Compak E10 vs K10: Which Grinder Should You Buy?

Are you trying to decide if you should buy the Compak E10 or K10? Despite being visually different, there are a lot of similarities between these grinders – and differences, of course.

The goal in this guide is to help you make your decision by diving deep into these grinders in a head-to-head Compak E10 vs K10 comparison. Here is what we’ll be discussing:

• The similarities the E10 and K10 have.
• Differences between these grinders.
• Pricing information for both grinders.
• Our guidance on how to choose one or the other.

Let’s dive in.

Quick Summary 

Compak E10

 

The Compak E10 is one of the latest iterations of Compak’s Essential On Demand line. It makes a ton of improvements to this line, such as barista lights, a burr replacement alarm, and one of the most powerful motors yet. Get this grinder if you’re a large coffee shop or restaurant in search of a speedy espresso grinder.

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Compak K10

 

In many ways, the E10 and Compak K10 are more alike than they are different. It’s filled with many familiar upgrades, such as its electronic fan, robust motor, and low blade speed. As such, this one would also be a good fit for extremely high-volume coffee shops that go through a lot of espresso daily.

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Similarities 

Electronic Fan 

Need a grinder that can keep going for long periods of time without needing a break? What you’re looking for, then, is an espresso grinder with a fan, like the Compak E10 and K10.

An issue with many other grinders is that they can quickly get too hot when you run them for long periods of time. This can both damage the grinder and scorch your beans as temperatures rise to dangerous levels.

With the fans in these Compak grinders, though, you have the assurance of your grinder staying cool.

Hands-Free Grinding

The average coffee shop or restaurant requires its employees to multitask. There is always much to do and spending too much time on a single task can be detrimental.

Either one of these Compak grinders can help improve your employees’ productivity. How?

They both have portafilter holders built into the front. Instead of having to stand in front of the grinder and hold the portafilter in place the entire time, you can let the grinders hold the portafilter for you.

Read Also: Compak E8 vs E10

Color Options 

Appearances may not be important as far as function is concerned in espresso grinders, but think about it from your customer’s perspective. When someone walks into your business for the first time, one thing they’re going to notice is how it looks.

Your espresso grinder can help promote the right look to impress your customers with. With the Compak E10’s and K10’s black and polished aluminum color options, you have the ability to choose an appearance that works with your business’s aesthetic.

Burr Shape 

There are two types of grinding burrs: conical and flat. While many of the grinders in our guides use flat burrs, these Compak grinders interestingly use conical ones.

What does that mean? As it turns out, it means a lot, impacting the speed of your grinder and the flavor of the coffee it produces.

Conical burrs are well-known for creating bimodal particles, or particles of differing sizes. In the cup, your drinks will taste a little brighter and fruitier as a result.

A couple other benefits to conical burrs are that they tend to be more affordable and quieter than flat ones.

Burr Size 

After their basic shape, the size of burrs is next most important. The larger your burrs are, the faster they are able to grind in general.

In this case, the Compaks have burrs that are precisely the same: 68 mm. As far as burrs go, this is a reasonable size that will permit them both to grind rapidly.

Related Article: Compak E8 vs F8

Motor Power 

You might be amazed if you were to learn how much goes into the average high-end espresso grinder. A myriad of factors come into play that all contribute to its speed, and one of them is the motor’s power.

This is another thing that is exactly equal in the E10 and K10. Their motors are both 825 watts. That’s a lot of power in one grinder, adding to their speed and their ability to effortlessly grind coffee beans.

Stepless Grind Adjustment 

Both these Compak grinders are stepless. Basically, that means you have a huge range of fineness options to select by turning a collar or knob.

Compare it to stepped grinders, as an illustration. On a stepped grinder, you have a certain number of preset fineness settings to choose from. As you turn the knob or dial, it will click into place.

You can see how this is limited. Stepless grinders are naturally more precise by giving you a significantly wider range of settings to choose.

Differences 

Doser vs Doserless Grinding

The single greatest difference between these grinders is how they dispense their espresso grounds. On the Compak K10, you have a doser hopper while the E10 uses an on-demand design.

In a doser system, espresso is ground and dispensed into a container. You dispense this pre-ground espresso from the container as you need it. This can be convenient for extremely busy coffee shops, as it allows them to stock up during lulls and have espresso ready to go when the rush hits again.

However, those coffee grounds will get stale rapidly. You would need to use them almost immediately to guarantee freshness, which is why many prefer the E10’s on-demand system. It only grinds as much espresso as you need each time there’s an order, which means it’s always fresh and reduces your waste.

Read Also: Compak E5 vs Rocket Fausto

Compak E10 LCD Touchscreen 

The way the Compak E10 is operated will also feel totally different from the K10. It has a beautiful touchscreen panel on the front that you can use to make adjustments to the grinder’s settings.

Incorporating a touchscreen in the design helps get rid of clunky old-fashioned buttons. It gives the grinder a cleaner aesthetic and feels recognizable to those who are used to using smartphones and tablets.

Compak E10 Burr Replacement Alarm 

Over years of use, burrs start to wear down and need to be replaced. When burrs wear down, you’ll start noticing your grinder produces grounds much more slowly.

If you don’t pay attention, it can be easy to forget to replace your burrs, decreasing your output unnecessarily. With the Compak E10, you can’t forget to replace your burrs – the grinder itself will remind you when it senses that burrs need a replacement.

Pricing Information 

Majesty Coffee has high-quality espresso grinders for competitive prices. We’re proud to include these Compak grinders among them.

Our Compak E10 is available for $2,222.50 in black and $2,257.50 in polished aluminum. The Compak K10, on the other hand, is available $2,025.10 in black and $2,044.70 in polished aluminum.

Which Grinder Should You Buy?

Your final question about these grinders is probably how to choose whichever one would be a better fit for you. To answer that question, we’ll need to home in on the differences between them.

First, consider the doser grinding nature of the Compak K10. This design is better for those who will be using espresso almost as soon as it’s ground, making it more suitable for high-volume coffee shops and businesses.

If that doesn’t sound like your establishment, you may prefer the Compak E10’s doserless design. Because it grinds espresso shots as you need them, you can guarantee the freshest shots and reduce your waste.

The Compak E10 may also be more suitable for beginners. Its touchscreen is straightforward to use and it will even notify you when you need new burrs.

This is the bottom line:

Get the Compak K10 if yours is a business that processes a high volume of espresso orders. Its doser system will allow you to pre-grind some espresso in advance to use quickly during your busiest times.

On the flipside, the Compak E10’s doserless system is great for coffee shops that want to grind espresso to-order. It may also be preferable for employees with less experience due to its touchscreen and burr replacement alarm.