Timemore C2 for V60: How to Get the Best Pour Over With This Grinder

The Timemore C2 is one of the best hand grinders you can buy for V60 pour over brewing. Set it to 18 to 22 clicks from fully closed, and you get a medium-fine grind that produces a bright, clean cup with good body. I have brewed hundreds of V60s with this grinder, and it consistently delivers results that rival grinders costing twice as much.

The V60 is a demanding brew method when it comes to grind quality. Unlike French press, which is forgiving of inconsistency, the V60's cone shape and large drain hole mean water flow is directly controlled by grind size and pour technique. A grinder that produces too many fines will clog the filter and stall the drawdown. One that creates too many large particles will let water rush through without extracting enough flavor. The C2 hits a comfortable middle ground for its price range.

Dialing In the V60 Setting

The Timemore C2 uses a stepped click adjustment. To find your zero point, tighten the adjustment knob until the burrs just touch (gentle resistance, no forcing). Then count clicks as you loosen.

For V60, I recommend starting at 20 clicks and adjusting from there.

Settings by Roast Level

Roast level has a bigger impact on V60 grind settings than most people realize. Here is what works for me:

Light roasts (18 to 20 clicks): Light roasts are dense and hard. They resist extraction, so you need a finer grind to compensate. At 18 clicks, my drawdown for a 15g:250g brew finishes in about 3 minutes and 15 seconds, which is right where I want it.

Medium roasts (20 to 22 clicks): This is the most common range. Medium roasts extract more easily, so a slightly coarser grind keeps the cup balanced. My drawdown at 20 clicks runs about 2 minutes and 45 seconds to 3 minutes.

Dark roasts (22 to 24 clicks): Dark roasts are porous and extract fast. Go too fine and you end up with bitterness and astringency. Coarser settings let you control the extraction and bring out the chocolatey, nutty notes without the harshness.

Using Drawdown Time as Your Guide

Forget about trying to match your grind to a visual reference. Instead, time your total brew from the first pour to when the bed drains completely. For a 15g:250g V60 recipe, aim for 2 minutes 30 seconds to 3 minutes 30 seconds total.

If your drawdown finishes in under 2 minutes 30 seconds, grind 1 to 2 clicks finer. If it runs past 3 minutes 30 seconds, go 1 to 2 clicks coarser. This approach accounts for differences in beans, water chemistry, and pouring technique that a visual check cannot.

My Daily V60 Recipe With the Timemore C2

This is the recipe I have settled on after months of tweaking. It works with most medium roast beans and produces a balanced, sweet cup.

Equipment: Hario V60 02, Timemore C2 grinder, gooseneck kettle, scale with timer

Recipe: - 15 grams of coffee at 20 clicks on the C2 - 250 grams of water at 205 degrees Fahrenheit - Tabbed paper filter, rinsed with hot water

Pour sequence: 1. 0:00 - Pour 45 grams of water in a spiral. This is the bloom. 2. 0:30 - Swirl the V60 gently to ensure all grounds are saturated. 3. 0:45 - Pour to 130 grams in slow concentric circles. 4. 1:15 - Wait for the slurry to drop slightly. 5. 1:30 - Pour to 250 grams. 6. Give the V60 one gentle swirl and let it drain. 7. Target finish: 2:45 to 3:15.

The C2 takes about 30 to 35 seconds to grind 15 grams at these settings. Total preparation time from bean to cup is about 5 minutes.

Grind Consistency at V60 Settings

This is where the C2 earns its reputation. At 20 clicks, the stainless steel burrs produce a reasonably uniform grind with a tight particle distribution. You will see some fines (every grinder produces some), but far fewer than what you get from ceramic burr grinders like the Hario Skerton or budget models from JavaPresse.

I ran a simple comparison test. I ground 15 grams at V60 settings on both the C2 and a Comandante C40 (which costs nearly four times as much). The Comandante produced a marginally tighter distribution, but the blind taste test with my wife was inconclusive. She preferred the C2 brew in 3 out of 5 tastings, and I preferred the Comandante in 3 out of 5. At these price points, the flavor gap is tiny for pour over.

Where the Comandante pulls ahead is at espresso-fine settings and in overall build quality. But for V60 specifically, the C2 is remarkably close.

V60 Filter Choice and How It Interacts With Grind

The type of filter you use affects how your grind performs in the V60. This is something I did not think about at first, but it makes a noticeable difference.

