Ceado REV Series Grinders Review and Comparison

Over the last five years, Ceado has leaned heavily into the development of single-dosing, zero-retention, and all-purpose grinders. Starting with their SD variants of popular grinders like the E37S that emerged when single-dosing first entered the home brewing lexicon to the criminally under-sung Life X and the cutting edge Z-Barista grinder. After the all-purpose E6C Chameleon dropped earlier this year, Ceado’s single-dose cred was pretty irrefutable, but at the same time another popular style of grinder was still absent (perhaps conspicuously so) from their lineup). It was time for a Ceado grind-by-weight grinder.

I’ve known about the Ceado REV series grinders for quite some time now and keeping a lid on my excitement has been pretty tough. But now that the REV is here and available at Whole Latte Love, I’m able to share my thoughts on the new REV Steel and REV Titan grinders, Ceado’s WAM (weight adjustment module) technology, and shed some light on some of the other steps forward that Ceado has taken with these grinders.

Steel vs. Titan

Before we delve too deep, let’s cover the basics when it comes to the two available REV grinders, the Steel and the Titan. In terms of features, these grinders have far more in common than what sets them apart, so I’ll focus solely on the differences here and everything else you read after this can be applied to both of them. I made a table for you that highlights all the meaningful differences below, but to sum things up, the REV Titan has a bigger motor, titanium coated flat steel burrs, and a faster grinding speed than the REV Steel. The Steel’s key difference from the Titan is that it comes standard with an NSF certification which may or may not matter to you based on where you’re using it.

Core Features

The REV series grinders have a lot going on, so we'll start with the main features that elevate these grinders above their peers.

WAM (Weight Adjustment Module)

The key feature that separates the REV series from any of Ceado’s other grinders is its ability to grind by weight via Ceado’s all-new WAM or Weight Adjustment Module. Like the Eureka Atom W series or the GbW grinders from Mahlkonig, the WAM is a heavy duty and adjustable portafilter holder with a built-in scale that tares the weight of your portafilter before grinding.

Up to three unique weight (or time) based doses can be programmed into the REV with a fourth manual grinding option available as well. When programming by weight, each dose can be set within 0.1g and there are two operating modes to choose from. In the default mode, you simply select your desired dose by tapping it on the screen (this dose will stay selected for subsequent shots). Then simply place your portafilter into the WAM and the REV will automatically tare the portafilter and begin grinding. The optional second mode known as “PFA Bypass” or “Portafilter Activation Bypass” allows you to place your portafilter into the WAM but manually select your desired dose by tapping it on the screen in order to begin grinding.

Something I find particularly interesting is that Ceado designed the WAM as an entirely optional feature and the REV grinders can be purchased without it at a discount. That said, the grinders were built from the ground up to have a scale connected. The programming menu has an option for it and there’s a serial cable tucked behind the removable front panel that connects the WAM to the grinder. This means that you can buy a REV and grind by time to start and later upgrade down the line as needed or desired.

Grinding Without WAM

On the versions of the REV without the WAM installed, the grinder is equipped with Ceado’s signature start switch that activates the motor when pressed with the portafilter. On non-WAM models, the REV offers three distinct operating modes using time based grinding in conjunction with the touchscreen and smart switch. “There is a PFA Bypass” option like the WAM model has, which involves placing your portafilter and then selecting your dose via the touchscreen with option to pause and resume as desired. The other two modes involve grinding via the smart switch. You can either select your desired dose and then grind by pressing and holding the start switch with a portafilter in a mode known as “Pre-selected,” releasing to stop a dose mid grind. The second mode called “Click start” has you press the start switch from 1-3 times with portafilter in order to select the corresponding dose (one press for single, two for double, three for triple).

Digital Grind Positioning

While the WAM is likely to be the feature that people are most keen on with the REV series, something that I’ve come to really love is what Ceado refers to as the “Advanced Leveling Intelligent Grinding Nexus” or “ALIGN.” In layman’s terms this refers to a new digital burr positioning interface that digitally tracks the position of the burrs on a scale from 0 to 10. The current burr position is always visible at the top of the touchscreen, represented by a small blue burrs icon and the numeric position to the nearest 0.1.

By tapping the icon or making an adjustment to your grind size you will be taken to the grind adjustment menu where you view your burr position on the 0 to 10 scale that I just mentioned. More importantly though is the small thumbtack icon directly below the scale. When you tap it, the REV will “put a pin” in your current burr position, so when you make adjustments to your grind, finer or coarser, a small marker remains on the scale as a point of reference for you to return to.

The marriage of stepless grind adjustment with a digital representation of your current burr position is a true step forward in my opinion. It’s something that was implemented with Baratza’s Encore ESP Pro grinder and Eureka's upcoming Mignon Specialita Smart, but it truly feels like I'm living in the future to experience it on prosumer and commercial grade grinders. The REV being an espresso focused grinder truly benefits from the ability to precisely track movement throughout the day as minute changes and course corrections are made to keep your shots tasting their best.

