Specs
| Burrs | 078: Turbo burrs with a pre-breaking auger, three-phase cutting and a ghost-style outer edge 3:04 11:11. 078S: steel espresso burrs 26:25 |
| Dial | The early 078 had 36 steps (18 numbers with half steps) and an easy stepless mod 3:04. Later models move about 5 µm per fine adjustment on the 078 and 3 µm on the 078S 0:00 |
| Zero | The touch point is zero 10:47. Recalibrate by moving a pin 3:04 |
| Motor | 400 W brushless, 800 to 1400 rpm 3:04 26:25 |
| Alignment | Runout of about ±2 µm on a dial indicator 0:00 |
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 | about 10 to 12 (occasionally 9) | Turbo burrs, light roasts | approx | Hedrick | 25:31 |
| Espresso | about 3 ticks past touch | Turbo burr, very light roast, 6 bar profile. He called it a bad shot that wasn't dialled in | approx | Hedrick | 20:29 |
| Pour-over | about 13 (078S) | Daddy Got Coffee, 16.5 g and a 2.5 min brew, with the fines catcher emptied afterwards | approx | DGC | 12:53 |
| Espresso | 0 | Stock zero point. Decaf shots still ran 11 to 13 s, which is too fast | approx | DGC | 6:43 |
| Espresso | zero-point pin moved two holes counterclockwise | Lets it grind finer for decaf | approx | DGC | 6:43 |
| Other | about 1000 to 1100 RPM | The sweet spot in the middle of the range. Top speed gave poor results | approx | DGC | 7:14 |
| Pour-over | around 800 RPM | 16 g dose, RDT, hot start. His preferred speed range | approx | DGC | 8:11 |
| Pour-over | 1,400 RPM | Side-by-side test. A narrower sweet spot but a potentially more intense cup | approx | DGC | 8:43 |
| Espresso | 2 (078S, LeBrew burrs) | 16 g in 12 s, 15.9 g out. His zero isn't set to chirp, which leaves room for drip | stated | Chronicler | 4:35 |
| Pour-over | 16 to 18 (078S, LeBrew burrs) | 8 g Switch-style filter brew | stated | Chronicler | 6:05 |
| Immersion | 11 to 14 | 078, dial indicator scale. Crowdsourced from readers, and the chart says every setting is approximate | approx | Christensen | grind size chart |
| Pour-over | 5 to 10 | 078, dial indicator scale. Crowdsourced from readers, and the chart says every setting is approximate | approx | Christensen | grind size chart |
| AeroPress | 4 to 6 | 078, dial indicator scale. Crowdsourced from readers, and the chart says every setting is approximate | approx | Christensen | grind size chart |
| Moka | 2 to 3 | 078, dial indicator scale. Crowdsourced from readers, and the chart says every setting is approximate | approx | Christensen | grind size chart |
Cup profile
- Turbo: very juicy and syrupy while staying clean. Lance Hedrick could push to 23 to 24% extraction without astringency 3:04.
- Turbo: the brightest, deepest acidity of the burrs he tested, with very few fines 0:00. In 2025 he described the acidity as rounded and balanced 3:34.
- 078S espresso: vibrant, balanced and creamier than a Niche 26:25 10:47.
Strengths
- It won a blind filter tasting unanimously against a 064 Turbo and an Ode Gen 2 with SSP burrs 26:25.
- Almost no retention with the fines collector 3:04.
Weaknesses
- The Turbo burrs can't do espresso 0:00 3:04.
- Swapping burrs is a hassle 26:25, and there's no ionizer 15:29.
Verdict
February 2023: the best filter grinder before you hit diminishing returns 3:04. April 2023: ahead of an Ode with SSP burrs 9:38. May 2023: Lance Hedrick would buy the Turbo himself and called it a "Niche killer" 26:25 10:47. 2024: one of his top three filter burr sets 16:21, but grade B because it only does filter and there are no aftermarket burrs 13:22. 2025: SSP and LeBrew burrs exist now, and the Turbo still wins for filter 0:00.
Daddy Got Coffee's take
- In 2023 the 078S gave him good middle-ground espresso and clear filter. His grinder needed about 5 kg of seasoning, realigning, a finer zero (by moving the pin) and a mid-range speed of about 1000 to 1100 rpm before it behaved 0:00 5:12 6:43 7:14.
- In 2024 the 078 Turbo made juicy, full, vibrant light-roast filter. About 800 rpm is forgiving, and 1400 is more intense with a narrower sweet spot. Leave the fines in the catcher for more clarity 0:00 8:43 9:14.
Kyle Rowsell's take
- In July 2023, on production units, he found the 078 makes very juicy, clean and transparent filter that shows up any defects in the coffee. It's one of the best filter grinders near $1,000, but it only does filter. The 078S works for everything, with a real espresso range and a little less body than Italmill burrs, though it's astringent and prone to channelling until it's seasoned. They're $650 each 1:54 13:21.
The Coffee Chronicler's take
- In 2025 he found the 078's turbo burrs shine with fruity coffees but make plain chocolatey ones feel thin. He fitted LeBrew Hyperburrs to his 078S. They gave sweet, mild, blended cups for both methods, weak as an americano, and beat SSP Brew and ghost burrs in a few blind rounds, but they're no game changer. Opening it takes 10 to 15 minutes and beans get stranded in the hopper. At $800 it compares poorly with a DF83V 11:16 4:36.
- In 2026 he called the 078 with brew burrs precise, clean and linear, great out of the box and very easy to use, but not the one he'd choose for himself 21:42.
Notes
- Sources describe the dial differently. The early 078 was stepped 3:04, and later reviews treat the 078 and 078S as stepless 26:25 15:29.
Sources
- Lance Hedrick: TIMEMORE SCULPTOR 078: Early Review (2023-02-01)
- Lance Hedrick: MOST IMPORTANT VIDEO I'VE EVER MADE: Ultimate Coffee Grinder Discussion (2023-04-26)
- Lance Hedrick: TIMEMORE SCULPTOR REVIEW: 064, 064s, 078, 078s (2023-05-05)
- Lance Hedrick: TIMEMORE SCULPTORS: Unfiltered and Uncut (2023-05-09)
- Kyle Rowsell: GIANT GRINDER SHOWDOWN: Sculptor 078S, Zerno Z1, Niche Duo, DF83 (2023-07-12)
- Daddy Got Coffee: Timemore 078s SCULPTOR: I did NOT expect this.... (2023-09-12)
- Lance Hedrick: GRINDER REVIEW: Timemore 078/064, DF83v, DF64 Gen 2, Gevi Grindmaster, DF64v (2024-03-08)
- Lance Hedrick: Grinder Tier List (2024-09-10)
- Daddy Got Coffee: The Best Filter Coffee Grinder? Timemore 078 (2024-12-14)
- Lance Hedrick: Diving into Burrs: Timemore 078 Turbo, LeBrew, SSP Review and Important Chat (SUPER NERDY) (2025-01-24)
- The Coffee Chronicler: New Burrs, Fresh Start? Timemore Sculptors in 2025 (2025-01-25)
- The Coffee Chronicler: Buying a pour over grinder? Here's what I'd do (2026-08-31)
- 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
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, or see every grinder.
Notchbook is a free app that remembers the setting that worked on your Timemore Sculptor 078 / 078S 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.