TIMEMORE - Whirly 01S Portable Electric Grinder

Been leveraging a whirly 01S from Timemore. A little pricey but it makes a well rounded cup of coffee and is a lot smaller on my counter. I recharge every now and then…I really haven’t lost a charge with it ever with that strategy.

I have a Whirly and I don’t have the counter space for something larger but I have a USB C power source near. It helped to retire a Kingrinder P2 (meh) and OXO Brew Compact Conical Burr Coffee Grinder (noisy and messy). I do have a K6 that acts as my go to for “clarity”. I think the Whirly produces a pretty decent grind and it has enough steps to get you to a place that is happy to dial in just about any cup you are trying to achieve. My only concern with it…and it may be a general comment with this type of grinder…it tends to miss a few beans towards the end of its grinding of your dose. Once you are use to it missing it? You learn to give it a jiggle at the end of its grinding of your “dose” to help avoid having strays in your next cup.

I think it's because it occupies a certain niche where most coffee enthusiasts would not consider getting one. They either have a full-on countertop electric grinder, or a hand grinder. The Femobook A2 also suffers from the lack of attention--they're tweeners, so to speak. The Whirly 01S is a nice little grinder. The only thing I don't like about it is the fact that the battery is not user-replaceable. The Femobook A2 has twice the battery capacity of the Whirly 01S, and the batteries are user-replaceable (it uses standard li-ion batteries). I have both the Whirly 01S and the Femobook A2.

They are very comparable. If forced to pick one, I choose the Femobook A2 for the battery capacity and the fact that the batteries are user-replaceable, as it uses standard 18650 li-ion batteries. It's also less expensive than the Whirly 01S. They both perform excellently in terms of grind quality. The catch cup of the Whirly 01S does hold a bit more than the A2, but the A2 still comfortably handles 30g. They both make delicious coffee. In fact, I'm enjoying a cup that I made in my office with the Whirly 01S! 😊

Basically manual hand grinders win almost at all times when it comes to filter coffee. The output is just better. There are only three considerations to get electric grinder: 1. Price (more expensive but if you don't mind it then go for it). 2. Labor (whether if you are willing to grind by hand). This question becomes easier to answer if you brew large doses in every batch and then also do it daily. Obviously electric would be better. This relates to capacity as well. Even if you want to grind manually, you also have to be willing to feed the chamber a couple times since most hand grinder with the catcher cup only accommodate 30 grams of ground coffee, goes as small as 20 g for the compact ones. Yes, many great electric grinders are single-dose too, but the hopper should still fit more beans. 3. Portability. This matters the least since we now have some options of small, built-in battery-powered electric grinders ready in the market that are actually quite amazing. Perfect for travel and camping. Whirly 01S and Millab E01, to name a few.

Whirly 01S is an entry-level, budget electric-portable grinder. To get a grind quality and build quality similar to the S3, you would have to get the [Timemore Millab E01](https://www.timemore.com/collections/coffee-grinder-manual/products/timemore-x-millab-wireless-portable-electric-coffee-grinder), which is more expensive. It has the same burrs, as the S3 - the S2C890 type. The speed is the same, as with hand grinding - about 20 to 30 second per dose. The S3 seems to be the best choice, from my point of view. The advice from your roaster was good, as its the best value. Buying from your favorite local roaster would also support them, and the help would be close, should you have any issues or questions.

yes, that burr in Whirly 01S and the S3esp should be the same (and even is slightly bigger, than the S2C890, probably to speed up the grinding on the fine settings, for which it is probably mainly designed), and is likely to produce more fines, hence good for espresso and darker roasts... not that great for pour over and other manual brews, with light-to-medium roasted beans

I just got a timemore whirly and I like it. It shuts off automatically, it's cheap, and it's portable.

I know the feeling. Some days u just want a coffee without manual labor. I bought a timemore whirly for days like that.

Nice! The femobook actually caught my eye first but the whirly was on sale so I grabbed one. I think you're right about it being a tweener because I didn't really need it. For some reason, I woke up this morning, used the whirly, and said to myself 'I'm glad I bought this'

I agree. It seems like the little electric grinders never caught on. I actually like it. It's my 3rd option but I enjoy it when I feel lazy and don't want to hand grind.

I personally use a timemore go as my daily driver. It's a portable grinder with built-in battery and motor. I think timemore have 3 newer versions like it, Whirly 01s, Millab E01 and Nutti OX. I don't if any other brand does this. I got issues with my hands (ligament surgery on left wrist and probably mild carpal tunnel on right hand) so hand grinders are usable but just a pain.

I personally use a timemore go as my daily driver. It's a portable grinder with built-in battery and motor. I think timemore have 3 newer versions like it, Whirly 01s, Millab E01 and Nutti OX. I don't if any other brand does this. I got issues with my hands (ligament surgery on left wrist and probably mild carpal tunnel on right hand) so hand grinders are usable but just a pain.

I sell coffee in my office and decided to buy a new setup for brewing. I already had a Fellow Opus and Stagg, so I wanted to try something different, a Timemore setup, to brew for my office friends. I wanted something portable and efficient that I could bring on trips or camping, but also use for multiple brews in a row at the office, so I went with the Timemore Whirly. Pros: Battery life: I can use it for 2–3 filter brews a day, and the battery lasts about 2–3 weeks. If you’re camping for a few days, you’ll most likely be fine without recharging. Capacity: You can easily load up to 50 g, and the receiver holds around 40 g. Speed: It’s quite fast. I can even grind 18 g directly into the filter, and it’s surprisingly satisfying to watch. Grind quality: For a portable electric grinder, it performs really well. It’s not as consistent as my Opus but definitely good enough for pour overs. Portability: If you’re traveling with just one backpack and some essentials such as an AeroPress, it might take up a bit of space, but if you have more than one bag, it’s perfect. Build: Feels solid and premium. Nothing rattly or cheap. Cons: Inaccurate grind chart: The recommended settings are way off. You’ll need to click around 35–45 times to get a proper filter grind and expect to waste a few grams dialing it in. Overall, I think it’s a great portable grinder if you value speed, battery life, and convenience. If you are looking for portability and you are really obsessed with grind size, you might want to stay in the manual Comandante or 1Zpresso zone. It’s not meant to replace a high-end hand grinder, but for travel or office use, it’s been super fun and reliable. https://preview.redd.it/simrm49so3tf1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a58d0a51f889e7a857fbc1f84511bc498f143b30

Just change the 1z for the timemore electric. Nobody likes manually grinding coffee firsr thing in the morning

I know it's months later and you probably already figure out the best grinder for your needs, but I have to mention for future buyers needing advice, that everyone here replying totally ignored your question which specifically asked for the best grinder for dark roast. Ode 2, the electrical Timemore, ZP6, etc are not good, they're light roast dedicated and they excel at that. That being said, why do you want anything other than your Encore for dark roast? You're not getting good results? The Encore is excellent for your needs, the more expensive ones are dedicated for light roasts and for one, they will result in a bad tasting dark roast, and second, they will get issues line clogging and require high maintenance with dark roast beans. The only thing I would get to complement the Encore would be a manual grinder for portability and variety, you would do good with a 1Zpresso J Ultra or Timemore C3