Millab M01 Review: Is Timemore’s Pineapple Burr as Sweet as It Looks?

It’s rare that a new hand grinder makes me think, “I need to try this”, but that was exactly my reaction the first time I saw the brand-new Millab M01. Technically, it’s a Timemore model, but Millab represents Timemore’s luxury division, much like how Toyota has Lexus.

I had my first encounter with Millab last year when I tested their portable battery grinder, and while that model was impressive, this new hand grinder feels like they’ve elevated that luxury aesthetic even further. When I held the M01 for the first time, I was genuinely struck by its presence: a beautiful, well-crafted piece that immediately stood out from the crowd.

I’ve been using the M01 more than half a year now, since picking it up at the World of Coffee that took place in Jakarta in May.

During this time, I’ve conducted extensive side-by-side comparisons against the 1Zpresso ZP6 and the 1Zpresso K-Ultra, giving me solid ground to evaluate how it stacks up against two of the most popular manual grinders currently on the market.

There’s a lot to unpack here… impressive innovations alongside some notable drawbacks that potential buyers should understand before making the investment.

Design and Build Quality

The first thing that strikes you about the M01 is its substantial presence. This grinder is notably large and surprisingly heavy at 1.1 kg, making it heftier than most other manual grinders on the market. By comparison, the 1Zpresso K Ultra feels almost nimble in your hands.

The materials here are undeniably premium. The construction relies primarily on aluminum and steel, with just a small accent of transparent plastic on the handle. The body features a textured surface that prevents sliding or spinning during use—a thoughtful detail that becomes important when you’re applying the force needed to grind.

Every component exudes solidity and durability. The steel handle feels robust and confidence-inspiring, and the overall build quality suggests this grinder is designed to last decades rather than years.

But the real standout innovation lies in the catch cup design. Rather than relying on magnets like most modern grinders, Millab has implemented a clever locking mechanism. This gives you the security of a screw-on design while maintaining the convenience you’d expect from a magnetic system. The cup won’t accidentally detach if you bump it into something, yet it’s still quick and easy to remove when needed.

Adjustment and Usability

The adjustment mechanism follows the external design approach we’ve seen on many recent grinders, making it intuitive and accessible. The range covers exactly what you need: espresso settings sit around “1” for traditional roasts and about “0.5” for lighter or medium roasts, allowing you to grind fine enough for very light coffees without any issues.

On the coarser end, I’ve found settings between 5.0-10 work well for filter, depending on your brewing style. The scale runs from 1 to 10 with ten distinct clicks between each number, providing excellent granularity for dialing in your preferred grind size.

The star of the technical show is Timemore’s new “Pineapple Burr”—a fresh invention from the Timemore and Millab. Unlike a standard conical burr, this design is longer and splits the grinding process into several phases using two pre-breakers instead of the typical single stage.

Timemore also has offers the so-called “spike-2-cut” burr on their regular hand grinders, as well, as the “Turbo” design on their electric models, which is basically a ghost burr. But this shows that the brand is not afraid of innovating when it comes to burrs.

The turbo burrs are of course famous for their performance, while I personally don’t think the spikes have much of a function besides being different. But what about the new pineapple design? Well, here things are getting interesting.

Performance and Grinding Experience

Before we talk about consistency and grind quality, let’s talk briefly about speed and ease of grinding, which are also important factors in any grinder review.

For pour-over, the speed falls somewhere in the middle, between, say, a Comandante and a more speedy grinder like the 1Zpresso K-Ultra.

You can grind a 20 gram dose in around 35 seconds, so totally fine in daily use.

However, the effort required is higher compared to many other popular manual grinders. Operating a 1.1 kg manual grinder with a straight handle demands work from both arms. The circumference and weight combine to create something of a workout, particularly for the hand stabilizing the grinder body.

Other brands use a crooked handle to alleviate this. But Timemore has chosen the straight path. I’m not sure if the reason is aesthetic only, or it’s connected to the long saga of a potential law suit launched by a German brand.

