This is our Comandante C40 MK4 Grinder Review.
If you’re a coffee connoisseur, you know that the right grinder can make all the difference in the quality of your brew. That’s why the Comandante C40 MK4 Model has been making waves in the coffee community. This high-end grinder boasts exceptional features, from its durable construction to precise grind settings. But is it worth the investment?
In this review, we’ll dive into all the details of the Comandante Grinder, so you can decide whether it’s the right choice for your coffee setup. So, grab your favorite mug, and let’s get started!
Table of Contents
At a glance: Comandante C40 MK4 Grinder Review
- Sleek and practical design
- High grind consistency
- Compact size
- Intuitive grinding experience
- Top-quality and durable burrs
- Pricey
- A bit slower than closest competitors
The Comandante C40 MK4 is a small yet impressive manual coffee grinder. In fact, it is well-received for its exceptional quality, high-performance steel burrs (with long-lasting sharpness), and impressive grind consistency.
It can deliver the performance expected from a high-quality manual grinder. The Comandante C40 MK4 is a reliable product that serves the purpose well whether you are making French press or Turkish coffee.
The grind adjustments are straightforward. 40 clicks allow you to adjust the grind size of your choice. Besides, the capacity of this grinder is generous, too, allowing you to make 4 to 6 cups of coffee at a time.
Specifications
- Diameter: 6 cm
- Height: 16 cm
- Weight: 739 grams
- Burr Size: 39mm
- Burr Type: Conical Steel Burrs Burr
Comandante C40 MK4 Grinder Review: Grinding finer details
According to hundreds of baristas and fans, the Comandante C40 MK4 Grinder is the ultimate solution for coffee enthusiasts looking for top-quality grinding on the go. With its durable and reliable design, this hand grinder delivers a consistent and precise grind every time, ensuring you get the perfect cup of coffee no matter where you are.
Still, it isn’t perfect neither for everyone. Keep reading to find out if it’s the right fit for you.
Design & Construction: Elegant, Practical & Durable
While writing this Comandante C40 MK4 burr grinder review, I paid great attention to the design of this grinder. The Comandante C40’s simple and functional design is flawless. Each component fits and works smoothly. When I grind coffee manually with the Comandante C40 MK4, it takes less effort and doesn’t get stuck as most grinders do. It’s light, and all the details look and feel fantastic: the body, the crank, and the grounds container.
The MK4 differentiates from most grinders, even previous Comandante C40 models, because of its customization capabilities. It comes in more colors and textures, and there are beautiful add-ons on sale online from dozens of vendors.
I have tested and used the Comandante C40 MK4 in different colors and finishes, and I personally prefer the wooden textures such as the Liquid Amber and the Virginia Walnut. The texture is delicate but still provides a better grip, in my experience. On the other hand, the painted body makes it more personal and modern. Since previous versions have always come in a wooden finish, many prefer to choose a painted body closer to their preference, which helps build a more appealing setup.
When it comes to built quality, this grinder is great. Hundreds of customers claim it’s incredibly sturdy. And I can’t agree more. The C40 body feels solid, as each component.
Furthermore, I’ve seen its glass reservoir resisting falls from the counter! I can tell from experience. It has happened to me with the Comandante C40 MK3 and with the MK4, too. Each time, I dropped the glass reservoir accidentally, and both containers survived without a dent.
For extensive durability, it is made with a stainless steel body. Its body is wrapped in wood veneer to give it a nice and elegant appearance. Also, the ergonomic handle spins smoothly, and the wooden knob is elegant, making the grinding process much more comfortable and pleasant.
Compact Size & Lightweight
The manufacturer of this coffee grinder kept it compact and easy to handle. Being a hand-cranked coffee grinder, Comandante C40 is lightweight. Hence, it is a portable grinder that you can easily carry around.
Grind Settings – The Famous Clicker
The MK4 has a fairly simple grind-setting process. Its stepped adjustment system changes the grind size after every click (about 30 microns).
There are 40 clicks, which allow you to adjust the grind size. This click system allows you to make refined adjustments to get your preferred grind size settings.
Consistent Grind Size
This particular Comandante grinder offers a high degree of grind consistency. Espresso-style grind size is a measure to know how consistent the grind size is.
The MK4 can deliver coarser to finer grinds depending on your brewing method. Hence it can be a viable choice when you want to have the same great cup of coffee every day.
High-Quality Burrs
The Comandante C40 MK4 comes with high-quality steel burrs. The use of nitro steel helps to retain the sharpness of the edges. In other words, the conical burrs used are highly wear-resistant. In addition, the sharpness of the burrs is there to stay longer than expected.
