ECM S-Automatik 64 Espresso Grinder in Test

The ECM-S Automatik 64 impresses us with good espresso. That is initially the good and most important news. Unfortunately, it leaves some potential untapped along the way. In our comprehensive espresso grinder test, we examined the ECM S-64 compared to 23 other espresso grinders. In this article, we summarize the most important results of our test.

We conducted the test again with our Apas espresso. You can get it here in Switzerland and here in Germany.

Buy ECM S-Automatik 64

The following specialty stores distribute the ECM S-Automatik 64 and we can recommend purchasing from these businesses. All offer the option to adjust the offset of the machine.

Germany: [Partner links] Stoll Espresso, Lücke

We search for specialist partners who we know provide good work and excellent service, and we are in close contact with the mentioned retailers. The links are so-called affiliate links. If you order through one of these links, you don't pay a cent more – however, we receive a small commission that we invest directly in new testing equipment.

We continue to search for competent partners in the DACH region for you.

First Impression, Material and Appearance

A narrow, tall, and beautiful espresso grinder shines toward us when we first unpack it. And at first glance, we like almost everything about the ECM S-Automatik 64. The grinder weighs a solid 6.9kg, sitting on perfect feet. Why perfect? They absorb the vibration of the grinder, give slightly, yet remain stable. This also means that the grinder, at 77.9 decibels, ranks among the quietest in the test field.

The high gloss of the polished stainless steel remains, but becomes garnished with numerous fingerprints over the course of testing. Home baristas will have to get used to this too. It's hard to avoid with the ECM S-64. A width of 16cm, a depth of 250cm, and a height of 41.5cm make the espresso grinder appear slim and elegant. The S-64 doesn't stand out next to an espresso machine; instead, it steps back.

The grinding discs of the ECM S-Automatik 64 have a diameter of 64mm and are made of hardened steel. The disc grinder can be adjusted infinitely. The adjustment works well and precisely – even though it's difficult to read the exact grind size. Small changes in grind size lead to large changes in granulation. So always adjust slowly!

The programmability of the grinder suffers somewhat from the old, somewhat fiddly controls. These constantly jump out of the setting of the two programming buttons if you don't work quickly. ECM has relied on similar technology for many years that works well and produces no errors, but it slightly restricts ease of use. (Clearly visible in the video from minute 20:30 onwards.)

Single-dose grinder? Not a chance!

The ECM S-Automatik 64 cannot convince as a single-dose grinder. It simply wasn't built for that. The most important argument against it is the enormous retention. With a measured retention of 12.2 grams, the ECM S-64 sets a negative exclamation mark. As a reminder: retention means that around the grinding discs and before the ground coffee outlet, already ground coffee sits that won't be expelled with the current grind. Instead, the ground coffee gets stuck and is only pushed out during the next grind by the fresh grounds pushing from behind.

The ECM S-64 functions more like a doser grinder with storage and not like a direct grind grinder. Up to 12 grams of coffee from the current espresso are prepared with "old" coffee if the grinding chamber is not fully emptied before the shot. Of course, this isn't necessary if multiple shots are pulled in succession. Especially at home, this is often not the case, so either 12 grams of good coffee are wasted or become old coffee mixed into the fresh espresso. And as a reminder: within less than an hour, there is a loss of more than 50% of the volatile aroma components after grinding.

Unfortunately, the bean hopper also can't be easily removed and the coffee can't be switched easily. Our barista trainer Michel Aeschbacher could only remove the bean hopper with great effort. ECM signals here quite clearly: the grinder is not really designed for frequent bean changes. In fact, that was less of a concern a few years ago when the grinder was released. However, bean hoppers also need to be cleaned regularly. That makes even less fun when removing it is such a physical effort.

Between the grinder's sliding tray and the grinding discs, after removing the bean hopper, there are still 23 grams. So if you do want to switch beans, you first have to remove this coffee before you can get to the new coffee.

Where do I order the ECM S-64 from a competent address? We recommend the following specialist partners: Lücke Technik*

Espresso Quality

We have enjoyed some excellent espressos ground with the ECM S-Automatik 64. The sensory profile surprised us. Many coffees tasted very complex, had an elegant acidity, and a soft texture.

Unfortunately, it wasn't easy to replicate the grind size simply because the grinder lacks a clear scale or the numbers don't indicate the same grind size precisely enough. The following curve shows the deviation between two grinds. With the gray curve, we had the grinder perfectly adjusted. We then set the grinder to ristretto and then to café crème. Despite a precise marking, we failed to precisely reset the grinder to the original recipe. This initially isn't serious, but it means the coffee must be recalibrated each time. Recording recipes and flexibly switching between recipes becomes difficult.

The consistency of the ECM S-Automatik 64 over multiple shots shows larger fluctuations. Our target setting was 18 grams, but we had values between 16.9 and 19.1 grams over ten shots. That's a lot! Reliable grinding is no fun like this. Espresso drinkers with high standards are advised to reweigh the ground coffee amount before pulling the shot.

Ten shots with the ECM S-Automatik 64.

Despite all the challenges, it should be noted that the ECM S-Automatik 64 achieves an interesting particle distribution curve. It has – also in relation to other grinders – a relatively low fines content and has a solid main peak. In fact, when adjusting between espresso and ristretto, the grinder mainly regulates the grind size through the fines and remains quite consistent in the main peak.

The particle distribution curves shown here represent our measurements 4 - 7. 4 in gray is the re-adjusted espresso recipe. T5 green is the setting of a 1:1 ristretto at 25 seconds flow time. T6 in blue represents the setting of a café crème. T7 is the espresso recipe reset.

Conclusion on the ECM S-Automatik 64 Espresso Grinder

The ECM S-Automatik 64 leaves us torn between two conflicting feelings and impressions. While we rate it as good for espresso quality, the low noise level compared to other grinders is pleasant, and the operation overall makes a solid impression, other factors frustrate us. The large retention is a real argument against it. The consistency also leaves something to be desired and, like the fixed bean hopper, leads to frustration.

But it's clear: whoever learns to live with their ECM, knows the weaknesses and deals with them, has a good espresso grinder at home for espresso quality, and that's what matters in the end!

*We search for specialist partners who we know provide good work and excellent service. We are in close contact with the retailers. These are affiliate links. If you order through this link, it doesn't cost you more, but we receive a small commission that we invest in new testing equipment.