Very simply: If you want good coffee don't buy this grinder.
Positive Product Points
Good points: 1.) Cheap entry level grinder 2.) Better than a whirley blade 3.) For an all plastic machine, it's built ok 4.) Makes a good learning lesson for why one should pay the extra money and get a good grinder
Negative Product Points
Negative points: 1.) Loud 2.) Inconsistant grind 3.) Too much static buildup 4.) A fine grind is produced at all grind settings
Detailed Commentary
After many years of drinking stale pre-ground coffee I decided that grinding my own coffee would be the only way I could avoid poor coffee. After reading several coffee sites I decided to narrow my focus to burr grinders.
After reading many reviews on CoffeeGeek.com I was shocked to find out that a good grinder would cost me ten times what I paid for my Bodum Chambrod french press. Agast, my first thought was: I'm no proffessional, I just want a grinder that will deliver a good cup of coffee. So after a little more research, it seemed that the Braun KMM30 grinder was the most popular grinder within my price range.
After a quick trip to the store I was set to grind my first cup of coffee. First impressions were good. I liked the timer know, and although the entire thing was made out of plastic it seemed to be resonably well constructed. I clicked in a setting of 12 and started grinding.
After 30 seconds of grinding the first thing I noticed was an annoying buildup of very fine particles on the front of the collection tray. I quickly scrapped the dust from the side into the garbage and dumped the rest of the grindings into a bowl. A closer revealed a wide variety of different sized particles. 50% were about the right size, 40% were either too big or too small and 10% was just plain dust.
The rule is simple, grind size is directly proportional to extration time. Uneven grinds mean the smaller particles are over-extraced and the larger particles are under-extracted. The result bad coffee. The only way I could think to fix the problem was to purchase 3 cooking sifters to sift out the size I wanted. What a pain in the ass.
Then it hit me, so that's why people pay so much for a grinder! I'm going to continue to use the grinder until I can find and order one of the more expensive grinders I mentioned at the start of this review.
Conclusion:
This grinder *CAN NOT* be used to make french presses. Please don't try to prove me wrong. This grinder might be acceptable for drip machines, I don't know, my drip got the boot when I bought my Bodum.
