial equipment and where they fit in to the cafe landscape.
Thank you so much!
Finally! Hallelujah! Thanks SO MUCH Lance. As always, an excellent review, with a great background overview / history. Impressive! Thanks again!
oh shit Scott Rao! I was at UMass in the 90s when this guy was creating coffee culture there (Amherst). What a legend. Introduced me to French Press and what coffee could be. Cool to see his face!
Australian here.
May or may not be factual, but my - feeling - is that the equivalent over in this part of the world was the Robur E.
Back 10-15yrs or so, if I walked into a noted coffee place they had one on the bench.
Comparison vid?!
Funny enough, your comment about the EK and cafe quality is the biggest reason I was reluctant to sell mine. I went with a San Remo X-One, which is a better fit for my cafe, but I do worry that people don't come in and have the immediate assurance of values that an EK communicates.
Little quirk @LanceHedrick: the dial indicator should be perpendicular to the axis. The way you set it up with the gauge nearly flat does not measure the misalignment correctly.
Proud owner of 040/999 icon unit here! not leaving my coffee station anytime soon, still King of grinder & end game for me
I'll trade you in for a Kingrinder K2 and two bags of Markus coffee that are still within BBE date!
Thank you Lance!! We appreciate you
The white and gold looks like something you'd put out as a display piece.
Yet this display piece is the best built one I've probably ever encountered lol
This white and gold reminds me - what happened to the BDB Lance edition? That was fire
The last 10 seconds brought a big smile in our face, you qualify as a opera star.
Absolutely did not expect you to hit the high note with natural head voice instead of falsetto. Bravo, sir.
I am using the same brew burrs and tools/upgrades from Frank in the ek43s and they are amazing! Thanks for your impressive video 😊
Thank you Lance.
thank you, as always!
@@LanceHedrick 🤩
Awesome video! Great info! 👍
The only problem I noticed is that the angle on your dial indicator is steep to take a precise measurement of alignment. The wall clock from the b-roll you displayed is the correct one.
Yes I know. I put in the wrong one. Mistakes happen lol
Mahlkönig updated their production in 2015 (with the introduction of the ek43s, quality standards went up together with the production line updates. Housings are since this CNC machine to high precision. The stationary burr should always be perfectly aligned since this. Burr carrier remained the same and it makes sense to get the Titus carrier. Accordingly mine was alligned within 3qm out of the box at least (tested with Titus alignment tool). But I actually never tested the alignment of the shaft, definitely a new fear unlocked 😂. Appreciate the review!
WOW that vibrato really wrapped up this video beautifully!
Great review. Thank you for your work, enthusiasm and for sharing.
Always interesting when something is so imperfect and yet still kind of the GOAT
Cracking video. Love watching your content across the board. And then he only goes and rips out the high notes as I type this. And, breathe. 😅
I’ve just bought one and I don’t know if it’s well-aligned or not 🤷♂️
But I do know it’s making very tasty coffee 🙂
How does it perform compared to Weber EG-1 regarding grind quality and even grind size when using it as a single dose grinder? I know Mahlkonig are faster.
i am dailly flat white so far very happy with EK Omnia. Great extraction so far
You have it for your home??
Lance, I hope we get a comparison video with an FM Grinder soon.
I don't enjoy aligning/modifying/part swapping my grinders, which scares me away from an EK, but initial reports seem to indicate that the FM build is very exacting (including their 80mm carriers being so tight that some Hemro cast burrs fit but not others, LOL), and variable RPM is convenient to have available. Finally, $2700ish USD probably puts it at roughly price parity after shipping (import tax depending ofc)
the ditting hopper with a t/a cup ramp inside is the top tier hopper for any EK.
Toolmaker (precision machinist) here, just wanna clear something up:
0.01mm is 1 hundredth.
A micron is 1 thousandth (0.001mm).
