The dial reads 0 to 10 per turn, with 10 clicks per number (100 clicks a turn, about 20 µm each). Coarse brews can run past one full turn, so count turns as well.
Settings by brew method
| Method | Setting (dial numbers) | As the source puts it | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Espresso | 2.2 to 2.5 | Espresso 2.2 to 2.5 | coffeechronicler.com Reviewer |
| Moka pot | 4 to 5 | Moka pot 4 to 5 | coffeechronicler.com Reviewer |
| AeroPress | 4 to 6 | AeroPress 4 to 6 | coffeechronicler.com Reviewer |
| Pour-over / V60 | 6 to 9 | Chronicler 6 to 7.5, 1Zpresso around 80 to 90 clicks | 1zpresso.coffee Maker |
| French press | 8 to 10 | Chronicler 8, HCG 0.9.1 to 1.0.0 | coffeechronicler.com Reviewer |
| Cold brew | 10 | Cold brew 1 full rotation | honestcoffeeguide.com Reviewer |
These are starting points. Beans, roast, water and your own taste all move them, so start in the middle of the range and adjust one step at a time.
Notchbook is a free app that remembers the setting that worked on your 1Zpresso K-Ultra for each coffee and brew method, and keeps a journal of every brew. Get it free on Google Play. The iPhone app is coming soon. More about Notchbook.
About the 1Zpresso K-Ultra
- Type
- Hand grinder
- Burrs
- Conical, 48 mm
Dialling in from here
- Sour, thin or fast? Grind finer. Why coffee tastes sour
- Bitter, dry or slow? Grind coarser. Why coffee tastes bitter
- Espresso: how to dial in. Filter: pour-over grind size.
Compare with other grinders in the grind size chart.
What reviewers found
Lance Hedrick's long-running pick for an all-round hand grinder. It has external numbers, tastes a lot like a C40 and is built for filter first, though it handles espresso well.
Specs
| Type | Hand grinder with a 48 mm hexagonal conical burr and C40-like geometry 22:56. The K-Ultra uses the same geometry as the K-Plus 18:47 |
| Adjustment | External numbered dial. The K-Plus has 90 clicks per rotation 22:56, and each number is 10 clicks on 1Zpresso's external dials 31:24 |
| Microns per step | The figures vary. Lance Hedrick gives 22 µm for the K-Plus 22:56 18:47 and 20 µm for the K-Ultra 18:47, then about 15 µm of burr travel for both in his 2024 tier list 4:04 |
| Build | Triple bearing and a magnetic catch cup. The K-Plus adds a blind shaker 18:47 |
Where sources disagree
The creators don't all give the same figure here, so every value is listed with the person who gave it.
| Field | Value | By | Source | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Microns per step | 22 (K-Plus) | Hedrick | 22:56 | |
| Microns per step | 22 (K-Plus) | Hedrick | 18:47 | |
| Microns per step | 20 (K-Ultra) | Hedrick | 18:47 | |
| Microns per step | 15 (K-Ultra / K-Plus) | Hedrick | 4:04 | |
| Microns per step | 22 (K-Max) | Chronicler | 6:37 | |
| Microns per step | 20 (K-Ultra) | Chronicler | 12:02 | |
| Microns per step | summary | Each model has its own figure: 22 µm for the K-Plus and 20 µm for the K-Ultra. A later Lance Hedrick video puts both at about 15 µm. The Coffee Chronicler gives 22 µm for the K-Max and 20 µm for the K-Ultra. | ||
| Adjustment | stepped (external numbered dial) | Hedrick | 22:56 | |
| Adjustment | stepped | Chronicler | 12:02 | K-Ultra |
| Adjustment | stepless | Chronicler | 13:19 | K-Ultra, 2025 roundup |
| Adjustment | summary | Most describe a clicked external dial. One 2025 roundup lists the K-Ultra as stepless. |
Starting settings
These are the settings each creator gave, measured from their own grinder's zero. Use them as a starting point.
