Grind size converter
Roasters write recipes in microns, or in another grinder's clicks. Tell us which, and what you grind on, and we'll translate.
How the grind size converter works
Grind settings are not a shared language. A click on a Comandante C40 is not the same movement as a click on a Kingrinder K6, and a 4.2 on a Fellow Ode means nothing to someone holding a Baratza Encore. Particle size is the one figure that travels, so every conversion here goes through microns: your setting is turned into an approximate grind size, and that grind size is turned back into a setting on the grinder you actually own.
Each grinder carries a set of calibration anchors — pairs of (setting, particle size) taken from published measurements — and the tool interpolates between them. Two anchors describe a straight line; more anchors bend the curve where a grinder is known to be uneven, as the Ode Gen 2 is, moving anywhere from 9 to 39 µm per sub-click depending on where the dial sits.
The answer comes back as a starting point with a band around it, never a single number. Zero points differ between individual units of the same model, and two grinders set to the same micron figure still produce different particle distributions. Start in the middle of the band, taste, and move one way.
Why microns-per-click specs get conversions wrong
Most grinder conversion charts multiply the click count by the microns-per-click figure printed in the manual. That figure describes how far the burrs travel vertically — not how large the grounds come out. On a flat burr the two roughly coincide. On a conical burr the cutting surface sits at a steep angle, so the same vertical travel opens a much smaller gap, and not linearly.
The error is not subtle. 1Zpresso quotes 8.8 µm per click for the J-Max against a measured figure closer to 2.6, and 20 µm per click for the K-Ultra, whose full 100-click travel only spans about 760 µm — roughly 7.6 per click. Follow the spec sheet and you will be told to grind pour over at 1900 µm, which is coarser than cold brew.
This is why the grinder list here is short. A model only ships once both endpoints are attested: a published overall micron range and a confirmed total step count. The Timemore C2 was pulled after failing that check — its published figures put pour over at around 35 clicks, where every real-world C2 recipe sits at 20 to 24, so one of the two numbers is wrong and the grinder waits for a measurement.
Coffee grind size chart by brew method
Starting points when you have a brewer in mind but no micron figure to work from. Espresso is the finest, immersion methods the coarsest, and everything else sits in the filter range between them. A dash means the grind size is outside what that grinder can physically reach.
| Brew method | Grind size | 1Zpresso K-Ultra | Comandante C40 MK4 | Kingrinder K6 | Kingrinder K4 | Baratza Encore | Fellow Ode Gen 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Espresso | 280 µm | 0.3.7 | 10 | 33 | 33 | 1 | 1.0 |
| Moka pot | 500 µm | 0.6.6 | 18 | 59 | 59 | 11 | 3.2 |
| Filter machine | 600 µm | 0.7.9 | 22 | 71 | 71 | 15 | 5.0 |
| AeroPress | 640 µm | 0.8.4 | 23 | 76 | 76 | 16 | 5.1 |
| V60 | 650 µm | 0.8.6 | 24 | 77 | 77 | 17 | 5.2 |
| Pour over | 700 µm | 0.9.2 | 26 | 83 | 83 | 19 | 6.0 |
| French press | 1000 µm | — | 37 | 119 | 119 | 32 | 9.2 |
| Cold brew | 1100 µm | — | — | 130 | 130 | 36 | 11.0 |
Supported grinders and their ranges
Every grinder below has a published overall grind range and a confirmed number of steps, which is what makes a conversion possible at all. The settings column uses each grinder's own notation — plain clicks for the Comandante and Kingrinders, a numbered collar for the Encore, rotation.number.tick for the 1Zpresso, and numbers with sub-clicks for the Ode.
| Grinder | Settings | Grind range | Calibration |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Zpresso K-Ultra | 0.0.0 – 1.0.0 | 0–760 µm | Published range across the step count |
| Comandante C40 MK4 | 0 clicks – 40 clicks | 0–1090 µm | Published range across the step count |
| Kingrinder K6 | 0 clicks – 160 clicks | 0–1350 µm | Published range across the step count |
| Kingrinder K4 | 0 clicks – 160 clicks | 0–1350 µm | Published range across the step count |
| Baratza Encore | 0 – 40 | 250–1200 µm | Published range across the step count |
| Fellow Ode Gen 2 | 1.0 – 11.2 | 275–1160 µm | Published range across the step count |
Reading a roaster's recipe
Specialty roasters publish brew recipes on their bags and product pages, and they write them in whatever their own bar grinds on — most often a Comandante's clicks, sometimes a micron figure, occasionally both. Neither helps directly unless you own the same grinder, which is the gap this tool closes.
If the recipe gives you neither, work from the brew method instead and use the chart above as a starting point. Then adjust by taste: sour and thin means under-extracted, so grind finer; bitter and drying means over-extracted, so grind coarser. Change one thing at a time and the grinder will tell you where it wants to sit.
Grind size questions
How do I convert a grind setting from one grinder to another?+
Grind settings do not transfer directly — a click on a Comandante C40 opens the burrs by a different amount than a click on a Kingrinder K6. The conversion goes through particle size: work out roughly how many microns your source setting produces, then find the setting that lands at the same micron figure on your own grinder. That is exactly what this tool does, using each grinder's own published range and step count.
What is a micron, and why do coffee recipes use them?+
A micron (µm) is a thousandth of a millimetre, and it is the only grind-size unit that means the same thing on every grinder. Espresso lands around 200–400 µm, filter brewing around 600–800 µm, and immersion methods like French press or cold brew around 1000–1200 µm. A recipe written in microns can be followed on any grinder; one written in clicks can only be followed on the grinder it was written for.
Why does the converter give me a range instead of one number?+
Because a single number would be false precision. The zero point differs between individual units of the same model, burr alignment and wear shift the result, and two grinders set to the same micron figure still produce different particle distributions — matching a brew across grinders can mean a 100 µm difference in nominal setting. We give a suggested starting point and a band around it, so your next move is to taste and walk one way.
Can I just multiply clicks by the microns-per-click number in the manual?+
No, and this is the most common way conversions go wrong. The manufacturer's µm-per-click figure describes how far the burrs travel, not how big the grounds come out. On a conical burr the cutting surface sits at a steep angle, so the same vertical travel opens a much smaller gap. 1Zpresso quotes 8.8 µm per click for the J-Max against a measured figure near 2.6, and 20 µm per click for the K-Ultra, whose entire 100-click travel only spans about 760 µm. Multiplying by the spec sheet is how you end up grinding pour over at 1900 µm.
Which grinders does the converter support?+
Comandante C40 MK4, 1Zpresso K-Ultra, Kingrinder K4 and K6, Baratza Encore, and Fellow Ode Gen 2. Every grinder in the list has both endpoints attested — a published overall micron range and a confirmed total step count. Models where only one of the two could be confirmed are deliberately left out: a converter that guesses is worse than one that says it does not know your grinder yet.
Why does my grinder show a dash for some brew methods?+
Because that grind size is outside what the grinder physically reaches. A 1Zpresso K-Ultra tops out around 760 µm, so cold brew at 1100 µm is beyond its coarsest setting, and a filter-only grinder cannot reach espresso fineness. We show a dash rather than pinning the answer to the end of the scale, which would read like a valid setting and brew badly.
Does grind size alone fix a bad brew?+
It is the biggest single lever, but not the only one. If a coffee tastes sour and thin it is usually under-extracted — grind finer. If it tastes bitter and drying it is usually over-extracted — grind coarser. Dose, water temperature and brew time all move the same result, so change one variable at a time.