If your business sells espresso drinks to customers or you’re a home espresso enthusiast, choosing the right grinder is of paramount importance. Good coffee starts in the grinder, and a cheap blade grinder from your local grocery store won’t be enough.
The Compak E5 and Eureka Atom are two grinders that could be a better fit for your needs. But which one is best for you?
We’ll answer that question by discussing what these grinders have in common, what their differences are, their cost, and what things to consider before choosing either one.
Keep reading to learn more about how these two grinders compare with each other.
Quick Summary
Compak as a company really excels at making quality grinders for an affordable price. The E5 is an outstanding example of this philosophy, with its powerful motor and tough steel burrs. This is the grinder for you if you want a high-quality home grinder or a budget grinder for a small business.
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The Eureka Atom is further proof that a good grinder doesn’t need to be forever out of reach for those on a budget. As one of the quietest grinders in our store, you’ll love how the Eureka Atom doesn’t shatter your home’s or business’s atmosphere. We’d recommend this grinder for homes in need of quiet and small coffee shops or restaurants.
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Similarities
Flat Burrs
Grinding burrs are at the heart of every high-end espresso grinder. What varies, however, is the type of burr, which can be either flat or conical.
The E5 and Atom both have flat grinding burrs. This means that they’re both capable of producing perfectly homogenous coffee particles, and that translates to a sweeter flavor in the espresso and coffee.
Stepless Adjustment
Just like how there are two main kinds of burrs, there are also two ways of adjusting the fineness of your grind: stepped or stepless. The Compak E5 and Eureka Atom have stepless systems.
In a stepped adjustment system, users have a limited amount of pre-made settings to choose from. This is easier than in a stepless system, where you have a sliding scale of settings to select by twisting a dial.
Although it is more complex, we believe that a stepless adjustment system is superior because it gives you more options. With more options, you can be sure that you’re capable of grinding the ideal texture for any type of coffee.
Read Also: Compak E5 vs E6
Hands-Free Grinding
The portafilter holders on the fronts of the Compak and Eureka grinders make a barista’s job so much simpler. Instead of having to hold the portafilter up the entire time while grinding a dose, they can just set the portafilter in place and let the grinder hold it for them.
With their hands free, baristas can focus on other duties. This means that they can chat with your customers or start preparing to steam milk while just keeping an eye on the grinder.
On-Demand Grinding
Do you hate having to throw out leftovers? The E5 and Atom can help you reduce your amount of waste with their on-demand grinding system.
Instead of grinding large amounts of coffee in advance to use later, you grind only as much as you need at the time you need it. The obvious benefit is that this lowers the amount of waste you have.
Another benefit is that the coffee you’re drinking or serving is also fresher. Coffee ground in advance gets stale quickly, so grinding it fresh as you need it prevents your drinks from tasting old.
Metal Burrs
After their shape, the material the burrs are made from is probably their next most important feature. In the case of the E5 and Atom, they’re made from steel.
The alternative is ceramic. While ceramic burrs are wear-resistant, they are susceptible to cracking if something harder than a coffee bean gets ground in them or they get dropped.
Steel burrs like the ones in the E5 and Atom are as tough as they come, and they’re also usually sharper. They will wear down in time, however, and some say they’re noisier than ceramic burrs.
If you’re curious to see how Compak compares to other espresso grinder brands, take a look at our Mazzer Major vs Compak K10 comparison.
Multiple Color Options
It may seem trivial that a grinder is available in multiple colors, but the appearance can be critical to some people. Maybe you have a specific color scheme in your business or home, and you need appliances that match.
In that case, you’ll likely appreciate that the E5 and Atom can be purchased in a small range of colors. We’d like to note that the specific colors either one is available in varies.
The Compak E5 is sold in three different colors: black, polished aluminum, and white. On the other hand, we have the Eureka Atom in black or chrome.
Burr Size
Finally, there’s burr size to consider in this comparison. Frankly, the burr size between these grinders isn’t exactly the same, but it’s close enough that you’re not going to notice the difference.
