u/Impossible_Cow_9178

In another thread I mentioned graycano drippers perform best with the subarist fast filters designed for them and there was some confusion and downvotes from folks thinking they were just v60 filters.

Let’s resolve this.

1. They are in fact a different size. In the attached photos, you can see the difference between a Cafec ABACA v60 filter and a Graycano filter. Proving this is simple, look at the attached photos, where I stack them on top of one another, then use a marker on the V60 and lay the Graycano filter on top, and you can see a meaningful difference in both size AND angle. The difference in angle actually becomes more acute/apparent once you mountain fold both to actually place in the dropper. The Graycano designed filter fits perfectly in the dripper and there is no “sag” onto the walls, which is the case with standard V60 filters, as they’re too wide, and the extra material drapes around the internal prongs which are supposed to keep the filter off the walls, and when brewing the filter sticks to the walls, thereby negating the primary differentiation of the Graycano.

2. Sibarist material/composition is different. It’s designed to flow extremely fast AND allow more particulate through the filter, so you can get richer brews and more mouthfeel with that incredible speed. The way the graycano is designed, with its unique contact points and non-stick surface coating which via capillary action pulls the water through the filter faster as it beads via the coating. This extremely unique environment was designed to house these filters. Running CAFEC abaca’s will work, don’t get me wrong - but at that point it’s no better than a much less expensive Hario V60 or Alpha. In fact the aforementioned Hario’s make much better tasting coffee with less bypass using standard v60 filters.

The Graycano is one of my favorite drippers on the market, and it has exceptional performance. You can do brews with it, that are difficult if not impossible to do with other drippers - IE: 180-185F temps at sub 2 min TBT’s that can still taste full and elegant for certain coffees like Natural Panama Gesha’s that greatly benefit from cooler temp extractions.

Bottom line: you can run v60 filters in a Graycano, but it’s like running regular vs premium fuel in a Ferrari. Kind of defeats the purpose of buying the Ferrari. You CAN do it, but the engine management system will nerf itself and performance will be impacted.

I never see these posted, and I’ve had it for years - figured I’d share. 🙂

All will be finished in the next ~2 weeks or so. The H&S + TPC waiting in photo 2 may need to be swapped out as usually wait 2+ months on those, but I have another ~1.5kg at or near resting peak and another ~4.5kg resting for longer term consumption.

Aviary, Big Sur, and TPC have been hitting the hardest lately - with Sey nipping at their heels. Hopefully Sey starts dropping more Ethiopians and Kenya’s soon.

After four months of ownership of the Comandante TigerShark (X25 chassis) and comparing it to a ridiculous amount of other grinders/burrs and running it on dozens of water compositions and across various roasters, drippers and bean origins here are my thoughts.

Pro’s:

1. It has a clean and focused profile, the difference is quite stark compared to the Comandante C40 Nitro Blade. The profile reminds me (directionally) of the Weber DB2 Ultra burr (what folks incorrectly refer to as ULF).
2. Build quality is solid and you get what you pay for.
3. It excels with Third Wave Water.

Con’s:

1. The profile these burrs present could be considered sterile and boring to some. I fall in this camp.
2. The burr design is far more aggressive particularly with the pre-breakers resulting in a grabby/jerky grinding experience with light roasted hard beans, unlike its buttery smooth Nitro Blade cousin.
3. It doesn’t respond well to a wide array of water comps, and doesn’t give you much flexibility to experiment as things get astringent, acrid, etc very quickly.

Overall. If you own an 80mm grinder with a Weber DB2 Ultra installed and are looking for a travel grinder - or are someone looking to experience the general DB2 profile in a manual grinder without the high price tag of an 80mm grinder - the TigerShark is definitely worth taking a look at. It certainly isn’t the same profile as the 80mm DB2 flat burr, but this fits within the thematic presentation structure surprisingly well, just as the Pietro is directionally quite similar to the 102mm HU RS burr in the Lagom 01. If you’re looking for lots of complexity, or a tool to do a lot of experimentation with - I’d look elsewhere. If you’re locked into the Third Wave Water ecosystem and just want simple, repeatable (dare I say repetitive?) results - this might be right up your alley. If your definition of clarity is focus and the removal of distraction, with the information being presented in a surgically linear fashion - the TigerShark delivers.

