Comandante Grinder Assessment

A handful of things get me by the in depth journey my day job requires. I typically enterprise by land or sea to distant outposts, the place one in every of my favourite comforts of society—an excellent cup of espresso—is a tall order. However with a bag of contemporary beans and the Comandante C40 MK4 hand grinder, I’m assured I’ll outdo any barista which will or might not exist inside 100, perhaps even 1,000 miles. 

I’ve additionally been on the espresso beat for the higher a part of a decade and examined extra burr grinders than I care to recall. Nevertheless, the C40 MK4 hand espresso grinder is the one I’ve been drawn to probably the most: It’s served me on a number of continents and by no means fallen out of order. It’s lived on my kitchen countertop beside my espresso machine, French press, and moka pot for a number of years now, and I don’t envision it going wherever quickly.

Why the Comandante Handheld Espresso Grinder Is Superior

Should you fancy the most effective cup of espresso out there to humanity, make no mistake about it: Other than getting your fingers on the freshest beans you’ll be able to, there’s nothing like an excellent burr grinder. In spite of everything, a espresso grinder is just pretty much as good as its burrs. (On the threat of being offensive, I say that blade grinders don’t rely.) 

So, hear me out: Should you’re not keen to spend over $500 on a espresso grinder, think about investing within the handheld Comandante C40 MK4. 

It’s a spendy little ditty, to make sure, however it incorporates high quality parts, with out the flamboyant electronics and enormous footprint of a countertop grinder. Positive, it’s slower. You’ll get a little bit of an upper-body exercise, and making greater than a few cups of espresso is a tall order, however we’re speaking about java match for royalty, in any case. And the rationale espresso brewed from the Comandante is so nice comes right down to the burrs.

Whenever you’re grinding espresso, consistency is essential. Regardless of how contemporary the beans are or what your brewing technique is, the grounds must be even. That is decided by the burrs, or the milling contraption inside the grinder. The extra finely, exactly machined the burrs are, the extra even your grounds shall be. Missing bells and whistles, the Comandante dedicates the majority of its engineering to the burrs—on this case, high-alloyed, high-nitrogen chrome steel that received’t lose its edges except you attempt actually arduous to destroy it. 

These high-quality burrs guarantee evenly floor espresso. Too many “fines,” or minuscule, powdery grinds, and you find yourself with over-extracted sludge that imparts an unwelcome bitterness. Too many “boulders,” or giant particles, and also you get an under-extracted brew that doesn’t do the job both. In our check of handheld espresso grinders (and with my very own utilization), the C40 MK4 outperformed each different grinder when making 600/800-micron grounds for pour-over espresso.

This brings us to a different good thing about a small, simply adjustable handheld grinder: Whilst you may not churn out half a dozen espressos in a jiffy, it’s straightforward to are inclined to this grinder and its burrs. It’s ill-advised to regulate a grinder between wonderful and coarse settings, as, considerably like a bicycle’s gears being modified too quick, it might knock issues out of whack. With the Comandante, it’s slightly simpler to regulate shifting between grind settings, due to an ergonomic grind-setting dial embossed with instructions: counterclockwise for coarser grounds, clockwise for finer ones. (A tip for espresso lovers: Contemplate the Purple Clix, a secondary axle that doubles the roughly 40 manufacturing unit settings, in case you wish to dial in your wonderful grounds extra precisely.)

The Comandante can be straightforward to wash—which you must do with any burr grinder sometimes. Simply flip the dial counterclockwise till it pops off, and also you’ll have prompt entry to the burrs. Additional, electrical machines are inclined to get scorching, which heats the espresso beans as they grind and might result in inconsistencies in dimension.

Being 2.4 inches by 6.3 inches (and about 1.5 kilos), it’s additionally small and transportable, so I can take it on the highway. It’s straightforward to dial within the grind dimension, and, inside one or two check brews, have an ideal cup of joe out of something from a French press pitcher to a moka pot, whether or not in a luxurious lodge or an Airbnb, or over an open hearth alongside some distant shoreline. I take deep solace in that. It’s the little issues.

FAQs

How do I do know if my grinder burrs are worn out?

The best strategy to inform in case your burrs are worn out (or not less than require inspection and/or cleansing) is that if your grinder begins to underperform, turning out inconsistent grounds.

Why We’re the Specialists

• Owen Burke is a author who has reported on espresso, kitchenware, out of doors gear, boats, the atmosphere, and extra.
• He’s been on the espresso beat for the higher a part of a decade and examined dozens of espresso grinders. 
• He makes use of the Comandante C40 MK4 for all the pieces from moka pot to French press espresso at dwelling, afield, and generally afloat.