Great entry level grinder for casuals users who want a big step up from pre-ground coffee.
Positive Product Points
Possiblythe best inexpensive whirly-blade grinder on the market. Simple, fast and gets the job done.
Negative Product Points
The clear hopper lid has a cheap feel to it - thicker plastic would be nicer. The one touch switch feels a bit flimsy as well but thus far is holding up okay. Tends to build up static inside the lid.
Detailed Commentary
I purchased this for my girlfriend's house, where I visit regularly and want decent drip coffee when I'm there. I was unwilling to transfer my Solis Maestro there and wanted a new blade grinder. I have a Waring "Spice Mill" (similar size and style but one turn the hopper lid to activate grinding). The Waring works okay but I've used it for twenty years and it may be close to worn out.
My first blade grinder purchase for the GF's house was a $30 close-out that I found at the same store - a Melitta "burr" grinder with adjustable settings and a separate removable hopper assembly. It proved to be a horrible piece of cr*p and I returned it immediately (see my review in this forum). The Melitta was noisy, created massive amounts of static and mess and gave an incredibly inconsistent grind.
The Krups is a bit noisy and seems to run very fast and warm but it produces good consistency of particles for a cheap blade grinder and I consider it to be the best in this class. Certainly wouldn't serve well for espresso but IMHO it produces a grind just about as good as the $50 adjustable Braun blade grinder w/hopper that I was using before I acquired the Maestro (passed the Braun on to my daughter).
I have also tried a Capresso C501 at the $25 price point. It feels heavier and has a better build quality than the Krups. It's touted by Capresso as being "low heat", theoretically superior because the heat of rapid grinding can "burn" the beans to some extent in the grinding process. In practice, it appears that it simply grinds at a slower speed but requires significantly longer to grind. I also find the consistency of particle size on the Capresso to be inferior to the Krups.
Buying Experience
Got it at a kitchen tools outlet store - easy purchase. I have seen these in many stores for $25 - $30 but they are widely available at $20.