Personal thoughts. For me, it’s a great travel grinder to take along with a Weber Roadrunner, as immersion brews add more complexity, texture and pizzaz while maintaining very high levels of clarity. I also appreciate the fact that I can store the first dose of beans in the X25 grinder with the air tight plastic snap lid it comes with - so that combined with the three bean tubes in the Weber Road Runner gives me two cups of coffee four times in one tidy package. In terms of percolation brews - I find the presentation quite boring and lacking sophistication. It tosses out a few notes with clarity, no doubt - but it lacks fidelity and panorama. You will get a few VERY strong and impossible to miss notes and they come in very clean, but sterile - meaning you might taste a vivid generic pear note, where as on a different burr with dialed in water - it might be Asian pear with more minerality exposing delicate notes, like the skin of the Asian pear. If that sounds ridiculous, and you don’t have a trained palate and the ability to dial coffees to that point (there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that btw and it doesn’t make you any less of a coffee enthusiast/enjoyer) then my gripes will not apply to your situation… at least for now. For most coffee enthusiasts - the TigerShark will be lovely. Personally though - I consider the immersion brews very good, and the percolation brews mediocre. I actually much prefer the C40 Nitro Blade for percolation brewing.

Tigershark vs the world. Or at least part of it:

C40 Nitro - has a wider panorama, and more body. The C40 still presents tasting notes with enough fidelity to pick them all up if dialed in correctly - and more notes/flavors will be present, but they won’t be nearly as loud as the TigerShark. The Nitro burr also offers more body and sweetness, has a wider dial in range, and is more responsive to different water compositions.

C60 - similar story as the Nitro burr above, but the C60 burr bridges the gap in clarity between the two. It is for me a more happy medium between clarity and complexity - but the TigerShark certainly presents its notes louder and with less distraction.

ZP6 - more tea like, and provides a bit more fidelity, particularly with acidity - it’s not as rounded as thr TigerShark. Notes come in louder and with more body on the TigerShark burrs. ZP6 is more disable and responsive to different water comps.

K-Ultra - sits in-between the Nitro burr and the ZP6, with a clear lean towards the C40’s direction.

M01 - offers far greater dial in range, fidelity, and elegance in cup. It presents softer and more structured cups, lacking the “big bang” of the TigerSharks loud acidity and focused notes - but the M01 allows space for delicate florals and more nuanced notes to present with the right dial in and water comp, which aren’t possible to attain with the TigerShark. If you drink beans with delicate notes, the M01’s performance in that realm can rival multi-thousand dollar grinders.

Pietro - more body, and far more complexity with a longer finish and more interesting presentation journey. Acidity comes in a peak, drop, peak - so you get more of a roller coaster. Due to the enhanced body and complexity, some might consider the burrs less clear than the TigerShark. It is undeniable however, the Pietro presents more, distinctly recognizable flavors in cup with a lengthy and evolving finish. Pietro is an all star at responding to different water comps and is a water maxers delight.

A4Z - this is an electric grinder and I don’t think is a terribly fair/applicable entry to this discussion, but given the price is near the Pietro and I know I’m going to get a ton of people who ask about it. The A4Z has a similarly loud way of highlighting several focused notes (not quite as loud as the TigerShark) but with a noticeable increase in panorama. You get more clearly discernible flavors in cup - but still have that wow factor.

What about XYZ? If the grinder isn’t on the list above, I either don’t own it, or it’s not appropriate to compare it to the TigerShark.

Parting thoughts. I own 3 other Comandante grinders. I really enjoy the cups of coffee they make. I like their warranty support, the quality of their products, the haptic feedback and sound as they grind, their accessories, the list goes on. I recommend Comandante grinders often - so suffice to say, I’m a fan… but the TigerShark burr, is not for me.

Burr preference is very much subjective and personal - but I’ve lent this grinder to several friends and had over a dozen or so folks try it at meet ups and frankly no one has been terribly excited about it. I’ve intentionally waited quite some time to post thoughts to get more of a consensus - and hear from other friends in the industry who ordered them as well (the metal Lab Series version) and thus far it has been the same general take as shared above.

Ya’ll should know this burr has actually been around for many years (they were sold in small quantities at events and given away as prizes) - and it was even released to the general public awhile back as the first burr in the X25 chassis - but frankly no one really talked about it or seemed to care until Comandante amped up the marketing on it just recently. Had they done this many years ago, it would likely be a key staple like the ZP6 - but frankly they’re too late to the party, and most folks already have a grinder filling this role, or will (and perhaps should) choose one of the other existing options on the market. It is undeniable - Comandante makes well made products AND stands behind them… but in 2026 - there are a lot of outstanding options in the market, and the TigerShark doesn’t materially stand out in that crowd. It might be to your preference (or not), but I wouldn’t even call this an evolutionary product - I’d call it a late to the party “me too” cry for attention, and as a Comandante fan, it makes me a bit sad.

They just sent the attached email to backers.