Timemore C3 Esp - Manual Coffee Grinder Review
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The story
It is a real evolution for Timemore. Before that they had a relatively good C2 mode, but it had huge flaws. The burrs wiggled which made the particles very uneven. But still it allowed me to brew nice pour over, AeroPress or moka pot coffee. It seemed outdated and irrelevant since 2022.
With the C3 - it’s a different story. It has evolved. To the point when it can be considered as a solid option for a beginner-medium coffee grinder which don't need to be upgraded within at least 5 years. With the grind quality way above average in terms of flavour you get in the cup. And now it’s even more capable.
What has changed
The Burr
All C3 models go with S2C (Spike-To-Cut) burrs. Just the grind size regulating mechanism is different (and internal parts). But the burr and grinding quality will be relatively the same within the C3 model line.
And this burr makes a huge difference. Not only because now it’s not wiggling, but the geometry is more aggressive. Which makes it faster and more universal. Now it is able to grind even for Turkish coffee.
The Body
As with the predecessor, it has an aluminium body, but now it’s refined. To the point when it’s actually pleasant to use. Little to none squeaky noise and the spikes on the body are pleasant to grab. So that it has this “strong grip” feature, but with a smoother experience.
The handle
Yes, totally worth mentioning this aspect. Because now when you take it off - it doesn’t drag the axle like in C2. Which created a terrible sound and overall experience. Here the handle is easily attached and detached.
Not magnets, yet smooth. You’ll enjoy using it. Though in my exact unit there was some weird sound of the knob. Not a deal breaker, but it’s there.
Options
Regular C3 has a 20-25 g coffee container. Though there is a C3 Max model with 25-30 g capacity.
Differences between C3, C3S, C3 Pro, C3 Esp:
C3 - plastic inside which holds the axle in place. As well as White C3.
C3S, C3 Pro, C3 Esp - all share rubber padding at the bottom of the ground coffee container. And the axle is being held by metal.
C3 white - Ultimate White Manual Coffee Grinder. Change my mind. If I were to choose the white coffee grinder - this will be the only option I’ll look for.
Grind size adjustment
Only C3 Esp has numbers on the grind adjustment dial. And they’re super useful. Because seeing what the grind size is currently set and not counting clicks every time is priceless. And it has a real zero so that you don’t need to think from where you should count.
Esp version obviously has more adjustments. And there are enough of them to even adjust it to work with the Delonghi Dedica (basic machine which requires extra precision when it comes to the grind size).
Grinding
The process is pretty easy. The body is not super wide which makes it easy to hold. And the force required to grind is nice. You’ll not notice any discomfort (except weird noise if you got the unit with the noisy knob).
After the grinding you’ll see a great thing - there is relatively low static. Meaning, coffee will not stick to the container or in the burr area.
Quality of the grind size
Visually it is relatively even grind size (in terms of particle size distribution). There were no big particles and a low amount of small ones. In terms of the flavor - it’s a great grinder. You will not get drying notes in aftertaste like in “basic” grinders.
The only thing I’ve got in pour over coffee - slightly too much caramel. Which wasn’t present that much when I brewed with my Kinu M47. Other than that - coffee is clean, juicy, with a rounded body.
Conclusions
It’s a grinder that you’ll not regret having. The performance is high, alignment of the burr is proper. And most importantly, even basic C3 can be used for Turkish coffee. Yes, there will be less clicks to play with, but totally doable.
With such a price point I didn’t expect it to have such features and quality in the cup. But yeah, there are too many options to choose from within one model.