Test Drive: Update Your Grinding With More Comandante Grinder Accessories

Test Drive: Update Your Grinding With More Comandante Grinder Accessories

Don’t Skip the Budding Specialty-Café Culture in Quito, Ecuador

Introducing the specialty cafés of Quito, a city worth exploring on your coffee quest. BY JORDAN BUCHANANSPECIAL TO BARISTA MAGAZINE Featured photo courtesy of Stratto When traveling across South America, Ecuador can be forgotten between the high profiles of Colombia and Peru. Similarly, coffee from Ecuador may be overlooked due to its giant neighbors, including […]


Joven and Atucún Join Forces to Empower Young Farmers

The two brands have collaborated to create a unique coffee bar and support young farmers in the coffee and cacao industries. BY VASILEIA FANARIOTISENIOR ONLINE CORRESPONDENT Photos courtesy of Joven Coffee  For their first-of-its-kind bar, Joven Coffee and Atucún Chocolateria combined coffee beans, extracted cocoa butter, and organic cane sugar. Committed to supporting young farmers […]


Unique Collection in Switzerland Offers a Look at Coffee’s Rich History

Anita Vietri’s Coffee Culture Collection chronicles the brew’s journey through 1,500 artifacts. BY VASILEIA FANARIOTISENIOR ONLINE CORRESPONDENT Photos courtesy of Anita Vietri In the rich tapestry of coffee culture, there exists a hidden gem—an extraordinary collection that chronicles the captivating history of our beloved brew. Today, we meet Anita Vietri, an ardent coffee enthusiast and […]


How to Make the Best Coffee at Home By James Hoffmann: Book Review 

James Hoffmann’s new book, How to Make the Best Coffee at Home, is finally out, and is the perfect guide for both professionals and amateurs. BY TANYA NANETTISENIOR ONLINE CORRESPONDENT Photos by Tanya Nanetti James Hoffmann is one of the most recognizable people in the world of specialty coffee. His YouTube channel is both informative […]

Test Drive: Update Your Grinding With More Comandante Grinder Accessories

An In-Depth Look at Gruppo Cimbali’s Coffee Technician Wheel

The Coffee Technician Wheel is a new tool that helps technicians understand the complexity of coffee extraction. BY VASILEIA FANARIOTISENIOR ONLINE CORRESPONDENT Photos courtesy of Edgardo Ferrero and Espresso Academy Coffee technicians are responsible for a complex set of tasks related to the production and extraction of coffee. They manage customer requests and need to […]


4 Coffee Shops Worth a Visit in Madrid

In recent years, the Spanish capital has developed a vibrant specialty-coffee scene. Here are some cool cafés to visit for a caffeine fuel-up. BY TANYA NANETTISENIOR ONLINE CORRESPONDENT Featured photo by Jorge Fernández Salas via Unsplash The espresso bar at HanSo. HanSo Café, a Perfect Spot for Breakfast   In Chinese, HanSo roughly translates to “a […]


Know Your Sweeteners: Honey: Part Two

We continue our deep dive into honey, bringing to light environmental and animal rights concerns related to the product, and how the industry is addressing them. BY EMILY JOY MENESESBARISTA MAGAZINE ONLINE Feature photo via Unsplash This week we started our discussion of honey, uncovering how it’s produced, the differences between varieties of honey, and […]


Thread Coffee Roasters Opens Tailor-Made Roastery in Baltimore

The interwoven actions of Thread Coffee Roasters in Baltimore are finding exponentially more space this week with the grand opening of a brand-new production roastery and training lab. The worker-owned…

Test Drive: Update Your Grinding With More Comandante Grinder Accessories

Book Review: From Nerd to Pro, by Patrik Rolf

From Nerd to Pro: A Coffee Journey is an autobiography by roaster, café operator, and coffee competitor Patrik Rolf sharing his coffee journey. BY TANYA NANETTI SENIOR ONLINE CORRESPONDENT Featured photo by Tanya Nanetti I’ve read plenty of books on coffee over the years: manuals on how to brew great coffee at home, books on […]


Coffee News Recap, 26 Jan: Researchers create new genetic map to “future proof” arabica production, UAE & Italian Coffee Champions crowned at WoC Dubai and SIGEP & other stories

