Which to buy · Every setting
Comandante C40 MK3 vs KINGrinder K6
Two hand grinders cross-shopped at the same money. The C40 MK3 counts 50 clicks; the K6 counts 240 clicks.
Which to buy
Choose the
C40 MK3 if you…
- already own one, or are buying used — Comandante now lists only the MK4 and Lab Series
- want Comandante's Nitro Blade burrs — the MK3 was the first C40 with them
- want two bean jars, one glass and one polymer
Choose the
K6 if you…
- want to buy new
- want an external ring: 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.
Comandante's C40 shop lists only the MK4 and Lab Series models now, not the MK3. The MK3 and MK4 both use the Nitro Blade burr.
Sources: Comandante — C40 grinders · Comandante — C40 MK4 · Comandante — FAQ · KINGrinder — model comparison · KINGrinder — K6 manual
| C40 MK3 | K6 | |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | Comandante | KINGrinder |
| Scale | Clicks | Clicks |
| Dial range | 0 clicks – 50 clicks | 0 clicks – 240 clicks |
| Burrs | Conical | Conical |
| Espresso → filter | 18 clicks | 71.6 clicks |
| Filter → coarse | 14 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 25 clicks sits at grind index 32.8 on the C40 MK3 but 0 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.
| C40 MK3 | K6 |
|---|---|
| 10 clicks | 31 clicks |
| 13 clicks | 52 clicks |
| 17 clicks | 71 clicks |
| 21 clicks | 83 clicks |
| 25 clicks | 94 clicks |
| 29 clicks | 105 clicks |
| 31 clicks | 119 clicks |
| 32 clicks | 133 clicks |
| 33 clicks | 144 clicks |
| 35 clicks | 152 clicks |
| 37 clicks | 156 clicks |
| 40 clicks | 158 clicks |
| 42 clicks | 160 clicks |
| K6 | C40 MK3 |
|---|---|
| 31 clicks | 10 clicks |
| 52 clicks | 13 clicks |
| 71 clicks | 17 clicks |
| 83 clicks | 21 clicks |
| 94 clicks | 25 clicks |
| 105 clicks | 29 clicks |
| 119 clicks | 31 clicks |
| 133 clicks | 32 clicks |
| 144 clicks | 33 clicks |
| 152 clicks | 35 clicks |
| 156 clicks | 37 clicks |
| 158 clicks | 40 clicks |
| 160 clicks | 42 clicks |
Side by side, by brew method
Where each grinder lands for the same brew, worked out from its own dial curve.
| Method | C40 MK3 | K6 |
|---|---|---|
| Espresso | 12 clicks | 44 clicks |
| Moka pot | 16 clicks | 68 clicks |
| AeroPress (short steep) | 21 clicks | 83 clicks |
| Pour over — V60 / cone | 27 clicks | 100 clicks |
| Siphon | 29 clicks | 106 clicks |
| Pour over — flat bottom | 30 clicks | 110 clicks |
| Steep and release — Clever / Switch | 30 clicks | 115 clicks |
| Drip / batch brew | 31 clicks | 119 clicks |
| Cupping | 31 clicks | 122 clicks |
| Chemex | 32 clicks | 132 clicks |
| French press | 35 clicks | 150 clicks |
| Cold brew | 39 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.
Comandante C40 MK3
KINGrinder K6
Dialing in the C40 MK3
Mechanically close to the MK4 and dialled almost identically — the MK4 changed the axle and bearing rather than the grind geometry. Recipes quoting MK4 clicks transfer to the MK3 essentially unchanged.
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.