Timemore

Timemore was founded in Shanghai in 2012 and builds the tools of a pour-over bench: hand grinders, scales, kettles and drippers. Its contribution to the category is price. A Chestnut grinder and a Black Mirror scale put a first filter setup within reach of people who would otherwise have bought a blade grinder and guessed their doses.

The Chestnut grinders are the core of the range. The C2 and C3 sit at accessible prices with steel burrs in an aluminium body, and they grind for filter well enough to embarrass electrics that cost more. The C3 ESP keeps the same body and adds finer clicks, so it can reach espresso. The Black Mirror scales read to a tenth of a gram, and the Basic 2 starts its timer when you start pouring, which is the one feature a pour-over scale really needs. Kettles and drippers complete the set, in the same matte style.

What to know before buying: the Chestnut grinders adjust internally, by clicks under the burr, so you take the catch cup off and count from zero whenever you change method. At filter settings that is a minor chore. At espresso the smaller burrs mean more turns and more effort per dose, and the C3 ESP makes espresso possible rather than easy. For a daily shot, the bigger grinders in the same guide are the better spend.

Timemore suits a first pour-over kit and anyone who wants the whole bench to match without paying for a name. The C3 ESP is the entry pick in the hand grinder guide. Scales and kettles have their own guide, and the brewer that goes on top is covered under pour-over.