Don't believe that ANY grinder in this price range will be the ultimate grinder for all your grinding needs. I read with amusement as some reviewers slammed this grinder for not grinding well enough to use with their espresso machines. I own this machine for use with my drip coffee maker only. I own a $500+ Mazzer Grinder for my espresso machine. The point being, that for the absolute consistent grind needed for use with espresso, you better be willing to step up significantly in price. That said, on to this grinder review.Considering there are no decent blade grinders on the market - including those in the $25 price range, the best grinder to have is a burr grinder. Burr grinders do not create the heat that destroys the flavor of your beans and creates a more uniformed grind. Burr grinders do not produce the large "chunks" of beans in varying size that a blade grinder does. I have yet to see any missed "untouched" beans find their way past the burrs (as one reviewer claimed) and find that hard to believe, considering beans can only pass through the small space between the burrs and would thus be ground on their way through. You may get some bean smaller than your setting, but will not get anything larger than your setting.
As with any burr grinder under $200 this grinder does create some powder. It creates a lot of powder if you attempt to grind at its' finest setting (called Turkish Coffee). For drip coffee makers though, a mid-range toward coarse setting doesn't produce enough powder to be a concern when using paper filters in your coffee maker and a GOOD bean to start with. I sometimes wonder if the complaints of "bitterness" from some reviewers isn't a problem with their bean choice or their water temperature. As a drinker of 100% Kona in my drip maker, I have yet to taste a bitter cup of coffee, even with the less than a tsp. of powder that is present in my freshly ground coffee.
Noisy? Yes, but no more noisy than some and less noisy than most in this price range. A grinder of this size will create noise, but unless you plan on grinding 24/7 that is to be expected. My guests are actually enthralled by the noise and the ability to watch fresh beans meet their demise (I hang with a morbid crowd) as the beans slowly disappear down the hopper. The timer is a nice touch if noise is a concern. The fact that you can turn it on, leave the room and return in a minute or two (avoiding the noise) to find the unit automatically shut off should make those with sensitive hearing happy.
This grinder has a decent weight to it, making it feel sturdy on your countertop. The S/S body also gives the appearance of a well built machine and makes it more stylish than your standard black plastic neoprene models being produced by other manufacturers. This is a solid, sturdy, and well built machine for this price.
If there are complaints that you should be warned about, it is the age old problem of static cling caused by the use of plastic for the grounds receiver. Cuisinart should have used glass to receive the grounds. I would have gladly paid an extra $3 on the final price in order to avoid dealing with the static cling found in every machine that uses plastic for this purpose. The other is the clean-up, if you are as anal as I am about coffee equipment. Again, the static cling is annoying, but I keep a slim painters brush nearby for the purpose of brushing out the chute and receiver which makes the task quick and easy. It loses a star for the static cling issues, but I guess every grinder in this price range has the same problem because they use plastic.
Overall, for under $50 this is a very good machine for the price.
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