Timemore Nano Clicks and Grind Size

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• How the Timemore Nano Sets Grind Size
• Official Recommendations from the Manual
• A Visual Guide to Grind Size
• My Timemore Nano Click Table
• Starting Points by Roast Level
• How to Use This Page in Practice
• Summary

Introduction

Maybe you bought a Timemore Nano grinder, turned the dial a few times, and thought:

• “What grind size is this supposed to be?”
• “Is this fine or medium-fine?”
• “How many clicks should I use for pour-over?”

If that sounds familiar, this page is for you.

In this article, I’ll:

• Explain how I define the start point on the Nano
• Summarize the official ranges from the manual
• Show a visual guide to grind size
• Share my own click table for the Timemore Nano
• Suggest starting points by roast level

This is not a “perfect settings guide.”
It’s more like a base note you can refer to while you build your own taste.

How the Timemore Nano Sets Grind Size

The Timemore Nano uses a stepped adjustment ring.
You choose your grind size by turning it a certain number of clicks from a start point.

In my setup, I define the start point like this:

Start point =
Tighten the burrs until they just begin to touch,
then back off slightly to the “zero” click position.

Every number in this article—
6 clicks, 18 clicks, 24 clicks, and so on—means:

“Number of clicks from that start point.”

If your “zero” is in a different place, the feel may change a bit,
but the relative relationships (finer vs coarser) should still be useful.

Official Recommendations from the Manual

The Timemore Nano manual gives simple reference ranges:

• Espresso: around 6–12 clicks
• Pour-over (paper drip): around 15–24 clicks
• French press: around 24 clicks and above

These are manufacturer ranges, so they’re intentionally broad.

From here, you can dial in based on:

• Roast level
• Water temperature
• Target brew time and flow
• Your preferred body / clarity / acidity

The rest of this article is about how I map those numbers to grind size.

A Visual Guide to Grind Size

Before going into specific click numbers, it helps to have a general idea of grind size vs taste.

Here’s a rough map I use, assuming V60-style paper drip:

For a more detailed visual explanation,
I sometimes refer to this guide, which breaks grind size into clear categories with photos and examples:

Guide to Coffee Grind Sizes – Tasting Grounds

I don’t try to match their categories or examples perfectly.
I mainly use it as a reference point when I’m asking myself,
“Is this still medium, or am I already in medium-coarse territory?”

My Timemore Nano Click Table

Now let’s connect clicks to grind size—
this is how I currently map the Timemore Nano click positions to grind levels.

💡 All values are “clicks from my start point,”
assuming 1-cup or 2-cup paper drip as the main use case.

You don’t need to memorize this table.
The important part is:

• Lower clicks → finer → more extraction / more body / more bitterness
• Higher clicks → coarser → less extraction / lighter / more clarity

Once that picture is clear, the actual numbers are just labels.

Starting Points by Roast Level

Here’s how I usually choose a starting click setting based on roast level.

Think of this as: “Where I begin. Then I nudge ±2 clicks.”

Light roast (high–city, single origins, fruity beans)

• Starting point: around 18 clicks (medium-fine side)

Why:

• Light roasts often have higher perceived acidity.
• A slightly finer grind pulls enough body and sweetness to balance that.

If the cup feels too sharp or thin:

• Try 16 clicks (finer), or
• Raise the water temperature by 1–2℃

If the cup feels too heavy or flat:

• Try 20–22 clicks (coarser), or
• Slightly shorten the total brew time

Medium roast (balanced everyday beans)

• Starting point: around 20–22 clicks (between medium-fine and medium)

Why:

• Easy to keep a good balance of body, clarity, and sweetness.
• This is my “I just want a nice cup right now” zone.

If it’s too bitter or heavy:

• Go coarser: 22–24 clicks, or
• Use a slightly lower water temperature

If it’s too light or weak:

• Go finer: 18–20 clicks, or
• Slow down the pour a bit

Dark roast (full city to French, deep and bold)

• Starting point: around 22–24 clicks (medium to medium-coarse)

Why:

• Dark roasts extract very easily.
• Starting a bit coarser helps avoid harsh bitterness and astringency.

If the cup feels too thin:

• Move toward 20–22 clicks (a little finer), or
• Increase brew time slightly

If it feels harsh, burnt, or overly intense:

• Move toward 24–26 clicks, or
• Shorten the bloom or total extraction time

How to Use This Page in Practice

My intention with this page is simple:

Give myself and other Nano users
a concrete starting point instead of “just guess.”

Here’s one way to use it:

1. Pick your roast level
   → Choose the recommended starting clicks from the table.

2. Brew one cup while paying attention to:

   • Flow speed
   • Total brew time
   • Taste: body, acidity, sweetness, aftertaste

3. Decide which way to move:

   • Too thin / weak → go finer (lower clicks)
   • Too bitter / heavy → go coarser (higher clicks)

4. Log everything in one line (similar to my whole-bean routine article):

   [Bean/Roast] 20 g / 92℃ / 18 clicks / 3:00
   

5. Repeat on another day with 1–2 variables changed at most.

Over time, notes like:

• “18 clicks, 92℃, light Ethiopian → nice balance”
• “22 clicks, 90℃, medium blend → a bit light, try 20 next time”

will naturally create your own click map that’s more valuable than mine.

Summary

You don’t have to perfectly understand grind size to enjoy coffee.

But having a simple mental model— “this many clicks for light roast, that many for dark roast”— makes it much easier to:

• Reproduce cups you liked
• Fix cups you didn’t like
• Talk about coffee with other people

For the Timemore Nano, this article is my current snapshot of:

1. How I define the start point
2. How I interpret the manual’s ranges
3. How I map clicks to grind levels
4. Where I start for different roasts
5. How I adjust in small, repeatable steps

If you’re using a Nano and feeling lost about grind size, I hope this gives you at least one place to begin.

And if you’re curious about how I brew with these settings in my daily life, you can also check out my whole-bean routine article here:

What Can My Whole-Bean Coffee Routine Bring to You?