Which to buy · Every setting
1Zpresso Q2 vs Timemore C3
Two hand grinders cross-shopped at the same money. The Q2 counts 100 clicks; the C3 counts 36 clicks.
Which to buy
Choose the
Q2 if you…
- brew pour over — 1Zpresso pitches the Q for it
- travel with an AeroPress — 1Zpresso says the Q fits inside the plunger
- want the smallest, lightest grinder in 1Zpresso's range — 475 g
Choose the
C3 if you…
- want espresso too — Timemore says it is fine enough for espresso
- may move towards espresso — Timemore makes C3 ESP models with a finer dial
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 now sells this grinder as the "Q", alongside a foldable-handle Q2 S. Timemore sells the C3 in several versions (C3, C3S, Max, ESP, Pro). The settings on this page are for the standard C3 dial.
Sources: 1Zpresso — Q series · 1Zpresso — Q / Q2 S product page · Timemore — C3s / C3 series
| Q2 | C3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | 1Zpresso | Timemore |
| Scale | Clicks | Clicks |
| Dial range | 0 clicks – 100 clicks | 0 clicks – 36 clicks |
| Burrs | Conical | Conical |
| Espresso → filter | 30.5 clicks | 7 clicks |
| Filter → coarse | 15.2 clicks | 11 clicks |
The same number means different things
Both grinders use a clicks, which makes it tempting to copy a number straight across. Setting 18 clicks sits at grind index 0 on the Q2 but 53.2 on the C3 — 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.
| Q2 | C3 |
|---|---|
| 44 clicks | 8 clicks |
| 53 clicks | 13 clicks |
| 66 clicks | 14 clicks |
| 76 clicks | 15 clicks |
| 81 clicks | 17 clicks |
| 85 clicks | 19 clicks |
| 87 clicks | 21 clicks |
| 89 clicks | 23 clicks |
| C3 | Q2 |
|---|---|
| 8 clicks | 44 clicks |
| 10 clicks | 44 clicks |
| 12 clicks | 44 clicks |
| 13 clicks | 53 clicks |
| 14 clicks | 66 clicks |
| 15 clicks | 76 clicks |
| 17 clicks | 81 clicks |
| 19 clicks | 85 clicks |
| 21 clicks | 87 clicks |
| 23 clicks | 89 clicks |
| 24 clicks | 89 clicks |
| 25 clicks | 89 clicks |
| 26 clicks | 89 clicks |
Side by side, by brew method
Where each grinder lands for the same brew, worked out from its own dial curve.
| Method | Q2 | C3 |
|---|---|---|
| Espresso | 44 clicks | 9 clicks |
| Moka pot | 44 clicks | 12 clicks |
| AeroPress (short steep) | 53 clicks | 13 clicks |
| Pour over — V60 / cone | 72 clicks | 15 clicks |
| Siphon | 76 clicks | 15 clicks |
| Pour over — flat bottom | 78 clicks | 16 clicks |
| Steep and release — Clever / Switch | 80 clicks | 17 clicks |
| Drip / batch brew | 60 clicks | 17 clicks |
| Cupping | 82 clicks | 18 clicks |
| Chemex | 85 clicks | 19 clicks |
| French press | 88 clicks | 22 clicks |
| Cold brew | 89 clicks | 25 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 Q2
Timemore C3
Dialing in the Q2
Compact and travel-oriented, with a shorter usable range than the larger 1Zpresso grinders. Excellent for filter on the road; the coarse end runs out before French press territory is really comfortable.
Dialing in the C3
The best-value hand grinder in circulation and the one most likely to be someone's first. Its range is usable across filter and immersion, with espresso possible but genuinely tedious. The C3 benefits more than most grinders from a few seconds of settling before you judge a shot or a pour — its distribution tightens noticeably once the burrs are warm.