MAHLKÖNIG - E80S Espresso Grinder

A little tip for the OP, a good grinder can make a world of difference. I'm not recommending you spend a fortune that you don't have. But my progression went from a Rocky Rancilio to a Mazzer Super Jolly Electronic, to a Compak E10 conical, and now I have my end game, Mahlkonig E80S. Whilst I noticed increases in quality in the cup with each grinder change, I was not prepared for the jump in quality when I got the Mahlkonig. It was the second biggest single improvement to home coffee, behind home roasting. The key is consistency in particle size. A lesser grinder will have a wide bell curve between the smallest and largest particle size, with a good grinder having a much narrower variance. There is a lot more to good coffee at home, so enjoy the journey and congrats on the machine, have fun!

The best in class, all things considered, is the E80 from Mahlkonig. The 80mm burr geometry is so far undefeated in terms of allround espresso. It's also, together with the Swan+scale, the most expensive. I'd be looking at Mazzer Mini G if I was in the market, the price is really good and it's a trusted brand. I'd skip the Mahlkonig W64 as the rumour is that it has the same cheap burrs as the X64.

I have the Mahlkonig and am extremely happy with the results, if you’re looking for recommendations.