To be precise, the Compak E5 has 58mm burrs and the Eureka Atom has 60mm burrs. These are not the largest burrs on the market, but they are large enough to grind coffee beans fairly quickly.
Differences
Wattage
If you’re going to be using your espresso grinder for extended periods of time or you need something that can rapidly grind beans, then you’ll be concerned about the grinder’s motor power. This aspect is measured with ranges of watts.
In this comparison, the Compak E5 is the stronger grinder. Its motor operates at a generous 650 watts, while the Eureka Atom’s is a more modest 450 watts.
Either way, these grinders aren’t exactly weak. But if you’re looking for something a little faster, you’d probably want to go for the Compak E5.
Read Also: Mazzer Major vs Eureka
Dimensions
The total size is another area in which these grinders differ from each other. In terms of their dimensions, the greatest variation you’ll see is in their depth, or how far they stick out on your counter.
The Eureka Atom is the much narrower of the two, at 10.39 inches deep. Its competitor, the Compak E5, is 15 inches deep.
That’s almost several inches of difference. If you’re looking for a grinder that can fit better on narrow counters, the Eureka Atom is the best pick for you here.
Eureka Atom Sound Insulation
If you’ve spent a lot of time in coffee shops, you’ve heard the deafening roar of an espresso grinder before. It leaves you having to shout to make yourself heard by friends or staff.
Think that’s unpleasant? We don’t blame you, which is why we think you’d love the Eureka Atom’s sound insulation. This insulation makes it one of the quietest espresso grinders you’ll find.
In fact, the Atom is so quiet, the loudest noise you’ll hear from it is beans moving around inside it. No more having to shout to talk to others.
Compak E5 LCD Touchscreen Operation
Just about everyone in the world today has a smartphone in their pocket. Because of this, the flat surface of a touchscreen is something we’re all familiar with.
That’s one quality the Compak E5 has that makes it user-friendly. Its front panel is a touchscreen that you can make adjustments through with quick taps and swipes.
Eureka Atom Optional Basket or Portafilter
Portafilters are designed to make small servings for espresso shots. But what if you’re trying to brew a whole pot of drip coffee? A portafilter certainly won’t do.
That’s why the Eureka Atom has the option of brewing into a basket, as well. You get the best of both worlds here, whether you need a shot of espresso or enough to fill a drip coffee filter.
Pricing Information
You’re probably wondering how much either of these grinders will cost you. The good news is that Majesty Coffee works to bring you the lowest prices online for the best equipment.
Our Compak E5 and Eureka Atom are some of the most affordable grinders in our store. The Compak E5 is available for anywhere from $1,057-$1,092 depending on which color you purchase. Our Eureka Atom is available for $899-$999, also depending on which color you pick.
Which Grinder is Best for You?
Now to get to the meat and potatoes of this guide: which grinder is best for you specifically? Determining that will depend on a variety of factors. After all, there are reasons to pick either grinder in different situations.
Looking for the most affordable grinder? You’ll likely want the Eureka Atom, then, because it can be almost $200 less than the Compak E5 depending on the colors in question.
However, if you’re in need of a faster grinder for a small coffee shop, then you’ll probably want to stick with the Compak E5. Its motor is much more powerful than the Atom’s, giving it some extra speed that will help you grind more quickly.
If noise level is your greatest concern, though, the Eureka Atom is a solid choice. Its sound dampening quality is perfect for family homes where you don’t want to wake the whole house every time you grind a shot of espresso.
Not so familiar with espresso grinders? Then we might suggest the Compak E5, due to its easy-to-control touchscreen menu.
At the end of the day, here is our suggestion:
Consider going with the Compak E5 if you’re a small business or home that needs a fast and affordable grinder. Its increased motor power could make all the difference when it comes to speed.
But the Eureka Atom is the better choice for you if cost is your final concern. It’s more affordable than the E5, and it’s also much quieter if noise level is important to you.
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Tony Barlow, with over a decade of experience in the coffee industry, is the go-to technical sales expert at Majesty Coffee. He's passionate about helping businesses find the right espresso equipment for their needs.
