Grind setting conversion
Comandante C40 MK4 vs Timemore C3
The reference hand grinder against the value one.
| C40 MK4 | C3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | Comandante | Timemore |
| Scale | Clicks | Clicks |
| Dial range | 0 clicks – 50 clicks | 0 clicks – 36 clicks |
| Burrs | Conical | Conical |
| Espresso → filter | 18 clicks | 7 clicks |
| Filter → coarse | 14 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 23.1 on the C40 MK4 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.
| C40 MK4 | C3 |
|---|---|
| 8 clicks | 8 clicks |
| 11 clicks | 10 clicks |
| 15 clicks | 12 clicks |
| 19 clicks | 13 clicks |
| 23 clicks | 14 clicks |
| 27 clicks | 15 clicks |
| 29 clicks | 17 clicks |
| 30 clicks | 19 clicks |
| 31 clicks | 21 clicks |
| 33 clicks | 23 clicks |
| 35 clicks | 24 clicks |
| 38 clicks | 25 clicks |
| 40 clicks | 26 clicks |
| C3 | C40 MK4 |
|---|---|
| 8 clicks | 8 clicks |
| 10 clicks | 11 clicks |
| 12 clicks | 15 clicks |
| 13 clicks | 19 clicks |
| 14 clicks | 23 clicks |
| 15 clicks | 27 clicks |
| 17 clicks | 29 clicks |
| 19 clicks | 30 clicks |
| 21 clicks | 31 clicks |
| 23 clicks | 33 clicks |
| 24 clicks | 35 clicks |
| 25 clicks | 38 clicks |
| 26 clicks | 40 clicks |
Side by side, by brew method
Where each grinder lands for the same brew, worked out from its own dial curve.
| Method | C40 MK4 | C3 |
|---|---|---|
| Espresso | 10 clicks | 9 clicks |
| Moka pot | 14 clicks | 12 clicks |
| AeroPress (short steep) | 19 clicks | 13 clicks |
| Pour over — V60 / cone | 25 clicks | 15 clicks |
| Pour over — flat bottom | 28 clicks | 16 clicks |
| Drip / batch brew | 29 clicks | 17 clicks |
| Chemex | 30 clicks | 19 clicks |
| French press | 33 clicks | 22 clicks |
| Cold brew | 37 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.
Comandante C40 MK4
Timemore C3
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.
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.
Own a different grinder?
Convert between any two of 78 models
The converter runs the same maths for any pair in the catalog.
Open the grind converter →Send me both charts
Every setting for the Comandante C40 MK4 and the Timemore C3, side by side in your inbox.
One email with both charts. Nothing else unless you ask.
Switching grinders mid-bag?
Log a brew, say how it tasted, and BrewMark tells you which way to move — in whichever grinder’s numbers you are actually using. Free on iOS.
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