Sandyr10 wrote:If I already have a kinu or commandante grinder, is it worth upgrading to OE apex for taste alone? It seems there are many mechanical things that can go wrong with this thread. Where the kinu and commandante seem much simpler and less prone to issues that need fixing.

Imho both the C40 or Kinu M47 not in the APEX level in the cups especially in pour over , but everyone have their reference when it comes to pour over coffee, some people like mouthfeel/body others like clarity, if you tends to like body/mouthfeel I don't think it's worth to upgrade to APEX unless you want more clarity and less fines in the cups...
Regarding the mechanical things, there's some minor squeaking sound, retention or last beans stuck at finer setting it's manageable and lots of videos guidelines by Doug and Barb in YouTube to clean & deep cleaning the grinder...very easy to follow and helpful...

Ok thanks. I'll have to weigh the pros/cons. FYI I pretty much drink French press for the most part and I don't drink a lot of light roast/Ethiopian. I mainly drink medium roast or blends from counter culture so they are still pretty fruity for a medium roast. The main issue I'm having is the kinu producing fines that make the bottom of the cup taste very harsh after a French press. But I do enjoy the body in the rest of the cup above this. Would the apex have no body in the French press?. I saw another post you have with the kinu and commandante comparison. Do you think commandante would be a happy medium to clean up the grit at the bottom of the cup and allow a little more clarity?

You get the most clarity in taste with pour over using filter paper cause they get some of the oily stuf, with french press the oil are still there but the fines between those 3 grinder maybe Apex were the less...if your preference were the mouthfeel/body with french press C40 are enough.... unless you want a better results with pour over in the future you can upgrade to APEX...

Ok I really prefer French press as it seems to extract more/intense origin flavor from the coffee, even if somewhat muddier flavors compared to pourover. Maybe I will buy the commandante to compare to my kinu side by side and then sell the one don't want

Sandyr10 wrote:If I already have a kinu or commandante grinder, is it worth upgrading to OE apex for taste alone? It seems there are many mechanical things that can go wrong with this thread. Where the kinu and commandante seem much simpler and less prone to issues that need fixing.

That's such a tough question to answer because we will have different opinions and experiences with it. There will be a noticeable taste difference between a Comandante and an Apex. The Apex will have a noticeable improvement in clarity, less body and better flavour separation. But that doesn't mean it's "better" because the Comandante will be more complex, more body, I find more depth or dimension to the flavour well still having very good clarity. IMO these are two of the best brew grinders out there, regardless of price.

I no longer have an Apex because I didn't love the user experience with it but I loved the cups I got with it, zero complains about the end results with the Apex. If you already have a Comandante or Kinu, I'd highly suggest an Ode or DF64 and put in the SSP MP burrs, you'll have a hand grinder for on the go that will also give you a different taste profile. But you'll also have an electric grinder for the day to day use that will perform as well as the Apex and highlight similar aspects to the coffee. If I could only have one grinder it would be the Comandante because it's built to last a lifetime(no electric components to burn out) and I can travel with it.

EDIT: I noticed that you're primary looking for French press, if you're ok with hand grinding go with the Comandante. I don't notice big benefits for FP by using grinders that showcase clarity like an Apex or SSP MP, you may prefer the Comandante taste profile for this, I haven't tried a Kinu so I can't comment on that grinder.

Thanks, I think commandante will suit me better as I prefer body and depth more than brightness or clarity. I'll buy one to compare with my kinu and keep the one I like.

Sandyr10 wrote:Maybe I will buy the commandante to compare to my kinu side by side and then sell the one don't want

Yes doing side by side will be the best experience, if possible just keep them both, those 2 grinders have different taste profile and very well built.

Sandyr10 wrote:The main issue I'm having is the kinu producing fines that make the bottom of the cup taste very harsh after a French press.

It may be worth getting a better press pot like an Espro with its double filters or pouring your FP brew through a paper filter than getting a grinder. I agree with the other posters that an Apex is pretty different and "better" than the Kinu and C40, but we're talking small differences here, and all 3 will still produce delicious coffee.

I know this really doesn't belong here, but since many of you also own comandante c40, I thought I'd ask. So I ended up getting a comandante to compare to my kinu and the results haven't been great. Keeping all the variables the same (tap water, 202 F, same time in the French press), the comandante is not giving a very good result in the cup. The kinu tastes much more fruity and lively. I did get a good result the first test but then I adjusted the grind a little finer and then worked my way back to the original setting and even went a little coarser. All of them tasted more hollow and somewhat bitter. Does this grinder take some breaking in or maybe i got a defect?