Mahlkönig E64 WS

Equipment notes

Mahlkönig is the German brand whose EK43 set the standard for commercial grinders, and the E64 WS is its first model aimed at the home espresso market. It detects a portafilter and recalls a stored recipe, and its Grind by Weight doses to 0.1 g on a built-in scale. It weighs 5.8 kg with a 200 W motor fixed at 1950 rpm. The burrs are 64 mm flat steel and there is no adjustment dial. An internal motor moves the burrs, and the display shows the burr gap as a number adjusted in very fine steps. In use, espresso sits in the lower part of the range, while filter lands close to its upper limit. Retention is over 4 g, generous compared with single-dose machines. The 64 mm flats give a narrow particle spread and a sweet, balanced espresso. Filter coffee is possible but pressed against the top of the range with no headroom, and immersion is out of range. It suits a home user who pulls espresso daily and wants dosing handled without a scale; if filter is the main brew, another grinder serves better.