Look elsewhere - this simply doesn't do any job well or even adequately.
Positive Product Points
- Looks good - Compact - Fairly Sturdy - Very Easy to use - Cost is reasonable
Negative Product Points
- Very, very loud - like a vaccuum or clothes dryer - Coarse grinding only - Inconsistent grind limits usability - Statically charges the coffee - Hopper has loose lid - Messy - Some parts may be prone to breaking
Detailed Commentary
This was purchased as a gift by an ex-girlfriend. It is what I wanted at the time - a basic burr grinder. I had a blade grinder, but felt that I could produce better results with a burr grinder, as I had heard they have the advantage of producing a wide range of coarse and fine grinds, as well as being very consistent. I'm sure that is true of some burr grinders - not this one.
The only options are coarse grind and coarser grind. Sure, the machine goes from 1-7, but none of those are fine enough. It is also numbered in reverse of every other grinder I've used - which is a little annoying. But if it did the coarse grind really well, I'd probably be somewhat happy - stick to my french press for brewing and it would have a use. Except that the grind is not consistent - no matter how you set it, the unit produces a range of super, super fine to very coarse. So not only can it not produce a grind suitable for espresso or even drip coffee makers, but the coarse grind it can produce is not suitable for a press because the fine silt will clog and/or pass through the mesh on the press and produce a grainy cup of coffee.
There are other downsides as well - the coffee comes out statically charged, thus making it nearly impossible to get into the coffee maker without spraying it all over. The lid on the hopper is loose - thus making the hopper an unsuitable place to store beans (not that you can store much more than a few pots worth of beans in there anyhow). It is incredibly loud - I thought my old blade grinder was bad, but this thing sounds like a Red Devil vaccuum cleaner when it kicks on - putting every conversation in the vicinity on hold while it does its job.
If you are considering this grinder - consider something much more serious (and thus, much more expensive - the Starbucks Barista seems to be the minimum these days) or go with a 20-dollar blade grinder - they do a perfectly adequate job for drip coffee makers.
Buying Experience
It was a gift - but she didn't report any negativity about it.
