Which to buy · Every setting
KINGrinder K6 vs Timemore C3S
Two hand grinders cross-shopped at the same money. The C3S counts 36 clicks; the K6 counts 240 clicks.
Which to buy
Choose the
K6 if you…
- want an external ring: 60 clicks a turn, 16 microns each
- grind 30–35 g at a time
- may drive it with an electric screwdriver — KINGrinder gives the bit and torque in its manual
Choose the
C3S if you…
- want 38 mm S2C660 burrs in an all-metal body, with all-metal components
- want a folding handle — Timemore sells a pull-to-fold C3S
- 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 C3S as standard, with a 20 g cup and the classic dial, and as the C3S Max, with a 30 g cup and a pull-to-fold handle. The settings on this page are for the standard C3S dial.
Sources: Timemore — C3s / C3 series · Timemore — Chestnut C3s, Jet Black · KINGrinder — model comparison · KINGrinder — Showdown of K4 and K6 · KINGrinder — K6 manual
| K6 | C3S | |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | KINGrinder | Timemore |
| Scale | Clicks | Clicks |
| Dial range | 0 clicks – 240 clicks | 0 clicks – 36 clicks |
| Burrs | Conical | Conical |
| Espresso → filter | 71.6 clicks | 7 clicks |
| Filter → coarse | 57.5 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 K6 but 53.2 on the C3S — 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.
| K6 | C3S |
|---|---|
| 31 clicks | 8 clicks |
| 52 clicks | 10 clicks |
| 71 clicks | 12 clicks |
| 83 clicks | 13 clicks |
| 94 clicks | 14 clicks |
| 105 clicks | 15 clicks |
| 119 clicks | 17 clicks |
| 133 clicks | 19 clicks |
| 144 clicks | 21 clicks |
| 152 clicks | 23 clicks |
| 156 clicks | 24 clicks |
| 158 clicks | 25 clicks |
| 160 clicks | 26 clicks |
| C3S | K6 |
|---|---|
| 8 clicks | 31 clicks |
| 10 clicks | 52 clicks |
| 12 clicks | 71 clicks |
| 13 clicks | 83 clicks |
| 14 clicks | 94 clicks |
| 15 clicks | 105 clicks |
| 17 clicks | 119 clicks |
| 19 clicks | 133 clicks |
| 21 clicks | 144 clicks |
| 23 clicks | 152 clicks |
| 24 clicks | 156 clicks |
| 25 clicks | 158 clicks |
| 26 clicks | 160 clicks |
Side by side, by brew method
Where each grinder lands for the same brew, worked out from its own dial curve.
| Method | K6 | C3S |
|---|---|---|
| Espresso | 44 clicks | 9 clicks |
| Moka pot | 68 clicks | 12 clicks |
| AeroPress (short steep) | 83 clicks | 13 clicks |
| Pour over — V60 / cone | 100 clicks | 15 clicks |
| Siphon | 106 clicks | 15 clicks |
| Pour over — flat bottom | 110 clicks | 16 clicks |
| Steep and release — Clever / Switch | 115 clicks | 17 clicks |
| Drip / batch brew | 119 clicks | 17 clicks |
| Cupping | 122 clicks | 18 clicks |
| Chemex | 132 clicks | 19 clicks |
| French press | 150 clicks | 22 clicks |
| Cold brew | 157 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 K6
Timemore C3S
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.
Dialing in the C3S
The C3S adds a foldable handle and revised burrs to the C3 formula. Dial behaviour is close to the C3 — if you are converting from published C3 numbers, start there and adjust by taste rather than assuming an offset.