Hey there Asser! Thanks so much for featuring our C40 Nitro Blade on your channel and for your well balanced review :). I'm really happy that you love the flavour of the coffees you've brewed with your Comandante grinder -- both filter and espresso! We never intended for our Nitro Blade burr set to be the fastest burr out there. After all, what you gain in speed you often lose elsewhere. Our burr geometry has been optimised for an excellent bean thruput with a reduced crank torque and at the same time delivering the refined particle size distribution for the best possible brewing results - we love this holistic approach to grind performance, which is particularly key for manual grinding :). Sounds like you enjoyed your cup quality too :). We appreciate your comments about the design. I think you'll be happy to see a few things we have lined up for 2021 :). We do absolutely love the advanced polymer engine frame though, because it allows us to use food safe stainless steel rather than aluminium, and still keep the overall weight of the grinder down and with no loss of performance or stability. Great for those looking to travel with their C40 and brew wherever :). Thanks for your support and all the best from the team here in Munich! Joe

Sold off my comandante. I bought a JX pro for espresso, and a Q2 grinder with the money. Don’t really miss my comandante.

This is the first time I've seen anyone post actual data on uniformity. This is exactly what I'm looking for. I wish more people did this, otherwise it's all subjective eyeballing.

The prodigal son has returned

I purchased an 1ZPRESSO K-Plus a few months ago and honestly it’s phenomenal. The external numbers for grind adjustment make it an absolute breeze for switching between grind sizes. I also own the Niche Zero and if I’m being perfectly honest, I do prefer my K-Plus in regards to filter coffees. I prefer the niche for espresso. More so because hand grinding for espresso becomes a pain when you’re pulling several shots a day 🤣

Welcome back Asser. Glad to see you're back into the game again.

Comandante is working on a version with bigger burrs, Bernd Braune (the founder of Comandante) said the grind speed will be double while maintaining the grind quality. I'm crossing my fingers for a 2021 release.

Grinding speed is definitely important on a hand grinder if you want to use it for espresso. I can grind 20g for the Flair 58 on my 1zpresso K-plus in 30s, and 50s on my 1Zpresso JE-plus, but over a minute it gets really hard as you will get tired. I use hand grinders for everything, so I think I'm trained a little bit more than the average person, but it's definitely something to keep in mind. Having a slimmer grinder really helps, as you don't need to squeeze as hard to prevent it from slipping.

Usability is the whole reason I got the K-Plus, so I'm happy to hear that it has better usability. I personally don't have the palette or need for the slight improvement in taste that may come with the C40.

Great review! For all those reasons you mentioned in the video, I use C40 for pour-over, Niche Zero for espresso, and 1zpresso Q2 for travel (or work from office)

Many questions i had about the C40 were answered. The chart comparison of your tests of the grinders was very interesting, Thanks.

Great video! Worth the wait :). I am exactly the person you describe the Comandante to be for. I do mainly pour over now and have an electric grinder for my espresso. Just confirms I really want a Comandante. Also, the “ecosystem” is a huge plus for me. I think for more sustainable product use this is very important. It seems Comandante parts are easy to replace. Biggest downside at the moment seems to be general availability though.... it seems out of stock everywhere for over half a year now.

Nice video, just a little correction, "Comandate" is not about latin american revolution, is just commander in spanish, wich is just a military rank.

Been using comandante for 1 year, always produce great taste as long as i brewed good beans 🤣

Hi Asser, The problem (mentioned at 2:55) with beans getting stuck in the crevice of the handle insertion area isn't really a huge issue. Instead of "digging" the stuck bean(s) out, just cover the top of the C40 with your palm and give it a good upward jolt/shake. That'll easily dislodge any stuck bean(s). I have both JX and C40. I found that the C40 burrs generates less static. I get more coffee grounds sticking to the JX burrs after grinding, which is a bitch to clean as compared to C40.

As always, great and detailed video! I’ve had the 1ZPresso Jx for almost a year now thanks to you and I couldn’t be happier with it. As you well say, it’s well built, grinds really fast, and the grind quality it’s excellent, and of course, it’s half the price compared to the comandante;)

Thank you for the review. All points are professionally explained. I wish you continued success for you and your family

Of all the manual grinders you've used or tested, which do you prefer for pour over from a taste perspective? And thank you for your reviews. Very helpful.

I love how fact-oriented this is -- many thanks, very useful indeed!

Thanks for the update. Great thorough review, as always. 👍🏼

Thanks for the review! Helps me to figure out whether I should spend 4-5x more for the Comandante grinder!

