# Compak E5



## 4085 (Nov 23, 2012)

Anyone got any thoughts on these? With only having a 58 mm burr set I had kind of ignored them but then I spotted the 650 watt motor which got me thinking why such power.


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## Jony (Sep 8, 2017)

I think 3 of us have one on here, it's good but I,m still learning, and my machine is still out of action.


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## craigsalisbury (Dec 8, 2017)

luuuuurrrvvvv my E5. I have now got the hang of it and it does an awesome job.

When i was choosing a new grinder I spent some time with Dave @ BB and it seems to be one of the grinders on demo there. a favourite grinder over at bella it seems.

It's also surprisingly small and throws out 18g in about 5.5


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## 4085 (Nov 23, 2012)

I have one coming so will report back in due course be it good or bad!


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## craigsalisbury (Dec 8, 2017)

dfk41 said:


> I have one coming so will report back in due course be it good or bad!


You have far greater experience than i, so I look forward to your findings. Some say it's a bit noisy but that's not really something I care about. I have also noticed clumping is much less an issue now the burrs have been run-in a bit.


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## 4085 (Nov 23, 2012)

I have a few kilos to run through so hopefully can season the burrs quickly. They seem to fly under the radar a bit


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## 4085 (Nov 23, 2012)

Well, it arrived today, well packaged as one would expect from BB. A doddle to set up. I ran 2 kilos of rubbish through. it has a nice feature which is a 2 way rocker switch so that position 2 lets it run in continuous more. A small, 350 gm hopper and in no time I had run a kilo through......yep, it seems very quick. Gave it a rest for an hour, ran the second kilo through, then took 3 shots to dial in. Have button 2 set to 4.75 seconds and that delivered just over 18 gms resulting in 30 out over 30 seconds. Need to plat around a bit more with the Sage as the shot pulled at around 7 bar.

Tomorrow will give me more idea, but initial reaction is:

nice looking

easy to use

58 mm burrs are aggressive and produce a nice mound and quickly

750 watt motor gives power

nice delivery into pf

excellent adjustable pf clamp.

This grinder missed my radar, mainly because of the 58 mm burrs. I had been leaning towards an Atom but initially I am pleased I did not as I simply cannot imagine it being better


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## craigsalisbury (Dec 8, 2017)

it is indeed fab. got a bit of clumping though which breaks up very easily.....or very possibly it could just be me


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## 4085 (Nov 23, 2012)

craigsalisbury said:


> it is indeed fab. got a bit of clumping though which breaks up very easily.....or very possibly it could just be me


When dialled in correctly, I was getting a little clumping but nothing too much, and I hope would settle down once the burrs are properly run in


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## craigsalisbury (Dec 8, 2017)

i know this is probably p*ssing in the wind, but what grind setting are you using for espresso ?


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## 4085 (Nov 23, 2012)

craigsalisbury said:


> i know this is probably p*ssing in the wind, but what grind setting are you using for espresso ?


Without getting up to check, I think it is about 9 but I am not too sure if you can compare the numbers from one machine to another.


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## craigsalisbury (Dec 8, 2017)

dfk41 said:


> Without getting up to check, I think it is about 9 but I am not too sure if you can compare the numbers from one machine to another.


Yeah I'm guessing because of the thread entry points, I'm on 2 but there doesn't seem to be much range


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## 4085 (Nov 23, 2012)

craigsalisbury said:


> Yeah I'm guessing because of the thread entry points, I'm on 2 but there doesn't seem to be much range


Again, I might be wrong, but I would imagine that the burrs will turn past the number. Empty the hopper then run it in continuous mode and tighten up until you hear the burrs chirping as they nearly touch. I cannot remember with Compak as it is a couple of years since I last had one but it might well be that the numbers are for reference only and not definitive. Perhaps @coffeechap can put me right


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## 4085 (Nov 23, 2012)

Right, I have been using this for a few days now. I do not want to come on here and tell you it is amazing and we all should have one, but.......if you are in the market for a brand new sub £800 grinder, you could do a lot worse than this. It is so easy to live with. Good looking and very quick. The burrs are 'aggressive' according to the blurb, whatever that means....if aggressive is quick then thats spot on. It has a high rpm, 1350 I think but because of that, it is only on for 5 second or so bursts.

Next time my son comes around I will try and take a video. The grind setting I am on is borderline for small clumps but that is not a fault of the grinder but of me choosing a tight setting with burrs not yet run in. I know there are three or so owners on here and I know an owner will always tell you how good their machine is. If this was not so good, I would simply lose £100 and move it on.....instead I am keeping it


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## craigsalisbury (Dec 8, 2017)

Agree, i have discovered that my clumping issues were down to beans, i tried the ATO this morning from L&S and had to coarsen it up a few notches. no clumps. love this grinder!


