Chestnut X Hand Grinder

The Timemore Chestnut X is the latest entry to the ever-growing premium hand grinder market - so it needs to be something special to stand out. Fortunately, after years of research, several patents, and an exceptional eye for detail, it has moved straight to the top of our favourite grinder list.

Design and Build Quality

So what's so special about it? All you need to do is look at the X to know that the design and attention to detail are second to none. Weighing in at 765g and with a capacity of 30-35g, it looks sleek, feels amazing, and has won a few awards to prove it.

The Timemore Chestnut X has a CNC cut aluminum unibody which is squared off on the outside making it easier to grip. Even the grounds bin is CNC cut aluminum, preventing any breakage issues that occur with glass, or longevity issues with plastic. And on the subject of the grounds bin, it may seem like something small but it only takes half a turn to take it on and off and it locks positively into place so it never feels like it will come off, unless you want it to.

The shaft is kept in place by two bearings of the highest quality to make sure grinding is as smooth and consistent as possible.

The Handle

The Handle, unlike any other grinder handle, needs an entire section to itself. It’s hard to convey just how unique it is without picking it up in person, but we'll try. First appearing on the Timemore Nano grinder, the foldable handle is game-changing, but a simple piece of engineering. When not in use, the handle folds down to the side of the grinder and stays nicely tucked away. The back of the knob also has a rubber damper that both prevents the body from being damaged, and doubles as a knock tool to ensure that any residual grinds can be cleared from the chamber. When you straighten the handle out, it locks into place and is a pleasure to grind with but, in all honesty, the soothing sound of opening and clicking into place would make us buy this grinder on its own.

Burrs and Grinding

Firstly, it is fair to mention that, when you are at this end of the hand grinder scale, they are all going to provide you with an exceptional grind distribution and the potential to make some super delicious coffee. In the case of the Chestnut X, Timemore went back to the drawing board on the design of the burr set and created an entirely new conical burr that they call Spike to Cut (S2C). Made from high hardness, water and rust resistant SUS440 high carbon stainless steel, the 42mm burrs are designed to work in two stages: firstly, to spike the beans and break them down into smaller pieces - this also has the advantage of keeping the silver skin of the coffee in larger pieces so it can be sieved out more easily if you are so inclined. And you probably are if you are looking at this grinder! Secondly, the spiked coffee then passes through a more standard burr design to break the coffee down into its final grind size.

Grind Adjustment

However, that’s just the first act. When it comes to hand grinders, we are all used to having to zero our grinders (tightening until we can't tighten any more) and then clicking back to get to the right grind. No longer do we have to endure the prescribed number-of-clicks-from-zero method as each Chestnut X comes with an absolute grind adjustment. Running from 1-24, you can now set and communicate grind size without having to guess whether you are at the perfect level of grind to get the best out of your coffee. But that's not all, no that's not all… the Chestnut X also comes with a micro-adjust dial that allows you to break each of the 24 steps to a further 5 so, in total, you have access to 120 grind accuracy settings! But what does this mean? Well, it means that this amazing grinder will allow you to get the best coffee, whether it’s filter or espresso: it's got all of your coffee needs covered.