Comandante · Dial-in chart
Comandante C40 MK4 grind settings
Where to set the Comandante C40 MK4 for every common brew method — worked out from this grinder’s own dial curve rather than a one-size-fits-all chart.
The shape of this dial
The top line is the universal grind index every BrewMark recipe uses. The bottom line is the C40 MK4’s own dial. The connectors show how one maps onto the other.
Settings by brew method
Start at the recommended setting, brew, then move within the range by taste. Sour or weak means go finer; bitter or harsh means go coarser.
| Method | Setting | Range |
|---|---|---|
| EspressoFine. Aim for a 25–30s shot and adjust from there. | 10 clicks | 8 clicks – 13 clicks |
| Moka potFiner than filter, coarser than espresso. No tamping. | 14 clicks | 13 clicks – 16 clicks |
| AeroPress (short steep)For 1–2 minute recipes. Go coarser for longer steeps. | 19 clicks | 16 clicks – 23 clicks |
| Pour over — V60 / coneThe reference point for most published pour-over recipes. | 25 clicks | 23 clicks – 28 clicks |
| Pour over — flat bottomKalita, Orea and similar. Slightly coarser than a cone. | 28 clicks | 26 clicks – 29 clicks |
| Drip / batch brewAutomatic brewers. Coarser to suit the longer contact time. | 29 clicks | 28 clicks – 30 clicks |
| ChemexThe thick filter needs a coarser grind to avoid stalling. | 30 clicks | 29 clicks – 31 clicks |
| French pressCoarse. Too fine here is the usual cause of a muddy cup. | 33 clicks | 31 clicks – 35 clicks |
| Cold brewCoarsest setting you have. 12–18 hours of contact. | 37 clicks | 35 clicks – 40 clicks |
How much room you have to adjust
That is the resolution you actually have to work with on the C40 MK4. Where the number is small, a single step moves the cup more than you would expect — so change one at a time and taste before moving again.
Dialing in the C40 MK4
The reference hand grinder for filter, and its click scale has become a de facto standard — plenty of published recipes quote "C40 clicks" as though it were a universal unit. It is not, which is the reason this site exists. The MK4 runs coarser than most people assume relative to electric grinders: if you are converting a recipe written for a Baratza, do not simply match the number.
Coming from another grinder?
Convert any recipe’s grind setting to your C40 MK4
If a recipe quotes a setting for a different grinder, our converter maps it onto the C40 MK4’s dial using the same curve this chart is built from. 80+ models supported.
Open the grind converter →How these numbers were worked out
Every grinder gets mapped onto a shared 0–100 grind index, where 0 is espresso-fine and 100 is the coarsest useful setting. Five reference points on the C40 MK4 are measured against that scale — espresso, moka, filter, French press and coarse — and the settings in between are interpolated.
Because the C40 MK4 uses conical burrs, the curve between those points is fitted with a monotone cubic spline rather than straight lines. Conical burr dials are rarely linear, and the spline guarantees the curve never doubles back — a coarser index always produces a coarser setting.
The result is that “medium-fine” resolves to a real number on this grinder rather than a vague instruction. It is a starting point, not a guarantee — burr wear, bean density and roast level all move the target, which is why every row above gives a range as well as a number.
Take this chart with you
Every setting on this page, on your phone at the grinder — plus a note of what actually worked last time on your C40 MK4. Free on iOS.
Get the iOS appRecipes brewed on the C40 MK4
Logged by people using this grinder, with the setting each one landed on.
Compare the C40 MK4
Side-by-side dial charts and a conversion table, so a recipe written for one grinder becomes a real number on the other.
Grinders that dial in like this one
Similar burrs, scale or dial range — which means settings translate between them more predictably than across the whole catalog.