Simple, straight forward design that falls terribly short on performance.
Positive Product Points
Very easy to set up and use. Burr removal also very easy. That's about it.
Negative Product Points
VERY inconsistent grind. Lot's of stray coffee and static.
Detailed Commentary
I purchased the machine based on the reviews here. I had read some of the good, the bad and the ugly and thought I'd take a chance. We weren't interested in anything other than a relatively decent grinder for my wife to use for her drip coffee. I must say that, in our experience, the bad and ugly prevailed.
The machine comes out of the box almost ready to go. Just add beans and grind! Sounds easy enough. For safety and experimentation's sake, we adjusted the grind to the coarsest setting possible, put some beans in the hopper and hit the go button. Within seconds, I had a healthy dusting of coffee on the counter which grew slightly more before the thirty or so seconds of grinding came to a close. After grinding, the real nightmare came lurching out of the shadows.
Upon removing the catch pan (which comes off and goes on easily) I realized that the grind (which should have been for a press pot) ranged from large "chips" of bean all the way down to dust that probably would've clogged even the strongest of espresso machines. Again, I wasn't expecting perfection from a $50 grinder, but the sludge that would've been produced had we actually brewed this in a press pot could've choked a small pony. Being instantly disappointed (to the point that I knew it had to go back) I immediately began the process of cleaning it for the return trip to the store. That's when the other negatives kicked in.
I found that, while the burrs were very easy to remove and relatively easy to clean, the discharge chute was an entirely different story. Even after a good five minutes of knocking and scrapping, I had failed to remove the large clumps of coffee dust down in the machine. No kidding, this stuff made confectioner's sugar look like gravel! So it's back to the store for us, and hoefully back to the drawing board for La Pavoni.
Buying Experience
Purchasing was a breeze. Returning might be a hassle. The shop we bought it from is 1 1/2 hours away. So if you are thinking of an online purchase, be forewarned anbout return shipping costs.
