When you’re an icon, you don’t need a full name, just a few letters will do. And in the coffee world, you only need to hear the letters E and K to know exactly what is being talked about. The Mahlkönig EK 43, the one-time spice grinder that has spent the last decade as THE go-to coffee grinder at high-end cafes the world over, has been the lynchpin in the Mahlkönig lineup, and its popularity doesn’t appear to be on the wane.
And with the latest news coming out of the German coffee equipment manufacturer, the EK is only going to become more ubiquitous, if that’s even possible. Introducing the brand-new Mahlkönig EK Omnia, the latest edition to the EK line that brings automation and technological enhancements to the iconic grinder.
Nearing your 100th birthday seems like as good a time as any to turn the world on its head, and that’s exactly what Mahlkönig, part of the Hemro Group, is doing with the Omnia. Revealed today, ahead of Host Milan, Mahlkönig has taken the classic EK silhouette—along with its massive 98mm cast steel flat burrs—and added some brain to all that brawn, putting efficiency and workflow front and center with a host of new features.
There are now three different grinding modes: Classic (manual); Time, similar to time-based dosing in other Mahlkönig espresso grinders; and Library, consisting of 10 programmable settings that automatically dial in the Omnia to the pre-saved grind size and will dispense the selected amount using volumetric dosing, made possible via the new pre-dosing hopper.
The settings can all be selected and toggled between via the front-facing LED touchscreen replacing the traditional dial. The dial’s outer ring can be used for manual adjustments with micron-level precision, which gets a digital readout, further removing any guesswork in grind size. Other features include WiFi for remote access, data sharing, and updates; an adjustable magnetic (and removable) portafilter holder and magnetic drip tray; and a new LED-illuminated start/stop button.
“The launch of the EK Omnia continues Mahlkönig’s legacy of pushing coffee grinding technology forward via innovation. The EK Omnia’s groundbreaking features all unlock limitless barista and coffee quality potential. We are incredibly excited about this launch as we feel it marks a pivotal moment for both Mahlkönig and the coffee industry as a whole,” Hemro Group CEO Dr. Marcel Lehmann states. “Our team has poured countless hours of research, development, and expertise into creating the EK Omnia, and we believe it will empower baristas to explore new dimensions of flavour and consistency in coffee preparation.”
The price point and release date have yet to be announced.
The Omnia feels like the next evolution for Mahlkönig’s iconic grinder, like a modern re-imagining of a classic muscle car. Everything that has come to represent the EK remains intact: the raw horsepower, the precision, the silhouette. But the updates—the automation and digitization, the interneting of things—bring it squarely into 21st century, on the forefront of it even. For more information on the EK Omnia, visit Mahlkönig’s official website.
Zac Cadwalader is the managing editor at Sprudge Media Network and a staff writer based in Dallas. Read more Zac Cadwalader on Sprudge.
