Quality: 3
I was delighted with this grinder when I first received it, and for the first year and a half of operation. It is only the severe clogging after 18 months that dropped the quality from 8-9 to a 3, and only because of the good performance for 18 months that it's not a 1.
Usability: 9
It was quieter than the Krups flat burr grinder it replaced, didn't clog, was easier to clean, and grind consistency was fine for coffee. I liked the ease of grind adjustment, and the one-touch operation (no measurement required once the timer was set properly for the daily amount of coffee.)
Cost vs. Value: 3
Severe clogging dropped value from 8-9 to 3.
Aesthetics: 9
I like the way it looks
Overall rating: 3
Even for $100 a coffee grinder should work well for more than 18 months.
After 18 months of daily use, the grinder is unusable. It clogs every 1-2 daily batches. It first clogged after about 6 months of operation. No problem--just ran some Uncle Ben's through it and it worked like a charm for the next 6 months, when I ran another batch of rice through. Note that these clogs prevented beans from dropping into the burrs, and a shake would get me through until I could do a thorough cleaning. A few weeks ago, however, the chute clogged. Unlike previous clogging, shaking and tapping did nothing, and if I didn't stop the grinder, there was a smell of burnt coffee. At first I suspected the beans were too oily (I prefer French roast), so I cleaned it out, and put in beans from a different roaster. That worked for two batches, then smoky coffee smells as the . I've tried several roasts, all with the same result. It's almost as if something that pushes the grounds through the chute broke, but there's no evidence even of significant wear. So I'm in the search yet again for a quiet, reliable grinder. |
