This is a quality hand mill. Fairly easy to grind beans. Attractive wood base, sturdy steel hardware. Full guarantee for the mechanism.
Negative Product Points
Grinding does take a long time. The drawer doesn't store more than a few table spoons of grinds. Adjustment requires tightening (or loosening) an adjustment knob with no indicator.
Detailed Commentary
It looks as though this could be the one. I started off with a whirly blade, then moved "up" to a cuisinart burr grinder that produced as much dust and static as grind. After a year or so of use, the timer function broke, making it even more of a pain. I spotted a hand grinder in my local "World Market",brought it home, and used it for a while, overlooking the very cheesy finish, small grind drawer. While it seemed to produce a dust free, if not totally consistent grind, it jammed constantly (owing to an incompetently designed feed mechanism). I did find that a hand grinding stage did enhance the ritualistic aspect of making coffee, so I began shopping for a serious replacement with no bias against hand mills.
The drawer can receive at least 3T of grinds which is enough for my needs. Probably 5-6 T all told. It does not jam. And it's easier to grind with. More importantly, the grind seems very consistent, at least at the fineness I prefer. There is no dust, and no static. It can produce a very fine grind, but not having a espresso machine, I can't say if it's fine enough.
I use the Sweet maria's french press recipe, which requires a moderately fine grind, combined with short brewing times. I did notice that it's very easy to produce pseudo-crema with the resulting grind. Sediment is sometimes present, though not a copious amount, and nothing that could be described as "mud." I do use a nylon filter, though. Perhaps a fairer test would not rely on this "crutch".
The grinder can be adjusted with a knurled screw, set against a nylon washer. Continuous grind settings are therefore possible. I grind exclusively for french press, and have found what seems to be the perfect setting. But switching between two different grind settings would be most aggravating.
Looks pretty handsome, although I'm not sure if the aesthetics will age well in my rather messy kitchen.
The salesperson did tell me that she's been selling these things for two decades, and hasn't heard of any problems, ever. We shall see. There's a lifetime guarantee on the mechanism.
Buying Experience
Very small and crowded shop. Terrible return policy. Charming, in its way. Probably overpaid. Still happy.
Three Month Followup
I still have it, and still love it. It doesn't jam, and produces consistent grinds for french press. Every few days to weeks, I do have to tighten down the size adjustment knob, but in general, the quality of my coffee now depends on factors such as bean quality, water, temperature, and timing, for a consistent grind is assured.
