Mahlkönig X54 – Espresso grinder for home

The Mahlkönig X54 espresso grinder is on the market. As a coffee grinder, the X54 is designed for espresso and filter coffee and aims to serve home coffee drinkers as an "all-rounder." The price of 460 Euros is very competitive, opening up a new price segment for industry leader Mahlkönig.

We took a first look at the Mahlkönig X54 when it was released. In the meantime, we followed up with a detailed review as part of our extensive espresso grinder test series. Everything you should know about retention, consistency, and particle distribution can be found in this report.

We have categorized the Mahlkönig X54 into comparison group 4 and compared it with the Eureka Specialità, the Lelit PL72, and the G-Iota. The other videos and the comparison video will be released in March 2022.

Buy Mahlkönig X54

The following specialist retailers sell the Mahlkönig X54, and we recommend purchasing a machine from these businesses. They all offer to adjust the machine's offset.

Germany: [Partnerlinks]*: Stoll Espresso,

*We look for specialist partners for you that we know provide good work and good service. We are in close contact with these retailers. These are affiliate links. If you order via this link, it won't cost you more, but we'll receive a small commission, which we invest in new testing equipment. We are still working on it and looking for competent partners for you in the DACH region.

First impression – the external condition of the X54

The Mahlkönig Vario was previously the entry-level grinder of the Swiss-German coffee grinder group. About a decade ago, I had one at home – a grinder that felt out of place in an otherwise high-quality assortment of coffee grinders. Mahlkönig simply didn't make grinders for beginners – or if they did, it was with the handbrake on – that was my conclusion back then when using the plastic contraption. When I think back to adjusting the grind size with those two levers, I still get cramps today.

I was all the more pleased about the announcement of the X54. A proper grinder – an "Allround Home Grinder" with an espresso focus. That's quite demanding! The precision in the fine espresso particle range demands a lot from a grinder and rarely goes hand in hand with a good grind setting all the way to the filter range.

The first impression of the X54 was quite impressive. The machine appears very high-quality and well-made. At around 5 kg, it is rather on the lighter side, but still feels solid. The exterior of the X54 resembles a smaller E65 or the Anfim Practica, which, like Mahlkönig, are part of the Hemro Group.

View of the Mahlkönig X54.

The bean hopper is made of quite durable plastic. It can withstand being dropped once or twice. This is a significant improvement over earlier Mahlkönig grinders. The bean hopper mount is also solid. No more tedious locking and breaking off as with the K30 or Peak. The grind adjustment feels just as high-quality as the display works well. That's a pleasure!

Consistency of the grinder – shot by shot

For precise espresso adjustment, a reliable amount of ground coffee is an important factor. We measured 10 shots each in the espresso range as well as the filter coffee range. The grinder varied by 0.3g +/- from the target grind. This is not perfect but completely acceptable for a grinder for home use. However, it was noticeable that there were occasional outlier shots. For example, once, instead of the target amount of 18 grams of coffee, only 16.5 grams were ejected, and then an increased amount in the next grind. The Mahlkönig X54 unfortunately has this tendency to occasionally retain coffee powder beyond the usual retention. This powder clumps together in the relatively large open area around the burrs and then releases during a later grind.

New grinders initially produce more static charge until the burrs are somewhat broken in. The static charge was limited and not unusually high. Once the grinder has processed a hundred shots, the particle static will reduce, and the fluctuation is also expected to settle at 0.2 to 0.3 grams.

Particle distribution and espresso quality

The view of the particle distribution is initially positive and matches many good espressos we have drunk from the Mahlkönig X54. As part of our T4 measurement, we again set the espresso grinder for an espresso with our Apas training espresso, an 18-gram dose, and a 45-gram espresso beverage weight in 25 seconds.

The measurement shows a relatively low fine particle percentage of 19.6% compared to other grinders, and at the same time, a relatively narrow main peak of 236 microns. Sensorially, this manifests in clear espresso shots, a relatively low unpleasant bitterness, and good extraction behavior.

Unfortunately, the grinder did not always produce the same distribution. This is clearly shown in the diagram above and the following one.

For T3 and T4, the grinder was set to the target espresso recipe. After T4, a Ristretto (T5) and Café Crème (T6, see diagram above) were prepared. For T7, the grinder was reset to the same mark on the grind adjustment dial using the best possible setting.

In all cases, the curves and measurements differed from each other. This manifested in "jumping" extraction results and espresso quality. However, in all cases, the results were in a good range, so the fluctuations were less significant. Nevertheless, the large fluctuations were a negative surprise.

Stepless or 35 steps for the X54?

Mahlkönig itself messed up the communication here, and some resellers adopted it. The grinder does not have 35 steps but is stepless. However, it does have a scale that extends over 35 digits or divisions.

When adjusting the grind size, there is no resistance or detent. Conversely, this means that the grinder can be precisely adjusted steplessly. We effortlessly switched the grinder from espresso to filter and back again. In the espresso range, it then requires a few shots again to precisely dial in the perfect espresso extraction. This is our first impression. We will examine this area of the grinder more closely. At first glance, the grinder appears significantly more flexible here than many classic espresso grinders.

Grind adjustment of the X54.

In principle, we prefer to use one grinder solely for espresso and another for filter coffee. We will report whether the Mahlkönig X54 changes our opinion after further tests.

