BUY NOW AND WE'LL SHIP YOUR ORDER ON TUESDAY 3rd DECEMBER. CLICK HERE FOR ROASTING SCHEDULE UPDATES.
We're absolutely thrilled to be stocking this incredible little grinder. As you'll no doubt be bored of hearing us saying, it really is all about the grind and we think that this little beauty is quite simply the best value hand grinder on the market today.
The engineering is quite simply exquisite. The skill, attention to detail and craftsmanship that goes into making these tools is a real joy to behold and not as common as it should be.
Famous for their unique and proprietary burr design, Comandante are also known for excellent build quality and phenomenal particle size consistency. Able to grind for espresso all the way through to french press, it is as versatile as it is satisfying to hold. Now, we wouldn't recommend that you use this (or any hand grinder) for permanent espresso duties. It would be hard work and you may appreciate more micro-adjustment which you get in dedicated espresso grinders - but for an occasional shot or two, the C40 is more than up to the job.
For your Aeropress, V60, Kalita, Clever, Syphon, Drip Brewing Machine on the other hand, this grinder is unbeatable and punches well above it's weight at this price point. See what Magdalena made of it here or in our video below:
There are answers to all the common questions on the excellent Comandante FAQ page, which you can find here.
It's also worth checking out the excellent Commandante Instagram page, where there are regular brewing tips, recipes and recommendations about how to look after your prized grinder. You can find that here.
So much fun
Best of the best, good, handy highly quality gadget. Easy dis&assembly, quick adjustment, ready to use.
Comandante C40 Hand Grinder
Great service from Foundry! Nice, simple, compact and bulletproof grinder which is just what I wanted.
I can’t make a comparison with other grinders - that’s for others better placed than I. The Comandante C40 is expensive but it works well and should be long-lived too. The grinder covers the range of particle sizes with a reassuringly positive adjustment system and grinds well. The capture glass is good to weigh the beans into (for those with OCD) then flip over snugly into the top of the grinder to load the beans without losing any, and once full with the grounds it perfectly fits the coffee basket of my mocha pot to keep that transfer mess-free too and it rinses easily. Cleaning and reassembly is easy, having mastered the knack of keeping the burr closed with my thumb nail whilst spinning the tri-nut with the other hand. I would have appreciated a decent long bristled brush to aid clean down though.
On the down side, when the grinder suddenly gulps a few beans I find it can turn in my dry and ageing grip. A sheet of that grippy draw liner stuff in my hand readily stops the problem however. The other issue, raised by reviewers, is the absence of a calibration scale. If I were to be constantly changing grind size from espresso to French press then this might be annoying, but for my purposes this is not an issue. In any case, if I make sure the burr goes back on the shaft in the same orientation when I reassemble (one of four positions on the square shaft), and note the position of the tri-leg nut at zero, I can read the setting. I can tell by eye whether the burr is one, two or three turns open, so right now I can look at the grinder face and see the burr is more than one turn open (12 clicks) and the reference leg of the tri-nut is another 3 indents open from the burr zero point, so the current setting is 15 clicks. Simple! Commandante, surely you could facilitate this!
On the whole this grinder delivers fresh evenly ground coffee in a functionally stylish way - particularly in the Red Sonja with that lovely red wood veneer! I shall enjoy exploring the impact of different grind sizes.