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## tod (Aug 28, 2016)

I too own one of these having bought it half a year ago after getting tired of my Sage grinder not being able to deal with the Ethiopian beans.

I cannot judge it's speed as I do not keep the beans in the hopper so it takes me anything between 8 and 11 seconds to grind through 16-17 grams.

It is paired with the cheapest Sage espresso machine and I am now bottlenecked here. It's not powerful enough to push the water through if it is ground as fine as it should be. Which means I'm under utilising the grinder by grinding it much too coarse.

On the flip side I do get to start thinking of upgrading my machine.

Going back to the grinder I find it is much messier and noisier than the aforementioned Sage grinder. I do get quite a bit of clumping but that's mostly because of the espresso machine being not up to scratch.

I am also a so a little disappointed I cannot grind coarse enough for a Chemex. I know it's an espresso grinder so that's not a deal breaker but it would be very nice not having to buy a separate grinder for pour over.

In conclusion I'm really happy with my E5. It's built like a tank and looks great. The LCD and touch button operation is a little gimmicky IMHO but luckily you don't have to deal with it too often. I just hope it won't be this grinder's undoing a few years down the line as I can imagine this will be the part that's most likely to break first.


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## craigsalisbury (Dec 8, 2017)

tod said:


> I too own one of these having bought it half a year ago after getting tired of my Sage grinder not being able to deal with the Ethiopian beans.
> 
> I cannot judge it's speed as I do not keep the beans in the hopper so it takes me anything between 8 and 11 seconds to grind through 16-17 grams.
> 
> ...


oh dear...

The E5 is a stepless grinder and will grind for anything including pebbles if you want, however changing the grind back and forth is a PITA, as is any grinder which is why people who brew different methods tend to use different grinders.

As for the Sage machine, I presume you mean the duo temp pro? I think you will find these are user based problems as opposed to the equipment, the Sage DTP is super common on this forum being paired with everything from a mignon to Mazzer grinders and beyond and is very capable of making excellent espresso.

maybe @joey24dirt can chime in as he's a DTP master.


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## joey24dirt (Jan 28, 2017)

craigsalisbury said:


> oh dear...
> 
> The E5 is a stepless grinder and will grind for anything including pebbles if you want, however changing the grind back and forth is a PITA, as is any grinder which is why people who brew different methods tend to use different grinders.
> 
> ...


DTP for life here haha. Love mine and works perfectly with the mazzer. I don't know much about the E5 to be honest so would have to do some research on those.


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## joey24dirt (Jan 28, 2017)

tod said:


> I too own one of these having bought it half a year ago after getting tired of my Sage grinder not being able to deal with the Ethiopian beans.
> 
> I cannot judge it's speed as I do not keep the beans in the hopper so it takes me anything between 8 and 11 seconds to grind through 16-17 grams.
> 
> ...


The sage uses an ulka 15bar pump which I think can be found on a few other different brands.

Sounds like you're choking up, interested to know why you feel you need to grind as fine as you are? What dose are you using and what basket?


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## tod (Aug 28, 2016)

joey24dirt said:


> The sage uses an ulka 15bar pump which I think can be found on a few other different brands.
> 
> Sounds like you're choking up, interested to know why you feel you need to grind as fine as you are? What dose are you using and what basket?


Hi joey24dirt. It seems I have jumped to the conclusion that the portafilter on the DTP is of a size that I cannot pair any decent custom basket with. I'm on an all default setting but can see your signature suggests there's room for improvement. Can you please point me to where you've acquired the IMS basket and shower screen as well as the appropriately sized tamper? (I suspect the word custom will be the key word here).

Also could you please point out any thread that's been on here where people shared their tips and tricks for the DTP to allow me to appreciate the machine better?

And lastly to your question about the fineness. I don't know, I feel like I am grinding too fine compared to what I've seen in coffee shops. My grind is much coarser than that of say Taylor st baristas (went on a home barista course there last weekend). I appreciate the fineness depends on the beans but I don't remember ever having ground it as fine as I'd expect it to be. Probably something to do with the wrong expectations?

Ah, and I dose 16g for all my beans.


