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Reviews & Guides · Kitchen & Dining

My C40, X lite and VS3 sieve chart: approximate settings

Reviewed: Varia VS3, TIMEMORE Chestnut X lite, Comandante C40Regional reference: Varia VS3 (United States); TIMEMORE Chestnut X lite (United States); TIMEMORE Sculptor series (United States); MAVO Wizard 1.0 (Historical manufacturer reference); Comandante C40 (United States and Europe through manufacturer-listed dealers); TIMEMORE C3s/C3 (source combined row) (United States)

I used coffee sieves to compare my grinders and compiled approximate espresso and pour-over setting references, with C40 as the chart’s benchmark.

A title collage of cut-out grinder images labels the Sculptor, MAVO Wizard, HERO Z3, HERO Z7, C40, X lite, C3s, Varia VS3, 比乐蒂 Mino and Coffee Plus 精灵. The Chinese headline presents combined grinder-setting reference data.
A grinder-setting table uses C40 as its reference. In espresso / light-roast pour-over / dark-roast pour-over order, it reports C40 8/26/32; TIMEMORE X lite 1.5/12/16; TIMEMORE Sculptor 0.5/9.5/13; Mavo Wizard 6/21/27; 比乐蒂 mino 5/15/20; HERO Z3 9/30/36; HERO Z7 10/30/37; TIMEMORE C3s/C3 7/15/18; Varia VS3 4/10/12.5; and Coffee plus 精灵 2/8/10. The header labels the entries as setting marks; per-grinder counting and zero conventions are unreported.
  1. Grind settings in each column of the chart in Image 2 are approximately equivalent.
  2. So far, I’ve collected grind settings for espresso with medium-dark roasts, pour-over with light roasts, and pour-over with dark roasts.
  3. I only have a limited number of grinders. I’d be very happy if you shared additions.

Many people who are new to coffee judge grind size by eye or compare it with the texture of granulated sugar. Neither method is very accurate.

I used standard coffee sieves to analyze the grind settings on the grinders I currently own. The method has limitations, but I think it’s at least more accurate than judging by eye.

Source: 爱喝咖啡的猫叔叔 · Xiaohongshu · 2024-02-07 · 磨豆机研磨度统一表 年度总结（二）. Search this Chinese title in Xiaohongshu to find the original post.

Before You Buy

Models in your region

The chart records one author’s approximate comparison across the grinders they had available, using C40 as the reference in its table. The model relationships below identify the named regional counterparts.

Model in this review Related regional model What to know
Varia VS3 Varia VS3 (United States) The US product is directly named Varia VS3. The source chart does not identify its generation or fitted burr.
TIMEMORE Chestnut X lite TIMEMORE Chestnut X lite (United States) The US counterpart is Chestnut X lite, a distinct model from Chestnut X.
TIMEMORE Sculptor series (variant unspecified) TIMEMORE Sculptor series (United States) The US Sculptor family is established, but the source SKU is unspecified. That matters because the 078 is stepped, while the 064S and 078S are stepless.
MAVO Wizard 1.0 MAVO Wizard 1.0 (Historical manufacturer reference) Author comments identify Wizard 1.0, which MAVO’s own history names. Its exact historic US/EU counterpart is unconfirmed; current Wizard 2.0 is a later version, not an established equivalent scale.
Comandante C40 Comandante C40 (United States and Europe through manufacturer-listed dealers) The plain C40 family is established through US and European manufacturer-listed dealers. The source chart does not identify its generation or click mechanism.
TIMEMORE C3s/C3 (source combined row) TIMEMORE C3s/C3 (source combined row) (United States) The US catalog lists both C3s and C3, matching the chart’s combined label. The source gives one shared row, not separate calibration results for each model.
Model in this review
Varia VS3
Related regional model
Varia VS3 (United States)
What to know
The US product is directly named Varia VS3. The source chart does not identify its generation or fitted burr.
Model in this review
TIMEMORE Chestnut X lite
Related regional model
TIMEMORE Chestnut X lite (United States)
What to know
The US counterpart is Chestnut X lite, a distinct model from Chestnut X.
Model in this review
TIMEMORE Sculptor series (variant unspecified)
Related regional model
TIMEMORE Sculptor series (United States)
What to know
The US Sculptor family is established, but the source SKU is unspecified. That matters because the 078 is stepped, while the 064S and 078S are stepless.
Model in this review
MAVO Wizard 1.0
Related regional model
MAVO Wizard 1.0 (Historical manufacturer reference)
What to know
Author comments identify Wizard 1.0, which MAVO’s own history names. Its exact historic US/EU counterpart is unconfirmed; current Wizard 2.0 is a later version, not an established equivalent scale.
Model in this review
Comandante C40
Related regional model
Comandante C40 (United States and Europe through manufacturer-listed dealers)
What to know
The plain C40 family is established through US and European manufacturer-listed dealers. The source chart does not identify its generation or click mechanism.
Model in this review
TIMEMORE C3s/C3 (source combined row)
Related regional model
TIMEMORE C3s/C3 (source combined row) (United States)
What to know
The US catalog lists both C3s and C3, matching the chart’s combined label. The source gives one shared row, not separate calibration results for each model.

A sieve-based reference, not a universal setting chart

The chart spans medium-dark espresso and light- and dark-roast pour-over. The author says corresponding entries within a column are approximately alike in grind size, but does not report the sieve aperture, passing fraction, per-grinder setting units or zeroing procedure. The entries can be compared as reported; they do not establish a universal numerical conversion.

The author presents sieving as a more accurate alternative to judging grounds by eye or comparing them with granulated sugar. That is the author’s rationale for the chart; the source does not provide controlled brewing or flavour results showing that these settings produce identical cups.

Coffee and roast can shift the result

In a later reply, the author noted that bean density and roast affect settings and can leave some error. That qualification supports treating the chart as a starting comparison for the stated brew and roast categories.

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