Mahlkonig grinders are a staple on the counters of the best specialty coffee shops around the world. A brand known for developing and manufacturing premier commercial coffee and espresso grinders, their products have been a barista’s first choice for decades.

Here, we’ll take a look at the most prominent coffee grinder in the industry, the EK43. Discover why this Mahlkonig grinder may just be the best choice for your coffee business below:

King Among Commercial Coffee Grinders: Mahlkonig

Founded in 1924, Mahlkonig is an industry leader when it comes to coffee and espresso grinders for professional use. It operates under the umbrella of Hemro International AG, which also owns other well-known brands, namely Anfim, Ditting, and HeyCafé.

Mahlkonig has proudly become known as the “King of Grinders”, and for good reason. The brand’s long history in producing outstanding products has made it the number-one choice for high volume cafes, exclusive restaurants and barista competitions all over the world. They are also a passionate trailblazer developing innovations that are changing the coffee industry.

Great brewed coffee starts with the grinder; it is the lens to your camera so to speak. Mahlkonig grinders are known for their ability to produce complex, balanced flavors in ground coffee, thus bringing out the best in every cup.

Why Do Baristas Love the Mahlkonig EK43?

The essential design and functionality of the EK43 goes back decades. Its original purpose was to grind spices and grains, as well as coffee. This grinder is famous for incredible grind speed and extraordinary coffee clarity due to large 98mm burrs and a powerful 1760 rpm motor.

As the Ek43 became the standard for filter and batch brew in the world’s best cafes, this incredible grinder later became the ultimate tool to produce beautifully nuanced espresso.

In 2009, Barista Matt Perger experienced filter coffee unlike any he’d experienced before, served by Cafe Myriad in Montreal. Their use of the EK43 took full advantage of the large flat burrs to create higher levels of extraction, producing greater complexity and balance in their coffees.

Perger later began to think about these possibilities in terms of espresso. Competing in the World Barista Championships, Perger featured the EK43 for all brewing methods, including single-dose espresso. Here he was able to successfully extract 4 different coffees in 6 different ways with the same brewer and grinder; something never before seen in competitions. From this point the EK43 became even more sought after across the industry, being featured in barista competitions, industry blogs and touted by the world’s leading roasters.

*For true espresso extraction using an Ek43, it is recommended to purchase the “Turkish/Espresso Burrs” giving you the flexibility to achieve very fine espresso all the way to filter coffee grinds. These burrs will not however grind coarse enough for French Press/Cold Brew.

Mahlkonig Grinder Review: Pros and Cons of The EK43

There are plenty of reasons why most baristas agree that the Mahlkonig EK43 is considered the best in its class.

• Grind uniformity. The EK43 differs from other grinders with its vertically-aligned, 98-millimeter flat burrs made out of cast German steel. The design of this grinder with these large flat burrs produces incredible grind consistency; this results in remarkable particle consistency in the output. This maximizes flavor extraction by producing a high level of both TDS and clarity in the cup.
  • High TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) is vital in creating deeper, tastier flavor in coffee.
  • The EK43 creates a grind that evenly distributes the fine particles, reducing the possibility of them settling down at the bottom of the filter and obstructing the brew’s flow. This prevents uneven extraction and channeling.
• With the EK43, you’re practically guaranteed the same perfect results, every single time. The aforementioned flat burrs minimize coffee retention; their size also means that fewer rotations are needed to grind your dose, minimizing the possibility of overheating. Furthermore, it reduces static electricity, which can influence the flavor of your coffee.
• Step-less grind adjustment. The EK43 covers a wide range of grind sizes and allows you to recalibrate the zero point or swap burrs depending on your brew method. Installing the “Turkish” burrs for an EK43 allows you to achieve Turkish, espresso and batch brew grinds with ease. Utilizing the stock coffee burrs allows you to achieve all grinds from fine Aeropress to coarse French Press.
• High capacity and grinding speed. This Mahlkonig grinder is equipped with a 2.2-pound capacity hopper that is tightly sealed with the included lid, prolonging the freshness and quality of the beans contained within. It also utilizes a 2-horsepower motor that enables it to put out grinds at lightning speeds. A full hopper can be ground in under a minute!
• Ease of use. The EK43 is outfitted with a slide plate that makes the hopper easy to remove, even when the grinder is full. It also makes switching bean types much easier.

However, there are a couple of downsides.

• Lacks the grind-on-demand feature. The EK43 shines when used to grind bags of coffee for retail sale or in batches. Employing it in a café setting, however, requires pre-measuring individual bean doses and then storing them in containers, which can take up a lot of counter space. It is also inefficient and time-consuming where there is a need to serve customers quickly.
• May require frequent recalibration. You may find yourself recalibrating the EK43 every few months to ensure consistency under high volumes.
• This grinder from Mahlkonig is a major investment, one that commands a relatively higher price compared to other commercial electric coffee grinders on the market. You do get what you’re paying for in terms of the quality of the output, though.

Wrapping Up: Why Mahlkonig Grinders Are The Smart Choice For Your Business

By far, the advantages of using a Mahlkonig grinder, specifically the Mahlkonig EK43, outweigh the disadvantages. There’s simply no questioning the quality of the coffee it can produce, and making use of it in your business can set your menu apart from your competitors’. Buy your Mahlkonig EK43 here today.