Excellent value machine, consistent grind, and quite capable of espresso.
Positive Product Points
~A very sturdy appliance, heavy base, commercial-like quality. ~Easy to use, straight-forward controls. ~Adequately grinds my daily espresso. Takes some tweaking to make it fine enough, but, it is capable of consistently grinding beans for consistent, crema-topped espresso, using my old Gaggia espresso delux. ~Excellent, thorough instructions at the Baratza website. ~An American company, with American engineering/design--even if (our insane) government regs/taxes/policies require these to be produced in Asia for the company to stay in business...
Negative Product Points
Metal timer lever/knob falls off--fixed though with beeswax. Major adjustments to grind, and motor speed require disassembly (which I don't really mind).
Detailed Commentary
Reading many of these reviews makes one realize many coffee aficionados are a very perfectionistic/picky bunch... If I had read all the "so-so" reviews I would of not enjoyed my daily espresso for the last couple years...
To my mind $150 is a lot of money for a grinder...but for folks used to $400+ Italian sports-car type grinders, I suppose it's pocket change. Expect decent BMW quality...no, it's not a Mercedes or a Porsche, and certainly not a Ferrari... but, with some tinkering is perfectly adequate, even for espresso.
Was I trained by the finest of Italian baristas? No, not at all--just practiced with my own homemade naked porta-filter... But I can make tasty espresso with this grinder, consistently, and that's all the really counts.
Buying Experience
Got it directly from Baratza, as a "refurbished" machine. Looks and performs like new, however.