And yeah JLeverEspresso is correct, the plunger type DTI (Dial Test Indicator) needs to be perpendicular to axis of rotation. Lance, for how awkward it is to get a plunger DTI in there I would suggest a finger type.
I have a test indicator. Had a shot using it after i realized i had the wrong one. Included the wrong one in the edit. Yoi can see the proper indicator in the phone footage of the other ek. And yeah I flubbed on the micron thing.
@@LanceHedrick Oh you're totally right, my bad, you have the finger type too.
@16:10 I learned Lance has an incredibly well aligned rod
mine verves to the left
Great video!
Hope you are going to comment on those Lebrew burrs at some point.
Finally!!!😍 So excited because I have to decide ek43 with brew burrs or eg-1
hope you find it helpful~!
me too! I already have a flatmax on preorder for espresso and a want a grinder to brews
We have both at the shop and honestly from ease of use to build quality and alignement and cleaning we prefer the EG-1 anyday of the week, the only thing it can't do is grind bags but that's it
@@eliascalcoen5849 thank you!! Very helpful
Depends on where you are as well I suppose as this will have an impact on pricing. I am in Germany and paid 1800€ for my new ek43 - though this was 3 years ago. Adding Titus carrier and all sorts of add-ons still does not bring me close to EG-1 pricing. The nice thing about the ek is the possibility to change between brew methods on the fly. I do not like going from espresso to any coarser grind on my Weber key. Never used an eg-1.
Another enjoyable watch. Thanks Lance 👍
The chute + grind catch tray scream cheap, on a ridiculously expensive machine. Weird design choices
There is a dosing thumbler magnetic attachment from grafikus coffeetec. It is similar to the Weber key way of working and replaced the bag knocker. Improves the usability extremely and eliminates all fine / residue buildup.
Yes I love mine, no mess and easy to keep chamber exit clean, no knocking. Downside is it doesn’t hold much more than ~30g filter dose, and the price.
Love the look of the EK, it's so iconic. But I can't justify it yet for home use 😅
That’s a lot of work and adjustments for something in that price range.. QC at Mahlkönig should up their game
What if you can only choose one grinder at home for both espreeso and pour over，which one you more recommend? Ek43s or EG-1
This grinder isn’t suited to espresso with standard burrs.
Having said that I’m really enjoying it! Very different from any other grinder I’ve used in every way 🙂👍
It couldn’t be a lance video with some random singing hahaha
When I got my EK, it was horribly aligned and made shitty brews. Shimming it was insanely helpful, now I get super great brews!
Real nice to see a classic like this but from a current standpoint. The prestige the EK43 held for me was a bit dampened over the last few years because of all the complaints that came later on, along with all the hype for newer and more innovative grinders. I even remember James calling out the EK for its workflow, iirc. Still, I remember when I first coincidentally fell into this rabbit hole and saw how prominent the EK-43 was, after which I walked for the first time into a speciality cafe/roaster and was surprised to actually see one, in this country of all places. I immediately thought that they must be serious. They're still a go-to neighborhood cafe for me to this day.
So how does this stack up against the EG-1 or P100?
I remember this monster used to compare to the mazzer robur in the old days. but no one talked about robur anymore
Can't believe anyone thought robur was ever good lol
@LanceHedrick well, probably the one never used something better than robur
I thought EG1 was you favourite for filter? What does make this better than eg1? Also curious to know what you think of Lagom 01 for filter?
16:38 and 16:46 I screamed internally a little
I feel the issue with this grinder is simply, that it was never intended as an espresso grinder. These were ment to go in little shops, that sell coffee (as well as many other things) and to grind a Kg of coffee, if the customer needed it ground. The knocker at the bottom even has a little clip, to hold a paper bag. This was never intended to hold a cup or something similar. Hence the quickly changeable grind-settings, as each customer needed a different grind size. When these were "invented" home espresso-machines (or espresso in general) wasn`t really a thing (not in Germany at least) and people mostly drank drip-coffee and similar things. Therefore the alignment was not really an issue, as you would be hard-pressed to notice that at these coarser settings. It seems to me that Mahlkönig just went with the flow and kept producing these as they always had. I don`t think it is terribly hard to design a well working espresso grinder, but they know that these mostly sell for their form-factor and also people seem to expect that they will be shitty and will need some TLC.