| Method | Setting | Context | Confidence | By | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pour-over | 6.5 to 7 | K-Ultra, typical 16 g pour-over | stated | DGC | 5:36 |
| Espresso | 2.5 to 3 | K-Ultra, typical 18 g espresso | stated | DGC | 5:36 |
| Pour-over | 6 (K-Max) | Medium-fine for The Coffee Chronicler's Hario Switch recipe, 20 g to 320 g | stated | Chronicler | 1:31 |
| Immersion | 5.5 (K-Max) | Medium-fine, close to an AeroPress grind, for a French press with a paper filter added to the plunger | stated | Chronicler | 3:35 |
| AeroPress | 6 (K-Max) | Big-batch AeroPress with 25 to 27 g of coffee | stated | Chronicler | 1:33 |
| Pour-over | 7 (K-Ultra) | Coarser pour-over | stated | Chronicler | 4:41 |
| Pour-over | 6 (K-Ultra) | Finer pour-over, or The Coffee Chronicler's Switch technique | stated | Chronicler | 4:41 |
| AeroPress | 5 (K-Ultra) | AeroPress, or a very fine pour-over | stated | Chronicler | 5:12 |
| Espresso | 2.5 (K-Ultra) | Where The Coffee Chronicler starts with a new bean. Go a little finer with a precision basket. Expect 30 to 40 s for a typical dose | stated | Chronicler | 5:12 |
| Pour-over | 5.5 to 6.5 (K-Ultra) | The Coffee Chronicler's everyday Hario Switch recipe | stated | Chronicler | 3:39 |
| Pour-over | 7 to 8 (K-Ultra) | The Coffee Chronicler's showcase V60 recipe | stated | Chronicler | 5:55 |
| Immersion | 8.0 | K-Plus, 2020, uncoated burr, dial scale. Reader-submitted and approximate | approx | Christensen | grind size chart |
| Pour-over | 6.5 to 7.5 | K-Plus, 2020, uncoated burr, dial scale. Reader-submitted and approximate | approx | Christensen | grind size chart |
| AeroPress | 5 to 6 | K-Plus, 2020, uncoated burr, dial scale. Reader-submitted and approximate | approx | Christensen | grind size chart |
| Moka | 4 to 5 | K-Plus, 2020, uncoated burr, dial scale. Reader-submitted and approximate | approx | Christensen | grind size chart |
| Espresso | 3 | K-Plus, 2020, uncoated burr, dial scale. Reader-submitted and approximate | approx | Christensen | grind size chart |
| Immersion | 7.5 | K-Max, 2022, dial scale. Reader-submitted and approximate | approx | Christensen | grind size chart |
| Pour-over | 5.5 to 7 | K-Max, 2022, dial scale. Reader-submitted and approximate | approx | Christensen | grind size chart |
| AeroPress | 4 to 6 | K-Max, 2022, dial scale. Reader-submitted and approximate | approx | Christensen | grind size chart |
| Moka | 4 to 5 | K-Max, 2022, dial scale. Reader-submitted and approximate | approx | Christensen | grind size chart |
| Espresso | 2.6 | K-Max, 2022, dial scale. Reader-submitted and approximate | approx | Christensen | grind size chart |
| Immersion | 8 | K-Ultra, dial scale. Reader-submitted and approximate | approx | Christensen | grind size chart |
| Pour-over | 6 to 7.5 | K-Ultra, dial scale. Reader-submitted and approximate | approx | Christensen | grind size chart |
| AeroPress | 4 to 6 | K-Ultra, dial scale. Reader-submitted and approximate | approx | Christensen | grind size chart |
| Moka | 4 to 5 | K-Ultra, dial scale. Reader-submitted and approximate | approx | Christensen | grind size chart |
| Espresso | 2.2 to 2.5 | K-Ultra, dial scale. Reader-submitted and approximate | approx | Christensen | grind size chart |
Cup profile
- In 2022 Lance Hedrick found it bright and clear. It won his blind filter tastings and was his pick for brighter espresso 22:56.
- It tastes almost identical to a C40 9:11. Flavours blend together, much like a C40, and it does well at filter and both styles of espresso 4:04.
- In a 2025 filter comparison it blended flavours more and left visible fines. Clarity was lower, but the cup was sweet with a fuller body 2:33.
- For espresso it's like a C40 but cleaner and less astringent. It gives body, though it can add unwanted acidity to dark shots 12:01.
Strengths
- External dial, so there's no need to open the grinder to adjust it 9:11.
- Good ergonomics and build 4:04.
- Strong magnetic cup and fast grinding 22:56.
Weaknesses
- With very light filter roasts there is a clear gap to burrs made purely for filter 2:33.
- The J-Max does dark espresso better, and the Linglong does light espresso better 12:01.
Verdict
In 2022 it was Lance Hedrick's overall pick across categories 22:56 and his favourite filter hand grinder until the ZP6 came back 18:47. In 2023 he recommended it for people who brew roughly 80% filter and 20% espresso 9:11. His 2024 tier list graded it an A all-rounder 4:04. By 2025 he called it the grinder that best covers both jobs, and a good one to travel with 12:01.