Every Friday, Perfect Daily Grind rounds up the top coffee industry news from the previous week. Here are this week’s coffee news stories. The word of the week is: competitions. Mon, 22 Jan Timemore launches crowdfunding campaign for upcoming Millab E01 portable electric coffee grinder. The wireless electric coffee grinder features a 5,000 mAh lithium battery […]


Girlsplaining Workshop Unites Women in Coffee in Quito, Ecuador

Meet Camila Khalifé, the brains behind Girlsplaining, a unique coffee learning experience with an emphasis on creating space for women in the industry. BY JORDAN BUCHANANSPECIAL TO BARISTA MAGAZINE Photos courtesy of Camila Khalifé Men may hold most of the positions of authority and teaching roles within the specialty-coffee industry, but Camila Khalifé, the owner […]


How to roast anaerobically fermented coffee

Among the many different kinds of experimental processing methods, anaerobic fermentation is perhaps the most popular and intriguing. Interest in this processing technique is only growing, with more and more anaerobic fermented coffee available in cafés and roasteries around the world. Moreover, of all the advanced processing methods, this particular technique has one of the […]

Test Drive: Update Your Grinding With More Comandante Grinder Accessories

Test Drive: Update Your Grinding With More Comandante Grinder Accessories

minimum dose size?

Jan 31, 2024 |

I use the Hario switch to brew my coffee and am trying to reduce my caffeine consumption. Hence I would like to brew smaller cups of coffee. I am currently using 10g of coffee with 160g of water. (1:16 Ratio) I am wondering if there is a minimum amount of coffee...

Test Drive: Update Your Grinding With More Comandante Grinder Accessories

The popular hand grinder has more to offer with a new line of tools and accessories now available.

BY TANYA NANETTI
SENIOR ONLINE CORRESPONDENT

Feature photo by Tanya Nanetti

To brew the perfect cup of coffee, it’s important to choose the right coffee equipment. One essential is a reliable coffee grinder. Most coffee lovers start with a simple and affordable grinder. But we often eventually move on to a more professional (and expensive) model, whether manual or automatic. 

Among manual grinders, the Comandante is often awarded as one of the best. It’s handmade in Germany, and easy to calibrate thanks to the practical click counter, which allows you to replicate a recipe and share it with friends. And with its elegant design and multiple colors to choose from, it’s easy to see why the Comandante has become so recognizable. 

A hand holds up a wooden Comandante grinder. It has a large wooden knob on a long metal arm at the top, a wooden middle, and a clear glass bottom. In the background is a dirt trail leading into an evergreen forest.
A Comandante manual grinder in the wild. Photo by Josh Taves.

A good product must not only work well at the time of purchase, but it also must be reliable and efficient in the long-term. Contrary to the many products created on purpose with programmed obsolescence, the Comandante grinder is created to endure. Built with high-quality materials, the goal is that your grinder will last a lifetime.

We’ve previously covered some of Comandante’s accessories, but today we’re looking at some additional tools the company has released. These should help keep your grinder in tip-top shape and ensure that your Comandante lasts for years to come. 

The travel bag inside its cardboard packaging. There is a detailed card with a diagram explaining what the inner pockets are for, and the plain back of the black bag is visible.
Unboxing the C40 Travel Bag. Photo by Tanya Nanetti.

C40 Travel Bag

The perfect companion for traveling with your Comandante, the C40 Travel Bag is the definitive accessory for all your adventures. Specifically designed to store the grinder complete with its crank and two spare bean jars (or, if you prefer, a coffee bag), it can also contain tools like brushes and cupping spoons, thanks to the functional pockets.

Inside the travel bag. There are two rounded pockets to hold the hold the grinder and a bag of coffee. There is a loop with a button snap closure to hold the handle. On the other side, a flat pocket for holding a spoon or other small objects. The bag is closed with a a wraparound zipper.
The C40 Travel Bag folds in half when unzipped for easy access to the functional pockets. Photo by Tanya Nanetti.

Light and soft, but at the same time made of tough cotton, the travel bag is just the right size for your hand luggage, or for your camping backpack. Just store your grinder and the coffee you’ll need, and everything will be perfect for the next trip! 

