great article. nevertheless I am still confused if to take the k-ultra or the zp6. I mostly drink filter and most of the time ethiopia and kenia, mostly washed and some naturals. Also colombia and cost rica.I had own a comandante c40 mk4 and I don not know which of the 1zpresso would give me a worthy upgrade

What do you mean by high extraction?

Thanks for sharing! I agree, can't beat the UX of the Ultra.

@@coffeechronicler From C40 to K-max and happy dude here :)

Hey would you also buy the X-Pro and ZP6? In this video, Asser said that they have different "tuning" for particular coffees so each grinder has their best cases

@@sriwahyanibudianingsih1534 Me? No, I will not buy the X-Pro or ZP6. I drink quite a bit of medium roasted coffee and from what I've read and heard, the ZP6 is mostly suggested and considered really great for (very) light roasted coffees. It is also hardly available around here and costs more than the K-Ultra. For the X-Pro, I just don't really see the point to get it since I own the Ultra already. Maybe if I start traveling a lot and the Ultra would be too heavy/bulky to move around.

I switched from my 5 years old c40 to new k ultra. Made side by side cupping test today. And c40 had better flavour, k ultra was a bit muted. Do you think it will get better after seasoning?

they actually have a retain location? i regularly travel to Taiwan but didnt know this

Thanks for the kind words! And sorry about the audio - I tried to edit the audio in a separate app, so that's probably why the levels got mixed up.

@@coffeechronicler I have some appreciation of the struggles with audio - I produce CDs for a local dancing school to use for performances in professional theatres. Thankfully, I don't have to go anywhere near video editing 😉😀

Yup, different but still very similar. But this just goes to show that burrs can be unpredictable sometimes.

if i use rok esspreso machine (non electric) is it good grinder? and how the durability? iwant to buy my 1st grinder, and worried if k ultra will break after 2month of use

@@stephanuswidjaja105the K ultra is not gonna break for a very long time. It is very sturdy and it chokes out the bambino espresso machine at setting 3. So it can 100% grind as fine as any espresso machine will need. I recommend the K ultra unless your only going to grind beans for espresso . Then you might check out the J Ultra, it is meant for espresso only. The K ultra does espresso and pour over grind sizes.

It would be if you're brewing lighter roasts at a 1:16.6 ratio or higher. At lower extractions with more developed roasts it would be harder to tell the difference.

K is more suited to filter/french press due to the larger increments of clicks. The J is more suited to dialling in espresso but is more than capable of french press grind.. it’s just a matter of having to use more “clicks” to dial in the filter coffee. Slight changes with the burr for the J to get more fines for espresso, all in all I’m swaying more towards the J-Ultra personally.

Thank you for your kind words, Mark. It means a lot, especially coming from the guy who played a key role in the ZP6 revival!

@@coffeechronicler I'm just happy people around the world are enjoying what I was enjoying. I now hope they release the KS to really bring it to the 'affordable' bracket

As an audiophile who has gone down the coffee rabbit hole.. I appreciate this review. :) K Ultra it is for me. 😊

Yo! I have the C3 for pour over and K6 for espresso. I love seeing people with our set up!

I have a C3 Pro, Jx-pro and Zp6. If you have the right water, they will taste hugely different. At least to my toungue. C3 has much less clarity, medium body and a lot of astringentcy, JX Pro has good clarity and big body while zp6 has medium-thin body, excellent clarity and no bitterness. But this is all in filter context.

This is not an unexpected conclusion. Concentration, extraction percentage, roast, and water all play a massive role if you want to tease out the small differences. I know a guy who won an international AeroPress competition with the C2, so it's not a bad grinder given the right circumstances.

Okay, I have an ESP now and it threw me for a loop. The shots taste way different than either of my hand grinders. More body, by a lot and significantly more astringency. It doesn't make a bad shot and it is way more convenient but I now apricate the value that my hand grinders offer more than I did before. I don't have the best palate in the world, so this has been quite eye opening for me. I know it isn't related to these grinders but at least now I think I have a better understanding of where people are coming from when they make comparisons. I think for experiments sake I am going to have to do a blind taste test at home, lol.

Haven't tried Apollo, only other grinders with the same burr (Kinu, 1zpresso Je) My guess is there will be a trade off with body/clarity and Apollo will make sweeter espresso, but more blended drip coffee.

Not necessarily, just wouldn't get ZP6 unless very dedicated to pour over with light roast single origin. X Pro and K are solid all-rounders.

I have the same exact question so hope you reply me if got an answer

@@baghdadlibrary9047 start from 6 and see. Its usually between 6 to 7

Do you grind light roasts? They are tough to grind with the K-Max as well.

Get an electric grinder and if u drink filter you can just upgrade the jmax to zp6. The $350 electric grinder matket has a ton of good options.

Eureka filtro with an on/off power switch replacement, bellows hopper, and aftermarket dial replacement. I've owned a niche zero in the past and don't think it's much better than this setup

The J-Max is a bit wider/heavier, and the balance is not as good as Ultra or Max. So I find the latter ones way more comfortable to grind with. But if you're already tired of hand-grinding espresso, then it's probably worth thinking about going electric.

@@BatPotatoes That must be with the old espresso-focused burr, right? How difficult is it to install the switch replacement?

Thanks! Yes, both are substantial upgrades. I'd only go for ZP6 if you're exclusively drinking very light roasts - for light and medium-light K Ultra is a bit more versatile.

