El Comandante C40 MKIV Review

Discover our in-depth analysis of the El Comandante C40 MKIV coffee grinder, a model appreciated for its sturdiness and refined design, ideal for coffee enthusiasts. In this article, we share our objective impressions on its features, ease of use, and performance after recently acquiring this grinder. Dive into the world of high-end coffee and let yourself be won over by this exceptional tool that could transform your coffee routine.

For a very long time, I wanted to test the El Comandante C40 MKIV coffee grinder. In truth, I had already spotted it during my research to acquire my first high-end coffee grinder, but I couldn’t buy it, because at the time I was living in Canada, and the C40 wasn’t available in that country.

This grinder is presented by many forums as being one of the most reliable on the market. What is the reality?
To be able to try it, I ended up buying it on

Find an El Comandante C40 on Amazon affiliate link.

As you can see, this test was done out of passion and in a completely objective manner.

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Product presentation

The packaging of the El Comandante C40 is refined and elegant. You can view it in the image gallery below.

The items included in the box are:

• A crank handle, attached to the cap
• A grinder, available in several finishes
• Two glass containers: one in smoked glass and one in transparent glass
• A cap to close the container not being used with the grinder

The video below shows my first impressions of the El Comandante C40 grinder:

Let’s now go into detail about each part of the coffee grinder.

The crank handle

The crank handle features a very ergonomic wooden knob.
The type of wood used varies depending on the overall color of the grinder body.
A very good point: its shape is really designed to make turning the crank pleasant.

On the other side, a lid attached to the crank.
It is made of plastic and allows you to close the grinder during use.
The plastic used is of good quality, but I would have preferred a metal lid, which is much more durable.

The plastic, although transparent, does not allow you to observe the beans inside the grinder during grinding.
In my case, the lid is tinted, which makes any internal view virtually impossible.

The crank attaches to the grinder body using a powerful magnet.
This system is practical, effective and convincing. I really appreciated it.

The grinder body

The grinder’s design is very simple: a stainless steel tube with several possible finishes, all of very high quality.
The so-called “wood” finishes are made with real wood, veneered onto the grinder body.

For my purchase, I chose a black finish: it is a pearlescent paint that adds grip and improves handling.

The C40’s grip is satisfactory, although for small hands, it may seem a bit wide.
However, it doesn’t slip during grinding, which is essential.

The El Comandante C40 MKIV is available in different finishes to suit all tastes. The central shaft is guided by a ball bearing assembly, held by a good quality plastic support.
As can be seen in the videos I shared, the ball bearings used are very smooth, which contributes to the smoothness and stability of the grind.

At the bottom of the grinder, just before the burr, there is a plastic curve that serves to direct the coffee beans toward the burr, whose diameter is slightly smaller than that of the stainless steel tube.

The burr and its adjustment

Grind adjustment is performed by screwing or unscrewing the adjustment dial, according to the following indications:
➡️ Turn to the right tightens the burr
➡️ Turn to the left spreads the burrs apart

The adjustment dial contains three small ball bearings that produce a “clear and precise click” with each rotation.
For my use with the La Pavoni Europicola, the ideal setting is 9 clicks (starting from the tightest) for 16 g of coffee.

It is possible to further refine the adjustment precision of the
El Comandante C40 MKIV affiliate link
by replacing the adjustment dial and central axle with an upgrade kit sold separately.

The container

Supplied in a set of two (one transparent, the other matte), the collection container is made of glass. Glass is fragile and can be broken if dropped on the floor. Fortunately, El Comandante offers this component for retail sale, ensuring quick replacement in case of breakage.

In use, I noticed a very slight retention of coffee on the threading that holds the receptacle. To avoid this retention, you simply need to properly tighten the receptacle to the grinder body (no need to force it, just screw it on properly).

Using the El Comandante C40

Now that the grinder has been introduced to you, let’s move on to its real-world testing.

I only tested the grinder for making espresso, as it’s the only extraction method I use to prepare my coffees. Therefore, I won’t be able to comment much on its compatibility with other methods like French Press or V60.
However, according to several testimonials on specialized forums, this grinder performs very well with coarser grinds.

I successfully paired the C40 with my La Pavoni. In the cup, you can clearly feel the quality of the grind, and therefore that of the grinder.

You can view the photos and videos below to get a more precise idea of the result and the user experience.

How long does it take to grind coffee with the El Comandante C40?

16 g of coffee with a setting suitable for espresso grinds in about 1 minute (you can refer to the video below). This duration is slightly longer than for the other grinders I’ve tested, like the Apollo by BPlus or the Kinu M47, but the difference comes down to a few seconds. Nothing prohibitive for preparing an excellent coffee.

Important note about the test: I tested the C40 to prepare espresso coffees, that is, with the burrs very close together.
Since the coffee is ground extremely fine, the grinding time is naturally longer. For other extraction methods that require a coarser grind, the grinding time is much faster.

The grind quality

The grind obtained with the C40 is of excellent quality: fine adjustment, very consistent grind and very good taste in the cup with my La Pavoni.
In summary, the C40 perfectly meets the requirements of professional espresso machines.

Even though I haven’t tested it with other extraction methods, many forums indicate that it performs very well with coarser grinds.

Cleaning the El Comandante C40

To clean the El Comandante C40, nothing could be simpler: simply completely unscrew the adjustment knob and remove the burr. Then, using a toothbrush or a small brush, remove all debris.
Important: never use water.

In the video below, I show how to clean the C40. I tried to disassemble the second part of the burr (the one that is stationary) by unscrewing three screws. They are very tight and impossible to loosen, which suggests that the manufacturer does not want this part to be disassembled during regular maintenance.
Despite this, it is possible to clean the inside of the grinder body from the top, as it is wide enough.

Conclusion

To conclude, the only notable observation about the C40 is that it takes slightly longer to grind than my other coffee grinder, the Apollo from BPlus. As seen in the article, it’s only a matter of a few seconds, so it’s not a major issue.

The rest of the grinder is excellent, with many qualities: grinding consistency, robustness, and elegant design.
Thus, if someone asks me whether I recommend this grinder, I will answer without hesitation “yes!”. The C40 is a very good coffee grinder.

The rating I would give it: 4/5

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