Which to buy · Every setting
KINGrinder K4 vs Timemore C3
Two hand grinders cross-shopped at the same money. The C3 counts 36 clicks; the K4 counts 240 clicks.
Which to buy
Choose the
K4 if you…
- pull espresso — KINGrinder calls the K4 "tailor-made for the espresso"
- want an external ring: 60 clicks a turn, 16 microns each
- grind larger doses — 30–35 g
Choose the
C3 if you…
- want 38 mm S2C660 steel burrs, which Timemore rates from espresso to French press
- 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
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.
Timemore sells the C3 in several versions (C3, C3S, Max, ESP, Pro). The settings on this page are for the standard C3 dial.
Sources: Timemore — C3s / C3 series · KINGrinder — Showdown of K4 and K6 · KINGrinder — model comparison
| K4 | C3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | KINGrinder | Timemore |
| Scale | Clicks | Clicks |
| Dial range | 0 clicks – 240 clicks | 0 clicks – 36 clicks |
| Burrs | Conical | Conical |
| Espresso → filter | 69.5 clicks | 7 clicks |
| Filter → coarse | 48.3 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 K4 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.
| K4 | C3 |
|---|---|
| 63 clicks | 8 clicks |
| 84 clicks | 10 clicks |
| 101 clicks | 12 clicks |
| 114 clicks | 13 clicks |
| 124 clicks | 14 clicks |
| 135 clicks | 15 clicks |
| 151 clicks | 17 clicks |
| 167 clicks | 19 clicks |
| 178 clicks | 21 clicks |
| 180 clicks | 23 clicks |
| 181 clicks | 24 clicks |
| C3 | K4 |
|---|---|
| 8 clicks | 63 clicks |
| 10 clicks | 84 clicks |
| 12 clicks | 101 clicks |
| 13 clicks | 114 clicks |
| 14 clicks | 124 clicks |
| 15 clicks | 135 clicks |
| 17 clicks | 151 clicks |
| 19 clicks | 167 clicks |
| 21 clicks | 178 clicks |
| 23 clicks | 180 clicks |
| 24 clicks | 181 clicks |
| 25 clicks | 181 clicks |
| 26 clicks | 181 clicks |
Side by side, by brew method
Where each grinder lands for the same brew, worked out from its own dial curve.
| Method | K4 | C3 |
|---|---|---|
| Espresso | 75 clicks | 9 clicks |
| Moka pot | 98 clicks | 12 clicks |
| AeroPress (short steep) | 114 clicks | 13 clicks |
| Pour over — V60 / cone | 130 clicks | 15 clicks |
| Siphon | 136 clicks | 15 clicks |
| Pour over — flat bottom | 141 clicks | 16 clicks |
| Steep and release — Clever / Switch | 147 clicks | 17 clicks |
| Drip / batch brew | 151 clicks | 17 clicks |
| Cupping | 155 clicks | 18 clicks |
| Chemex | 166 clicks | 19 clicks |
| French press | 180 clicks | 22 clicks |
| Cold brew | 181 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.
KINGrinder K4
Timemore C3
Dialing in the K4
External adjustment at a notably low price, which is the whole proposition. Its click resolution is finer than most grinders in its bracket, so small movements do less than you might expect — move in larger increments than you would on a C3.
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.