The new outdoor hand mill from Comandante
Although the Comandante X25 Trailmaster is not yet available on the market, we were lucky enough to be able to secure a copy at the World of Coffee in Milan in the summer. The Comandante X25 Trailmaster is designed for outdoor use, which means it is robust, water-repellent and even tight with the lid on. We have tested them extensively for filter coffee and espresso. For reasons of transparency, it should be mentioned here that we sell Comandante mills in our Swiss and German shops. Nevertheless, we of course try to test the mill as unbiasedly as possible.
X25 Trailmaster - material and exterior
The X25 Trailmaster is a more robust version of the C40 Nitro Blade. At 420 grams, it is around 220 grams lighter than the C40 version and is very robust. It consists of a reinforced techno-polymer called QTP. This very high-quality plastic feels good and is very resistant to scratches. The surface has a kind of 3D effect and the surface structure makes it very comfortable to hold.
The mill has a diameter of 5 cm and is 16.5 cm high. The Comandante lettering protrudes from the housing, which provides more grip when grinding, but is also a little sharp-edged. The look is reminiscent of desert camouflage, which looks very modern and high-quality, but may seem a little too military for some people. According to Comandante, more colors are in the pipeline.
The Outdoor Comandante X25 Trailmaster
Since outdoor use is the main feature of this mill, we tested it outside extensively over the summer. Fresh coffee on the go without worrying about the equipment breaking. This works very well and we really like it.
The grinding result of the mill is also convincing. The particle distribution is almost identical to the C40 MK4, which is not surprising. Both mills use the same Nitro-Blade conical grinder. The fact that the quality of the C40 can be maintained while saving so much weight is truly an enormous achievement.
Great as a filter coffee grinder - espresso is best with an upgrade
The mill can be adjusted very precisely with clicks. In the range between 22 and 28 clicks we achieve optimal grinding levels for filter coffee and alternative brewing methods. To count the clicks, the mill is first closed completely and then opened slowly and counting. Each click pushes the grinder a little further up and makes the grind coarser.
The click setting works very well for filter coffee, but only to a limited extent for espresso. Unfortunately, the individual clicks are too coarse. With a grind of 9 clicks we achieved a throughput speed of 20 seconds, a little too fast. With 8 clicks, however, it suddenly took 32 seconds, a little too slow. Unfortunately, these large jumps are too large for precise espresso brewing. If you want to use the grinder for espresso, you should think about a so-called Redclix system. This costs something, but it halves the grinding degree gradations per click. Alternatively, the amount of coffee in the sieve can be varied to achieve an optimal throughput time. However, this requires very accurate weighing and a good understanding of brew ratio and turnaround time.
On the other hand, the Comandante is superior to any electric mill in its price segment in terms of particle distribution and reproducibility. For a small budget or as a second mill, this could also be a convincing argument for the hand mill, especially since it has practically no dead space.
Conclusion on the Comandante x25 Trailmaster
The Comandante X25 is an outdoor mill. And she does it really well. It is robust and resilient. It is handy and light and it is even water-repellent. The Comandante meets all of these criteria. In addition, the grinding result for filter coffee is really convincing. If you don't bring a portafilter machine and a diesel generator with you on your camping trip, you should be very happy for all types of filter coffee outdoors.
If you want to use the Comandante X25 as a second grinder or as a cheap entry-level grinder for espresso, you should consider upgrading with Redclix. This makes it easier to find the optimal grind and enjoy the really good, narrow particle distribution in the cup.
