Terrible static makes a big mess. Save your money for a good grinder.
Positive Product Points
It looks attractive for a cheap grinder. It is simple to use. The hopper is fairly large at this price point. The controls are easy to use. I was able to get my money back after owning for a week.
Negative Product Points
STATIC,STATIC, STATIC. The static is so bad that after you grind and remove the lid from the grind bin, coffee erupts out of the grind bin getting all over everything in the area. When you attempt to wipe up the coffee grounds they are statically repelled (that is they run away). Then there is the attempt to get the statically charged grounds out of the grind bin and into the portafilter--more mess. If you can tolerate all of this, the grinder is barely adequate for drip only. The grind is too inconsistant. It is a mix of powder, gravel, and boulders--lots of powder. The ground coffee is more like jagged slivers in shape, like a blade grinder, than round. It will not grind anywhere near fine enough for espresso. It is also very noisy. In all fairness I was so put off by the static I did not give the grinder more than 2 or 3 attempts before putting it back in the box.
Detailed Commentary
This is not even a worthy beginners grinder. I thought I was unhappy with the static and powder in my capresso 551 grinder, but this one is made me appreciate my capresso 551. My Capresso also makes a noticably better cup of coffee than the DeLonghi in my vacuum pot. In my espresso machine both produce thin sour coffee with no crema. I would get a 2oz double shot in about 10 seconds (25 seconds +or - is normal). I finally replaced my capresso with a Gaggia MDF. Now I experience no static and a fantastic cup of coffee in both my vacuum pot and my espresso machine. Now I can grind much finer and experience the fine nuances of coffee that I had only read about. I personally think that if you want espresso you need to spend money on a decent machine like the $109 Solis Maestro, the $145 Solis Maestro Plus, or the $150 Gaggia MDF (the best value under $250). These represent the minimum level of grinder necessary to make a decent espresso.
It would be really nice if somebody would make a good burr grinder in the $40 to $50 price range. You should not have to spend $100 to get a decent grinder for espresso let aloe drip. Even if in the $40 to $50 it will not grind fine enough for espresso it should grind consistant enough for a decent cup of drip coffee. If you put the guts of the KitchenAid A-9 in a less expensive enclosure (like the DeLonge's) I think you could acieve a decent grinder for drip in this price range.
Buying Experience
A typical Costco shopping expereince. I came, I purchased, I left, I went home.
Three Month Followup
I returned mine after a week due to excessive static, powder, and inconsistant grind. My best friend has had his for over 3 months now. He lives in Northwestern Washingtion where the climate is more moist than here in Eastern Washington. He does not experience the same degree of static as I did. His grind is still inconsistant and has lots of powder. In his vacuum pot he produces either a noticably weak cup, or adjusted a little finer a bitter cup with just a little increase in flavor. He has to use alot of coffee (about twice normal) in order to make a cup of coffee with flavor with minimal bitterness. I can make a mutch stronger cup with no bitterness with less than half the coffee with my Gaggia MDF or even when I had my KitchenAid A-9.