As a result, you can expect a consistent grind size. The steel surface doesn’t retain the flavor of the coffee beans, as it is highly inert. The burrs are attached to a center axle, supported with micro ball bearings. This makes it an easy-to-use hand grinder.
Performance Evaluation
The Comandante C40 MK4 is capable of offering outstanding grind quality. You can choose between a wide array of grind settings. Whether you grind the coffee beans for Cold brew or Turkish coffee, the grinds are mostly uniform.
With a simple adjustment dial, changing the grind setting is a breeze. The dial is located under the lower side of this grinder. It offers accuracy and lets you grind your coffee for almost every brew method.
Usually, people are concerned about whether a particular grinder suits Espresso. This is the area where Comandante C40 MK4 outperforms the others. It allows you to grind coffee for Espresso and enjoy a perfect-tasting shot.
Pros
- Even grind-size distribution: it offers a good grind-size distribution, as expected for the price. We can’t say is the best at this price point, but it doesn’t disappoint either.
- Portability: Since Comandante C40 has a compact design, it tends to be highly portable. This feature makes it highly suitable for those who travel a lot. In addition, it weighs only 740g, which doesn’t add much weight to your backpack.
- Capacity: Irrespective of itssize, the Comandante C40 MK4 grinder offers a generous capacity. It is capable of grinding 40g of coffee at a time. This amount is suitable for brewing up to 6 cups of coffee.
- Maintenance: Its minimalistic and straightforward design makes maintaining the Comandante C40 MK4 grinder easy. You must brush the burrs and interior of the grinder after a couple of uses. Cleaning the grinder won’t disturb the grind settings.
Cons
- Expensive: Compared with other hand grinders, the Comandante C40 MK4 is higher in price. However, the features like exceptional grind consistency and durability make it worth the price.
- Slow: This hand grinder isn’t fast at grinding, especially for espresso.
Comandante Grinder Alternatives
The Comandante Coffee Grinder is popular among coffee enthusiasts for its quality and consistency. However, it has a hefty price tag and some limitations for dialing espresso.
Find below some Comandante C40 MK4 alternatives. We have you covered if you want a dedicated hand-grinder for espresso or are looking for a top-quality alternative for a better price.
1Zpresso J-Max: A better grinder for espresso without breaking the bank
Comandante grinder fans claim it offers the micro-adjustments necessary to dial an espresso. However, the 1Zpresso J-Max is better for espresso.
The 1Zpresso J-Max is also more affordable, even with titanium-coated steel burrs with a heptagonal design and external micro-adjustments.
It’s hard to beat the 1Zpresso J-Max with 8.8 microns per click at this price range if you’re after an espresso grinder.
OE Fixie Travel Coffee Grinder: Incredibly Light Top Notch Grinder
The OE Fixie grinder is incredibly light for its quality and size, at around 300 grams. That’s less than half of the weight of the Comandante C40 at 739 grams. Yet, the OE Fixie is well-built, has excellent materials, and is extremely durable.
According to many customers, it’s reliable, versatile, and one of the best grinders to travel with, along with a Moka pot, an Aeropress, a French press, or any dripper you like.
The best bit: it costs a fraction of the price of the Comandante C40 MK4 grinder.
1Zpresso K-Ultra
If anything comes close to the Comandante C40 MK4 for a lower price, that is the 1Zpresso K-Ultra. It’s slightly heavier at 790 grams but significantly more affordable. It also has a sound build quality, a foldable handle, and a beautiful design.
The 1Zpresso K-Ultra provides more than 100 grind settings, ensuring consistent and uniform grind size distribution. In addition, the product is highly resilient and comes with a cleaning brush and hard case as extra features.
The Verdict: Comandante Grinder Review
To sum up our Comandante Grinder Review, we are quite impressed with the build quality of this particular grinder. So, if you want to buy a top-quality coffee grinder that performs well, Comandante C40 is a viable choice.
Although it is slightly expensive compared to its competitors, this grinder’s overall performance and durability justify the price. This means you are investing in an excellent grinder with consistent grinds built to last.
What is the taste comparison of C40 MK4 vs 1Zpresso K-Ultra ? Did you compare the taste because its not always about the weight of the grinder or the price that would justify why a person would buy 1Zpresso K-Ultra over the “gold standard” C40.
Thanks for your comment, Lau. That’s a great idea, but I can’t offer a decisive answer from a sensory analysis POV. In my experience, both are great. Some friends who are trained sensory analysts can perceive some differences, but they aren’t inclined to one or another. So, the decision would be mostly based on to price, aesthetics, construction (the C40 glass container is very sturdy, but it makes me feel nervous anyway). And, if you consider the C40 is the gold standard and worth a few hundred dollars more, that’s totally okay.