My wife and kitchen cabinet height wouldn’t tolerate this grinder in my home. But I found it interesting that you are now a vertical burr- only barista. I’ve come to the same conclusion.
I’m waiting for the Mazzer Philos to ship to the US. The Zerno was my other choice, but I don’t care for the wait-in-line, pay, and wait sales model.
I’d love to see a vertical burr grinder shootout, including the Philos and Zerno. You would have the Euro power version with lower RPM, but I’d still love to see it.
The first CZcamsr with a Philos/Zerno shootout wins!
I simply can't see the philos doing any better than potentially matching the zerno performance. At best. They don't add any innovation that could put it over it. And there is not real way to improve the zernos alignment system. So, assuming it does equal it, you'd have to choose between a massive footprint with an awkward dial on the back or the zerno, although it's not everyone's favorite looking one, either. But I've yet to test philos. Curious to really examine it.
@@LanceHedrick- Users have reported that the adjustment on the back hasn’t been a problem, though at least on person has set his up sideways. Personally, I like the rear dial concept because cleaning the grinder won’t affect calibration, and the threads are far from the grounds.
The big difference to me is the auger. The compression approach will vary with bean size. No auger like that can handle a large bean from Mexico the same as an Ethiopian peaberry. The auger in the Philos is a bean smasher, based on impact. I have no idea if it’s better or worse.
I own a dial indicator. I look forward to getting a Philos, so I can measure it.
@JonFairhurst make sure not to make the mistake I did in the video. Use a proper test indicator. I have one and have used it on the ek43 but neglected in the video. Lol
But yes the auger is way diff.
And I used the philos at an expo. I don't enjoy the back dial but your point is good re: no grounds caught.
I expected not to like the dial on the back of the Philos, but it's been fine for me. I'm enjoying using it a lot.
@@chris9923 - I expect that countertop height is important. It seems like it would be fine on a standard kitchen countertop. Some cafes have their grinders on taller surfaces, and the setup at trade shows could vary. For me (6-1) and home use, I’m confident that I’ll like it.
I beat out my retention too
You don't want it stuck.
With an incredibly well-aligned rod? 🤔
Love my ek in the cupping room.
Great video Lance!
I always keep an eye on CL, marketplace, ect for coffee grinders, hoping to score a pre 2015 EK for cheap.
I've worked at a cafe that had an EK but I was actually quite disappointed with it, especially for how hyped it is.
The brews weren't bad at all but I was expecting mind blowing coffee from it and I never got that.
I also recall that once we tried to make espresso with it and we weren't even close to fine enough.
I wonder if the alignment on it was just simply bad...
Skill issue
Can't afford it but you gotta appreciate this grinder man
For sure.
There's a Cafe chain in Australia called soul origin that has ek43 s on their coffee benches at all their locations. They don't use them though as they only serve espresso lmao. For the posing right though
Hello lance,it's me again asking to do a review on the hibrew h7a because I really trust you reviews
Hi! Did you compare filter from EK43s with Pietro?
Would like to see an eureka grinder review one day
White Lotus Water in the back 😮
aeee, até que enfim Lance!!!!
every specialty cafe i go to seems to have this grinder!
They are incredibly popular in the last decade.
When I saw how you measured the spindle in the unit, something inside me died, a level indicator would be way better!
But having a straight dial indicator on an angle like that will affect the reading SO much! 😅
Please read pinned comment. Simple mess up when filming. I have a test indicator from mitutoyo and simply filmed the wrong one.
