Timemore x Millab M01 Coffee Grinder

Millab is Timemore’s premium brand, focused on the highest tier of manual coffee equipment. Most Millab products have received the Good Design Award from Japan — one of the most recognized international awards for innovative and high-quality design.

THE DESIGN INSPIRATION BEHIND THE MILLAB M01 THE LEICA CAMERA

• Grind size adjustment on the outside of the body, like turning a camera lens focus ring: This mechanism makes adjustment simple and fast.

External grind adjustment mechanism on the Millab M01 body.

• The grounds cup connects via a bayonet mount with a 3-ball spring lock, mimicking the feel of attaching a camera lens: Instead of magnets or threaded screw-on connections, the Millab M01 uses a smart twist-lock mechanism like a camera lens mount. This delivers the security of a threaded design while maintaining the convenience of a magnetic connection. The grounds cup won’t accidentally fall off when the grinder is rested against your body, yet it detaches and reattaches quickly and easily.

The Millab M01 bayonet twist-lock — as convenient as a magnet, as secure as a thread.

• Fully aluminum alloy and steel construction: All 51 components of the Millab M01 are made from metal, ensuring long-lasting durability.

All Millab M01 components are steel and aluminum alloy.

• 12.5-micron step adjustment: 1 full rotation with 100 increments spanning the full grind range from espresso to cold brew.
• Flared funnel-shaped top opening: A very practical design detail — users no longer need to cup their palm over the top to catch beans like with most other hand grinders.
• Vertical grooves along the body for a secure grip: Despite the larger body diameter, these grooves provide a firm hold throughout the grinding process.
• Tolerance of just 0.0725mm: The M01 achieves the tightest clearance tolerance of any grinder Timemore has ever produced. The custom red P7 bearing ensures maximum stability with an eccentricity of under 3 microns.

THE CORE DIFFERENCE  THE 44MM PINEAPPLE BURR

Design differences between the Pineapple burr and a standard conical burr.

The guiding idea behind the Pineapple burr design was to replicate the grinding quality of large flat burrs found in commercial flat burr grinders.

On small conical burrs, coffee tends to get compressed during grinding, causing the grounds to collide and fracture unevenly. Since a hand grinder can’t be made large enough to fit a 60mm flat burr inside, even at maximum body size the Millab M01 can only accommodate a 44mm burr. That size constraint was the challenge the Millab team had to work around.

Rather than continuing to increase burr diameter – which would make the grinder impractically large — Millab designed the cutting edges to stand vertically along the burr’s height. As a result, the Pineapple burr’s effective cutting surface area is said by Millab to be equivalent to a 60mm flat burr.

The structure features 7 blades arranged across 4 stages — 2 breaking stages and 2 cutting stages. The elongated design increases the spacing between coffee particles, minimizing collision during grinding while the burr geometry actively shapes the grounds into a more uniform particle distribution.

FLAVOR CHARACTER OF COFFEE FROM THE MILLAB

M01 In practice, it’s difficult to objectively declare which grinder produces the best-tasting coffee. It simply comes down to difference — each burr design brings its own distinct character to the cup. While the coffee grounds from the Millab are angular and sharp-edged, the flavor they produce is the complete opposite: round, concentrated, and defined. Acidity that tends to be strong and sharp in some coffees gets softened and smoothed out through the Millab’s burrs. The overall flavor feels richer and sweetness in particular is noticeably elevated. Gesha is a variety that tends toward a light body with bright, expressive flavors. Comparing a pour over of Colombia Narino Gesha brewed with a Comandante C40 versus the Millab M01, the difference goes something like this:

• Comandante C40: Clean, fresh citrus, bright and transparent acidity. Well-balanced overall with a gummy candy finish.
• Millab M01: Sweetness hits first and hits hard, the citrus aroma blends into a distinctly smooth and silky mouthfeel unlike the Comandante grind. The finish carries an interesting chocolate quality. One coffee, two entirely different flavor personalities. The C40 leans toward bright acidity and balance, while the M01 excels at sweetness and depth.

GRINDING SPEED ON THE MILLAB M01

Grinding with the Millab M01 is noticeably slower compared to most grinders on the market. The Pineapple burr’s wider particle spacing — designed to reduce coffee-on-coffee collisions during grinding is what leads to this result.

• 20g at Pour Over setting 6: The M01 takes about 35 seconds to complete.
• 20g at Espresso setting 1: Grinding time is approximately 66 seconds. Honestly, for a hand grinder, a few extra seconds in your daily routine isn’t really a barrier. Take it easy!

DRAWBACKS OF THE MILLAB M01

• Straight handle requires more effort than a folding handle: The straight design gives the Millab a sturdy, solid feel — but the rotational force when grinding isn’t as efficient as grinders with a downward-angled folding handle like the Timemore C5. That said, the large burr and fine particle distribution mean the actual grinding feel is still relatively light.
• Larger size isn’t for everyone: The grinder body diameter is on the wider side people with small hands or less grip strength, such as many women, should NOT use the Millab.
• The handle knob is a bit angular: The knob’s design prioritizes aesthetics over ergonomics. Its shape combined with the hard aluminum alloy material can feel slightly uncomfortable in the palm during extended espresso grinding. Those who grind multiple times a day or frequently grind for espresso will feel this more than those who only grind once.
• Not truly optimized for espresso: The M01 can grind for espresso and produces very sweet results. However, the espresso adjustment range from 0–1 across just 10 steps is relatively narrow. Grinding time also stretches out and can be tiring 20g of coffee for espresso may take 1.5 to 2 minutes.
• Numbers on the adjustment ring are quite small: Compared to 1Zpresso grinders, the markings on the Millab M01 are noticeably smaller. That said, once you’re used to the grinder it stops being an issue.
• The price is not the most accessible: The price point may feel steep for those just getting into manual brewing equipment. However, for those with more experience, the design and quality of the Millab make it a very reasonable and worthwhile investment.

MILLAB M01 SPECIFICATIONS

• Brand: Millab
• Materials: Primarily aluminum alloy and steel. Transparent acrylic handle cap.
• Grinder dimensions: D66 x H197mm. Full width including handle: 196mm
• Burr type: Pineapple
• Versatile grind range for both espresso and filter brewing, with 100 grind settings
• Adjustment increment: 12.5 microns per step
• Grinder weight: 1,084g
• Capacity: Up to approximately 50g of coffee per grind
• Made in China

SUGGESTED GRIND SETTINGS ON THE MILLAB M01

Espresso	0-1
Moka Bialetti	1-3
Pour Over	5-9
Aeropress French Press	8-10

MILLAB M01 PACKAGE INCLUDES

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