Dead space – the forgotten ground coffee in the grinder

Dead space refers to the area in the grinder that is not emptied of ground coffee after grinding. Depending on the grinder geometry, burr installation, and surrounding space, more or less coffee powder remains in the grinder. This ground coffee is pushed out of the grinder first during the next grind when more coffee beans are ground. At the end of a grind, new powder remains behind.

When checking the dead space, we distinguish between areas in the grinder where the coffee powder is not replaced every time and areas where the coffee powder is exchanged with every grind. For example, coffee powder can stick in the openings of screw heads over time and is not replaced with every grind.

Plenty of room for old coffee grounds.

The retention of the X54 is relatively large. A lot of coffee powder accumulates in the area of the carriers and in front of the flapper. In our new grinder in July 2021, we measured a retention of 7.6 grams at an espresso grind setting. However, Mahlkönig has since made improvements and changed the resistance and size of the flapper. And even if we didn't believe it at first: the new flapper reduces the retention to 4.1 grams, which is significantly better.

The smaller flapper on the right replaces the new flapper. The conversion can be done at home without any problems. If you bought one of the first models, you should change the flapper.

Why is the adjustment so important? Retention accumulates with old coffee. This is then used to prepare the next espresso. To put this in proportion to the espresso shot: a double espresso with 18g IN would consist of more than a third "old" coffee grounds. An single espresso shot of 9 or 10 grams, ... well, that would mainly be made with old grounds.

Single dosing and ways to combat retention

Also due to the large retention, the X54 is clearly not a grinder intended for single doses. Too much old coffee simply remains in the area around the burrs. It's a shame that Mahlkönig isn't keeping up with the times here and hasn't incorporated these market impulses and worked on smaller retention. Niche leads the way, and Eureka at least offers approaches to deal with retention with its "Blow Up System."

Retention is not a problem if the next espresso is pulled immediately. It becomes problematic if the espresso is not due until the next morning. So how do you deal with such a problem if a grinder otherwise performs well? Grinding a small amount beforehand is the best approach.

Especially with the X54, 4 grind quantity dosages can be programmed. Grind quantity 1 can be set so that when the grinder is used, the retention is first cleared and refilled. Only then can the actual grind quantity be pulled, e.g., at grind stage 2.

In our detailed espresso grinder test, we tested the single-dosing capability of a grinder as follows: we ground the grinder empty. Then we removed the coffee beans from the bean hopper. Now 18 grams were weighed and filled in. Then grinding was performed for 30 seconds. The test criterion was how reliably the respective grinder completely ejected the coffee powder within this time.

Here, the clumping problem mentioned above reappeared. While the grinder generally retained only small amounts of 0.2 grams, some outliers with up to 1.2 grams ruined the result. 0.2 grams would be a good result in our opinion. 1.2 grams, however, is a bad result. In any case, reweighing is necessary with the X54.

How fast and loud is the X54 grinder from Mahlkönig?

We achieved a grind time of 16.5 seconds to obtain 18 grams of ground coffee for preparing our espresso from the APAS cooperative. The roast is on the darker side for our standards, meaning a medium roast overall. Lighter roasts will take longer, while darker roasts will be quicker due to the brittleness of the coffee.

In 10 seconds, the grinder reached a grind quantity of 13.7 grams. This places it among the slower espresso grinders in the test field.

Home espresso grinders, in particular, are often not only loud but also sound "strained," clunky, and "unhealthy." In comparison, the 81.8 decibel hum of the Mahlkönig X54 is more of a purr. This places the grinder in the better mid-range of all tested grinders.

Temperature and bean hopper

Among the positive results is the relatively low temperature of the burrs, or the low temperature transferred to the coffee powder. Over six grinds, the ground coffee had a temperature of 31.1° Celsius and only increased by 1.2°C. In this temperature range, we do not expect any negative sensory effects on the ground coffee.

The X54's bean hopper is very easy to remove with a practical slide. It closes well, and the entire suspension feels very high-quality. However, 20.8 grams of residual beans remain below the slider. This is an average value. So, quick changing of coffee varieties is possible, but it requires grinding out or inverting the grinder.

Conclusion and your experiences

So far, our initial test of the Mahlkönig X54. The grinder delivers a lot of good, and above all, it makes a statement in terms of craftsmanship. The usability is also good, and overall, the grinder feels very high-quality. The improved retention is an important step. However, the espresso grinder also has further difficulties in the grinding chamber. Too often, the coffee powder is not reliably ejected. Too often, the amount fluctuates, and upon opening, it becomes apparent that a lot of powder has clumped around the burrs. This detracts from the positive impression.

However, for those who reweigh the grind quantity briefly and do not grind directly into the portafilter, the X54 is a very good grinder in terms of price-performance ratio. The accessory market is secure, and its repairability is also good. This is a particular problem with cheaper grinders, such as those from Sage.

Excellent espresso can be prepared with the X54. That is the most important thing, and for that, we can definitely recommend the grinder despite some wishes for improvement.

If you want to learn more about preparing espresso, take a look at our course program in our coffee schools in Switzerland and Germany, and if the journey to us is too far, then perhaps our online home barista course is an option for you.

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What are your experiences with the new grinder from Mahlkönig? Do you share our impression or do you have a different opinion? What do you find positive and what bothers you? We are curious to hear about your experiences.