Also the phone recording I obviously used a test indicator. I just messed up in my studio as I already had the dial set up for something else lol
I’m beginning to wonder if this alignment stuff is a red herring? Maybe I got lucky with a really well-aligned example? Maybe my buddy did too? Maybe the guy at the local cafe did as well?
I reckon this grinder is great regardless of that stuff 🙂👍
I love my Ek43s and I use it for everything at home. Maybe I lucked out and my is aligned?
I’ve made a modified single dose hopper using a Weber Workshop Blind shaker, a rubber gasket from the hardware store and an Aeropress funnel. Then I use a blower for cameras to get any retention out.
I have seen upgrades to the exit chute made of metal, tempted to get it. Down the road I’d like to get all the Titus upgrades.
They can still make tasty coffee not perfectly aligned. Most grinders aren't aligned well. But we get tasty coffee
@@LanceHedrick I am hoping I just lucked out. One of those fear of the unknown so I just dont check alignment… haha
I did luck out when I bought it from my friend’s cafe for $1500. They wanted to upgrade to the Weber Eg-1. How I convinced my wife we needed this grinder? I have no idea.
Hahaha! Yeah don't question a good thing.
Do you filter better in this over the eg-1?
How different are brews to an eg-1 with ULF
Greatest grinder ever made.
pretty Rare indeed a well aligned Rod 😉
hey @lancehedrick have you ever checked out the compaq pk100? i'd love to hear your thoughts! thanks for the video!
i wonder if Rao just lucked out. i realize the quality issues came later, but i also have heard that the alognment and rod issues go.waaaay back.
Great video Lance !
Are you planning to review the Lagom Casa ?
Doesn't matter if it's Mahlkonig or what other grinder manufacturer, for that kind of money it should be perfect - it should be tested by the factory before it leaves and not sent out if it's not. There are lots of folks out here willing to spend - well maybe not $3K but even at $1K we should get a grinder that is well built, reliable, easy to use, and can make great coffee. But it's like certain old cars (Jag XKE comes to mind), that needed nearly constant repairs but somehow got a reputation as an "iconic" machine. This is not an example of great design, or great manufacturing.
Also, the amount of FINES coming from the EK has always driven me crazy. Messy bar instantly.
Great vid Lance! How would you compare the Kafatek CR burrs to the Titus Brew? Also, how would you rank the Nautilus as a home filter 98mm option?
If only AGIs were so easy to align, we might not be doomed!
Will you be doing the mazzer philos review O: love to hear your opinion
I feel like the more the grinder is unpacked the more my brain is also
I used an EK Omnia for two weeks, which I had bought to reach the endgame for myself in terms of filter and espresso grinding. However, I was quickly disappointed when I noticed that the grinder got stuck on light roasted beans. And had real problems with it, and that was very surprising given the motor and the size of the burrs and with single dosing (la cabra)
A few days later. Without changing much: Suddenly, during grinding, there was a loud bang and the whole machine, weighing 25 kilos, shifted 3 cm to the left. And suddenly shavings came out of the outlet. Then I opened the grinder:
The motor shaft could no longer be turned and was pressed tightly together with the Burr Carrier with no prospect of loosening and with big scratches in the burrs themselfs ...
After this great disappointment, I wrote to the seller and was lucky that he took the machine back. Because Mahlkönig themselfs wanted to check what was wrong with this machine.
Unfortunately, a very, very negative experience and the last one for me with Mahlkönig!
I haven't had the best experiences with the omnia personally.
Tastewise it was awesome but the Rest was a pain. Stuck beans between auger und housing. Stalling. Bean Fragments got stuck in the burrs wich failed the motorized grindsize adjustment. And the Manual wasnt finshied ... There where No Infos about the Service PINs (1924 for User) or how the Zero the Grinder, i Had to Text them via Instagram and ask how to do it 😅 damn that was a pain!
@_Brewn wow! That is a pain.
