I've always been fascinated by burrs (metal blades that are inside your coffee grinder so that it can cut beans), and the technology used to design and manufacture them. Generally, the goal of coffee grinding is to produce a narrow, modal distribution (a singular peak) of coffee particles. As a grinder company then, you'd have 2 tasks:
- Run simulations to figure out the burr geometries that would result in this narrow, modal distribution of particles
- Manufacture these burr geometries
I can imagine you can go deep into any of these 2 aspects. When I do have time in the future I'd like to go deeper into how #1 and #2 could be done.
Back to the topic. Many people have asked me what grinder from Timemore I'd recommend. Timemore has released so many new grinders and a few different lines so it's really easy to get confused. It does not help that the names of these grinders and burrs don't roll off your tongue.
Let's start with a list of Timemore grinders:
- Chestnut C2, C2 Fold
- Chestnut C3, C3S, C3S Pro, C3S Max, C3 ESP
- G1, G1 Plus, G3
- Chestnut ESP
- Chestnut S3, S3 ESP
- Chestnut X, X Lite
- Nano, Nano 3
- Slim, Slim Plus, Slim 3
- C5, C5 Pro, C5 ESP
And a list of burrs:
| Burr Name | Material | Size (mm) | Number of Blades |
| Standard burr | SUS 420 | 38 | Unknown |
| E&B | SUS 420 | 38 | Unknown |
| S2C660 | SUS 420 | 38 | Unknown |
| S2C860 | SUS 440 [CHECK] | 42 | Unknown |
| S2C880 | SUS 440 [CHECK] | 42 | Unknown |
| S2C890 | SUS 420 | 42 | Unknown |
| S2C-040-E Ⅰ | SUS 420 | 40 | 5 |
| S2C-042-E Ⅰ | SUS 420 | 42 | 8 |
| S2C-042-Ⅲ | SUS 420 | 42 | 7 |
Let's start with the OG Timemore C2 / C2 Fold. C2 Fold just refers to a foldable handle, everything else is identical. These have "standard burrs", are made of SUS420 and have size 38 mm. Timemore G1, Slim and Nano all use these burrs, but these models have been discontinued.
These were released in 2019 and were Timemore's first grinders. I thought they did a really good job raising the standard of affordable stainless steel grinders. I still remember the really bad experience I had with my first grinder (it was a ceramic burr grinder) which had terrible grind size consistency.
Next, we have the Timemore ESP (ESP short for espresso) and the Timemore G1 Plus. Both of these grinders use "E&B burrs", material is SUS420 and burr size is 38 mm. G1 Plus is a bit special though and has a Titanium Nitride (TiN) coating. This coating does a bunch of things:
| Feature | Effect |
|---|---|
| Hardness | TiN increases surface hardness (up to ~2300 HV), making burrs more resistant to wear |
| Edge Retention | Coated burrs stay sharper longer, maintaining cutting precision |
| Friction Reduction | Slightly lowers friction, which may reduce heat generation during grinding |
| Corrosion Resistance | Helps prevent rust or chemical wear, especially in humid climates |
| Gold Color | Cosmetic indicator, but also helps identify upgraded models |
Does Titanium Nitride coating actually affect coffee flavour?
Directly? Not really.
Indirectly? Yes, via:
- Improved particle consistency over time, which translates to better extraction
- Lower burr fatigue, so results stay uniform in the long run
- Stays sharp longer, so fewer fines and less burr wobble on aging burrs
Next up, we have the Chestnut X. This was the Gen 1 flagship: 42mm S2C burrs (S2C860), and it was the first time Timemore put a proper espresso-capable burr in a manual grinder body. The bigger burr size made pour-over feel more effortless too (more surface area moving through beans per turn), so it worked as a genuine dual-purpose grinder if you didn't mind the price bump over the C2.
