As the title suggests, I'm in the market for a new grinder. I currently have a Rocket Cellini V3 and a Baratza Vario. The Baratza is a great grinder, and has done me well for the last year or so, but its quite prone to clumping, and its build quality is "shoddy" at best. I do believe the Vario is a fine grinder for my machine, but I would like to eliminate 95% of the WDT I have to perform for every shot (which helps, but I still get channeling on more shots than not), and really just invest in something that will last me several years. I understand the K30 has somewhat of a cult following surrounding it (the coffee shop/roaster I frequent every week has a few K30's), it makes it very tempting.

The K30 seems to be a very well known grinder, well documented, tried and true, readily serviced by most, etc. the list goes on. Great grind, low clumping, good distribution, no static, medium retention. The Ceado on the other hand has only a handful of forum posts that I've been able to sift through. From what I've read however, it seems that many describe the grinder as having great cup quality, low clumping, good distribution, no static, low retention, easy burr access and disassembly, steady lock system, and a decent height for fitting under cabinets.

The downsides to the K30 I've read have been: pain in the ass to disassemble (this might have changed?), big, confusing interface, bad at single dosing. The downsides of the Ceado: grind lever can be easy to overshoot your target, trouble finding happy medium between static and clumping, the once a month "grinds fly all over yourself and your surroundings", not as well documented?/researched?/used?. I've also read on a couple reports that the Ceado had been damaged from the get go, either in transit or the factory, which leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

I should mention, both of these grinders I can get 10% off of (Ceado (short hopper) from WLL and K30 from SCG (short hopper)). The 10% off the K30, $1500, is literally my top dollar. I'm not wanting to spend a dime more than the K30. I am adamant on a doserless grinder. Single dosing isn't really an issue, if I can, great, if I can't, I can just keep beans in the hopper. Not that it's a big issue, but I really, really, really, like the look of the K30. I'd be much happier waking up and looking at the K30 than the Ceado (still a good looking grinder though).

So I'm somewhat torn. There are qualities in both I really like. It almost seems like the Ceado is too good to be true. I would be able to pick this thing up free shipping/no tax for $1040 and that's it. It seems crazy that a Mazzer Mini E can cost almost $1000, while the Ceado is leagues better. I understand this is more of a "what it's worth to you" question, but is the K30 really worth the $450 more? Input would be appreciated! Thanks.

Your info on the K30 is severely outdated. A few videos below might be worth your time. Also, if you single dose, why are you looking at grinders that command a premium for features you'll never use? The price on the Caedo is hard to ignore.

uscfroadie wrote:Your info on the K30 is severely outdated. A few videos below might be worth your time. Also, if you single dose, why are you looking at grinders that command a premium for features you'll never use?

Sorry, I meant to say that I don't care about the ability to single dose. I currently do not single dose with my Vario, and keep the hopper filled with beans. Thanks, I'll watch these videos!

btalcox0715 wrote: The downsides to the K30 I've read have been: pain in the ass to disassemble (this might have changed?), big, confusing interface, bad at single dosing. The downsides of the Ceado: grind lever can be easy to overshoot your target, trouble finding happy medium between static and clumping, the once a month "grinds fly all over yourself and your surroundings", not as well documented?/researched?/used?. I've also read on a couple reports that the Ceado had been damaged from the get go, either in transit or the factory, which leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

Im sure there are as many reports of damaged k30s (or any grinder) in transit and this is a silly thing to focus on.

You wont really find a substantive reason that one is better than the other. Just go with whatever looks best in your kitchen.

brianl wrote:

Right. But if you were in my spot buying a grinder, is there any reason to believe the Mahlkoenig is worth $450 more than the Ceado with the exception of aesthetics?

Looking at my equipment will answer that question. The ceado wasn't always this cheap and it used to be similarly priced as the k30. It looks like they are being aggressive with the price to raise the marketshare in the states?

Ah, I see Can you give me a little review of your experiences during the time you've had it? Pro's/Con's, Modifications, etc.?

The only modification I did was add a cover to the chute. In its stock form its a U shape and I added a glossy piece of cardboard over it. Added some electric tape and it doesn't look half bad. This completely eliminates the only issue I've had. If I had more access to machining tools, it'd be very easy to add either an acrylic or steel tube/cube around the chute or affix a sheet of said materials on the top.

It's way better than the Vario and I prefer it to my old HG One. After I add a coffee in the hopper, I don't really have to adjust the grind until the next coffee.

I went through the same dilemma a few months ago. I ended up with the Ceado. Other than the occasional spritz, I can't imagine a grinder producing a better quality grind than the E37S for under $2,000. Once I dial in the timed based dosing for the day, it's rarely off more than .5 of a gram dose after dose. With an OE dosing ring there's literally zero mess. Minimizing coffee grinds on the counter was a big concern of mine. I have none. It's fast, quiet and I like the aesthetics. Would I have bought the K30 had it also been $1,000? I don't know. They're both top of their price point IMO.

It wouldn't be a Ceado thread if I didn't post along with Brianl and SonVolt .

I'm a few weeks into my Ceado and was considering posting a review. Coming from a B Vario, I'm extremely please with my purchase. In short, I too considered the K30 and couldn't justify the price when the E37S exists. If there were no E37S, I'd have a K30 right now.

1) The first big difference is there are ZERO fines in my cups now. The B Vario used to fill the bottom of my lattes with fines and it was not pleasant. The last 2-3 sips were undrinkable due to the grit in the bottom. This is completely resolved with the Ceado.

2) Grind adjustment is completely a breeze. The design that maintains your adjustment during top burr removal is really awesome. I've cleaned the grinder a few times by removing the burr and I just pick up with grinding right where I left off after reassembly. A 5 min job start to finish with burr removal taking about 60 seconds.

3) Dosing, distribution, etc is really good. I don't find the SCC adjustment to do anything. Maybe it's just me, but wherever I set it, grinds end up opening the flaps to wherever they choose and it doses the same. Small very easily smooshed clumps that don't affect anything. Every morning I've been dosing into the PF, tamping and pulling my shot with very good results. I can get nice pours without spritzers in my bottomless PF without doing the whole WDT song and dance.

4) It's extremely quiet.

5) It's extremely fast.

6) Grind retention varies based on how you use it. If you single dose and grind until nothing comes out anymore, I'd say it's 2-3g. If you grind with a full hopper and then start again the next day, you probably need to purge 5-6g to get truly fresh coffee. This is due to the grinds surrounding the lower burr that won't be expelled if you're not running the grinder empty a while to push them out. Do I find a difference in the cup? No. I purge 2g every morning and then start pulling shots. They all taste great.

7) This grinder really emphasizes the body and chocolatey caramel flavors. It may just be enhancing the flavors of the blends I prefer. I use Blue Bottle and Intelligentsia. I swear my lattes taste almost like hot chocolate. It's pretty amazing. I didn't get these flavors with the B Vario.

8 ) I've been spritzed one time in probably 60 double shot grinds. It was early on in ownership and never happened again. I've written it off as a non-issue.

9) It's easy to modify a hopper and fit it under low cabinets. This issue took every Compak off my potential grinders list.

When you factor in the price differential on the E37S vs the K30, I feel like it's a no brainer. I strongly considered the K30 and picked the E37S.