@@LanceHedrick yes but with a lucky ending 🥳 now the Mazzer Philos makes me Happy everyday and safed a Ton of Money 🤗
Nice! Will need to get one it seems. I wasn't too impressed with first use at expo but might need to buy one.
I own model 000
Congratulations on your incredibly well aligned rod
Fun! The iconic Mahlkönig! (Works in my accent :):):) )
Thanks for the video!
I'm thinking about changing my burr set on our EK... We currently have Turkish which gives a lot of control over traditional espresso recipes but has too many fines for making great pour over ... I want to be able to make better pour over, batch brew, cold brew and would accept perhaps having to make espresso turbo-shot style. Could you recommend a burr set that would do the job? It seems like the SSP Low Uniformity Red Speed is a good fit.
Wauw, you asked for the 001 and you got it. In my last video I request a song from you for a charity, also hoping to get it ;)
Looking for the God shot!
As i am going to start my new cafe i am really confused between ek43 vs bentwood vertical 63 which is better
Would love to see how the EK43 (with SSP MP) compares to the Mazzer Philos (I200D). I’m torn. Bigger Burrs doesn’t automatically better, right?
Has it ever really been proven that heat generated from grinding is actually detrimental? I figured it would make a difference in a commercial setting if you're grinding bags of coffee but for single dosing a few shots of espresso or pour over coffee I don't think enough heat would generate to make any difference.
would you advise to buy this grinder if i am espresso Focused am thinking of getting it and getting the turkish burrs
I really want this for my home but i know it’s so unnecessary 😂😂
I like this grinder since the couple who sold me a Forte for half price got this one.
I wonder if the Omnia addressed all the issues and quirks of the ek43? really curious to see a review in the near future.
No
Nah, Omnia has the same alignment issues
i know in theory you shouldn't compare this to a cone burr hand grinder but i just can't help wondering how ek43 would perform compare to zp6 taste wise?
just to get an sense of it since you love both of them so much.
The EK43 has no inherent taste profile on its own. There are a lot of 98mm burr options tho
I’m fairly new to making filter at home and was enjoying the cups I was making with ZP6. I’ve just bought an EK43 and first impressions are it’s in a different league. (Standard burrs).
Nice! Been waiting for this one :P.!! Awesome video.. also nice to hear some of the history Lance!
I really hope a video of the Omnia is the drawing board! :D. I am actually a happy owner of both grinders, and yes alignment was such an issue with the EK43s that I also got the Titus-kit + burr-holder and a set HU-SSP-burrs (Actually, compared to the standard EK-burrs, I find the HU-SSPs underperforming with lighter roasts, especially if you prefer clarity and longer ratios when brewing espresso, buuut topic for another day).
I am very interested in finding out whether or not the alignment issues have been, to some extend, fixed on the new Omnia, since the rotating burr is held/fixated in a different way? What do you think?
No. Still alignment issues on omnia. For sure.
@@LanceHedrick You should totally make a video on Omnia too. The use of bearings made me feel that Omnia should have better alignment
Inside looks exactly like the bunnzilla
Lance, which grind setting do you go with for cuppings on your EK?
love from Brazil!
If you wanted espresso perfection in a grinder what three would you choose. no limit one, mid range and budget. 4k, 1k, 500$ ones.
I'm going to try some flat burr grinder next. I've only used conical for my whole career in home roasting life. 12 years. I have a sette, orphan espresso pharos, capresso. A good friend has a zero. How did we get to conical only. As flat was not a standard home use in general. Clearly i need to try flat. 83v is my first choice right now. But let me know. Yes i've watched all of your videos but need a gentle touch on the shoulder telling me what to do. Ok ok i'll get a weber key ;) ba ahahahahha see what i did there. Keep on.
EK43s is about $2,950. Then you have to purchase all those upgrades/fixes and aligning tools which I have no idea how much it costs. When all is said and done, is the grinder under $3.5k?
Yes
Two buttons. One for turning on and another for turning off is hard for me to digest 😂 6:48