Mahlkonig Vario MK3
The Mahlkonig Vario MK3 is a domestic/ small commercial grinder like nothing you’ve seen before. This 3rd generation grinder is now equipped with a bracket holder and is now much easier to use than before it also has 54mm ceramic burrs which will give you up to twice the life of regular steel burrs. It will grind approx. 1.6g per second. Another great feature is the belt drive motor which makes it super quiet.
freshly ground portion grinding espresso, filter & french press
Portioning:
electronically controlled (timer)
variable programming
coarse and fine tuning with over 200
grind settings
Operation:
easy time programming via LC-display
3 individual pre-settings for espresso, filter & french press
hands-free operation for port-a-filter
Design:
54 mm ceramic-burrs
belt-drive motor for super quiet operation
compact design
LC-display
easy cleaning
220 g container or port-a-filter holder
Technical Data
| Grinding capacity | approx. 1.6 g/sec |
| Hopper capacity | approx. 200g |
| Dimensions (w x h x d) | 12.5 x 37 x 18 cm |
| Voltage / frequency | 200-230 V / 50/60 Hz |
| 100-115 V / 50/60 Hz | |
| Current consumption | max. 2 A |
| Power consumption | Ø 200 W |
| Rotations / minute | 1000 rpm |
| Grinding disc diameter | 54 mm (ceramic) |
| Net weight | 3.7 kg |
Warranty Information
12 months Parts Only Warranty
Important Notice Regarding Warranty
Any warranty claim is void in any of the following cases;
1. The seal sticker behind the spout is broken or damaged
2. The grinder casing (back cover) has been removed
3. The grinder was obviously manipulated or changed
4. Improper use (other materials than coffee were ground)
Clero –
As a grinder it works fine but it takes a lot of effort to get it right. I have so far purchased two Vario’s the first a Mk 1 has a design fault with the micro lever which over time simply stopped working. I used a piece of card to wedge it into place as I could not get the spares in the UK. Despite this I bought a second because there was at the time no other machine that was as flexible and in the price range as the Vario for home use.
The second Vario is a Mk 3 – it is incredibly noisy with noise levels of around 65dB and vibrates while grinding with the machine physically changing location and the hopper lid bouncing during operation. If you buy this machine you may need to recalibrate the grinder each time you remove the burrs for cleaning and because the procedure is subjective, use a lot of coffee to get back to a grind setting that works. While you can get some spares at Coffee Omega, I have as yet to find anywhere in the UK that will service the Vario.
Malkonig do not respond to emails either and if you have an unusual issue there is nowhere to turn to for help which is all very frustrating.
The fork on which the portafilter sits does not have room to accommodate movement so the grinds pile up unevenly in the basket and can result in coffee splatter with a naked portafilter. I use a chopstick to distribute the grinds while the machine is being used.
If you are looking for a grinder I suggest you also consider the Eureka Specialita which is in the same price range, is a factor of three quieter and just as flexible for grind settings