Daddy Got Coffee's take
- In his 2024 K-Ultra review he called it the forgiving easy button of hand grinders, good almost everywhere. One step moves an espresso shot by about 4 to 6 s 1:00 6:06.
- It leans more towards acidity than a C40. It's his overall all-rounder pick, and the one to choose if espresso matters to you at all 10:25 6:39 2:35. Owners report more failures than with the C40, mostly knobs, handles and adjustment rings 2:35.
The Coffee Chronicler's take
- In 2022 he thought the K-Max was probably the pick of the 1Zpresso range for ease of use, with everything inside one turn of an external ring. Its espresso is modern and focused, which suits light roasts, turbo shots and long drinks, and it tastes close to a C40 11:28.
- In a 2022 three-way test the K-Max had the best ergonomics and dial. Its acidity sat between the X-Pro and the ZP6, and its espresso was sweeter and rounder than the X-Pro's. It made more fines than either, though, and the filter cup thinned a little as it cooled. He saw the K-Ultra mainly as a new handle shape, and 20 against 22 µm steps make no real difference 6:37 7:37.
- In 2023 he compared the K-Ultra with the K-Max. The redesigned heptagonal burr keeps a smoother, cleaner, fruity finish at high extraction (around 1:17), where the K-Max can turn astringent or thin. Its espresso is a touch more precise but narrower, while the K-Max is rounder and sweeter. The K-Ultra is 5 to 10 s slower on espresso doses and costs $30 to 50 more, and he thinks light-roast drinkers should pay it. Swapping in the slightly longer handle didn't change grinding speed 12:02 3:39.
- His 2025 roundup named the K-Ultra his best all-round hand grinder. Both methods fit inside one turn, and the acidity is a little more citric than a C40's. Espresso body is lighter than a J-Ultra's. The faux-leather grip scuffs when you travel with it, and a ZP6 or Millab M01 may edge it on clarity for very light roasts 13:19.
Notes
- Burrs with this wider spread of particle sizes give complex cups at lower extractions, but they fall off near 24 to 25% 4:04.
Sources
- The Coffee Chronicler: The BEST 1Zpresso grinder? My Verdict (2022-01-02)
- Lance Hedrick: BEST FILTER HANDGRINDER: 1ZPRESSO ZP6 (2022-08-19)
- The Coffee Chronicler: Best Grinders under $200? 1ZPRESSO ZP6 vs X PRO (2022-12-02)
- Lance Hedrick: 1ZPRESSO 1XPLAINED: Review of the 1zpresso Lineup (feat ZP6 Special!) (2022-12-03)
- The Coffee Chronicler: Try this AeroPress recipe for bigger batches (2023-01-09)
- The Coffee Chronicler: The ultimate Hario Switch RECIPE: A consistent cup that will blow your mind (2023-02-26)
- The Coffee Chronicler: 1Zpresso K-Ultra: Why I changed my mind (2023-07-24)
- The Coffee Chronicler: NEW RECIPE: French press for SUPERTASTERS (2023-08-23)
- Lance Hedrick: BRIEF GUIDE TO BUYING A HANDGRINDER: Which is best for you with Burr Man (2023-11-29)
- Daddy Got Coffee: 1Zpresso K-Ultra: How It Won Me Over (2024-07-20)
- Daddy Got Coffee: Comandante C40: Is It Actually Worth It?? (2024-09-21)
- Lance Hedrick: Hand Grinder Tier List (2024-10-02)
- Lance Hedrick: Can Handgrinders Beat Electric? Espresso Edition (2025-08-07)
- The Coffee Chronicler: Buying a manual grinder? Here's what I would do... (2025-11-17)
- Daddy Got Coffee: The Ugly Truth About Hand Grinders! (2025-11-29)
- Daddy Got Coffee: Everyone Is Replacing The Most Reliable Hand Grinder (2026-04-25)
- The Coffee Chronicler: How I actually brew pour over at home (2026-06-21)
- Lance Hedrick: GUIDE TO HANDGRINDERS: Watch Before Buying (2022-06-15)
- Lance Hedrick: Can Handgrinders Beat Electric? The Ultimate Battle, Filter Edition (2025-04-10)
- Asser Christensen, The Coffee Chronicler (website): Grind Size Chart & Database (2025-08-29)
Summarised in our own words from the creators' videos, with every point linked to the moment it comes from. Notchbook isn't affiliated with or endorsed by any of these creators, so please watch the originals for full context. Sources