My five-grinder comparison: why I chose the Comandante C40

Timmy’s comparison

The contenders: Comandante C40; 1Zpresso K-Ultra and ZP6; TIMEMORE Chestnut X; and MAVO Phantox Pro.

First, handling and feel. I personally preferred the TIMEMORE Chestnut X, for the following reasons:

1. Magnetic-cup stability and convenience: The 1Zpresso K-Ultra also has a magnetic cup, but attaching it directly for grinding can sometimes feel unstable. On my Chestnut X setup, I turn the cup half a turn before it attaches magnetically; that feels convenient and stable.

   I tried an external magnetic attachment on the Comandante, but it could also be unstable, like the K-Ultra. The Comandante is shorter than the others, so the catch cup is easy to bump while grinding.

2. Fine grounds sticking to the grinder: I’m not sure what coating TIMEMORE uses, but fine grounds hardly stick to the Chestnut X, making it the easiest to clean. The Comandante is next; the 1Zpresso grinders and Phantox are less convenient for fine grounds, so I often need to use a brush.
3. Grip: The Comandante’s wooden grip feels best, followed by the leather-like texture on the 1Zpresso. The leather-like surface on my Chestnut X setup feels good, but I sometimes touch the scratchy hook-and-loop material, which I like less. The Phantox’s all-metal feel is the least comfortable.

The Comandante’s wood-grain grip really impressed me, but it still lost out in my overall handling assessment.

Next, coffee flavor. My ranking was Comandante > 1Zpresso K-Ultra > TIMEMORE Chestnut X > 1Zpresso ZP6 > MAVO Phantox Pro.

I like bright, clear-tasting coffee that preserves more aromatic detail. The top three were all reasonably close to what I enjoy. Under the same conditions, the ZP6 and Phantox tasted richer, which suited me less.

The Comandante is certainly the most expensive of the group. Compared with the other two grinders, it brought out an extra sweetness in the finish, even though they all had detail. At first I thought I was imagining it, but I tried different beans and got the same result. I couldn’t write the chemistry of it if you asked me, but the Comandante surprised me.

If I could keep only one of the five, I’d choose the Comandante without hesitation. Coffee flavor matters most to me.