Here's a short summary courtesy of Timemore as we close the generation 1 lineup of grinders and burrs:
Gen 2: bigger burrs, finer adjustment, more variants
Around 2024, Timemore refreshed most of the manual lineup. Same body shapes in some places, but new burr geometries with more refined tooth patterns, and (importantly) a lot more variants that split the ranges by use case. Filter, espresso, travel, budget, flagship - each now has a designated model.
The C3 family: C3, C3S, C3S Pro, C3S Max, C3 ESP
All of these use the same S2C660 burr: 38mm SUS420 stainless steel with the spike-to-cut geometry Timemore introduced with the Chestnut X, scaled down to 38mm. What changes across the family is the body material, adjustment mechanism, and hopper size.
- C3 - aluminium body, internal adjustment (numbered clicks on the burr rod). The baseline of the family.
- C3S - full stainless steel body, same internal adjustment. Feels more solid in hand.
- C3S Pro - stainless steel body, external adjustment ring at the base. Faster to dial without disassembling.
- C3S Max - larger 30g capacity, foldable handle. Meant for travel or moving between brew methods without regrinding batches.
- C3 ESP - same C3 body, but with an ESP-tuned S2C660 variant (finer default range, tighter click steps). If you use a Cafelat Robot or another manual espresso setup, this is the one.
None of the C3 family are espresso-first grinders (except C3 ESP). If you brew filter, get whichever body appeals to you.
Nano 3
Compact travel grinder, refreshed with the S2C660 burr. Same 38mm burrs as the C3 family, packed into a shorter body with a fixed handle. Good for backpacking, hotel rooms, offices. Not my first pick for daily home use - the shorter handle means longer grinding times and your wrist knows about it after two cups.
Slim 3
Slim-body Gen 2 refresh. [CHECK: specific burr designation - almost certainly a 38mm S2C variant, but I'd like to confirm the exact SKU]. The slimmer body makes it easier to pack, at the cost of some ergonomics during long grind sessions.
Chestnut S3 and S3 ESP
The current flagship of the manual line. 42mm SUS420 conical burrs with the S2C890 geometry - the more refined evolution of the X's S2C860. External adjustment ring with 15 micron steps (the finest of any Chestnut manual), and factory burr gap set to 0.075mm.
The standard S3 is tuned for brew methods. The S3 ESP has the same body but a different burr set optimised for espresso, with a finer default range. If you're serious about pour-over and want the best manual grinder Timemore currently makes, S3. Serious about manual espresso? S3 ESP.
C5, C5 Pro, C5 ESP (2025)
The 2025 refresh of the C-series. Bigger 42mm burrs (S2C-042-Ⅲ, SUS420), 16 macro clicks with 48 micro steps per macro, 15 μm per click. This is the first time Timemore has put 42mm burrs into a C-body - which used to be exclusive to the higher tiers.
- C5 - the baseline. 42mm S2C-042-Ⅲ, standard C-body.
- C5 Pro - all-metal body, tighter build tolerances, finer adjustment ring.
- C5 ESP - same 42mm burr platform, tuned for espresso.
The C5 family is interesting because it collapses the price gap between the old C3 range and the S3. Similar burr size, similar adjustment precision, without the full S3 price tag.
X Lite
A stripped-down variant of the original Chestnut X. [CHECK: current burr designation - was likely still an S2C-042 variant, possibly reusing S2C860 or moved to newer S2C-042-Ⅰ / Ⅲ]. Sits between the C-series and the full S3 in price and performance.
How to pick, in one sentence
Filter only, cheapest: C2 or C3. Filter only, best value in Gen 2: C5 or C5 Pro. Filter only, no compromises: S3. Espresso via a manual lever: C3 ESP or C5 ESP for value, S3 ESP for the best. Travel: Nano 3 or Slim 3.
Any of them will out-grind whatever came with your first coffee kit. The current C5 and S3 families are where I'd point most home brewers who are ready to invest.
Shop the range
We stock the current Chestnut and C-series manual grinders at The Brew Therapy, imported directly with local warranty support in Singapore.