Espresso grinding presents an even greater challenge. A 16-gram dose takes approximately 55-60 seconds, slower than many modern grinders that can complete the same task in about 40 seconds. And if grinding for pour over was already demanding, grinding for espresso requires significantly more effort because of the grinder’s serious heft. I would rate it less enjoyable than a Kinu M47, Mavo Phantox Pro or 1Zpresso J-Ultra. But still nicer than a Comandante C40.

Taste and Cup Quality

The most crucial aspect of any grinder evaluation is, of course, the resulting coffee quality.

I’ve had the Millab M01 for over six months now, and during this time, I’ve tried a multitude of different brewing styles and methods, as well as testing very methodically. But somehow, this grinder broke my normal testing methodology and required even more experimentation to fully understand. Let me explain.

When I first received the M01, I approached it the way I approach most grinders: testing within the typical extraction range of 18-20%, which is where most recipes are designed to perform well and where most coffee advice online tends to focus.

I ran extensive blind tests against both the K-Ultra and the 1Zpresso ZP6, what I consider the main competitors in this price range. Through this initial testing, the Millab demonstrated solid competitive performance, though with some interesting quirks.

In head-to-head comparisons with the K-Ultra, I noticed the M01 allowed me to push extraction levels higher while maintaining a clear, pleasant aftertaste. The K-Ultra tended to fall apart more easily at higher ratios (or extraction yields), while the Millab maintained its composure. The K-Ultra is a tough grinder to beat, so this was impressive.

Particle analysis using the DI Fluid Omni revealed something remarkable. The Pineapple cone burr produces exceptionally consistent results, more consistent than typical conical burr grinders. The distribution pattern resembles what I’d expect from a very consistent flat burr grinder rather than a traditional conical design, with fewer fines and boulders, and more particles concentrated in the middle zone. Timemore has actually stated that this was their inspiration for the Pineapple cone burr design: attempting to translate flat burr performance characteristics into a conical format, hence the longer grinding path and the pineapple shape.

However, within that standard 18-20% extraction range, the M01 didn’t exhibit a pronounced signature flavor in the same way as, for example, a Timemore 078 or grinder equipped with SSP burrs.

The M01 delivered complexity with low bitterness, even at high extractions, though the acidity remained on the more moderate side. It felt like a balanced grinder that gave a clear representation of the coffee, but in that normal extraction range, it came across as somewhat generic. For example, it didn’t have the same clear acidity and flavor separation that SSP burrs are famous for. Nor was the sweetness elevated to the same juicy heights as the 078.

In comparison with its most natural rival, the ZP6, the flavor presentation was less intensely focused.

The ZP6 tends to zoom in on central notes and give them breathing room. Among audiophiles, “soundstage” is a popular term; ZP6 provides “flavor stage.” The Millab, on the other hand, presented the same notes in a more conventional manner with a bit less intensity of the main flavor notes, but a bit more complexity and body.

I also compared the M01 to the DF64V equipped with SSP Lab Sweets through a few controlled experiments side by side. The cups started out very similar, hitting all the same notes with the same intensity. But the aftertaste of the Lab Sweet was juicier, longer lasting, and more pronounced. Again, this was done targeting my normal preferred extraction yield around 19%.

At this point in my testing, I was left somewhat puzzled. The technical performance was undeniably excellent, but the cup results felt more ordinary. Good, certainly, but not exceptional.

The Coarse Grinding Revelation

After publishing my initial review on YouTube, something unexpected happened. A few people reached out with an intriguing claim: “You’re using it completely wrong. You have to try it at a really coarse setting, and then it’s just outstanding.”

I was skeptical. At setting 8, my drawdown was already fast at around 2 minutes with an extraction yield of 18%. What would happen if I went to setting 10, or even coarser, as one of my online coffee acquaintances insisted I should?

It turns out you can push past setting 10 (the nominal maximum) by releasing the burr underneath and twisting a few clicks. The grinder can get really coarse this way.