Personalization

With the new interface and controls on the REV comes new opportunities to customize. The main display can be set with any combination of the A, B, C or manual dosing options, and more importantly, you can choose between one of FOUR different grinding light colors including white, amber, blue and purple.

Grinding with the REV

Having used the REV Steel and Titan, and both with and without WAM, my overall impression of the grinders was very positive. The coffee dispensed was fluffy and clump free. When adjusted properly, the portafilter holder permits hands-free grinding for both weight and time based grinding and the grounds themselves dispense evenly and without static into the center of the portafilter.

Speed wise the Titan is a little bit faster but when the baseline is set at 5g/sec, speed isn't something you really notice that much. Compared to smaller home grinders however, the REVs feel more F1 racecars. Because the coffee is so fluffy, we found that a dosing funnel was helpful when grinding doses that pushed the limit of our baskets and in particular the Wiedemann Mignon style dosing funnel allowed the portafilter to be held in place by the adjustable arm while still keeping grounds from falling out of the basket.

My preferred mode of grinding between both the WAM and non-WAM grinders was "pre-selected." On WAM you simply choose your dose and place the portafilter into the cradle and it grinds automatically. It's basically the same thing on the time based grinder, select your dose and put the portafilter in, the key difference is that grinding is engaged by the smart switch. In my opinion, the other modes just aren't as intuitive, but they're still there for anyone who prefers them. The only other thing that really stuck out to me was that manual grinding was operated via the touchscreen so you have to tap the icon with your finger, even on the non-WAM model which has the start switch.

Build Quality and Design

The REV sports a fresh asymmetrical design that sets it apart from the rest of the grinders in Ceado’s catalog. The main body of the grinder is a 6.5” square tower with rounded edges made from aluminum and powder coated in black. The asymmetry comes from the off center touchscreen which is framed by a milled aluminum frame that wraps around the left side. On the right of the screen, the grind adjustment knob is clean but prominent, with aluminum backing and the Ceado logo. Side by side, the REV Steel and REV Titan look identical, save for their height, with the Steel measuring 19” tall while the Titan looms at 20.5”. 

Easy Cleaning

Similar to Eureka’s Mignon and Atom series grinders, the REV series grinders utilize stepless adjustment that moves the bottom burr. This is a departure from the E37 series design which features an adjustable top burr attached to a fully removable assembly, but the REV can still be opened up for maintenance without losing your grind setting. It’s also incredibly simple to do, with the top burr being secured by three easily accessible Phillips head screws just like the an E37.

To clear out retained coffee, the grinds chute is held in place by and easily accessible screw and can be removed, cleaned and re-installed in minutes. 

Heat Mitigation

In several of Ceado’s past grinders as well as those from other manufacturers, fans have been used in order to cool the motor and burrs to prevent heat transfer while grinding coffee. The fan can be set to one of three speeds and activates automatically based on the number of grind cycles within an hour, so don’t be surprised if they kick on during operation. Both versions of the REV grinder feature fan cooled motors, but they are also equipped with a newly designed and in-house manufactured 2.5 kg heat sink to absorb and disperse heat generated by the motor. The burrs are also separate from the motor via an insulated shaft in order to further reduce heat transfer the burrs and ultimately the ground coffee.

Ceado also designed a new airflow path for the fan that draws air in through a vent on the back of the housing. The vent features a removable cover and air filter. As part of regular maintenance, the REV will alert you to clean the air filter after a set period of time to ensure proper functioning.

Steady Lock

Ceado’s “Steady Lock” is a counteracting system that is designed to neutralize the effect of thermal expansion. Components within the motor are engineered to expand in the opposite direction of the burrs in order to prevent grind size from changing or drifting even during heavy operation. When coupled with the significant temperature management implemented on the REV, these grinders offer the greatest grind size stability of any Ceado model under high volume use.

The REV Series vs. the E37 Series

Truth be told, not every feature of the REV grinders is entirely brand new and that's to be expected. Ceado's other major series of prosumer and commercial grinders, the E37 series (named after the birthday of Ceado founder Egidio Girardi) paved the way for the innovation and performance that define the REV series grinders. That said, the new name was a deliberate choice and I want to spend some time comparing the two model series to highlight the similarities and differences between the REV grinders and the E37 series grinders. To that end, I’ve put together a table that compares the features of both series.

Final Thoughts

It’s hard not to be impressed by the Ceado Rev. From a features standpoint, they’re flexible, powerful and accurate. As a weight based grinder, Ceado nailed it, but there’s so much more to it. I mentioned it earlier, but this grinder really feels like it comes from the future. The ability to digitally track burr position adds much more clarity to stepless adjustment in a way that I didn’t realize I had ever really wanted. They’re also fast, easy to clean, the coffee is so fluffy and the controls are super-intuitive. All that’s left to say really is “happy grinding.”

Photography and Graphics by Grace Walker and Elley Ellison

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