Eric Mann

Unboxing a massive footprint The Levercraft Ultra is a striking, industrial beast of a machine that demands significant counter real estate. Unlike sleek, integrated units, this system splits its components into the main grinder, a separate controller box, and a bulky power supply. While the red accents and high-tolerance build quality feel premium, the sheer volume of equipment makes it a difficult sell for space-constrained home kitchens. If you aren't prepared to drill holes in your bench to hide the cabling, you're looking at a cluttered workspace. Giant burrs and technical innovation At its heart, the Ultra utilizes monstrous 98mm blind burrs—meaning they lack the screw holes found in traditional designs. This puts it in direct competition with heavyweights like the Mahlkönig EK43 and Monolith Flat MAX. Levercraft introduces RPM profiling, allowing users to program speed ramps. While variable RPM up to 2,500 is impressive, the practical utility of profiling remains niche, perhaps most useful for "blasting out" retained grounds at the end of a cycle rather than drastically altering flavor physics. Practical workflow and daily annoyances Daily operation reveals a mixed bag. The grinder is shockingly quiet, a rare feat for such a powerful motor. The included magnetic dosing ring and bellows-integrated funnel are masterclasses in clever accessory design. However, the external design features a heat-sink style motor housing that acts as a magnet for dust and coffee particles, making it frustrating to keep clean. Furthermore, accessing the burr chamber for deep cleaning is a stressful, multi-bolt procedure that lacks the elegance of the Lagan P64 or the Weber Workshops EG-1. High-clarity flavor profile The taste performance leans heavily toward the unimodal style preferred by modern espresso enthusiasts. Expect high clarity, intense sweetness, and exceptional balance, though often at the cost of traditional syrupy texture. While it primarily targets the espresso market with its portafilter fork design, it produces excellent filter coffee if you don't mind the lack of a dedicated dosing cup. At $2,600, it sits as a mid-range contender in the ultra-high-end market, delivering elite performance for those with the space to house it.