So I tried it. And after a bit of tinkering around, I got some genuinely interesting cups: cups that were more striking, had more character.

However, when you grind very coarse, your strength drops dramatically. The first cups I tried had a TDS of just 0.90, way too thin for me.

To compensate, you need to adjust your coffee dose significantly, moving to a ratio like 1:14 or 1:15 to achieve a decent strength in the cup. But this also means the extraction yield drops to around 15-16%, which is quite low by conventional standards.

This created a bit of a philosophical dilemma for me, because typically we value grinders that can achieve higher extractions without losing clarity.

It feels counterintuitive to praise a grinder specifically for tasting great at super low extractions. Yes, at that 15% extraction yield, you suddenly do get a lot more of that glass-like transparency and intensity you’ll encounter with ultra-clear SSP burr sets. But those burrs can achieve it at 18-20% extraction yield.

This raised a tricky question: where exactly do you draw the line in a grinder review? I know, for instance, that some cheap grinders can produce extremely interesting cups at a 1:10 ratio.

When I was judging the AeroPress Championship final in India in 2022, the winner actually used a Timemore C2. He was brewing at a very low ratio, but somehow the brews just tasted excellent. This wasn’t some small local event: we’re talking about a competition with dozens of regionals culminating in a national final featuring 25-35 local champions. Along the way, this guy knocked out plenty of people using EK43s, Comandantes, and many other grinders that conventional wisdom says are “high-end.”

Still, I don’t think anyone would say that it’s fair to compare a 1:10 ratio C2 with a 1:17 ratio EK43. And the M01 case at 15% extraction yield felt somewhat similar to me.

Having tested a bunch of coffee grinders over the years, I’ve usually approached them at somewhat conventional extraction levels using very standard recipes. So it was genuinely puzzling to encounter a grinder that really needed a different approach to reveal its best qualities.

But in the normal range (that 18-20% extraction where most recipes are designed to perform well and where I did my initial comparisons), the M01 didn’t feel outstanding. It was still good – don’t get me wrong – but it didn’t offer the same ability to highlight one or two flavor notes that the ZP6 does. Of course, clarity isn’t everything when it comes to coffee. You might still prefer the M01’s bolder and sweeter cups over the ZP6’s quite sterile presentation at this extraction range.

Another thing to remember is that extraction yield and TDS aren’t just arbitrary numbers. They do shape the flavor profile you’re going to experience, which the latest sensory science on the “Brew Control Chart” from SCA also supports. So if you have a grinder that locks you into the upper left zone of the chart, then you will mostly be exploring citrusy flavors.

On the old chart from the 1950’s, everything under 18% was actually deemed as “underdeveloped”. But with more modern sensory science the coffee community has been forced to accept that there’s nothing inherently wrong with a lower extraction yield. Actually, it’s almost the opposite, according to the new study from UC Davis.

However, I think understanding this about the M01 is crucial. Both if you want to get the best out of it, but also as context before buying it.

Blending Grind Sizes

But the M01 chronicles don’t stop there!

Recently, Timemore shared a video with a new approach to the M01 where they blend different grind sizes.

I’ve experimented more with this approach and feel like this might be the best way to utilize the M01.

How does it work? Well, it’s as simple as one might think.

• For example: Grind 30% on setting 7.5 and 70% on setting 10.
• Or: 20% on setting 6, 40% on setting 8, and 40% on setting 10+2 clicks.

This way, it seems like the M01’s slightly static and undynamic character can be brought to life. Simply, it looks like it benefits from more unevenness. You get more sweetness and body from the lower settings, and more acidity, clarity, and separation from the coarser settings.

This is a grinding technique I haven’t experimented much with previously, but have sometimes recommend it to dissatisfied ZP6 users who complained about its thin body for medium roasts. Mixing coarse and much finer grinds can add a bit more body and sweetness.

And it seems a similar but opposite effect can work with the M01: Mix rather coarse grounds from setting 10 (and coarser) to bring in more dynamics and clarity and some finer grounds to provide body and sweetness.

