Timemore C3 Pro + Pushing High Extraction in Grinders / Coffee

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Today I'm chatting a bit about the Timemore C3 Pro grinder and my experiences of exploring high-extraction yield and pushing grinders/coffees. Let me know what you guys think!

Timemore C3 Pro:

Timestamps:
Intro 0:00
Timemore C3 Pro 0:20
Build 0:50
User experience 2:30
S2C Burr Flavor Profile / Who is it for 4:20
Video Sponsor 8:00
General Thoughts on High Extraction Yield 11:02
Pushing Grinders (Sweetspots/is it worth it/bad experiences) 12:25
Downsides of high extraction 15:35
Understanding the ceiling and range 17:52
Wrap Up 20:10

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Filming Equipment:

#timemore #coffeegrinder #coffee

[dem.p]

I've been drinking specialty for a few years now, mostly in cafes and sometimes at home but I had a Skerton that I stopped using after a while: v60s clogged easily and it was such a pain to grind. This year I got the Timemore C3 and for 70 euros I could not be happier. It works amazingly with moka pot, v60, aeropress and I've been brewing so many new coffees these past months. Compared to only a few years ago when only ceramic burrs were available in the entry level catergory, this is really a gamechanger.

Quick note: I grind my dose by adding the beans in 2-3 times, grinding with the grinder VERY tilted. This makes grinding hard and dense beans much easier and it seems to produce visibly less fines. It does grind coarser, so with this method you should go down around 2 clicks compared to standard grinding

[morphmkd]

Also for the high extraction, I can agree with you. With these cheaper grinders and setups in general for everything there is a sweet spot which may be outside the "normal" or usual guidelines for setting and way of brewing. So it all comes down to experimenting with the grinder so to know where you want it with certain types of coffees. For example for me those heavily fermented anaerobic coffees usually are far better on the coarser side with this grinder because it tends to round up the cup better and be less intense and harsh.

[robojimtv]

Honestly, for the price, Kingrinder is such a nice one. Bigger burr makes the grind time lower but most importantly, external grid adjustment.

[eronackerman]

I'm confused about the taste difference you identified. Aside from the grind size and extraction method, how does the burr type affect the flavor of the coffee? Why would it be sweeter versus more "transparent"? Does the stainless steel change the flavor or something?

[SuperSecretJohn]

I bought the even smaller Timemore Slim Plus as my first >$20 grinder. I had this weird mindset that it wasn't a good grinder simply because the dial in range was typically coarser than I expected. The reality was that I drank some great cups of coffee at lower extraction and didn't appreciate them enough.

[xaviercst]

Hi, Brian. Could tell us what grind setting did you use for the Aeropress? I tried 15 clicks and the Aeropress was completely clogged. Thanks!

[nutdazzler]

Would love to here more specific recipes you like or are referring to, or even grind size references. Great video

[anthonym]

Glad I found this video, I've been into coffee for a long time, but I needed a manual grinder for camping/backpacking and for making coffee at work. I was unsure about which manual grinder to get, but this Timemore C3S Pro was on a lightning deal on Amazon for $70 so that made the decision for me. I totally skipped manual grinders when I was getting into coffee, so I'm pretty stoked to try it out now. Would you say the flow control cap is worth it for the Aeropress? I've been on the fence about buying one but am thinking about pulling the trigger after seeing how well yours worked.

[Raditram]

As a C3pro owner for the past 8 months here's my take:

Pros:

- amazing built quality for the price, solid, weighty, but still light for travel.
- the folding handle is amazing and solid.
- the material doesn't feel cheap at all.
- practicality, the best grinder foe your travel especially if you use Aeropress, but in my opinion not as good for pour overs.
-carrying pouch: I prefer this to hard case on 1ZPresso as you can conceal your grinder inside a larger pack, saving space for travel.

Cons:

- The flavour: don't expect much clarity and acidity without recipe tweaking. If you like a sweetness, chocolaty focus and less acidity this is for you.
- Ironically on coarser settings it produces more dry finish and disappears on finer settings.
- the original brush that came with it. Doesn't really clean much, I happen to have extra 1ZPresso brush and it works 100x better.

Conclusion: if you want good form factor, solid travel grinder, and don't fuss about acidity. This is for you.

[marcusparungao]

Based on your observations would you say that the timemore c3 pro performs best at certain grind size? Maybe around like 16 clicks? So instead of changing grind size to influence the amount of extraction you would just change the extraction time?

[axleblaze]

When you push extraction do you grind finer, increase the brew time or both ? Also dose high extraction equal bitterness cause with some of the more South American coffee’s like medium Mexican it’s tasting like caramel but with lower extraction it’s tasting more fruity?

[colete]

keep pushing this amazing content ! and very stupid question, this grinder fits inside de plunger of the OG aeropress ? thanks!

[bonnies]

This was my first manual grinder and I found it difficult to grind with and took too long to get enough ground. I guess I did not know what to expect with a manual grinder. Are there some manual grinders for pour over coffee that would be easier to grind with ? Thanks

[morphmkd]

I have the C3 as my first hand grinder for a year now and definitely it works really well with some coffees and with others has the lack of clarity you need for 100% transparent representation but it is not a bad cup at all for 55$ hand grinder. Although now I am thinking of getting 1Zpresso X-pro although I don't know if it is a worthy upgrade over the C3, read some comparisons and opinions and they are mixed. Although now on HOST in Milano I saw that Timemore is preparing new grinder with outer adjustment as 1Zpresso. So I am now in between getting X Pro, waiting for the new Timemore or saving up a bit more for K Max. ZP6 is very hard to buy for where I am. Btw on what setting did you usually do V60 and Aeropress on the C3? Great content as usual Brian, kudos and keep on going!

[andrewskakun]

Awesome as always Brian!! Love hearing your thoughts on burrs and extraction levels! Would love to hear your thoughts on 98 flats and extraction levels! When you say super fast turbos do you mean Bailey shots?

[digitalpunkdiva]

I can't drink high acid coffees, nor can I stand light coffees. I have the C2 which is great for medium and dark for the Aeropress. Considering the C3 Esp for entry level espresso.

[cory]

Have you tried the Chestnut X with 42mm s2c burrs? Curious if the flavor profile is similar to the c3. The grinder is under $200 on Ali now, launched at like $325.

[RoofisDoofis]

Any examples of some grinders with high clarity burrs?

[yusufcaglar]

I have Hario's Mini Plus grinder and I'm looking for an upgrade. I don't have a higher budget for comandante products so I consider this. I mostly brew V60 pour over. Do you recommend this?

[BensCoffeeRants]

I have the basic C2 and C3 and thought they were pretty decent clarity wise, the Zp6 I feel colours the coffee more with it's burrs. I did notice if I'm doing higher temperatures or more pours getting a higher extraction I'll end up getting more bitterness but if I avoid that point they (c2 and C3) do really well and seem nicely balanced to me.