Which to buy · Every setting
KINGrinder K6 vs Timemore Chestnut S3
Two hand grinders cross-shopped at the same money. The Chestnut S3 counts 90 clicks; the K6 counts 240 clicks.
Which to buy
Choose the
K6 if you…
- want 48 mm heptagonal stainless steel burrs
- 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
Chestnut S3 if you…
- want a spring-assisted handle that folds against the grinder
- want Timemore's S2C890 hardened steel burrs — it lists espresso at 1–15 clicks
- want a full-metal unibody
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Sources: Timemore — Chestnut S3 · KINGrinder — model comparison · KINGrinder — Showdown of K4 and K6 · KINGrinder — K6 manual
| K6 | Chestnut S3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | KINGrinder | Timemore |
| Scale | Clicks | Clicks |
| Dial range | 0 clicks – 240 clicks | 0 clicks – 90 clicks |
| Burrs | Conical | Conical |
| Espresso → filter | 71.6 clicks | 54 clicks |
| Filter → coarse | 57.5 clicks | 30 clicks |
The same number means different things
Both grinders use a clicks, which makes it tempting to copy a number straight across. Setting 45 clicks sits at grind index 5.5 on the K6 but 30.9 on the Chestnut S3 — 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 | Chestnut S3 |
|---|---|
| 31 clicks | 6 clicks |
| 52 clicks | 11 clicks |
| 71 clicks | 19 clicks |
| 83 clicks | 34 clicks |
| 94 clicks | 50 clicks |
| 105 clicks | 62 clicks |
| 119 clicks | 71 clicks |
| 133 clicks | 77 clicks |
| 144 clicks | 82 clicks |
| 152 clicks | 86 clicks |
| 156 clicks | 88 clicks |
| 158 clicks | 89 clicks |
| 160 clicks | 90 clicks |
| Chestnut S3 | K6 |
|---|---|
| 6 clicks | 31 clicks |
| 11 clicks | 52 clicks |
| 19 clicks | 71 clicks |
| 34 clicks | 83 clicks |
| 50 clicks | 94 clicks |
| 62 clicks | 105 clicks |
| 71 clicks | 119 clicks |
| 77 clicks | 133 clicks |
| 82 clicks | 144 clicks |
| 86 clicks | 152 clicks |
| 88 clicks | 156 clicks |
| 89 clicks | 158 clicks |
| 90 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 | Chestnut S3 |
|---|---|---|
| Espresso | 44 clicks | 9 clicks |
| Moka pot | 68 clicks | 17 clicks |
| AeroPress (short steep) | 83 clicks | 34 clicks |
| Pour over — V60 / cone | 100 clicks | 57 clicks |
| Siphon | 106 clicks | 62 clicks |
| Pour over — flat bottom | 110 clicks | 66 clicks |
| Steep and release — Clever / Switch | 115 clicks | 69 clicks |
| Drip / batch brew | 119 clicks | 71 clicks |
| Cupping | 122 clicks | 73 clicks |
| Chemex | 132 clicks | 77 clicks |
| French press | 150 clicks | 85 clicks |
| Cold brew | 157 clicks | 89 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 Chestnut S3
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 Chestnut S3
Sits above the C-series with better burrs and a more solid feel. Its useful range genuinely extends further toward espresso than the C3, though a dedicated espresso grinder will still out-resolve it.