Comandante C40 Hand Coffee Grinder Review

I wanted to share some thoughts on the extortionately priced Comandante C40 handheld coffee grinder. Was I crazy to spend £200+ on a portable coffee grinder?

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I admit, even when I clicked “Buy”, I thought maybe I’d lost my marbles, or maybe I was just caught up in holiday shopping fever. Or maybe it was the fault of my friend Donovan, coffee roaster and master of taste, who impressed me on his a recent visit with his similarly extravagant 1Zpresso ZP6.

Regardless, I got to thinking about how much I like good coffee whole on the road. And how we often end up in the van or out camping with stale coffee I’d ground weeks ago and left to languish in its sad tin canister.

I had previously purchased a Rhinowares hand grinder, but I never used it because it took ages to to grind enough coffee for one cup (on the plus side, I got a morning workout if I wanted to make enough coffee for the two of us). And there was of course the Cafflano coffee grinder / brewer in one, which was okay, but too heavy and again laborious to grind.

So I fell down a rabbit hole searching for an alternative, and eventually settled on the German-made Comandante C40 at a hefty sum of £206.

First impressions

On first impressions, the Comandante C40 is as stylish as it looks in the photos. Even the packaging is stylish. I appreciated the bonus stickers included in the package, but was a little confused by the piece of felt. What is it for? I’ve been using it as a protective sleeve for the grinder, but I would rather have paid less for the grinder and foregone the felt. The grinder itself exudes quality and craftsmanship – we went for the American Cherry Wood finish but there are other designs available.

But how did the Comandante C40 perform?

The Comandante C40 Nitro Blade MK4 features a stepless grind adjustment system, allowing for over 30 distinct grind sizes, ranging from ultra-fine (Turkish coffee) to coarse (French press). The precise click system provided excellent control, and in theory should ensure consistent results across a wide spectrum of brewing methods.

Truth be told, I’m a bit of a coffee purist. I mainly make coffee using a pour-over technique and drink it black, so I’ve only used the grinder for this purpose and have mainly used the grinder on one grind setting. You can read a deep dive on the tech specs over on Coffee Circle, who voted the Comandante their overall test winner of the 8 manual coffee grinders they tested (they note that the Comandante is the only hand grinder they tested suitable for espresso – time to get my Aeropress out!).

In terms of ease of use, the Comandante is pretty amazing. It has a 40g capacity (enough for two cups) and is wide enough to make it easy to pour beans straight from the bag into the shoot. The handle is hefty, comfortable in the hand, and long enough to provide a good amount of torque for grinding the coffee. The “high-alloyed, high-nitrogen stainless steel burrs and double axle bearings” make grinding a breeze (while also guaranteeing “absolute particle uniformity”, or so the manufacturer says!). It takes me less than a minute to grind 40g.

I feel like I should have more geeky things to say about this grinder. But the fact is, it’s a pleasure to use and I use it all the time. At 600g, it might be a bit too hefty to hike with (check out their lighter weight Trailmaster for that). But it’s the perfect addition to the van and other overnight stays. For me, any tool that enables me to better enjoy the things I love is a win, particularly if that tool is a quality product, which the Comandante C40 certainly is.

My current van life coffee setup:

• Comandante C40 Hand Grinder
• V60 brewer size 2 and filter papers
• Esbit 750ml Flask
• Mini kitchen scales
• Small pour-over gooseneck kettle
• Jetboil flash for boiling water
• Great coffee – that Machina Bekele Belacho, Ethiopia is out of this world!

Comandante C40 Quick Observations

Design and Build:

• Material: High-quality stainless steel burrs with a nitrogen alloy for increased durability and edge retention.
• Body: Robust build with a durable frame, available in various stylish finishes (wood veneer or polymer).
• Capacity: Bean hopper holds approximately 40g of coffee beans.
• Jar Material: Includes one clear polymer jar and one brown glass jar for grounds, both screw-in for secure storage.

Burrs and Grinding:

• Burrs: High-precision, sharp, and durable conical burrs made from nitrogen-enriched stainless steel.
• Grind Adjustment: Stepless grind adjustment with a click system for precise control across a wide range of grind sizes, from Turkish fine to French press coarse.
• Performance: Optimized geometry for efficient, consistent, and even particle size distribution.

User Experience:

• Ease of Use: Smooth crank handle with a wooden knob for ergonomic grinding.
• Portability: Compact and lightweight, ideal for home or travel use.
• Maintenance: Easy to disassemble for cleaning; burrs resist corrosion and wear.

Additional Features:

• Aesthetics: Sleek and minimalist design that combines function with elegance.
• Eco-friendly: Built for longevity, with reusable jars and minimal reliance on plastics.
• Country of Manufacture: Made in Germany, ensuring precision engineering and craftsmanship.

Dimensions and Weight:

• Weight: Approximately 600g.
• Height: 16cm (6.3 inches).
• Diameter: 6cm (2.4 inches).

Ideal For: Coffee enthusiasts looking for a high-quality manual grinder offering precision, durability, and portability for a wide variety of brewing methods. For the ultralight backpacker, I recommend looking at the Comandante Trailmaster.

See also my round up of Scotland Coffee Roasters for info on bean sourcing in this part of the world.