What is the TIMEMORE Whirly 01S?
A specialty-grade grinder that happens to be portable, rather than a portable one that compromises.
TIMEMORE publishes patented S2C-420-EI octagonal stainless steel burrs, 30 precision grind settings adjusting in 0.025mm steps, a patented twist-up swivel hopper that clicks into an airtight seal, a 50g catch cup, low-noise operation, automatic stop and clog protection, and a metal body combining ABS, aluminium, silicone and stainless steel at 955g.
What 0.025mm steps are actually for
This is the finest published adjustment on this site, and it matters at exactly one end of the range.
For filter coffee, a small change in grind size moves the cup gently, and most people could not pick two adjacent settings apart. For espresso it is different: the difference between a 25-second shot and a 40-second choke can be a few hundredths of a millimetre, which is why espresso grinders are judged on resolution above almost everything else.
0.025mm is fine enough to dial espresso properly. That is an unusual claim for a grinder you can carry, and it is the reason to choose this over the cheaper portables.
The octagonal burr, and the sealed hopper
Two published design choices, one of which solves a problem everybody with a portable grinder has.
The burr geometry is TIMEMORE's own and octagonal rather than the usual conical profile. The maker does not publish a particle distribution to back it up, so treat it as a design claim rather than a measured advantage; what is published and checkable is the alloy and that it is patented.
The swivel hopper is the practical one. Portable grinders spill beans, because the hopper is small and the grinder gets shaken in a bag. A hopper that twists up and clicks into an airtight seal is a mundane fix for a daily annoyance, and none of the other portables here publish anything equivalent.
TIMEMORE Whirly 01S vs OutIn Fino
The two portable electrics, and they split on resolution against weight.
The OutIn Fino is lighter at 690g, publishes a 38mm burr diameter and a noise figure under 60 decibels, and runs on a USB-C battery.
The Whirly answers with 30 settings at 0.025mm steps against the Fino's 28 positions, and with the sealed hopper. If you want the finest dial-in, this. If you want the lightest thing that grinds well on a battery, the Fino.
Is the Whirly 01S worth it?
Worth it if you brew espresso and travel, which is a narrow but real group.
0.025mm adjustment in a body you can pack is a genuinely unusual combination, and TIMEMORE has earned trust in this category with the Chestnut hand grinders.
What is not published is a burr diameter, a motor wattage, a retention figure or a warranty term. Burr size in particular is the number most correlated with grind quality, and TIMEMORE describes the shape and the alloy without giving it.
Who should buy the Whirly (and who should not)
Buy it if you want one grinder for the kitchen and the road, and you make espresso.
It suits a travelling espresso drinker, a small kitchen that wants the grinder stored away between uses, and anybody tired of hand-grinding fine. Auto stop and clog protection make it forgiving.
Do not buy it purely for filter coffee at home, where a countertop grinder like the OXO costs less and holds more. At 955g it is also the heaviest of the portables.
Frequently Asked Questions
How fine can the Whirly 01S adjust?
In steps of 0.025mm across 30 settings, which is the finest published adjustment of any grinder on this site.
How much coffee does it hold?
The catch cup takes up to 50g, and the hopper twists up and seals so beans do not bounce out.
Is the Whirly good for espresso?
Yes. TIMEMORE publishes a range covering espresso through French press, and the 0.025mm step size is the resolution espresso dialling actually needs.
What size are the burrs?
TIMEMORE publishes the shape and alloy, octagonal S2C-420-EI stainless steel, but not the diameter, so we record none.
