Compak E8 vs E5: Which Grinder is Right for You?

One thing all good coffees and espressos have in common is that they came from a quality grinder. There are numerous steps that go into making every single espresso-based drink, and all of them are important.

If you’re an espresso enthusiast or coffee shop owner looking for a way to boost the quality of your drinks, then you’ll need to invest in a good espresso grinder. Compak has quite a few great options to choose from.

To showcase this brand, we’ll be comparing the Compak E8 vs E5. Here is what you’ll learn:

• What qualities these grinders have in common.
• Which qualities differ between them.
• Pricing information.
• How to decide which one is right for you.

Quick Summary

Compak E8

 

The Compak E8 is essentially an evolution of the E5. As such, it adds a few amazing features to the already-convenient design, such as an even more powerful motor, a larger hopper, and workspace illumination. That’s what makes it perfect for coffee shops, restaurants, offices, and advanced home baristas.

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Compak E5

 

Because it adds so many new features, the E8 is understandably more expensive than the E5. If you like the look of the E8 but want something less expensive, the Compak E5 is a phenomenal alternative with its powerful motor and LCD touchscreen. We’d recommend it for small businesses and home baristas in search of a more budget-friendly espresso grinder.

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Similarities

Burr Type

Flat burrs are the burrs used by both the Compak E8 and E5. This means that the grinding burrs inside either one are shaped like two flat discs with a serrated edge.

These types of burrs excel at particle uniformity. Each grain of coffee is the same size, which makes it simple for your drinks to be of a consistent quality.

An added benefit to flat burrs is that they tend to create a comfortingly sweet taste. If you or your customers have a penchant for sweets, then you’ll enjoy what these burrs produce.

Adjustable Portafilter Holder

Baristas or anyone else working in a coffee shop understand the important of multitasking. At any given time, there are multiple things you could be doing at once to maximize your efficiency.

The Compak E8 and E5 are prepared to help you accomplish just that. Their integrated portafilter holders will keep the portafilter in place during grinding for you, so you’re free to attend to other matters while dosing a shot of espresso grounds.

Additionally, the portafilter holders are adjustable. That means you can use portafilters with differently sized baskets and simply tweak the holder to accommodate them.

Read Also: Compak E5 vs E6

Stepless Grind Adjustment

The best espresso grinder should make it possible for you to adjust your grind fineness settings. Various blends of coffee and methods of brewing need specific fineness levels for the best flavor.

A stepless grind adjustment system, such as that used by the Compak E8 and E5, gives you the maximum amount of control. Rather than selecting from a limited number of pre-made settings, you can twist the adjustment collar to any point, adjusting the distance between the burrs.

This means that you can find the perfect texture for just about any blend and brewing method.

LCD Touchscreen Operation

The Compak E5 innovated espresso grinders by including an LCD touchscreen panel on the front. Baristas can use that panel to effortlessly access the grinder’s settings and make adjustments with just a couple taps on a screen.

It’s no wonder that the Compak E8 chose to keep this feature. As a result, both of these grinders have high-tech and beautiful touchscreens for baristas to use.

Shot Counter

Understanding how much espresso you grind in a day doesn’t give you merely interesting information. It’s also useful.

If you know how many shots of espresso you grind, you know how much espresso you truly need. This prevents you from buying too much or, even worse, too little.

That’s why the Compak E8 and E5 both have integrated shot counters. Either espresso grinder will track the number of espresso shots you make, giving you a clear snapshot of your espresso needs.

On-Demand Grinding

These Compak grinders have a design called on-demand grinding. They both grind you servings of coffee and espresso as you need them rather than grinding large batches in advance to use in the future.

This may sound inconvenient initially, but it’s actually ingenious. Coffee is notorious for getting stale rapidly once it’s been ground, so saving a large batch of grounds to use down the line isn’t the best idea.

Furthermore, grinding servings of coffee as you need it prevents waste. There’s next to no risk of grinding too much.

Read Also: Mahlkonig vs Compak

Differences

Burr Size

An espresso grinder with large burrs has an immediate advantage over its competitors: the ability to grind more quickly. If that sounds appealing to you, then you’ll want the Compak E8 in this comparison.

Its burrs are a massive 83 millimeters. This tips towards the larger end of the spectrum these days and means the E8 can grind rapidly and efficiently.

In comparison, the Compak E5 as 58mm burrs. They’re certainly not tiny, but cannot grind with the same speed as the burrs in the E8.

