These days most specialty coffee bars are using Mythos and Roburs for their milky espresso drinks.
Question is why do people not use EK43 with coffee burrs for lattes/cappuccinos?
Are there any of you who do?
Is it due to a brighter espresso that doesn’t go well with milk?
I suspect people don’t use it for workflow reasons.
We use an EK only for all espresso (using a Titus Grinding doser) and filter based drinks. We don’t make huge volumes of coffee, so we’re able to cope with the workflow. As our sales start to increase, I still feel pretty comfortable we’ll be able to handle being committed to the EK.
We also use an ek for espresso all the time, the big issue is making sure you have enough shots weighed out before service. Beyond that, when you’re in the zone I don’t see it being much slower then a robur or peak, we grind into a cup then dump the cup into a portafilter(with a jam funnel) then tap and tamp. Lyn Webber makes a thing called a blind tumbler which can make the getting the coffee into the filter part even easier.
Probably the workflow yep:
- no need of predosing
- some chance of use a milkyblend or cheaper or more suited coffee ,so no need to purge between shot.
I don’t work with an EK43, but I’ve also just figured it’s for workflow reasons. I usually prefer brighter/fruitier espressos in milk, personally. However, I find that a high TDS is necessary to get an espresso’s unique characteristics to come through the milk.
I don’t have much insight into using the EK43 for milk, but for those of you who do (@lion_head_coffee, @Stan, @Coffeeforkicks), do you find the espresso is too bright or low TDS to pair well with milk? Or does it help the origin cut through the milk?
We only use an amazing blend for milk drinks. Our extractions are consistently high and it’s just so easy to achieve consistency. The EK is pretty much our MVP of all equipment in the café.
1 Like
I don’t think it really makes a notable difference from other large flat burrs. We switched from a robur to all ek and I do think the straight espressos have more present and clear favors then the large conical. As for milk drinks, I think if the espresso is more refined straight, it will only make a better milk drink then before, until you add too much milk. The ek does allow us to use one coffee for straight espresso/caps and a different coffee for large milk drinks, all from one grinder(we use two when very busy). Since we have a wide base of folks and serve 16oz mochas and flavored lattes, it is really nice to use a chocolately simple Brazilian vs a washed Ethiopian which might not shine through as much. Hope this helps!
Hello! Based on my experience, it becomes a “not worth it” situation, primarily due to workflow. No, it’s not about a low strength. In fact, I find the EK43 to produce espresso at a higher strength. Always check alignment if you have this problem (low strength/ short shot times). The punchline is “it’ll be mixed with milk anyways so 20g,20g,20s” … from what I always encounter anyways…
The Mythos and Robur does not necessarily require a portafilter to grind coffee, meaning you could save a lot of time.
Respond to your market. If the people want to drink a lot of espresso + milk then design your workflow to optimise this. They love it when their coffee arrives early. If you are a low volume coffee shop, then use the EK43 even with espressos that get mixed with milk. Hope this helps.
1 Like
Thank you all. Really appreciate your responses.