Tabbed vs. Untabbed Hario Filters

The original tabbed Hario filters are thicker and drain more slowly. If you use these, you may want to grind 1 click coarser to compensate. The newer untabbed filters are thinner and drain faster, which pairs well with the standard 20-click setting.

Third-Party Filters

Cafec Abaca filters are thinner than Hario filters and drain significantly faster. With these, I grind at 18 to 19 clicks to slow the drawdown. Sibarist FAST filters are even more extreme, practically requiring you to grind 3 to 4 clicks finer than your Hario setting.

The takeaway: if you switch filters, adjust your grind. Do not assume your old setting still works.

Troubleshooting V60 Brews With the C2

Coffee Tastes Sour or Thin

Under-extraction. Grind finer by 1 to 2 clicks. You can also try increasing water temperature to 207 or 208 degrees. Light roasts are especially prone to this at coarser settings.

Coffee Tastes Bitter or Dry

Over-extraction. Grind coarser by 1 to 2 clicks or reduce water temperature to 200 degrees. Also check your pour. If you are pouring directly onto the filter walls, water bypasses the coffee bed and then drains through unevenly.

Drawdown Stalls (Takes More Than 4 Minutes)

Your grind is too fine, or you have too many fines clogging the filter. Move 2 to 3 clicks coarser. Also try the Rao spin technique: after your last pour, give the V60 a single gentle swirl to flatten the coffee bed. This prevents fines from migrating to the filter and clogging it.

Inconsistent Results Day to Day

This usually comes down to pouring technique rather than the grinder. Try to pour at the same flow rate every time. A scale with a flow rate indicator helps, but even just counting in your head while you pour improves consistency. Also make sure you are weighing your coffee dose every time rather than scooping.

The C2 vs. Other Grinders for V60

Timemore C2 vs. 1Zpresso Q2

The Q2 is a step up in grind quality, especially at finer settings. For V60, the difference is noticeable but not dramatic. The Q2 has a slightly tighter particle distribution and a more refined adjustment mechanism. If you brew mostly pour over, the extra $20 to $30 is a reasonable upgrade.

Timemore C2 vs. Baratza Encore

The Encore is an electric grinder that costs about $140. It produces a similar grind quality to the C2 at pour over settings, with the convenience of pressing a button instead of hand cranking. If you make multiple cups a day or grind for more than one person, the Encore saves you arm effort. For a single cup, the C2 is just as capable.

For a full comparison of pour over grinders, check out our best coffee grinder and top coffee grinder roundups.

Maintenance for V60 Grinding

V60 settings produce less oily residue in the burr chamber than espresso settings, but regular cleaning still matters.

Brush out the burr chamber with a dry brush after every 3 to 4 uses. Disassemble and deep clean once a month. The whole process takes under 5 minutes. If you notice your drawdown times getting inconsistent despite using the same setting, coffee oil buildup is usually the cause.

Also, keep your grinder dry. The C2 has a stainless steel body and burrs that resist corrosion, but moisture in the adjustment mechanism can cause it to feel gritty over time.

FAQ

How many clicks on the Timemore C2 for V60?

Start at 20 clicks from fully closed. Adjust 1 to 2 clicks based on your drawdown time and taste. Light roasts may need 18 to 20 clicks, while dark roasts work better at 22 to 24.

Can the Timemore C2 grind for Chemex?

Yes. Chemex uses a thicker filter than V60 and benefits from a slightly coarser grind. Try 22 to 24 clicks on the C2 for Chemex. The thicker filter handles fines better, so the brew is forgiving even if your grind is not perfectly uniform.

How long does it take to grind for V60 with the C2?

About 30 to 35 seconds for a 15-gram dose at 20 clicks. This is relatively fast for a hand grinder. The 1Zpresso Q2 is slightly faster, while the Hario Skerton is noticeably slower.

Is the Timemore C2 good enough for specialty coffee V60?

Yes. While it does not match the precision of a $200+ grinder, it produces a clean, sweet pour over that most people would struggle to distinguish from one made with a more expensive grinder. The biggest limiting factor for V60 quality at this level is usually technique, not the grinder.

Final Thoughts

The Timemore C2 at 20 clicks is my default V60 setup, and it has been for over a year. It grinds quickly, produces a consistent particle size for pour over, and costs less than a few bags of specialty beans. If V60 is your daily brew method, the C2 is the best value hand grinder you can pair with it. Start at 20 clicks, time your drawdown, and adjust from there.