With the Mahlkönig E65S Grind by Weight (GbW), we find ourselves at the very top of our espresso grinder test series. This grinder is considered a benchmark in our series because it combines state-of-the-art technology with professional performance. The test video already raised the question of whether the E65S GbW is indeed the best grinder in the test – and whether it might be completely oversized for home use.
In this blog article, we address these questions. We introduce the grinder and its special features, discuss design and build quality, shed light on operation and technical features like the grind-by-weight system, examine grinding speed, particle distribution, and precision, discuss single dosing and retention, and share practical experience from both professional catering and home use. Finally, we draw a conclusion: For whom is this high-end grinder really worth it, and does it make sense for home use?
Buy Mahlkönig E65S Grind by Weight
The following specialist retailers distribute the Mahlkönig E65S GbW, and we can recommend purchasing from these companies. They all offer the option to adjust the machine's offset.
Germany:
Austria:
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Design & Build Quality
The Mahlkönig E65S GbW impresses at first sight with its bulky yet elegant design. Despite its size, it appears slimmer and more modern compared to older Mahlkönig models. While earlier commercial grinders were often very wide and clunky, the E65S GbW features a narrower silhouette: approx. 20 cm wide with a remarkable height of 62 cm. The body consists of high-quality materials (metal housing in matte black, robust build quality), which also contributes to the considerable weight of around 13 kg. Depending on the measuring point, the depth is between 23 cm (without drip tray) and 29 cm at the base. With these dimensions, the grinder takes up significantly more space than typical home barista grinders – a first indication that it is primarily designed for professional use.
The included bean hopper also underscores its professional character: a 1.2 kg capacity allows you to pour in a whole kilo bag of coffee beans. This is ideal for continuous operation in cafés, but likely rarely necessary for home use. Overall, the design seems well-thought-out: despite its size, the E65S radiates a certain elegance – clear lines, a high-quality finish, and a shape that goes upwards rather than outwards. The material quality is convincing; everything feels sturdy and durable. This grinder is designed to withstand the daily, intensive use common in the gastronomy sector. In short: the build quality is at a top level, which you can also expect in this price range (around €2,000 or approx. CHF 2,700).
Operation & Features
Despite – or perhaps because of – its professional aspirations, the E65S Grind by Weight relies on modern, user-friendly features. Central to this is the display on the front, which serves not only for operation but also displays important information. The grinder can be controlled intuitively via an icon-based menu (e.g., retrieving dosing settings, switching profiles). Special highlight: the grinding distance is shown in real-time on the display. This Disc Distance Detection (a patented technology from Mahlkönig) measures the distance of the grinding discs in micrometers, thus allowing for an extremely precise and reproducible adjustment of the grind size. In practice, this means: once you have determined the perfect grind size for an espresso, you can save this value exactly or at least reset it at any time. It is even possible to lock the grind size so that nothing gets adjusted unintentionally – a useful feature especially in the hectic café routine when several people are working with the grinder.
The operation is largely carried out via the rotary/push dial in combination with the display. For deeper settings – such as calibrating the scale or changing the language – you have to enter the administrator menu, which is protected by a PIN code. This code (mentioned in the video) allows you to calibrate the grinder and set parameters such as the sensitivity of the scale. The E65S GbW offers a range of individual adjustment options: you can, for example, regulate the sensitivity of the integrated load cell. Higher sensitivity ensures maximum precise weighing but can lead to the grinder "thinking" a bit longer (more on that in the practical experience). Lower sensitivity speeds up the workflow by accepting small weight fluctuations faster.
Another great strength of the grinder is the automatic portafilter detection. As soon as you hook the portafilter into the holder, the scale tares briefly (the display lights up red at first) and then starts grinding automatically until the target dose is reached. Once the target quantity is in the portafilter, the display switches to green – the signal that the portion is ready ground. This traffic light principle makes operation foolproof: red means "please wait, grinding process is running/about to start" and green means "dose reached, you can remove the portafilter." The grinder learns from shot to shot: as a rule, it levels off to the exact dose after a few draws and then grinds the desired weight with high precision for every draw. It is important that you calibrate the scale when setting it up (or after a long break) – ideally with a suitable calibration weight. Regular calibration ensures maximum accuracy (Mahlkönig recommends ±0.1 g tolerance; in the test, the deviation was practically 0.00 g after calibration!).