I’ve had my best cups so far by blending. I was able to brew at much more “normal” parameters and extraction levels, while getting something more akin to what my big flat burr grinders would deliver.

Espresso Performance

The Millab easily grinds fine enough to generate proper resistance for espresso extraction at 9 bars of pressure, so we can call it a true multi-purpose grinder in that regard.

The espresso character mirrors the filter performance. That same consistency actually becomes even more noticeable in the concentrated format.

The minimal amount of dusty super-fines in the puck create shots that are remarkably focused and intense. You don’t get the body or sweetness typical of traditional conical grinders. Instead, the result is pure, concentrated flavor.

This profile works particularly well with some light roasts as well as medium, though it’s less pleasing with dark roasts. Darker roasts tend to benefit from the blended grind character that provides body and sweetness, and you just don’t get a lot of that here.

In terms of dialing in, you can make it work if you’re willing to play with dose and tamping pressure, but it’s also not an experience like with a stepless grinder or a super stepped one like the 1Zpresso J-Ultra, for instance. You might suddenly see a 10 second change in brew time with 1 additional click.

Areas for Improvement

Despite its many strengths, the M01 has some notable drawbacks that potential buyers also need to consider.

Ergonomic Challenges

• Handle fit issues: The handle-to-shaft fit is a bit tight, creating noticeable resistance when removing the handle
• Small adjustment numbers: The adjustment mechanism numbers are on the small side and difficult to read in low light conditions
• Physical demands: The bulky build prioritizes form over function, making extended grinding sessions more challenging than necessary

The most significant issue, especially affecting espresso UX, is the combination of a chunky circumference, straight handle, and substantial weight. While the build feels and looks premium, Millab appears to have prioritized form over function (unless you have big hands and/or the grip strength of a lumberjack).

Market Position and Value

As I’ve been saying since my original review, the M01 is an excellent grinder. But because I stated that the ZP6 had more clarity, many people interpreted my review as being negative. That actually wasn’t the case.

Since that review, I’ve come to appreciate the M01’s unique strengths even more: the blending of grind sizes and ultra-coarse brew options opened up possibilities I hadn’t initially explored.

However, in my opinion, at typical grind settings (targeting 18-20% extraction), the M01 does not outperform popular options like the C40 or K-Ultra. Standard recipes will taste just as good with those grinders. But venture outside those conventional zones to the extremes (15-17% or 21-22% extraction), and the M01 suddenly shines. This is where its unique character comes alive.

The Millab M01 carries a premium price tag. At full retail, the extra cost doesn’t guarantee better flavor or user experience compared to the K-Ultra and ZP6, though it beats them both in looks and construction quality.

The K-Ultra remains more well-rounded for multipurpose use, particularly for espresso. If you already own a ZP6 for pour-over, you’re unlikely to see meaningful improvement — but you’ll see a different cup profile. One you might prefer.

For these reasons, I wouldn’t recommend the M01 as a beginner grinder. It’s more of a niche product for people who like to experiment with both grinders and recipes.

That said, if you’re looking for a premium hand grinder that’s beautifully designed and exceptionally built, I can absolutely see why you’d want this on your kitchen counter and in your life. I’ve got a few things like that myself: they just look good, feel good, and bring a little joy every time I use them. The M4 MacBook Air is one of them. The M01 fits right into that category.

Conclusion

The Millab M01 represents a specific vision: a hand grinder that prioritizes aesthetics and build quality while introducing genuine innovations like the screw-on catch cup and Pineapple Burr technology.

If you value beautiful design, don’t mind the physical demands of a heavier grinder, and enjoy experimenting with unconventional extraction ranges, techniques and approaches such as “blending,” the M01 delivers something unique. It’s for enthusiasts who see their coffee equipment as objects of daily joy, not just a tool or commodity.

But if you’re after practical ergonomics and conventional brewing performance, equally capable grinders exist at lower prices.

🇺🇸 Official Timemore US shop

🇪🇺 Timemore EU