Which to buy · Every setting
1Zpresso K-Max vs KINGrinder K6
Two hand grinders cross-shopped at the same money. The K-Max counts 180 clicks; the K6 counts 240 clicks.
Which to buy
Choose the
K-Max if you…
- already own one, or are buying used — 1Zpresso has discontinued it
- want 90 clicks a turn, 22 microns each
- grind larger doses — 35–40 g
Choose the
K6 if you…
- want to buy new
- want 60 clicks a turn, 16 microns each
- may drive it with an electric screwdriver — KINGrinder gives the bit and torque in its manual
Shop links are affiliate links: BrewMark earns a commission if you buy through one, at no extra cost to you. The verdicts were written without regard to it.
1Zpresso's K series page marks the K-Max "Discontinued" and points buyers to the new K-Ultra.
Sources: 1Zpresso — K series · 1Zpresso — K series manual · 1Zpresso — K-Max (archived) · KINGrinder — model comparison · KINGrinder — Showdown of K4 and K6 · KINGrinder — K6 manual
| K-Max | K6 | |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | 1Zpresso | KINGrinder |
| Scale | Clicks | Clicks |
| Dial range | 0 clicks – 180 clicks | 0 clicks – 240 clicks |
| Burrs | Conical | Conical |
| Espresso → filter | 52 clicks | 71.6 clicks |
| Filter → coarse | 90.9 clicks | 57.5 clicks |
The same number means different things
Both grinders use a clicks, which makes it tempting to copy a number straight across. Setting 90 clicks sits at grind index 64.2 on the K-Max but 30.3 on the K6 — far enough apart to change the cup.
Converting a setting
If a recipe quotes a setting for one of these grinders, read across for the equivalent on the other. Rows are spaced evenly by grind size, not by dial number — on a conical burr those are not the same thing.
| K-Max | K6 |
|---|---|
| 31 clicks | 31 clicks |
| 44 clicks | 52 clicks |
| 57 clicks | 71 clicks |
| 68 clicks | 83 clicks |
| 78 clicks | 94 clicks |
| 84 clicks | 105 clicks |
| 86 clicks | 119 clicks |
| 88 clicks | 133 clicks |
| 92 clicks | 144 clicks |
| 102 clicks | 152 clicks |
| 123 clicks | 156 clicks |
| 149 clicks | 158 clicks |
| 174 clicks | 160 clicks |
| K6 | K-Max |
|---|---|
| 31 clicks | 31 clicks |
| 52 clicks | 44 clicks |
| 71 clicks | 57 clicks |
| 83 clicks | 68 clicks |
| 94 clicks | 78 clicks |
| 105 clicks | 84 clicks |
| 119 clicks | 86 clicks |
| 133 clicks | 88 clicks |
| 144 clicks | 92 clicks |
| 152 clicks | 102 clicks |
| 156 clicks | 123 clicks |
| 158 clicks | 149 clicks |
| 160 clicks | 174 clicks |
Side by side, by brew method
Where each grinder lands for the same brew, worked out from its own dial curve.
| Method | K-Max | K6 |
|---|---|---|
| Espresso | 39 clicks | 44 clicks |
| Moka pot | 54 clicks | 68 clicks |
| AeroPress (short steep) | 68 clicks | 83 clicks |
| Pour over — V60 / cone | 82 clicks | 100 clicks |
| Siphon | 84 clicks | 106 clicks |
| Pour over — flat bottom | 85 clicks | 110 clicks |
| Steep and release — Clever / Switch | 86 clicks | 115 clicks |
| Drip / batch brew | 70 clicks | 119 clicks |
| Cupping | 86 clicks | 122 clicks |
| Chemex | 88 clicks | 132 clicks |
| French press | 97 clicks | 150 clicks |
| Cold brew | 138 clicks | 157 clicks |
The shape of each dial
Where the connectors bunch, that grinder’s dial is compressed and single steps count for more. Comparing the two shapes tells you which gives finer control, and where.
1Zpresso K-Max
KINGrinder K6
Dialing in the K-Max
A larger burr set than the J series and correspondingly faster, aimed squarely at espresso with enough range to reach filter. Its click resolution near the fine end is the reason to own it.
Dialing in the K6
KINGrinder's all-rounder, and the value benchmark hand grinders get measured against. External adjustment, 60 clicks a rotation, at 16 microns a click — a coarser step than the 1Zpresso J and X series manage, and the one place you feel the price: espresso is dialable, but in slightly bigger jumps than a stepless grinder gives you. The 48mm stainless heptagonal burrs are what separate it from the rest of the KINGrinder line. If you only ever pull shots, the K4 is the espresso-specific sibling with titanium-coated burrs; the K6 is the one that covers pour over through espresso without being built for either.