Thanks for this video! There are surprisingly low amount of comparison of C40 to newer grinders out there. I'm a bit surprised though that you compare it to the JX and not the K-Plus/Pro, given those have the same price point as the C40. Although I assume more people interested in the JX because of the much better value.

Absolutely amazing review as always, I have a comandante but as u said with the click system is annoying if u dont remember your previous brew and the grind time, but the performance is excellent .

Some thoughts and notes: Really good video. I agree entirely about your thoughts on design, ergonomics, usability, and grind quality. I have talked to Comandante about its width and setting indicator system but they were adamant that it’s fine as it is. Grind quality wise, personally it’s still clearly better than the JX for the coffees and brew style I like (higher extraction light roast pour overs) but the JX is definitely very close and the C40 is no longer worth the price premium it has over the JX. It is also no longer the best. I’m fortunate to have tried the Zp6 and JS and both offer the same profile as the C40 with a slightly tighter distribution. The increment between the JS and C40 is smaller than the C40 and JX so it’s honestly not noticeable unless you are very familiar and dialed in with the units. It’s a shame 1Zpresso is firm about pushing the K Plus as their flagship instead of the units with a burr set/grinder that is in my opinion superior to the C40. Another note that I dislike is how Comandante counts their clicks not from the tightest setting but that their “zero” is from the first click where the handle does not fall when held horizontally. They have a video about this if you haven’t seen. Overall, again just a fantastic video which covers all the important points. The C40 is the gold standard and will likely remain so despite its flaws since there isn’t something that is all these: easily accessible, more attractive, and objectively better (even marginally so).

Another awesome review Asser! I’d have a last question: when it comes to espresso, flavour profile of JX and JX-Pro is identical, right ? Only difference is finer adjustments on the Pro. In this case, I understand that you prefer the C40 over the JX (Pro), when it comes to espresso taste. Am I right ? I remains super happy with my JX Pro :) and look forward to your next reviews !

Thanks for the review! :3 6:41 more fines? From the chart I would say more boulders, no? That's actually the coffee gear review video I was most looking forwards: Commandante vs JX

Been waiting for this for months! :) Think I'll wait for the new Ode revision then

Hey Asser, I just wanted to comment on the fact that I am quite frankly stunned by how much better the Comandante C40 Mk4 is over the JX. I say that because the JX was already such a HUGE step up from my Baratza Encore I expected the C40 to provide an incremental improvement (at best). The step up in pour over quality is not subtle. Granted I did a/b the two grinders using a locally roasted award winning Ethiopian.

The MK4 uses the same conical burr as MK3. The result looks identical. I don't really like the plastic container because it made more statics.

Great video! Would love to see your take on a review of the DF64

Used the C40 for years, traveled extensively with it and never broken a glass... For Espresso the Red Clixx is excellent.... As for it being too big and too slow... Never had any problems, you just need to put some muscle into it 😉

I got a JX pro because it was cheaper and allegedly just as good for quality and I've been happy with my purchase.

The MK4 is out, would love to know how it’ll stack up with the JX especially with speed🙏🏼

Hi Asser.. wow great video about C40. On the other side, I’ve read your full review about J-Max. In the article you mentioned that for espresso, JE series or C40 is better in terms of sweetness and depth of flavor than J-Max/JX/JX-Pro. Does it mean that JE/JE-Plus is on par with C40? If yes, I’m interested in JE because it’s cheaper and I’ll use it exclusively for espresso. Do you think the JE-Plus higher price is worth buying or better stick to JE? Please kindly advise. Thank you.

Best thing about 1zpresso is you can use electric drill on it to grind beans.

I have a comandante with the red clix mod, though I later got a Niche Zero because hand grinding for espresso with it is too tedious. When I get a bean stuck up in the top, I hold the glass jar to the bean chamber then shake side to side. If I could do it over again I would have bought a JX I do prefer my comandante to my niche for pourovers though, imo light roasts come out more sweet with a less sharp acidity

➡ *MORE details here* coffeechronicler.com/comandante-c40-review/

Thank you for your videos. Am i correct in understanding the JX pro is not worth it over the new JX? I'm between an 1zpresso and a commandante. it seems the commandante may not be worth twice the price. i think i may prefer going electric for that price.

Fair review, I am not sure I agree with you regarding issues counting each step, this isn't an issue I've had in the year I have been using it. Also, I don't find grinding difficult at all (espresso or pour-over), but this might be because I was previously using an old Orphan Espresso Lido 2 , which required much effort.

