Have seen some older comparisons - perhaps two years old - but have the feeling that the manufacturers are constantly making minor improvements. Perhaps I am wrong.

A couple of months ago I purchased a LM GS/3, and wish to upgrade from my Mazzer Mini to take full advantage of its potential. Strictly for home use - on average about 7 doubles a day (I have family - not caffeine shakes).

Would value all opinions as to which one to acquire, and am plenty open minded to consider others in the range.

Thanks

I have had a GS3 for over a year now. My grinder at purchase was a Mazzer Mini. After researching and debating the issue for a long time, I went ahead and settled on the Compak K-10 WBC. I must say that moving to this large conical was the best move I have made. For whatever reason, I had trouble with severe channeling with my Mazzer Mini. I tried everything. With the Compak, the pours are even nearly every time without much fuss. I just do a quick NSEW. It is much easier for me to pull a good shot now.

The deal breaker for me and the Compak was going to be counter space. To pass muster with my wife, it had to fit under the cabinets. I think that I had something like 17 1/2 inches to play with. Without the hopper, I found I can work the Compak. I found a perfect cylinder fit for the throat. I just scoop my beans in and I am ready to go. The only issue is putting the beans in the throat as I don't have much space to work with. If you have a steady hand, it is not a problem. I also use a small soft plastic measuring scoop to take out any grinds left over in the chute. The machine was not built for home use so you can have a lot of grinds left in. However, I have it down to a routine where I can pretty much extract out what I put in the top into the basket. The entire process for me is quick and easy without much hassle at all.

I considered the Mahlkonig but went for the Compak. I have no regrets. The grinder is night and day to the Mazzer.

Lastly, the polished aluminum Compak looks great next to the GS3. I also peeled off the large WBC sticker on the front of the grinder. It looks classier without it. They look great together in the kitchen. At the end of the day, my wife is happy and I get to keep my addiction!

Whats the difference between the regular K10 and K10WBC?

K10WBC has slower grind speed, locking burr carrier, metal forks, metal ridged doser and is generally a nicer piece of kit.

re: K10 WBC vs K30 - I'd go K10 WBC - large conical vs large flat - I'd take the conical every time, even if the K30 looks nicer. It does hold ~8gm in the chute though.

Thanks for the replies so far.

In thinking this through, please bear in mind (and I am trying to weigh) the following: The results for the professional barista may be fine if the coffee remaining in the chute of the K-10 is used within two minutes in the next shot, which is different (i.e., shorter) than most of my home use. But if I am not pulling shots every two minutes, how much perfection am I giving up by going with the K30? To put it another way, how much should I credit the doserless feature and the exact portioning functions of the K30 against the (I gather) superior results of the conical burrs on the K-10 (versus flat burrs on the K30)?

By the way, I have read two-year old blogs referring to clumping with the K30 - is that still an issue?

And just one more thing - what is it with the letter "K"???

I can't comment on the "K" but I can tell you that removing the extra grams of coffee from the chute is easy. I grind for myself and wouldn't want stale coffee sitting in the chute for long. For me, I simply grind then flip the switch to stop the motor. I have a handy tiny measuring scoop that I keep next to the grinder. With one or two sweeps into the chute with the scoop, all of the coffee is essentially out and in my basket. I am willing to take this extra step for the large conical burrs. It is really easy to do. The chute on the K-10 is flat and isn't designed for home use. Therefore, you simply have to use something like the small scoop I have to sweep the grinds out. Good luck with your decision.

I am also interested to hear about real-life experiences with a Mahlkoenig. I have the same dilemma now.

Vad wrote:I am also interested to hear about real-life experiences with a Mahlkoenig.

I have the K30 Vario and I've never used a Compak grinder but I do own a Mazzer Robur for comparison. The Mahlkoenig is the only grinder I have used that seems as robustly built as a Mazzer (let's say it's in the same ballpark).

About clumping: The clumping I've seen from doserless Mazzers seemed to have been caused by grounds extruding through the anti-static screen and coming out in little (loosely-packed) bricks. The grounds from the Mahlkoenig often seem to "ball up" into what some may call clumps but these have not affected my shots like the "compression clumps" did. I did some informal testing by pulling shots with no WDT and the Mahlkoenig ball-style clumps did not affect my extractions negatively.

As far as convenience and speed goes, it's tough to beat the K30 Vario. It grinds as fast and as quiet (at least) as the Robur but since there is no doser clacking or sweeping or bean/grounds measuring it gets me from grinding to shot pulling much quicker than the Robur. The Robur is easier to dial in and extractions are almost automatic, but if I am serving more than 2 people I prefer to use the K30 Vario.

In the case of the OP making 7 doubles per day I would probably use the Vario over my Robur. The Mahlkoenig grinds 20g in roughly 4 seconds and when the grinding is done I can almost immediately pull the shot whereas with the Robur I spend another 10-20 seconds clacking and sweeping the doser and chute.

Bottom line for me: The Robur may have better grind quality (to me this means almost automatic extractions) and it's a gorgeous monstrous beast, but the Mahkoenig K30 Vario is better for convenience and pulling multiple shots because of it's advanced features. Both are incredibly fast and quiet.

JonR10: Thank you a lot for this expansive reply. It helps me a lot. I am now looking at mahlkoenig K30 and Compak K10 WBC. So far, I have to say, Mahlkoenig has an edge. The most important info in your reply, for me, was the one about clumps and shots pouring. I now have Mazzer Mini, and am not very happy with the pour (WDT on all the shots, but still). Thank you again.

FWIW, I concur with everything JonR10 wrote about the K30, after having been using one regularly for a year or so.

Interestingly, you are using a Mazzer Mini. The predecessor to the K30 on my counter was a Mazzer Mini E. My only regret about the K30 is that I didn't purchase it several years earlier.