High bang for your buck-this is a REAL grinder. Grinds fine enough for expresso (Solis 166 version). Clean operation. Relatively quiet. Good sized bean resevoir.
Negative Product Points
Not enough grind range-can't handle french press.
Detailed Commentary
This grinder is a screaming deal. Period. End of story.
If you're like me, I know what you are thinking... You're thinking: "Yeah right 120 bucks is a deal for a lousy coffee grinder! I can get one of those crazy new-fangled burr grinders for $39.99 at Zellers-stick yer fancy euro-grinder where the sun don't shine, pinko!!" At least that's what I thought right before I bought my first burr coffee "grinder" (and I use the term loosely). I'm writing here in the hopes of stoping you from making the same mistake. The 39 dollar, saturday night special I came home with that day did not really grind coffee as much as made a lot of noise, and an even bigger mess. Then it broke. Twice. It would have made a better paper weight-except that it was ugly...and covered in the coffee grounds that it spewed like rice at a wedding.
The Solis 166, (or Starbucks Barista-they are essentially the same), on the other hand, grinds coffee( you can put papers under it to if you like). It grinds quietly, evenly, and with little or no mess. It is really quite refreshing to behold. Try one out, and you will understand. While the unit is grinding, the noise level is remarkably low. The loudest sound seems to be emminating from the beans, as they are crushed, rather than the motor. Now I can grind first thing in the morning without fear of retaliation from rudely awakened neighbours. The quality of the materials seems good-the burr assembly is especially impressive. I tried to show them to my girlfriend, but she gave me that put-it-back-together-now look. The coffee these conical steel wonders grind is even, and low in dust- what more could you want? (a girlfriend that likes you to take apart appliances?? Get serious.) The only quibble I have, is that the grind range is not large enough. I can grind expresso (not turkish) at one end of the adjustment spectrum, and vacuum pot, or coarse drip at the other. I would need a courser grind for french press. The burrs can be adjusted for a courser grind if I were to take it apart-but then I couldn't grind expresso any more, and my girlfriend would probably slap me around. Keep this in mind before you make your descision to buy.
Buying Experience
Ebay, no trouble as usual.
Three Month Followup
Still going strong. I use this grinder every day. No problems thus far with static, very clean operation. Strong value.
