Conical Burr Grinders preserve the most aromas and can grind very fine and very consistent. The intricate design of the steel burrs allow a high gear reduction to slow down the grinding speed. The slower the speed the less heat is imparted to the ground coffee, thus preserving a maximum amount of aroma. Because of the wide range of grind settings these grinders are ideal for all kinds of coffee equipment such as Espresso, Drip, Percolators, French Press. It can also grind extra fine for the preparation of Turkish coffee. Slowest grinding speed in its class creates less friction and heat build up preserving maximum aroma and flavor in any grind setting Tight fitting ground coffee container, holds up to 4 ounces of ground coffee See-through bean container holds up to 8.8 ounces of beans Timer can be set to grind from 5 to 60 seconds Elegant, timeless and user-friendly design Cleaning brush and measuring scoop included Dimensions - Height 10.8 x Width 5.4 x Length 7.7 Weight - 3.3 pounds
By Manish Laxmikant - See all my reviews
First, I have to thank everyone who reviewed the product for warning me about some of the design issues of the product. I read reviews to look for failings in a product and then buy if the price and performance outweighs known problems.
Now, the review. Five stars. Yes, you need to know where to be careful, but you'll definitely enjoy the coffee.
The important stuff. This is where you have to be careful.
- Unpacking - There's a big "PUSH" label that seems counterintuitive, but I pushed and the receiving drawer came out the back of the styrofoam. I could see how people might break this.
- Assembling - the removable burr wheel needs to be seated, mine wasn't so the hopper didn't seem to fit. Turn the burr until it matches up to the bottom and it drops a fraction of an inch to seat. Line up the black dot on the hopper with the mark on the right and gently push down and twist. The plastic on the hopper and drawer feels weak and flimsy, but it works fine once you have the product going.
- Grinding - 16 settings in groups of four. If 1 is extra fine and 16 is coarse, I found #4 and #5 ideal for espresso. A medium dark roast did better at #4, but a dark roast got too fine and nearly clogged my espresso filter. #13 works great with the Bodum columbia press and a medium roast and leaves barely a pinch of grounds in the poured coffee. As another reviewer said, resist the temptation of turning the timer down to zero and just twist the top to stop the grinding. After two grinds you're trained. Oh, and there is a bit of static in the drawer but it hasn't bothered me much. I like the sharp edge for pouring out the grounds directly into the filter basket.
- Cleaning - remove the burr wheel and dust it into the bottom, then sweep the grounds in the grinder bottom (the part under the hopper) together. I have the whole thing near the bin so I can tip it over. Leave the drawer in to catch what you sweep into the grinding mechanism. The brush they provide is small, but I haven't had a problem.
I thought I was happy with my blade grinder, because I'd add cream and sugar to my espresso and it tasted great. But now I'm even happier because I can actually drink the espresso and french-pressed coffee straight, black. I still add a bit of cream and sugar but I'm fascinated that a sugar-head like me can drink the coffee straight.
My theory is that while a good blade grinder can make fine grounds by cutting into the coffee well, coffee shards tend to form a structure inside the espresso filter and channel water through the same tubes of coffee, pulling the bitters along because of overexposure. And a quicker path through the filter results in incomplete brewing, and, bitterness. You can tell that the blade-ground coffee creates an initial resistance and then thinner coffee flows faster.
With burr ground coffee, there are no shards over the size allowed to fall into the drawer. The espresso cake left in the filter, when dry, is uniformly packed (and not pitted or spongy like the blade-ground coffee). The espresso flows consistently, slowly and almost like syrup.
The biggest difference is the taste. You drink the unadulterated espresso and wait for a bitter backtaste, which doesn't come. That is a perfect shot, and your blade grinder will not give you this. Unless you want to buy a strainer and sift out the coarser shards hiding in your blade-ground coffee (that _will_ work, if you don't want to pony up the cost of this grinder).
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