I don't know if I'm supposed to give tips for use in here, on top of the review, but I will anyways, at the end of the review.
Moving from the Braun KMM30, this is definitely a superior grinder. I notice a definite drop in bitterness and a smoother taste. I'm guessing it could produce Turkish, if you mesh the burrs close enough together. I haven't tried it for drip, and I don't plan on grinding for drip, on the basis that it takes a minute and a half to two minutes to grind enough solely for espresso.
It takes me 140 turns, on average to grind one and a half scoops of beans. The grounds can be considered "fluffy" (best way I can describe it) in the drawer, that's to say, a scoop and a half of beans will produce two and a half scoops of "fluffy" grounds. For espresso, I have the adjusting knob adjusted two to two and a half turns counterclockwise from the clockwise limit.
Other than my nit-picking in the aesthetics section (all minor stuff), it's a very good looking grinder, just don't look too close. If you are going to take the lid/burrs off from the base/body (cleaning, or looking at how it works), expect to have to replace the four screws, since they are made from a /very/ soft metal. I found some screws (#4, 3/4") that are a perfect fit, and the finish is very close.
As for cleaning, you will probably want to invest in a soft brush to clean out some of the dust/half ground beans that manage to stay behind in the hopper, as well as the ones that somehow manage to miss the drawer.
Of the burrs, I haven't managed to separate them (I can't seem to get the handle off), so I can't tell you of their quality, other than that the top of outer burr feels sharp. They also seem to be either a) the stator and rotor burrs are not perfectly concentric, or b) misaligned, since when turning the burrs without any beans, the sound varies (at some points, the burrs touch, at others they don't). If it's option b, there seem to be instructions on fixing this with a piece of plumbing and four thumbscrews at the bottom of page 8 of the "Hand (grinder) jive - a photo essay" thread on HB.
As for the tips, when you're lifting the lid to the hopper to add more means, lift it very slowly, because it'll hit the ridges of the adjusting cog and scratch very easily. And if you plan on entertaining often, either a) buy an electric grinder, or b) tell people that if they want coffee, they have to grind their own. |