Comandante have just released their latest and most innovative grinder yet, it is also their most expensive grinder. So is the hefty price tag worth all the features the Comandante Grinder boasts? We had the opportunity to get a behind the scenes preview of this grinder at MICE 2023 here in Melbourne and are now going to deep dive into everything you need to know about the Comandante C60 Baracuda Grinder.
Comandante C60 Baracuda Features:
- The Comandante C60 Baracuda stands as a top-tier manual coffee grinder for high-performance grinding.
- Its burr set design is the most expansive and advanced ever developed.
- A manageable manual grinder featuring an oversized burr set.
- Constructed as a single steel unit to maximise stability and drivetrain efficiency.
- Incorporates manufacturing techniques and quality typically reserved for high-performance motor components.
- Its bold and well-defined design harmoniously complements its functionality.
- Despite its weight of 1 kilogram, the grinder exudes a robust and commanding presence.
- Thanks to the Baracuda®'s optimised burr geometry, it achieves 2-3 times higher bean throughput, ensuring a smooth grinding experience.
- Offers a world-class particle size distribution, making it suitable for a wide array of brewing methods, from drip coffee to espresso.
Comandante C40 MK3 to MK4:
The Comandante C40 features a 39mm conical burr set housed in a stainless steel construction finished with a wooden veneer. The C40 does feature a plastic insert that acts as a support for the axle as well as a plastic adjustment piece to change the grind setting. Recently the C40 received a minor upgrade from MK3 to MK4, these changes featured the following features:
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New Jar made from a high quality BPA-Free Clear Polymer, these jars are incredibly durable and lightweight. These are the same dimensions of the MK3 and can still hold approximately 40 grams of roasted coffee. (Please note that the dimensions are the same and can be switched out with older MK3 jars)
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Lightweight, Overall the new MK4 Comandante Grinders are around 600 grams and have had its weight reduced due to the Polymer Jars and the new designed internal structure.
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Wood sourcing, Comandante now source their wood sustainably for all their wooden outer body grinders.
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New Internal structure, to prevent wastage and beans trapped inside the axel / crank connection point.
What is the difference between Comandante C40 and C60?
The Comandante C40 fairly recently had an upgrade with the MK4 model released earlier this year, however the C60 is a completly different grinder.
The Comandante C60 is essentially built around the Baracuda burr set, a much larger burr set that has more surface ares to grind your coffee and with a much more even grind size distribution.
As well as this the C60 now has a 'Gold Clix' System, this has an adjustment of 41.6μm per click (much more accurate grind size setting in comparison to the C40).
The C60 also comes with a dark lid and the larger Big Joe knob made from solid European Oak and one of the indestructible polymer jars Comandante released earlier in the year.
Comandante C40 vs C60 Click Conversion Chart:
| Brew Method / Grind Size | C40 (Clicks) | C60 (Clicks) |
| Turkish Coffee (Very Fine) | 1-3 | 1-4 |
| Espresso (Fine) | 4-10 | 5-14 |
| AeroPress (Fine Coarse) | 10-20 | 14-28 |
| Pour Over (Medium Coarse) | 20-30 | 28-42 |
| Cupping (Coarse) | 30-35 | 42-48 |
| Cold Brew (Very Coarse) | 35-40 | 48-55 |
How to clean the Comandante C60 Baracuda?
Similarly to the Comandante C40, the C60 assembles and disassembles the same. To remove the Burr set and the axle simply adjust all the way coarse. As the Comandante C60 doesn't have any wooden components there is no need to oil or use wax balms to treat the body.
The carved out design of the C60 also has an easy-grip texture that assists in holding while grinding and as these are simply machined out of the stainless steel body they don't require any maintenance or up keep.
How does Comandante C60 Baracuda Burrs Taste?
Comandante's most successful and loved hand grinder is hands down the C40 so when they announced the new Comandante C60 Baracuda grinder everyone has been asking this burning question, what's are the differences and is the C60 as big of an upgrade as its previous C40 model? The C60's burrs are huge in comparison to other coffee hand grinder burrs making this one of the most significant changes to the C60's design.
Is Heavier better?
The C60 is 1kg, in comparison to the C40 being roughly half the weight I think that the difference in weight does make the C60 feel like a higher quality coffee grinder.
In saying this I actually don't know whether this scientifically makes any impact on grinding coffee or more importantly the stability of the grinder.
Bearing this in mind I don't think heavier necessarily is better by default but it definitely helps to show the time and effort in Comandante's design to create this grinder.
Is The Comandante C60 Baracuda Grinder Worth It?
Comandante don't shy away from releasing expensive products, they offer a high quality standard that is arguably the most consistent over the years.
The C60 boasts a range of upgrades such as the larger burr set, the higher precision 'Gold Clix' adjustment and the Big Joe knob / crank. Considering all of this it actually works out to be a pretty sweet deal compared to the C40 + Red Clix + Big Joe and Black Crank that you would have to purchase individually. And this doesn't take into consideration the larger burr set.
In saying this, there are other grinders out there in the market that may offer more features or better price. I am personally a big fan of Comandante and love the coffee I can get from my C40 and now C60 grinders. I think they are incredibly durable and consistent grinders.
For me the C60 is worth the upgrade.
Comandante's most successful and loved hand grinder is hands down the C40 so when they announced the new Comandante C60 Baracuda grinder everyone has been asking this burning question, what's are the differences and is the C60 as big of an upgrade as its previous C40 model? The C60's burrs are huge in comparison to other coffee hand grinder burrs making this one of the most significant changes to the C60's design.
Is Heavier better?
The C60 is 1kg, in comparison to the C40 being roughly half the weight I think that the difference in weight does make the C60 feel like a higher quality coffee grinder.
In saying this I actually don't know whether this scientifically makes any impact on grinding coffee or more importantly the stability of the grinder.
Bearing this in mind I don't think heavier necessarily is better by default but it definitely helps to show the time and effort in Comandante's design to create this grinder.
Is The Comandante C60 Baracuda Grinder Worth It?
Comandante don't shy away from releasing expensive products, they offer a high quality standard that is arguably the most consistent over the years.
The C60 boasts a range of upgrades such as the larger burr set, the higher precision 'Gold Clix' adjustment and the Big Joe knob / crank. Considering all of this it actually works out to be a pretty sweet deal compared to the C40 + Red Clix + Big Joe and Black Crank that you would have to purchase individually. And this doesn't take into consideration the larger burr set.
In saying this, there are other grinders out there in the market that may offer more features or better price. I am personally a big fan of Comandante and love the coffee I can get from my C40 and now C60 grinders. I think they are incredibly durable and consistent grinders.
For me the C60 is worth the upgrade.