The heart of the E65S GbW is, of course, the Grind-by-Weight system – the built-in load cell under the portafilter fork. Unlike timer-based grinders, the E65S GbW does not grind according to time but stops exactly when the target weight is reached. This system works impressively precisely: in the test, we were able to grind exactly 18.0 g of espresso repeatedly over many draws without noticeable deviation. This gives tremendous confidence when dialing in espresso – you know that dose X really ends up as dose X in the basket, draw after draw. Also unusual: the built-in weighing system is so precise that conventional barista scales pale in comparison. In the test, we found that it hardly makes sense to double-check with an additional (often less accurate) scale. The prerequisite, of course, is that the internal scale is calibrated and used correctly. Our tip: get a calibration weight and adjust the scale regularly, then the grinder works at a laboratory-scale level.
Besides the weighing mechanism, the E65S GbW also offers the usual features of a professional grinder: memory slots for different dosages (e.g., single and double shot, possibly even several recipes), easy-to-use grind adjustment (stepless via a grippy ring), and an easily removable chute/portafilter holder for cleaning or adaptation to different portafilter sizes. Overall, the operation is – despite many high-tech elements – logical and fluid. After a short familiarization period, you can navigate safely through the menu, set grind sizes and doses, and focus on what counts in everyday life: consistently good espresso.
Grinding Speed & Performance
In terms of performance, the Mahlkönig E65S GbW sets new standards. The grinding speed is downright brutal – and that with high precision. In the test, we ground approx. 18 g of espresso in just under 3 seconds. Extrapolated, the grinder manages about 6 g per second, which means, for example, 40 g of coffee grounds land in the portafilter in about 6–7 seconds. This makes the E65S GbW one of the fastest espresso grinders we have ever had in our lab. "Speed is the bomb," I summarize in the video. This speed is worth its weight in gold, especially in a catering environment: during peak operations in cafés, when many espressos are prepared one after another, every second per draw saves time and nerves.
Important: despite the high speed, the grinding performance remains extremely constant. Fast grinders often suffer from overshooting the target quantity or fluctuating when they grind so rapidly. Not so the E65S GbW – thanks to real-time weighing, it hits the dose virtually pinpoint accurately. We observed that the grinder "pulses" finely at the very end of the grinding process – grinding slows down minimally shortly before reaching the target weight to then stop exactly at, for example, 18.0 g. This clever fine-dosing allows for fast and precise grinding at the same time.
The E65S also impresses in other performance aspects: the large grinding unit (65 mm flat hardened steel burrs) crushes the beans efficiently and without excessive heat generation. Our measurements showed an average grind temperature of approx. 33–34 °C, which is only about +1.3 °C higher than the beans before grinding. Such values are well within the green range and speak for good temperature management despite high-speed grinding. In addition, the grinder is surprisingly quiet for its size and power. At approx. ~70 dB (measured at a 1 m distance), it operates in a pleasant noise range in our test. Some smaller grinders were similarly quiet or sometimes minimally quieter in our measurements, but for a professional grinder of this performance class, ~70 dB is excellent and unobtrusive in daily operation.
One more word on performance during continuous operation: the E65S GbW is designed as a workhorse. It can grind repeatedly for hours without problems, for example, during a coffee shop shift, without the results decreasing. The robust motorization (approx. 450 W) and the well-thought-out cooling system pay off here. We did not observe any significant loss of consistency even after several portions ground in a row – the dose was correct, the grind remained stable, the temperature barely rose. All this underscores: this grinder is a performance benchmark in our test field, and for this reason, the grinder has also found its place in our cafés.
Particle distribution of the E65S Grind by Weight
Conclusion and summary Mahlkönig E65S GbW
