Best Coffee Grinders · head-to-head

C40 MK4 Nitro Blade vs Chestnut C3 ESP Pro

A sourced, side-by-side comparison. Chestnut C3 ESP Pro is cheaper at $79. Every spec and price links to its source.

Which is better: the C40 MK4 Nitro Blade or Chestnut C3 ESP Pro?

The Chestnut C3 ESP Pro wins 2 of the 2 specs we compare head to head; the other wins 0. The Chestnut C3 ESP Pro is the cheaper at $79. The Chestnut C3 ESP Pro both leads on specs and costs less — the straightforward pick.

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Full spec sheet

marks the stronger figure where "more" — or "less", for price and weight — is unambiguously better.

Spec C40 MK4 Nitro Blade Chestnut C3 ESP Pro
US price $325 $79
BrandComandanteTimemore
Released20212022
Type manual manual
Burr type conical conical
Burr size (mm) 39 38
Grind settings ~40 clicks per rotation 30 clicks per rotation (23.3 µm/click)
Hopper capacity (g) 40 25
Best for all all
Weight (lb) 1.63 1.17
Release 2021 2022

Sources — C40 MK4 Nitro Blade: prima-coffee.com (verified 2026-06-19). Chestnut C3 ESP Pro: slowpoursupply.co (verified 2026-06-19).

What's the difference between the C40 MK4 Nitro Blade and Chestnut C3 ESP Pro?

Where the two actually differ on the specs we track (4 of 7). Matching specs are omitted.

  • Burr size (mm): C40 MK4 Nitro Blade 39 vs Chestnut C3 ESP Pro 38
  • Grind settings: C40 MK4 Nitro Blade ~40 clicks per rotation vs Chestnut C3 ESP Pro 30 clicks per rotation (23.3 µm/click)
  • Hopper capacity (g): C40 MK4 Nitro Blade 40 vs Chestnut C3 ESP Pro 25
  • Weight (lb): C40 MK4 Nitro Blade 1.63 vs Chestnut C3 ESP Pro 1.17

What reviewers say

Sourced tester consensus for each — the "what people who used it think" layer, not just specs.

C40 MK4 Nitro Blade

Only one whitelisted hands-on reviewer survived verification: Tom's Guide, which lab-measured grind uniformity (Kruve sieves), retention (scale, before/after) and grind speed, and named the Comandante C40 MK4 Editor's Choice. Every quote and measured value in this entry was confirmed verbatim against the fetched article. Verdict: best-in-class hand grinder for consistency and low retention, but slow to crank at fine settings and very expensive. (1 sourced review, 1 lab-tested.)

Praised: Consistent, uniform grind across the full range (verified via Kruve sifter test); Low grind retention, averaging 2.75%; Exceptional build quality and ergonomic body/handle.

Flagged: Very expensive (~$277-$323); Hard and slow to crank at finer settings (below ~20 clicks); No indicator showing the current click/grind setting.

Chestnut C3 ESP Pro

No sourced tester review yet.

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