Easy to use basic burr grinder, not for espresso, but a decent value and step up from the whirly bird blade grinders.
Positive Product Points
Inexpensive, small footprint, acceptable grind for anything other than espresso, nice build
Negative Product Points
inconsistency in grind, doesn't grind fine enough for my lever espresso machine, some static and retention of grinds in the chute
Detailed Commentary
I think this would make a good machine for drip, pour over, french press, or stove top espresso making. It doesn't grind fine enough for my La Pavoni Europiccola lever espresso machine without modification. The design is quite simple. The hopper has the top flat burr that appears to be ceramic and the body houses the bottom burr. When you unscrew the hopper you can remove the top burr easily which is nice if you decide to modify it by adding a spacer (I used a piece of manila folder) to tighten up the grind. Probably my biggest complaint is that Cuisinart does not make the burrs available for replacement so when the burrs are finished the whole machine must be scrapped. On an extremely tight budget, after the very easy modification the machine can be used for espresso. The play in the plastic threads between the hopper and the body and the adjustment steps make the burrs a little wobbly which I think accounts for the lack of consistency. The motor spins pretty quickly which probably is the reason for the static and can also heat the beans during the grind extracting some of the oil. I would recommend this grinder especially for the owner of an espresso dedicated grinder that just occasionally makes drip or french press. Overall the grinder is aesthetically pleasing and small enough that it doesn't take up much counter space. The hopper is efficient in feeding the beans into the grinder and can easily be removed for cleaning. Also, it's small enough to make it easy to pick up and dump the beans out of the top so you do not need to store more beans than necessary for each grind in the hopper. The removable plastic container that catches the grinds is pretty convenient to dump your grind into your coffee maker or scoop into a stove top or portafilter.
Buying Experience
Bed, Bath, & Beyond. I wanted something instantly and there wasn't a specialty retailer in my town. It is what it is... big box. Definitely use a coupon.