The front of the travel bag. It has leather handles and a debossed leather Comandante logo patch. The logo is a shield with wings on the side. The shield holds three gears, as if from a clock.
The C40 bag design is minimalistic and functional. Photo by Tanya Nanetti.

Felt Cover

Developed for the protection of the Comandante, the felt “sleeve” is UV light-resistant, air-permeable, and dirt-repellent. It’s perfect for insulating the grinder from excessive temperatures, thanks to its elastic structure (made of 100% fine Merino sheep wool). The cover adheres perfectly to your Comandante, protecting it from accidental scratches, bumps, and abrasions.  

Barista Brushes

Made of wood and natural hair, the Comandante brushes come in different shapes and sizes to best clean not only the different parts of the grinder and the coffee jars, but also to keep the coffee work station tidy. Furthermore, an additional stainless-steel brush is specially made to properly clean the grinder’s metal parts.

Inside the burr care fluid box. There is a glass bottle with a screw on lid, a flat wooden bristle brush, and a cleaning cloth.
Protecting the burrs on your grinder will ensure fluid motion and upkeep of the grinder. Photo by Tanya Nanetti.

Burr Care Fluid Set

Consisting of a Burr Care Fluid bottle, one soft cotton cloth, and a stainless-steel brush, this set is perfect for polishing the burrs and stainless-steel parts of the Comandante. You just need to apply a small amount of oil to the cloth and rub it onto the desired steel surface, using the included brush to clean the steel surface and remove any oxidizing residue. 

Wood Care Balm Set

This set (with balm, cloth, and brush) is perfect for those with a wooden grinder. Simply rub a small amount of the balm onto the wooden surface using the cotton cloth, continuing to reapply the balm until the wood no longer absorbs it. Let the wood rest for a few minutes, then polish it with the included cotton cloth. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tanya Nanetti (she/her) is a specialty-coffee barista, a traveler, and a dreamer. When she’s not behind the coffee machine (or visiting some hidden corner of the world), she’s busy writing for Coffee Insurrection, a website about specialty coffee that she’s creating along with her boyfriend.

The post Test Drive: Update Your Grinding With More Comandante Grinder Accessories appeared first on Barista Magazine Online.

Test Drive: Update Your Grinding With More Comandante Grinder Accessories

Perfect Little Beans

Chinmey Hill Coffee uses specialty-grade beans with zero primary defects (such as black beans or sour beans) and less than five secondary defects (such as broken beans). This is important because primary defects will greatly affect the taste of the coffee. Having zero defects allows the coffee to be the most optimal flavor.

Window for Optimal Flavor

Chimney Hill Coffee ships our coffee the same day it was roasted, so you will receive it before it enters the window of optimal flavor.  This means you’ll never miss the opportunity to enjoy the coffee’s peak flavor.

Coffee Ratings

Coffee undergoes many scoring processes by professionals who achieved their Q Grader certification. Coffee is first graded when it’s green. If there are defects the coffee is determined to be “not-specialty grade”. For those coffees that pass green grading, they are sample roasted and cupped. (Cupping is the official term for critically tasting and scoring coffees. The official cupping form is standard worldwide, and where the 100-point scoring system comes from.) A coffee’s dry fragrance, wet aroma, flavor, aftertaste, body, acidity, balance, and overall impression are taken into consideration while uniformity issues and defects, will lower the overall score.

Specialty Coffee

Specialty coffee, coined by Erna Knutsen in 1974, refers to a coffee that receives a quality grading score of 80 percent or higher. While “premium” or “gourmet” seem like they’re synonymous with “specialty,” they simply are marketing terms with no defined standards. Specialty coffees are grown in specific and ideal micro-climates, and have distinctive and unique flavor profiles, with little to no defects.

Third-Wave Coffee

We’re currently in the third wave of coffee. The first wave of American coffee put pre-ground, vacuum-sealed cans in kitchens across America. The second wave started with the late ‘60s introduction of Peet’s coffee (by Alfred Peet) through the proliferation of Starbucks. The third wave of coffee focuses on origin transparency, nuanced flavors, and artisan roasting. The term “third wave” is synonymous with specialty coffee.

Test Drive: Update Your Grinding With More Comandante Grinder Accessories

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