There's a new comer brand "Kingrinder" their highest of the series is K6, would love to hear your opinions for a comparison with Commandante. Thank you

Thanks for the review! What grinder would you recommend for milky drinks soy mainly (medium roasts) Comandante with red clix or kinu m47 or J-max only considering the flavours, ignoring grinding time etc etc..

I’d love to hear about the comparison for espresso between the Commandante with the 1zpresso JE Plus

Throw some brew burrs into the DF64!

What about "KINU M47", can you compare these two as well?

I have tried many grinders, and Comndante is one of the best. -It is very well build and you see where your money is going - it has (very very) sharp burrs that will last for years - quality of grind is to notch, for both pour and espresso.. compared to many grinders like the niche, 1Z, and the lagom. But it needs an upgrade: - smaller steps and clear numbers (like 1Z) from factory 30 micron per step is too big for espresso. - Larger burrs for the speed, k-plus is much faster and easier.

I’m glad I got the K-Plus.

How do you find your Zero-Point uf the Comandante? Do you start by turning the knob all the way down, till it stopped or till the point the handle can't move on its own?

Really enjoyed your review! Would you happen to have any reviews on Kalita Coffee hand grinders?

Will you review Flair Royal grinder and LIDO OG and include their grind analysis figures? It will be interesting to know how does Flair’s execution of Etzinger burr compare to LIDO OG. BTW, I so happen own both Jx and C40, i agree every words you said. This type of review is very informative and useful. Thanks for the great work!

JX all the way (if you need a reliable, affordable hand grinder)

Thank you, helpful video. Especially your assessments and the close ups. Are you saying it becomes physically harder, need to use more force, when grinding at an espresso setting on the Comandante? Or just that it's more work because it goes more slowly and takes longer? I'm leaning toward the Comandante. I'm chasing coffee that tastes as good as it smells. Can the Commandante get me there? Even for the Flair 58? How much extra would I have to spend, which machine grinders would you suggest, to give as good or noticably better flavor in the cup, as the Comandante? Both pourover, usually Clever Dripper, and eventually I hope the Flair 58. (The Wilfa's grind distribution looks to be a massive improvement over the Comandante, right? Does the taste live up to that? But is Wilfa only for Pourover? Thanks again!

Did you compare the comandante to the old 2020 version of the k plus with the old burrs, or the newer version of the k plus? How does the newer version of the k plus stack up to the comandante for espresso and filter?

Thanks for the thorough review. I’m in the market for a manual grinder. Currently I use a Baratza Encore and it serves me really well from all aspects. I only wish I had a more tactile experience of manually grinding my beans and smelling the aroma in the morning. The biggest issue with manual grinding for me is that it has to have smooth motion and I don’t want the beans to catch while I’m turning the crank. I saw from your side-by-side demonstration with the 1zpresso that the commandante action was not smooth and the turning was stopped 5-6 times on random occasions whereas the 1zpresso never caught on a bean even a single time. I have used a porlex grinder before and it catches on beans all the time and the shiny steel exterior is quite slippery so I have to maintan a very tight grip as I turn the crank and that is unappealing for me. I can try the porlex with some grippy gloves from home depot but the thing will still catch often as it has ceramic burrs, not sure how sharp either. I’m thinking about getting the Kinu but have second thoughts about the weight of the thing and the price. At some point I want to grind some fine powder with it to make turkish coffee but for everyday use I’ll probably want to grind for a pour-over hario setup or a moka pot. Thanks again for the review.

The one thing I don't like about some of these grinders is that the handle doesn't cam down onto the shaft, so it can wobble, esp. when dealing with super hard beans like some Yemenis. The B-Plus handle has a set screw that makes the unit solid, at the cost of some popcorning. I think if the C-40 handle simply had a 1/2 or even 1/4 turn heavy thread so turning it made it grip the shaft harder, it would be an improvement.

Jeg er vild med dine videoer, ganske informative. Jeg købte en JX pro efter din anbefaling. Men jeg overvejede at købe 1ZPresso JE Plus som er deres espresso-fokuserede grinder. Jeg er rigtig glad for JX Pro, men jeg synes det er lidt træls og tidskrævende hver gang jeg skal børste kaffe resterne ud af grinderen. Har du nogen erfaring med JE Plus? jeg har ikke haft held med at finde nogle gode video reviews.

