LeverCraft Ultra Grinder vs Mahlkönig E65S GbW
Same class, different tax brackets.
About CA$449 apart — the split below is what the gap buys.
LeverCraft
CA$2,900–3,400 · US$2,200–2,600
This is a genuinely excellent 98mm flat-burr grinder when you can find one, but LeverCraft effectively stopped making them years ago after a tiny production run, so treat it as a collector's…
Full record & live prices →
Mahlkönig
CA$3,199–3,999 · US$2,300–2,800
This is a workhorse cafe grinder that happens to weigh your dose as it grinds, not a home single-doser dressed up in commercial clothes. Buy it for the GbW accuracy and portafilter-detection…
Full record & live prices →The split
Where they actually differ
On 3 of 6 measures these two tie. The 3 rows below are the entire argument.
Ultra Grinder
E65S GbW
Brew range
Ultra Grinder leads, decisively
Reliability record
E65S GbW leads, decisively
Quiet operation
Ultra Grinder leads, clearly
The price
Ultra Grinder costs less, clearly
CA$2,900–3,400· CA$3,199–3,999
weakerstronger
The Ultra Grinder leans clarity and sparkle; the E65S GbW leans the balanced middle. Pick the cup, not the machine.
The counter’s vote
Looks barely figure in either machine’s record — the counter can sit this one out.
Ultra Grinder: Universally called homemade-looking; massive power supply brick counts against aesthetic appeal despite functional quietness.
E65S GbW: Minimalist commercial form (stainless steel, compact depth) wins kitchen-approval on professional look; color-lock hopper is thoughtful but not praised as a design highlight.
Only the Ultra Grinder: a single-dose workflow.
Only the Ultra Grinder: a documented burr-swap scene.
Where they tie: espresso duty · built to last · value per dollar — don’t let a spec sheet invent a difference.
So — which one?
Take the Ultra Grinder if —
- Bright, separated cups are the goal
- You brew more ways than one
- There are sleepers to protect
- The difference stays in your pocket — or goes into beans
Take the E65S GbW if —
- Syrupy, traditional cups are the goal
- It has to just work, every day
Both columns reading true? Take the Ultra Grinder and put the difference into fresh, roast-dated beans — they move the cup more than this choice will.
Known weak points
Ultra Grinder
Motor durability concerns (thrust-force stress on servo) cited as reason for production halt; no documented field failures reported from owners, but manufacturer's own caution is the red flag.
E65S GbW
Software glitches on startup reported in early units; thermal cutoff triggered if duty cycle exceeded; scale calibration drift if portafilter weight not zero-referenced before use.
For the row-by-row readers
The whole sheet, side by side
Matching rows fade back — the ink is where they differ.
Ultra Grinder
E65S GbW
Class
Single dose
Midrange
Burrs
98mm flat
65mm flat
Drive
Electric
Electric
Adjustment
Stepless
Stepless
Clarity lean
Clarity & sparkle
Balanced
Espresso suitability
5/5
4.5/5
Brew versatility
4/5
2/5
Retention
~0.15 g
—
Single dosing
Yes
No
Burr-swap scene
Documented
—
Workflow demand
3/5
1/5
Maintenance
2.5/5
3/5
Noise
1/5
2.5/5
Build longevity
4/5
4/5
Hopper
—
1200 g
Dimensions
—
19.5 × 28.3 × 58.3 cm
Wrong match-up? Change one side → — any two on file compare.
Still torn?
This page weighs them against each other. The finder weighs them against your mornings.
Two minutes of questions — milk, noise, budget, space — scored across everything on file. It’s honest when the answer is neither of these.
Take the two-minute finder →