K-Ultra and X Pro are more suited for brews with body and texture

It's a good question. I'm no coffee expert at all, but I would guess its about the level of uniformity (high end grinders can all have good uniformity, but still differ to what degree of uniformity they have). And yes, I think the particle shape also matters, because it effects the surface area. But thats just my guess 🙂

Thanks! I did an april's fool prank about coffee bean oil and think that's the only time I have ever mentioned it. Sorry about that:)

Lol… thank you for the quick reply. I did pick up the K-Ultra recently on Amazon. I ordered in the morning and had the grinder on my door step before the end of the day. I’ve been watching your Chanel a little of a year now and the content has stepped up my coffee game dramatically. My morning coffee is very important to me…thank you again for all the great content. Btw- I really did enjoy the speaker / grinder comparisons - that was priceless.

I have tried it, but the UX/price is just a deal breaker for me. Feels like Lido 3 and Handground had a baby. Not a good combo lol. If I was after something of that type I would 100% go for zp6 or a used Ode with SSP burrs.

I will need to test it. Got a lot of questions about it. My guess is that it will be almost on par, but perhaps with some quality/longevity issues down the line.

I sold my C40 a while ago, so no direct comparison but at least as good flavor-wise. Everything about UX is better.

They would be the most similar when it comes to sweetness, balance, and acidity. But K Ultra has more clarity and elegance in the aftertaste. ZP6 special would be the noticeable standout if only talking about clarity.

I usually grind around 2.6. Medium/dark roast will take a bit of work, but light can be very tough. After some time your body mechanics will get used to the movement, and it will feel easier. But it is like a small workout :)

I'd have to more testing to be entirely conclusive, but will say that X-Pro is a smidge sharper in terms of taste and that the microns difference doesn't really come into play, because 20 is still fine.

Depends on your definition of "properly calibrated" :) There are two ways to calibrate - put the zero at the tightest possible setting (no more clicks possible without applying excessive force), or put the zero at the setting when the handle starts turning with resistance (a few more clicks past 0 are possible). Both can be a bit subjective, depending on your strength and sensitivity, but as long as you pick one way and stick to it, you should get consistent result. If doing things the way 1Zpresso recommends, you should put the 0 at the point when the handle starts turning with resistance. How much resistance, though? It's not an on/off switch... A good tip that I found in one reddit discussion: hold the grinder sideways and rotate the body. The right calibration setting is when the handle falls down by gravity alone at 0.1, but doesn't at 0.0. Calibrated like this, it's still possible to rotate the adjusting ring 2-3 extra clicks past 0. When I calibrated mine this way, I got the same result as my unit was from the factory. Check 1Zpresso's notes about "zero point" in the manual: 1zpresso.coffee/manual-kultra-en/ In the end it doesn't matter much, as long as you can set your 0 consistently, your personal grind settings should remain valid after each time you do the calibration. We can't guarantee that each unit comes from the factory calibrated in exactly the same way, so next time you get a new grinder, get to know it before your first brew. Disassemble the whole thing, find out how it's built, then reassemble and calibrate it. Only then start dialing in your grind settings.

Zp6 doesn't work for espresso. I'd go for K Ultra or Max for multipurpose 👍

Thanks Shinapat! I think Jx Pro is only good for medium-dark and up espresso, so the Ultra would be a step up in that regard. I'm not sure how much better the Aeropress would taste, though.

Thank you for your reply! That explains why my coffee is slightly bitter when I want to push the extraction of the light roasted beans. I think I should start saving for the new gear lol.

Can't go wrong with either. X-Pro is almost too cheap.

@@coffeechronicler yeah I got it on Prime day for only $120...but I really wanted that magnetic catch cup 😆

@@mikepanton Don't look now (at the X-Ultra) 😬

@@benadlin 🤦🏻‍♂️ if I paid full price, I'd be pretty upset about that 😅

The taste will be quite similar, but the UX is nicer on K-Ultra

@@coffeechroniclerso please do you prefer the k-max or the k-ultra?

Only tried it once. For me it's simply too awkward for daily use.

They're the same level, just better UX on K Ultra

Stay tuned😉

@@coffeechroniclercan’t wait ❤

@coffeechronicler would appreciate a comparison to the JE-Plus as well!

There was missing a "NO" in that sentence - not sure how I missed that during upload, but it's fixed now. 1Zpresso has never tried to influence my reviews. There are quite a few other brands that will send out a list of talking points and suggestions for comparisons, or try to assert influence in other ways, but 1zpresso is not one of them. It's actually for that reason I have a document that brands must agree to before sending review units. It's up to you if you decide what you trust or not, but my channel/blog gives plenty of criticism - also to 1Zpresso. For example, I didn't give a particularly good review to the most recent X Ultra. If you find my blog post, you'll see that I prefer the old X Pro.

@@coffeechronicler Thank you for clarifying. I wish I had been more charitable and asked you whether it was a mistake. In any case, I am happy it was a mistake. Editing my own writing is a nightmare so I understand.

Copyright law is a highly complex topic, where there's a blurry line between inspiration and copies. Every company builds on the work of its predecessors, and that's good as long as it's not a rip-off. This is ALSO true for Comandante. Take a look at the burrs they used in their MK1 and MK2 grinders. Hardly their own design. What about SSP burrs? It would be a boring coffee world without Cast and MP's. They might be close to Mahlkonig's and Ditting's design, but we would never have the same burrs in 64 mm size if SSP didn't make them. K Ultra's burrs are different to the Nitro blades (grind a lot faster) and don't have any mention of nitro steel or similar things, so I see no problem.

@@coffeechronicler There's certainly a legal battle going on so I'll leave those arguments to the lawyers. As far as the K-series burr designs go, one would have to be blind to ignore the similarities. I can't support a company like that .