I was actually stuck between the C40 and JX Pro. I decided on the JX Pro because I honestly don't think the C40 can be 2x better when it comes to cost. I also have been using a Lido E for just over a year now with great results. The JX Pro tends to lock up a little on light roasts vs the E but i'm hoping the burrs need to be seasoned and will get better over time. I like the design better on the JX PRO vs the E. The Pro is more compact with same burr size as lido and there is near zero retention. I like the shorter arm on the E and feels like its easier to grind but then again i've been using it for more than a year and am probably just used to it. I can see that on the JX Pro it should grinder easier because of the longer arm so there will be more leverage, but haven't done back to back grinding to see which is actually faster, yet.

I went here because I found Wilfa uniform unnecessary for me and now you tell me it is best when modded. Not making this easier for me! The commandante is out of question for me as it almost same price of Wilfa Uniform and 80$ more compared to 1Zpresso JX-pro... but do i want now Uniform for 370$ or JX-pro for 240$ (commandante is around 310$/ ? Oh boy this is tough

I have an aergrind that lives in my office at work and I recently purchased a Comandante in case I want to drink coffee from my Aeropress or Hario Switch at home instead of the fully automatic machine I normally use - it's good to have various options 😜. Unfortunately, I am one of those people with small hands and struggle to hold the Comandante especially when grinding brighter roasts. The Aergrind definitely fits my hand better. And there are several things that upset me with the C40, yesterday the grounds catcher got stuck to the grinder, even my father as a man struggled to unscrew it, the issue with smaller beans that end up sticking in the gap where you lock in the handle is also annoying. So I'm not entirely happy with this grinder. I'm thinking about buying a Timemore Slim+ despite the worse grind quality, but I wonder if that magnetic knob will have the tendency to fall off during the grind - and the Comandante, which I'm going to keep anyway, was expensive enough, of course.

hello. will you keep the comandante c40 or prefer the JX ?

Have you any interest in the 1Zpresso JS series? It isn't available internationally anymore but some sifting tests have shown the tightest distribution of all the 1Zpresso grinders (and the Comandante). They made a version called the ZP6 which had the JS burs and a three pronged support rather than 2 and I can only assume greater stability and even tighter distribution.

What would be a good grinder mostly for espresso, moka and aeropress? I was thinking the kinu simplicity, commandante also good, any alternative?

Wow. This experience was pretty Danish... 😃 But a nice review though. I have had my eyes on the Comandante for a while and might pull the plug, as I'm mostly an Aeropresser 😃 God dag ;-)

Still love it. This is THE manual grinder that u need to pull the best out from coffee 🤤

So.... how well does the Comandante measure up against the Kinu M47?

Nicely done.

How come no Kinu review yet?

DF64 and wifa are flat burrs and I don't see how this can be fair to compare grind distribution to a hand conical burr grinder.

Would not change my 1Zpresso Kplus

Has anyone investigated KINGrinder hand grinders? Seems they're only easily available in Asia right now. The K4/K6 models seem comparable to the 1Zpresso JX-Pro and K-Plus.

Got already C40/JX/DF64 and Q2 with C40 like burrs on its way to compare, and as far as I can tell c40 tastes better compare to JX(in pour overs, for espresso i like flat DF64 more than any of those), but since its not that big difference and JX grinds 2 times faster, on a bussines trip im taking JX with aeropress, great combo.

If 1 click changes the brew by 10 seconds, that's too course of adjustment. That's like swinging from way under extracted to overextracted. Shouldn't have to buy an additional kit just for more adjustment.

What about the new Timemore Chestnut X? With expresso burr and two adjustments. Anybody tested it?

How can you get good flavour without any variation in grind? I use very cheap timemore that has similar clicks to it. And only one setting is good for a coffee of particular roast. Vary to dark to light and you get 3 clicks max. But for each coffee you get only one click. Shift one click and you cannot brew espresso at all (too watery or too oily). And I have tested lots for espresso ... Err actually ristroto and thousands times better than Starbucks for reference. Here is the hint: you need at least 5 clicks for a roast. Otherwise just drop it. And I doubt any of youtubers know enough about espresso otherwise they would all be millionaires by now by opening a coffee shop. Ps: I am opening one.

Is your DF64 with the regular burr set?

Please review Timemore Chestnut X!

As a commie, myself, I appreciate the name

For You, which one is better? Comandante or 1zpresso Q2?

DF64 SSP burr vid ?

2021- lets review manual grinders

Ahhhh… sweet acidity

Total danglish dér, kaffemester

Why bother with a manual grinder when for 60-70 bucks more (well at least where I live) you can find a Eureka Mignon with absolutely mental performance for its price? Ah yes. Trends.

i think speed test is rubbish. Straight away i can see movement of your hand is much faster on 1zpresso