Beautiful, well made, quiet, but requires too much effort to use
Positive Product Points
Less expensive than other burr grinders of this quality
Very quiet
Beautiful
Doesn't take up much counter space
Negative Product Points
Takes too long
Hopper too small
Difficult to use
Detailed Commentary
I REALLY wanted to like this. In my opinion, you can choose two of the following three characteristics on most purchases: Cost, convenience, and quality. And I am generally more willing to compromise on convenience than on cost and quality. So the Zassenhaus mill seemed like a fit for me. Also, I have small children, and I'd like to have a pot of coffee during their nap without waking the household.
I wasn't wrong about the quality. This grinder is beautiful, and well made. But I was wrong about the degree to which I was willing to compromise on convenience. It takes three or four minutes to grind enough coffee for a pot, and for me it wasn't a pleasant couple of minutes. You have to kind of fight the mill to keep it stable. I found that I was tending to forgo a pot of coffee rather than have to grind it.
Also, the hopper only holds enough coffee for about four cups of coffee. So you have to dump it two or three times for a larger pot of coffee.
I've seen a recommendation that you buy a hand grinder on e-bay and sell it if you don't like it. I'd second that. If I'd paid less for this one, I'd keep it as a second grinder for when I'm travelling or need to be extra quiet. But not as my primary grinder.
I paid about $65 to sweetmarias.com for this grinder. I'm trading up from a Braun burr grinder that is too darn loud and messy. I've since settled on a Starbucks Barista (Solis 166) grinder that I like a lot.
