Since starting to work with Comandante in mid-2016 we have seen them grow from a small company with a vision and passion to produce high-quality hand grinders, into a company that has used that passion for perfection to sculpt our industry into understanding why a precision hand grinder is a must-have!
As many people know, the supply of these first-class grinders has been a little tough over the last year, with the global demand being so high it has outstripped what the craftsman at Comandante can supply, starting the year off at the limits of their capacity because they were lucky enough to be in high demand already!
I have been fortunate enough to have regular conversations over the years with the Comandante team and they have become not only suppliers but great friends! I thought it would be interesting to explain a little bit more about the lengths the crew go to in order to produce the quality grinders that they do, hoping it will give everyone an idea of why the global demand and product shortage has been an issue since the start of the year.
Production capacity is always a huge challenge when product quality is your number one focus and the team at Comandante were more than happy for me to delve into the production and supply side of things a little further, giving a bit more insight behind their company.
“With the pandemic and the jump in people wanting to brew great coffee at home, demand began to skyrocket (+400% in some places), and we simply haven’t been able to keep up. Of course, we were simultaneously affected by a short, initial standstill in European production, and have been slowed at times by a materials supply chain under extreme pressure” Joe McTaggart (JT) from Comandante says.
JT goes on to say “We remain as focussed on growing our capacity as we always have been, but the nature of a quality product means that growth must occur gradually and sustainably. Comandante doesn’t take quality shortcuts in the name of saving time”.
The wooden veneers are a perfect example when it comes to each grinder being perfectly sculpted. Each piece is cut for a perfect fit and painstakingly applied to each grinder body by hand.
Once the veneer has had enough time to settle, and the logo is burnt into place. Each body is then sanded down carefully for a wonderfully smooth finish, before being hand-treated with a natural wax-oil up to 3 times over the space of a few days so that the wood really feels and looks how it should.
Like the body of the grinders, the Comandante Nitro Blade burrs are also very complicated to produce.
The burrs are an extremely special martensitic steel - salt-water stainless and particularly robust and wear-resistant. Once they cut the burr geometry into shape, they harden and temper the burr, before going back again to sharpen the teeth.
Once the geometry of every single burr is quality checked by hand, they are then micro-polished for an extremely clean and cleanable surface.
Why do the Comandante team go to such great lengths during the burr manufacturing process? This is all necessary for a burr that is super long-lasting, super cleanable, and completely aroma neutral - not interfering with the delicate flavours of your coffee in any way.
Nevertheless, improving the supply is Comandante’s absolute main focus, yet every painstaking step that is taken to increase supply and look at ways of increasing their production is met with just as much pressure to ensure that there are zero drops in quality, from the initial cuts of veneers or steel, through to the well-known sticker that hand placed on every box at the end of the production line.
JT finishes off by saying, "At Comandante, we understand that demand has never been higher and that this year especially, the retailers supporting us could really benefit from having them to sell. Progress is being made and we will continue sustainably growing our production capacity so that we can improve the situation for us all. We are extremely grateful for everyone's continued patience!”
Shop our range of Comandante grinders, spare parts, and acessories, here.
