 Take it on its own terms |
| Review Date: November 8, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Jesse, Chicago, IL |
I bought mine at Target for $22.xx yesterday.
What this is not: a highly precise burr grinder with a wide range of grind settings
What this is: a very good alternative to a blade grinder that grinds at a lower speed (as all burr grinders do), and thus won't burn the beans and is relatively quiet
I think it's safe to say that the manufacturer didn't intend this grinder to compete with high-end burr grinders, like the great one from Kitchen Aid. This grinder sells at the same price point of blade grinders, albeit with a slight premium. And, for good reason.
This grinder provides a relatively consistent grind size (there's even a mod listed in these reviews that promises to help). The size of grind on the smallest and the largest settings really is not that different - it clearly does not have the range of a serious burr grinder. But, as a casual burr grinder, this thing is great.
I think that the manufacturer intended this to be used in drip machines instead of a french press or an espresso (the grind size on the smallest and largest settings looks pretty close to the grind size of, say, Maxwell House). I usually use a french press, and made a pot this morning with the grind setting on the largest size. My cup of coffee was pretty great. There were no floating particles in my cup; the coffee turned out the way it always does. I also would not hesitate to use the grinder set on the smallest setting to make coffee in my moka pot.
If you need an occasional grinder, like if your friend gives you beans occasionally or if you want to get started in grinding without a large investment - this grinder is a great value. If, however, you want a grinder capable of grinding coffee beans into the almost-flour-like espresso and the large almost-pebble-size-grind for your french press, and you expect this grinder to do all that - what are you thinking?
This grinder costs $20-30, which is less than 20% of the cost of Kitchen Aid's burr grinder. If the old adage "you get what you pay for" is true, then get serious. If you want a serious burr grinder, then "cowboy/cowgirl-up" and spend the +$100 that serious burr grinders cost.
This, however, is a great value if you take it on its own terms - a burr grinder that is great for a drip machine, or a french press or moka if you don't mind the grind size not being ideal. I think if you acknowledge the manufacturer's intentions with this machine, you will be really happy with it. If you expect it to be something it's not, then you will set yourself up to be disappointed.
PS - this is also a clean grinder - the hopper the ground coffee is shot into is fully enclosed except for the small opening the ground coffee enters through. There's no place for the coffee to go instead of either in the hopper or in the place where you dump the beans into. Twenty bucks? Great value. |
Good grinder for drip coffee
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| Review Date: June 10, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Geoffrey J. Swenson, Seattle |
This grinder, set to near the finest grind, does a great job of grinding coffee consistently. This doesn't mean that all of the particles are the same size, but every time you use it you get the same mix of slightly coarse to fine grind. About 20% of the beans get ground finely, the rest are consistently sized coarse particles.
This is actually very good for my Bunn drip coffee pot. The finely ground beans add some kick to the coffee, while the coarser ones avoid over-extraction problems that create bitterness and burnt flavors.
The hopper design makes it easy to pour in the same amount each time so I don't have some extra coffee getting stale in the grinder.
For the same price as blender-style grinder you get an attractive machine that makes a much more repeatable grind. You can also grind exactly as much coffee as you want, which you can't do with the blender-style units because they don't work when partially filled.
Don't expect to use this grinder with your espresso machine. It doesn't grind small enough or precisely enough for that use. But that shouldn't be a reason to give it a bad review. |
Five stars with modification
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| Review Date: June 28, 2010 |
| Reviewer: IT Security, |
Can make great consistent ground coffee if you add a homemade gasket per reviewer suggestions of "Champagne on a budget" and "K. Lewis." Cut out a plastic gasket to put between the screwed in grind stone and plastic insert holder and you have fixed the problem of inconsistent ground coffee. Took me ten minutes tops to fix the problem per instructions of those two reviewers and it was easy to do. Coffee beans for espresso must be ground close to flour consistency to get the full robust flavor of the beans; this machine will do it. In the end, the machine can save you money because of the initial cost and less coffee is needed to get the flavor. Target had a manager's special at $19. Added comment: the machine is quieter than a pulse chopper/ grinder.
Cleaning at first is not easy but with a few added suggestions, it'll take you 2 minutes to clean the machine. Wipe dry the bottom of your sink then clean your grinder there after you unplug it. While cleaning, carefully handle the grind stone insert and don't drop it or twist it with force because the two "legs" can break off. Carefully loosen/ untwist and takeout the top grind stone/plastic insert. Use a pointed wooden shishkabob stick to loosen coffee grinds between the round bottom grind stone and the housing. The wood doesn't damage the plastic. Then use the manufacturer provided brush to clean crevices and the funnel chute. Tilt the machine towards you and tap the outside of the machine constantly so the loosened coffee can fall into the grinder's clear plastic bin. Use the brush on the bottom grind stone again and tap the machine again. Empty the bin and then wipe the machine. Rinse out the sink and you are done. |
Outstanding litte grinder
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| Review Date: April 12, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Stone, |
Not sure what people are looking for but this works far better than the two Cuisinart units I had at half the cost.
The knock seems to be that it won't grind fine enough for espresso. But if you drink pressed or drip coffee this little guy is awesome!(There is a DIY write up in the reviews that tells how to make it grind fine)
THE CONS:
The hopper only holds enough beans for 2-3 pots, it's not automatic (you have to hold the button), the grind ranges from medium to coarse.
THE PROS:
It was $25, it's pretty quiet, it produces a fairly consistent grind, the cord wraps up to make it compact/mobile, and it was $25 |
Great Grinder for very little $ (needs a little DIY tweaking)
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| Review Date: June 3, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Brian Fox, |
Here is the deal with this grinder: It is NOT a hand crafted, military spec, Italian made device with an individual serial number.
It IS mass produced by the tens of thousands in a Chinese factory.
In order to push it out the door without defects they don't make the burrs close enough for a really fine grind. Better that the coffee is ground a little coarse than to have the burrs grind together and ruin the machine.
Champagne's suggestion of using a business card as a spacer works beautifully. This pushes the burrs closer together and you can tweak the grind as fine or coarse as you wish depending on the thickness of the spacer. I have achieved a very fine even grind with this method.
If you want commercial dependability and quality control monitored by an Italian craftsman; spend $450 on a La Pavoni Jolly Burr Grinder.
I prefer spend $19.99 at Target and 5 minutes tweaking. |
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