Which to buy · Every setting
Timemore C3 vs Wacaco Exagrind
Two hand grinders cross-shopped at the same money. The C3 counts 36 clicks; the Exagrind counts 60 clicks.
Which to buy
Choose the
C3 if you…
- want a dial of 12 clicks a turn, 0.0833 mm each
- want Timemore's 38 mm S2C660 conical burrs, which it rates from espresso to French press
- may move towards espresso — Timemore makes C3 ESP models with a finer dial
Choose the
Exagrind if you…
- want smaller clicks: 30 a turn, 33 microns each
- travel — it weighs 464 g and the handle stows
- use a Picopresso or another Wacaco brewer — Wacaco says it is compatible
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 · Wacaco — Exagrind
| C3 | Exagrind | |
|---|---|---|
| Brand | Timemore | Wacaco |
| Scale | Clicks | Clicks |
| Dial range | 0 clicks – 36 clicks | 0 clicks – 60 clicks |
| Burrs | Conical | Conical |
| Espresso → filter | 7 clicks | 22 clicks |
| Filter → coarse | 11 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 18 clicks sits at grind index 53.2 on the C3 but 8.4 on the Exagrind — 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.
| C3 | Exagrind |
|---|---|
| 8 clicks | 8 clicks |
| 10 clicks | 18 clicks |
| 12 clicks | 25 clicks |
| 13 clicks | 27 clicks |
| 14 clicks | 28 clicks |
| 15 clicks | 31 clicks |
| 17 clicks | 36 clicks |
| 19 clicks | 42 clicks |
| 21 clicks | 48 clicks |
| 23 clicks | 52 clicks |
| 24 clicks | 55 clicks |
| 25 clicks | 58 clicks |
| 26 clicks | 60 clicks |
| Exagrind | C3 |
|---|---|
| 8 clicks | 8 clicks |
| 18 clicks | 10 clicks |
| 25 clicks | 12 clicks |
| 27 clicks | 13 clicks |
| 28 clicks | 14 clicks |
| 31 clicks | 15 clicks |
| 36 clicks | 17 clicks |
| 42 clicks | 19 clicks |
| 48 clicks | 21 clicks |
| 52 clicks | 23 clicks |
| 55 clicks | 24 clicks |
| 58 clicks | 25 clicks |
| 60 clicks | 26 clicks |
Side by side, by brew method
Where each grinder lands for the same brew, worked out from its own dial curve.
| Method | C3 | Exagrind |
|---|---|---|
| Espresso | 9 clicks | 14 clicks |
| Moka pot | 12 clicks | 24 clicks |
| AeroPress (short steep) | 13 clicks | 27 clicks |
| Pour over — V60 / cone | 15 clicks | 29 clicks |
| Siphon | 15 clicks | 31 clicks |
| Pour over — flat bottom | 16 clicks | 33 clicks |
| Steep and release — Clever / Switch | 17 clicks | 35 clicks |
| Drip / batch brew | 17 clicks | 36 clicks |
| Cupping | 18 clicks | 37 clicks |
| Chemex | 19 clicks | 42 clicks |
| French press | 22 clicks | 51 clicks |
| Cold brew | 25 clicks | 57 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.
Timemore C3
Wacaco Exagrind
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.
Dialing in the Exagrind
A travel hand grinder designed to pair with Wacaco's portable espresso makers, so its range is weighted toward the fine end. Compact and slow by design; the coarse end runs short of comfortable French press territory.