Mazzer and Mahlkonig are two well-known espresso grinder manufacturers. Of the two of them, Mahlkonig is the more famous. Can a Mazzer espresso grinder hold up to a Mahlkonig?
Keep reading this Mazzer Major vs Mahlkonig K30 comparison to discover the answer. We’ll address these topics:
- Similarities shared by both the Major and K30.
- Which features set the grinders apart from each other.
- How much the grinders cost.
- Our guidance on choosing between them.
Quick Summary
One of the best things about the Mazzer Major is how budget-friendly it is. Even though it’s the more affordable option here, you still get a bundle of convenient features like large burrs and a low blade speed. We’d suggest you get the Major if you’re a small business or prosumer in search of an advanced espresso grinder on a budget.
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The Mahlkonig K30 does an excellent job representing the quality of Mahlkonig as a whole. It’s an advanced grinder that skilled baristas will love, thanks to its robust cooling system, programmable shots, and precise stepless grind adjustment collar. Pick this one if you’re a coffee shop or business looking for a fast and accurate grinder.
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Similarities
Burr Shape
Another huge similarity shared by the Major and K30 is the shape of their grinding burrs. The burrs within both of these grinders are flat, which is the typical shape in commercial grinders.
Flat burrs are excellent at producing uniformly sized coffee particles, which makes it possible for your baristas to pull longer shots. There are some drawbacks to flat burrs, however, like their tendency to get hotter than their conical burr competitors.
Read Also: Mazzer Major vs Kony
Stepless Grind Adjustment System
The Mazzer Major and Mahlkonig K30 share another common high-quality grinder feature: a stepless grind adjustment system. To give you a better understanding of what that means, let’s compare it to the opposite: a stepped adjustment system.
On a stepped adjustment system, baristas must choose from a variety of pre-programmed grind fineness settings. This can be a flawed design because there’s bound to be some spaces between each level of fineness that may otherwise have been useful for a specific blend of coffee.
Stepless grind adjustment systems like those used by the Major and K30 eliminate those spaces. You can think of their adjustment systems as being a like a sliding scale as opposed to just a few notches to choose.
Hands-Free Portafilter Holder
If your business is a coffee shop or restaurant, then you know all about the multi-tasking employees need to do. Keeping the customer happy takes a lot of steps, and most don’t understand what goes on behind the scenes.
The Major and K30 are prepared to help make your baristas’ jobs a little bit easier. They both have portafilter holders on the front that will hold the basket in place while they dispense grounds. With their hands now freed up, employees can work on other tasks to smooth the process and reduce each customer’s wait.
Dimensions
While there are some minute differences in the measurements of the Major and K30, we felt their overall sizes were more similar than they were different. For that reason, we’re including their total dimensions in our list of similarities.
Let’s look at the actual numbers. On one hand, you have the Mazzer Major, which is 8 inches wide, 12 1/4 inches deep, and 24 1/2 inches tall. On the other hand, the Mahlkonig K30 is 9 1/2 inches wide, approximately 12 1/2 inches deep, and just over 21 1/2 inches tall.
It’s worth noting that the K30 can be made significantly shorter if you choose to purchase it with its mini hopper instead of the standard one. The mini hopper brings its height down to 17 1/2 inches.
Differences
Burr Size
The Mazzer Major and the Mahlkonig K30 may both have the same burr shape, but there’s a stark difference in their burr size. Inside the Major, you’ll find extra-large 83 mm burrs while the K30’s burrs are 65 mm.
Burr size is critical. Larger burrs can produce ground coffee more quickly, which lends the Mazzer Major some serious speed. That’s not to say the Mahlkonig K30 is slow, though – either of these grinders will grind espresso shots quickly.
In terms of numbers, the Major can produce 2.3 grams per second, and the K30 has other features that allow it to produce up to 4.8 grams per second. With either grinder, that’s a single shot of espresso ground in around two or three seconds.
Hopper Capacity
The quantity of coffee beans a grinder’s hopper can hold directly impacts how long you can grind for before you need to pause and add more beans. In this regard, the Mahlkonig K30 is the winner by a wide margin.
The K30’s standard hopper can hold up to 3.3 pounds of beans. Comparatively, the Major’s hopper can hold up to 2.7 pounds of coffee beans. That’s a half-pound difference and could be vital if you’re making back-to-back drinks.
Mahlkonig K30 Fan Cooling System
If you often have long lines of customers and have to make back-to-back espresso orders, your espresso grinder needs to be equipped to handle the strain. Without the right components, grinders can overheat and damage themselves while leaving your drinks with a disgusting burnt flavor.
With an integrated fan cooling system, though, the K30 can easily handle the pressure. Your baristas will be able to grind coffee nonstop without any worry of the machine overheating.
Want to see how other Mahlkonigs and Mazzers compare against each other? Try reading our Mahlkonig Peak vs Mazzer Robur comparison.
Mazzer Major Color Options
One superficial difference between the Major and K30 is their colors. Yes, both can be purchased in basic black configurations, but for the K30, that’s your only option.
This isn’t true for the Major, which is available in two different colors: black and silver. Because there are two color options for the Major, it has a little bit more visual versatility than the K30. It can fit into a wider array of settings visually.
Mahlkonig K30 Electronic Shot Counter
A massive part of running a business consists of keeping tabs on your expenses. Doing so helps you determine what your profit margin is and how much supplies you need.
If your business is a coffee shop, you’ll obviously want to keep track of how much espresso you’re using. The Mahkonig K30 makes this simple with its electronic shot counter. You won’t have to keep tabs yourself, because the K30 will take care of it for you.
Mahlkonig K30 Illuminated Display
Making a shot of espresso is a very precise process. Between grinding the beans, brewing the espresso for precisely the right length of time, and then frothing milk to the correct consistency, you need to be able to see what you’re doing.
The Mahlkonig K30’s illuminated display won’t clearly light up the entire workspace, but it will make operating the espresso grinder much easier. Employees will always be able to see what settings they have selected and make adjustments accordingly.
Pricing Considerations
Majesty Coffee’s goal is to provide our customers with the best coffee and espresso equipment for the best prices. To that end, we’re proud to offer you our Mazzer Major for $1,195 and our Mahlkonig K30 for $1,700.
Which Grinder is Better for You?
There are a plenty of differences between the Mazzer Major and the Mahlkonig K30, so it’s not as difficult to choose between them. The differences make it obvious which sorts of settings each grinder was intended for.
With its two color options, the Mazzer Major is the more visually flexible of the two. If you’re searching for a grinder that will match with other stainless steel equipment, this is the choice for you.
Is your coffee shop often slammed with queues of customers? Then you’ll need a fast grinder, and the Mahlkonig K30 outpaces the Major in this comparison. It can produce espresso over twice as fast as the Major at its highest speed.
Furthermore, the Mahlkonig K30 was clearly designed to endure long hours of continuous grinding. Its fan cooling system will protect it from overheating and keep your beans cool.
However, the Mazzer Major is the more budget-friendly of the two grinders by several hundred dollars. If you’re really limited on how much you can expend, it may be better for you.
This is our suggestion:
Go with the Mahlkonig K30 if you’re a busy coffee shop or restaurant that needs a grinder which can grind nonstop. Its fan system and fast grinding are ideal for situations in which you have back-to-back orders.
The Mazzer Major is the best pick for you if you’re on a strict budget or you like the silver color option more. It’s a fairly affordable grinder and the ability to choose which color you get it in can be important to some people.
Tony Barlow
Majesty Coffee Technical Sales Expert - Meet the Team
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.
