Comandante
On Track. Pays or is working towards a living wage, with gaps still to close.
Last researched 2 November 2026 · 4 sources
Small family-run German maker of hand coffee grinders.
Comandante makes its hand coffee grinders in its own factories in Germany, where labour laws are strong and legal wages are about a living wage.
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Why it's graded On Track
- Not met: Meets 6 of 7 Good requirements.
- Met: No red flags.
Good requirements 6 of 7
- Met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: presumed because legal wages in Germany are about a living wage, not checked at the company
- Met: Respects worker rights
- Met: Supply chain independently audited or certified, or at least 80% made in countries with strong labour standardsPresumed from where it's made, not audited
- Not met: Shows where its earlier production stages happen, not just the final oneA "Made in" claim can cover only the final stage. Earlier stages to show: materials and parts such as fabric, timber, glass, metal and ceramics
- Met: No child or forced labour findings or links
- Met: Names the factories or farms that make its products, or is fully certified by a scheme that holds and audits that listMakes its products in its own factories
- Met: High-risk raw materials (timber) traced or certified, or not a major part of its rangeOnly in a few products: timber
Red flags 0
None found.
Stars it would earn as Good
None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Where it's made
From Comandante's own disclosure: it makes its products in its own factories.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | Strong protections | About a living wage | Low |
Evidence
What we found
- Uses timber in only a few products, so the raw-material check doesn't hold it back for Good. It doesn't show where its timber comes from. The "Open supply chain" star needs all of it traced, certified or upcycled.
- Owns or runs its own production
- "Made in Germany" only means the last major stage happened there: under customs and consumer law, materials and parts such as fabric, timber, glass, metal and ceramics can be made elsewhere. It hasn't shown where those earlier stages happen, so where it's made counts towards On Track but not Good. Source
Research notes Comandante says it develops and makes its grinders, burrs and tools itself, with its own team and CNC machinery just outside Munich, and Australian retailers list them as made in Germany. Wood is limited to the solid oak handle knob and a few wood-veneer models, with no source given for the timber. It publishes no supplier list, audit results, wage information or modern slavery statement; Germany has strong EU labour protections.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Report | Not covered | Baptist World Aid's Ethical Fashion and Electronics reports do not assess coffee grinder makers such as Comandante. View |
| Business & Human Rights Resource Centre | Unclear | No Business & Human Rights Resource Centre reports on labour abuses at Comandante or its suppliers were found. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 4
Show all 4 sources
- Comandante C40 MK4 Black Nitro Blade Grinder (Coffee Parts) · search the archive · Made in Germany; handles made of solid oak; sold by Australian retailer
- Comandante C40 Mark 4 Hand Grinder (Talk Coffee) · search the archive · Handcrafted in Germany; sold at Talk Coffee's store in Northcote, Victoria
Published by Comandante or its owner
- Comandante grinder (official site) · search the archive · Grinders made by an international team of craftsmen and women just outside Munich, Bavaria; crafted in Germany
- About Comandante · search the archive · Founded by the Braune family (Supremo roastery); brand from 2012; own CNC systems and lab; family-run
Company details
- Headquarters
- Germany
- Last researched
- 2 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Comandante ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/comandante, last researched 2 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What On Track means
Better-graded cookware and tableware
Something missing or wrong?
Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Comandante.