1) It's cheap 2) It educates you on all the negative points of a cheap burr grinder 3) Does not look bad on the counter
Negative Product Points
1) It spews powder for 6 inches in two directions when it operates. 2) No consistency in the grind. Regardless which of the 18 settings you use, there is a copious amount of fine powder, and large to medium chunks present. 3) Lots of problems with static. 4) It's loud 5) Almost impossible to clean properly.
Detailed Commentary
I could not pass up the Melitta MEBG8B "Perfect Touch" grinder when it was reduced to half price in the local kitchen outlet store. Having recently graduated to a Krups Moka Brew, my sights were on replacing a no name whirly blade grinder that was near death from shot bearings. The Melitta for less than $20 US, appeared worth a gamble. The MEBG8B does not look like the one in the photo.
My first impression was a good one, the grinder looked great on the counter. However I was less than pleased when trying it for the first time. What I discovered was that the resulting grind was very inconsistent with a large amount of powder present. Also the counter was covered with coffee dust for 6 inches from the grinder.
Much to the astonishment of my spouse, out came the tool kit and apart came the Melitta. What I found was that even at it's finest setting the burr faces were still a country mile apart. Luckily this was easy to correct by re-indexing the gear that adjusts the burr closeness. This tweaking made for a much more consistent grind, but that pesky powder and static was still present.
Another problem is cleaning. The top burr comes out for cleaning, but the bottom is stationary. There are lots places where the powder collects. After a few days I noticed funky smells coming from the grinder and suspect it's the hidden coffee powder going bad.
After using it for a week, I can definitely say it is an improvement over the whirly blade, but having to clean up the powder after use, the static, and the difficulty in cleaning has taken it's toll. It goes back to the store next weekend.
I am not sure what will replace it, but most likely it will be another burr machine.
