2023 Espresso Grinder Market Comparison
The demand for commercial espresso grinders is booming . People are eager to open new cafes and share their love of coffee with their patrons. And as any real coffee enthusiast knows, your coffee grinder is one of your greatest assets, so making sure your coffee bar is outfitted with the right grinder for your cafe or coffee shop's needs is pivotal.
Is your cafe a medium or high volume cafe? Do you want to grind by time or grind by weight? Does grind speed matter to you? We’ve broken down some of the most highly sought after commercial grinders on the market for a side-by-side analysis of their features to help aid you in making the best decision for your cafe.
Medium-Volume Cafe - Grind by Time
The Anfim SCODY II is a cafe favorite. Although it’s not the most aesthetically pleasing grinder, baristas and cafe owners both love the easy-to-use grind adjustment and user interface. It grinds at approximately 2-3 grams per second, dosing accuracy within 1 gram, and a large cooling fan on the back to keep the internal workings of the grinder cool.
- Two easy-to-set programmable timed doses
- Bright LCD display
- Interruptible grinding with portafilter fork switch
- Pulsed/manual grinding button near the base
- Large 5 lb (2 kg) hopper with shutoff
- 75 mm flat steel burrs
- Stepless worm gear adjustment
- Cooling fan built-in
- Fast grinding
Mazzer Major V
Mazzer has been a commercial grinder contender for decades, producing quality machines and offering up impressive grind consistency. The Major V is equipped with massive 83mm flat burrs that spin at 1600 RPMs making for a fairly quick output of 3.5-4 grams per second. It boasts a large display that allows the user to set 3 preset dosing times in addition to dozens of other features.
- 83mm Flat Burrs
- Fast Output
- Stepless Dial Adjustment
- Adjustable Portafilter Forks
- Dual Fan Cooling System
- Programmable Service Alerts
- Grind Flow Control
- Grind Time Adjustable by 1/100 Second
- Time & Date Feature
Mahlkonig E65S
The E65S boasts all there was to love about the K30 while making some great upgrades. It has a smaller footprint, a lightweight body and build, and an intuitive digital display. It is the fastest of the grinders we’ve highlighted, grinding 4-5 grams per second. It boasts a nearly seamless user experience thanks to its intuitive display, 8 programmable grind profiles, and quiet grinding under 70 decibels.
- Fast, quiet grinding for espresso
- Compact footprint
- Grind speed - about 4-5 g/sec
- Custom grind programs - set up to 8 profiles with 0.1 s resolution
- Bright digital display with control knob
- 65 mm flat steel burrs
- 1200 g/2.6 lb hopper
- Removable spout makes cleaning easier
- New declumper for fluffy and centered mound of grinds
High-Volume Cafe - Grind by Time
Mazzer Kony S
The Kony S is equipped with many of the same features as the Major V but is equipped with 63mm conical burrs that rotate at only 420 RPMs. The slow speed, in addition to its dual cooling fan, keeps the grinder from overheating and impacting the grind consistency, meaning you can grind for back-to-back shots with little worry. However, the Kony S is a very large grinder that takes up a lot of space and can be difficult to move.
- 63mm Conical Burrs
- A fast output
- Stepless Dial Adjustment
- Bluetooth compatible
- Dual Fan Cooling System
- Programmable Service Alerts
- Grind Flow Control
- Grind Time Adjustable by 1/100 Second
- Time & Date Feature
Mazzer Robur S
The Mazzer Robur S is another great high-volume contender from Mazzer. It is outfitted with massive 71mm conical burrs, spinning at 420 RPM, and grinding an 18 gram shot of espresso in 3.5 seconds! It’s ideal for high-volume cafes and always ready for the daily rush thanks to its dual-fan cooling system. Like the other S series Mazzer grinders, it’s equipped with a large display, Grind Flow Control System for low retention and static, and programmable grind time down to 1/100th of a second.
- 63mm Conical Burrs
- Fast output
- Stepless Dial Adjustment
- Bluetooth compatible
- Dual Fan Cooling System
- Programmable Service Alerts
- Grind Flow Control
- Grind Time Adjustable by 1/100 Second
- Time & Date Feature
Mahlkonig E80 Supreme
The E80 Supreme is one of the fastest grinders in its class, grinding an astounding 6-7 grams per second, meaning you can grind 18 grams for espresso in 3 seconds. In addition to crazy-fast grinding, it has limitless duty cycle for even the world's busiest cafes. It’s equipped with two fans that regulate the temperature of the grind chamber so it never overheats and messes with your grind size.
- Quiet operation and ultra-fast grinding speeds around 6 to 7 grams per second
- Active internal cooling system that maintains low grinding temperatures
- Disc Distance Detection that tells you how far apart your burrs are to the 0.001 millimeter for improved grind setting consistency
- Adjustable illuminated grinds chute for center-distributed doses
- Bright 3.5" high-resolution display with fast, intuitive controls
- Limitless duty cycle for the world's busiest cafes
- Precision dosing to within 0.1g
- Supersized 80 mm flat steel burrs
Grind by Weight
Mythos II Gravimetric has all of the same features as the Mythos II Pure, but with exciting extras — specifically the variable RPM and Grind by Weight technology. The Gravimetric will weigh your portafilter, tare it, and dose your programmed dose amount directly into your basket, making it nearly full proof. One setback of the GbW technology in the Mythos is the extended tare time that takes about 5-6 seconds and will slow down your workflow.
- 85 mm TiN coated flat burrs
- Micrometric grind adjustment
- Clima Pro 2.0 temperature control system
- Integrated grind-by-weight
- Variable motor RPM
- 2 kg hopper
- Improved clump crusher and delivery spout
- Touchscreen control panel
- 6 stored coffee profiles with 3 dose settings each
Mahlkonig E65S & E80S S GbW
Lastly, we have the Mahlkonig E65S GbW and E80S GbW. These grinders are almost identical to their Grind by Time counterparts, but with incorporated GbW technology. It can detect, weigh, tare, and grind into your portafilter in a matter of seconds. Additionally, the E65S GbW is also equipped with Disc Distance Detection, Adjustable Illuminated Grind Chute and Portafilter Detection like you find in both E80 models
- Disc Distance Detection
- Adjustable illuminated grind chute
- Portafilter detection
- Fast & Quiet Output
- 88.3mm (3.5") High-Resolution Display
- Stepless Dial Adjustment
If you’re interested in learning more about Mahlkonig grinders. be sure to check out our Mahlkonig page. If you’re interested in additional resources on opening and running a cafe or would like to join in on the conversations about opening and running a coffee shop with other industry professionals, you can join the Prima Coffee Community Industry Pro space!