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## cold war kid (Mar 12, 2010)

dfk41 said:


> Right, I have been using this for a few days now. I do not want to come on here and tell you it is amazing and we all should have one, but.......if you are in the market for a brand new sub £800 grinder, you could do a lot worse than this. It is so easy to live with. Good looking and very quick. The burrs are 'aggressive' according to the blurb, whatever that means....if aggressive is quick then thats spot on. It has a high rpm, 1350 I think but because of that, it is only on for 5 second or so bursts.
> 
> Next time my son comes around I will try and take a video. The grind setting I am on is borderline for small clumps but that is not a fault of the grinder but of me choosing a tight setting with burrs not yet run in. I know there are three or so owners on here and I know an owner will always tell you how good their machine is. If this was not so good, I would simply lose £100 and move it on.....instead I am keeping it


Do you have any experience of a Pharos hand grinder by any chance?

I own one and I'm thinking of saving for a decent electric grinder as I'm becoming lazy and the hand grinder is turning into a bit of a chore after two years of tapping and rolling.

The trouble is, I'm not really keen on compromising in the cup and all the electric options, even the really expensive ones, seem to come with drawbacks, especially if I'd like to single dose like I'm used to doing with the Pharos.


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## 4085 (Nov 23, 2012)

cold war kid said:


> Do you have any experience of a Pharos hand grinder by any chance?
> 
> I own one and I'm thinking of saving for a decent electric grinder as I'm becoming lazy and the hand grinder is turning into a bit of a chore after two years of tapping and rolling.
> 
> The trouble is, I'm not really keen on compromising in the cup and all the electric options, even the really expensive ones, seem to come with drawbacks, especially if I'd like to single dose like I'm used to doing with the Pharos.


I owned one for 3 hours! I have owned 3 HG Ones as well. Always have the best of intentions but as soon as I start to crank that handle all reason flies out of the window, I curse and immediately put them up for sale! There is not much around to beat the overall experience with a Pharos and other top end grinders. It can be done of course but the price point of the electronic equivalent is a lot of money, then you pay even more if you want to single dose on top of that. I would say if you do not mind the faff, then for the outlay, stick!


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## 4085 (Nov 23, 2012)

Just to resurrect this thread. I know with the advent of Niche things have been quiet and slow on the grinder front. I have been using this daily as my only grinder now for a few months, and it is fully run in and performing ever so well. I grind quite finely and it remains clump free, so far anyway. It only has small 55 mm burrs, but boy, you would never know that. it munches 18 gms in 5 seconds which is not far away from the big boys. Grind consistency is good and as someone who has owned far bigger, far more expensive grinders I am really impressed with it. I would have another one without a doubt. It is not as big as a full blown commercial, but big enough to have a presence if that makes sense. Anyone who is looking for a grinder at that price point, do not be put off by the small bears and give it a go


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## The-E (Jun 18, 2017)

Hi dfk, I have just got myself one of these.. love it.. read this thread when deciding which grinder to buy, also I am limited height wise.. but boy this is an amazing, and consistent grinder. Had a mignon previous and this kicks that into touch.... a quick thanks for the input.


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## coffeechap (Apr 5, 2012)

Anyone that wants a glass hopper for these let me know as I have a couple available


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## joey24dirt (Jan 28, 2017)

coffeechap said:


> Anyone that wants a glass hopper for these let me know as I have a couple available


Do they fit an E8?


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## coffeechap (Apr 5, 2012)

joey24dirt said:


> Do they fit an E8?


Of course


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## Jony (Sep 8, 2017)

coffeechap said:


> Of course


Cheaper than the ones on Londinium shop?


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## Grahamg (Oct 24, 2013)

dfk41 said:


> Just to resurrect this thread. I know with the advent of Niche things have been quiet and slow on the grinder front. I have been using this daily as my only grinder now for a few months, and it is fully run in and performing ever so well. I grind quite finely and it remains clump free, so far anyway. It only has small 55 mm burrs, but boy, you would never know that. it munches 18 gms in 5 seconds which is not far away from the big boys. Grind consistency is good and as someone who has owned far bigger, far more expensive grinders I am really impressed with it. I would have another one without a doubt. It is not as big as a full blown commercial, but big enough to have a presence if that makes sense. Anyone who is looking for a grinder at that price point, do not be put off by the small bears and give it a go


I'm impressed so far, lots of clumping though as I've only run about 1.5kg through so far, will be pleased when that settles down. It's probably one that people will overlook due to burr size comparisons no doubt, but i think I prefer it so far to the E37 I was using simply because the smaller burrs are a bit less 'punch you in the face' with flavours, but my experience so far tells me I like conical burrs so am expecting the niche to punt it out the house when it finally arrives.


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## coffeechap (Apr 5, 2012)

Jony said:


> Cheaper than the ones on Londinium shop?


 @Jony Are there any on there?


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## Jony (Sep 8, 2017)

Well "the ones that was" then, and how much are they you didn't say. Cheers might be tempted for my E5.


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