Wattage

Burr size is far from the only aspect that contributes to the speed of a grinder. The power of a grinder’s motor, which is marked with watts, is also crucial.

Again, the Compak E8 wins out here. That’s no surprise, since it is essentially an upgraded version of the E5.

The Compak E8’s motor is an impressive 730 watts and the E5’s is 650. We should note, however, that the E5’s motor is still pretty powerful. Either grinder can handle your espresso in short order.

Hopper Size

If you had to stop and add more coffee beans to your grinder frequently, you’d find yourself quickly getting annoyed. It interrupts the flow of your work and lengthens your customers’ wait times if you’re using the grinder in a commercial setting.

The solution is a larger hopper. In that regard, the Compak E8 could be what you’re looking for with its hopper than can hold almost four pounds of coffee beans.

To give you some perspective on this, the Compak E5’s hopper holds just over half a pound of coffee beans. It would need to be refilled far more often than the E8.

Want to see how the E5 holds up against a grinder from another brand? Try reading our Compak E5 vs Rocket Fausto comparison.

Compak E8 Burr Replacement Alarm

As much as we may wish otherwise, regular maintenance needs to be performed on all our appliances. Unfortunately, this means that parts sometimes need to be replaced or the appliance’s performance may see a sharp decrease.

This is also true for grinders, which are surprisingly complex. Over time, their burrs wear down and lose sharpness, leaving them struggling to finely grind coffee beans.

If you’re not paying close attention to your grinder, it can be too easy to forget to replace your burrs. Luckily, the E8 has a burr replacement alarm that will notify you the moment the burrs need to be replaced, so you can keep your grinder in tip-top shape.

Compak E5 Color Options

One thing the Compak E5 really has going for it in this comparison is visual flexibility. Unlike the E8, it’s available in a few different colors: black, white, and polished aluminum.

While this doesn’t have any bearing on your actual use of the grinder, it can make all the difference in promoting your atmosphere. You have more ability to ensure your grinder blends in with your décor, boosting consistency in appearance that your guests and customers may appreciate.

Compak E8 Barista Lights

Coffee shops and restaurants aren’t offices. Atmosphere is incredibly important in them, so you don’t want bright fluorescent lights spoiling an otherwise relaxing mood.

Dim lighting, however, puts your employees at risk. They need to be able to see what they’re doing at all times, especially when they’re working with complex equipment like an espresso grinder.

With the Compak E8’s built-in barista lights, this problem is solved. The machine provides lighting for baristas, so they can easily monitor what’s going on as they grind espresso.

Compak E8 Electronic Fan

You can’t put just any grinder in a commercial setting. If you take a grinder that’s low-end, it won’t be able to handle the demand of numerous orders and will quickly overheat.

What you need is a grinder that can keep cool during long periods of continuous grinding. This protects both the grinder and your coffee beans, which won’t be exposed to burn-level temperatures.

The Compak E8 has you covered when it comes to temperature. It has an electronic fan that works to keep the grinder and your beans cool all day long.

Read Also: Compak E5 vs Mazzer Mini

Pricing Information

When you shop with Majesty Coffee, you are getting the most competitive prices online for espresso grinders.

We’re proud to have the Compak E8 in our store for $1,657.60 with the standard hopper and $1,716.10 with the short hopper included. Our Compak E5 is in the store for $1,057 in black or white and $1,092 in polished aluminum.

Which Grinder is Right for You?

After reading all this, you may still have questions about which grinder is right for you. There are some huge differences between these grinders, so choosing the correct one will hinge on a few of those differences.

In situations where you’ll need to be grinding virtually nonstop, like in a busy coffee shop, the Compak E8 will thrive. Its built-in fan will work to keep the grinder cool and its large hopper will prevent you from having to frequently refill it.

If you’re looking for a grinder that you can use in all lighting conditions, the Compak E5 is also the superior choice. Thanks to its integrated barista lights, you can safely continue to use it unhindered if you ever need to dim the lights for any reason.

There are two reasons you may choose the Compak E5: you’re looking for a color other than black or you want a lower price. It is more affordable than the E8 and does offer some alternative color variations.

At the end of the day, this is our suggestion:

The Compak E8 will serve you much better if you’re looking for a grinder that’s suitable for high volume businesses and coffee shops. It has significantly larger burrs, a greater hopper capacity, and a fan that can prevent it from overheating.

Home users or small coffee shops on budgets should find the Compak E5 perfectly acceptable. It still has a powerful motor, and it’s available for a significantly more affordable price.