Which to buy · Every setting
1Zpresso X-Ultra vs Timemore C3
Two hand grinders cross-shopped at the same money. The X-Ultra counts 240 clicks; the C3 counts 36 clicks.
Which to buy
Choose the
X-Ultra if you…
- want smaller clicks — 60 a turn, 12.5 microns each
- grind larger doses — 25–30 g
- want a magnetic catch cup, a foldable handle and a carrying case
Choose the
C3 if you…
- want 38 mm S2C660 stainless steel conical burrs
- grind one dose at a time — 20 g in the standard C3
- may move towards espresso — Timemore makes C3 ESP models with a finer dial
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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 — X-Ultra · 1Zpresso — X-Ultra manual · Timemore — C3s / C3 series
| X-Ultra | C3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | 1Zpresso | Timemore |
| Scale | Clicks | Clicks |
| Dial range | 0 clicks – 240 clicks | 0 clicks – 36 clicks |
| Burrs | Conical | Conical |
| Espresso → filter | 90.9 clicks | 7 clicks |
| Filter → coarse | 103.3 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 X-Ultra 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.
| X-Ultra | C3 |
|---|---|
| 46 clicks | 8 clicks |
| 65 clicks | 10 clicks |
| 84 clicks | 12 clicks |
| 104 clicks | 13 clicks |
| 124 clicks | 14 clicks |
| 139 clicks | 15 clicks |
| 150 clicks | 17 clicks |
| 157 clicks | 19 clicks |
| 167 clicks | 21 clicks |
| 181 clicks | 23 clicks |
| 200 clicks | 24 clicks |
| 220 clicks | 25 clicks |
| 240 clicks | 26 clicks |
| C3 | X-Ultra |
|---|---|
| 8 clicks | 46 clicks |
| 10 clicks | 65 clicks |
| 12 clicks | 84 clicks |
| 13 clicks | 104 clicks |
| 14 clicks | 124 clicks |
| 15 clicks | 139 clicks |
| 17 clicks | 150 clicks |
| 19 clicks | 157 clicks |
| 21 clicks | 167 clicks |
| 23 clicks | 181 clicks |
| 24 clicks | 200 clicks |
| 25 clicks | 220 clicks |
| 26 clicks | 240 clicks |
Side by side, by brew method
Where each grinder lands for the same brew, worked out from its own dial curve.
| Method | X-Ultra | C3 |
|---|---|---|
| Espresso | 57 clicks | 9 clicks |
| Moka pot | 80 clicks | 12 clicks |
| AeroPress (short steep) | 104 clicks | 13 clicks |
| Pour over — V60 / cone | 133 clicks | 15 clicks |
| Siphon | 140 clicks | 15 clicks |
| Pour over — flat bottom | 144 clicks | 16 clicks |
| Steep and release — Clever / Switch | 148 clicks | 17 clicks |
| Drip / batch brew | 110 clicks | 17 clicks |
| Cupping | 152 clicks | 18 clicks |
| Chemex | 157 clicks | 19 clicks |
| French press | 175 clicks | 22 clicks |
| Cold brew | 211 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 X-Ultra
Timemore C3
Dialing in the X-Ultra
The X series is 1Zpresso's more affordable line, and the X-Ultra is its all-rounder — positioned between the espresso-focused J-Ultra and the filter-leaning K-Ultra, and happy at either end without being optimised for one. The external dial gives 60 clicks a rotation across four rotations, so 240 settings at 12.5 microns each: the same step size as the JX-Pro and half that of the Q2, which is why espresso is genuinely dialable here. Seventy-three clicks separate espresso from filter, so small moves really are small. The one practical annoyance is that nothing tells you which rotation you are on — lose count and you return to zero and start again, though the dial lifts off to recalibrate.
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.