What are the pros and cons of this hand grinder vs. a cheap $20 electric grinder? Does it require any maintenance?
640822
Pro: The grind adjustment allows course grind for French press, or very fine for espresso. but Con: not convenient to readjust on a regular basis. Grinding more than about 5 coffee scoops can be tedious. Overall, I am pleased with this device. I have read that electric grinders cause the grounds to heat up and loose some of the flavor.
640823
I chose this grinder over a cheap electric one because it is easy to use, is completely manually operated so there can never be a problem with an electric motor giving out. These grinders, electric or manual, are for small amounts (enough coffee grounds to make a pot of fresh coffee) and I will buy this one again if I ever need another one.
640824
The previous responses are valuable. I have gas burners and a french press so if I lose power the grinder becomes essential. For the times I need to use it I took a hint from one of the reviewers on Amazon and attached my little cordless hand screwdriver. So easy. More than a couple of cups is a lot of work manually but a good exercise for your arm muscles. The good thing is that the coffee comes out with the same quality of the most expensive grinders. You can't find an electrical conical grinder for $20.00. There are the blade variations that get terrific reviews, but you need to visually watch for the correct grind. Once you do fresh ground it is difficult to go back. The previous responses are valuable. I have gas burners and a french press so if I lose power the grinder becomes essential. For the times I need to use it I took a hint from one of the reviewers on Amazon and attached my little cordless hand screwdriver. So easy. More than a couple of cups is a lot of work manually but a good exercise for your arm muscles. The good thing is that the coffee comes out with the same quality of the most expensive grinders. You can't find an electrical conical grinder for $20.00. There are the blade variations that get terrific reviews, but you need to visually... » Read More The previous responses are valuable. I have gas burners and a french press so if I lose power the grinder becomes essential. For the times I need to use it I took a hint from one of the reviewers on Amazon and attached my little cordless hand screwdriver. So easy. More than a couple of cups is a lot of work manually but a good exercise for your arm muscles. The good thing is that the coffee comes out with the same quality of the most expensive grinders. You can't find an electrical conical grinder for $20.00. There are the blade variations that get terrific reviews, but you need to visually watch for the correct grind. Once you do fresh ground it is difficult to go back. « Show Less
640825
Not yet,, I purchased for a home in Mexico where there are frequent power outages,, so I figured at least this way I could always have my coffee,, Takes a few more minutes to grind , but since I use a French press I have to wait for the water to boil anyways,, gets a little blood flowing,,I like it !
640826
The cheaper blade grinder cuts up the beans into "stones and dust." The dust very quickly clogs the paper filter when I use a pour over method. I even tried using a french press to extract the coffee then filter through a paper filter, but this did not solve the clogging problem -- it took about an hour to filter a couple of cups of pressed coffee! This does not occur with store ground coffee (even fine espresso grind!) and I other users have told me this does not occur with this burr grinder.
447829
We've had the DeLonghi coffee grinder for at least a year. It works very well and is easy to clean. A little noisy but not as bad as some grinders we've owned. The hopper is fairly small so you'll need to top off with coffee beans fairly often, but that's probably a good thing - if it held a lot of beans they might start to go stale after several days. Note that when the hopper runs out of beans the grinder doesn't know to shut off and will start revving very high. If this happens just hit the power button to stop the motor and then add more beans. Overall this seems like a quality product which we'd recommend to all coffee lovers. We've had the DeLonghi coffee grinder for at least a year. It works very well and is easy to clean. A little noisy but not as bad as some grinders we've owned. The hopper is fairly small so you'll need to top off with coffee beans fairly often, but that's probably a good thing - if it held a lot of beans they might start to go stale after several days. Note that when the hopper runs out of beans the grinder doesn't know to shut off and will start revving very high. If this happens just hit the power button to stop the motor and then add more beans. Overall this seems like a quality product... » Read More We've had the DeLonghi coffee grinder for at least a year. It works very well and is easy to clean. A little noisy but not as bad as some grinders we've owned. The hopper is fairly small so you'll need to top off with coffee beans fairly often, but that's probably a good thing - if it held a lot of beans they might start to go stale after several days. Note that when the hopper runs out of beans the grinder doesn't know to shut off and will start revving very high. If this happens just hit the power button to stop the motor and then add more beans. Overall this seems like a quality product which we'd recommend to all coffee lovers. « Show Less
56147
Since I don't have both, your guess is as good as mine. Perhaps it is just about the fine blade, which I doubt I'd use anyway. The one I purchased has two blades, a coarse and a medium. Mine is entirely made of metal and built to last. I would never waste my money on a plastic grinder.
115703
At first, it grinds really well. But it's a smarter decision to just invest in a more expensive grinder because mine stopped working after about 7 or so uses. Not worth it.
1099626
Yes it is very easy to use, I don't have strong hands either and I have no trouble at all with this grinder.
1805185
Hi, it is not NSF and that is what matters. Don't give up price on a grinder to save money, get the best one you can because of what it can do. Look at the Mazzer Mini Type A or B, especially because your are going in business.Spagsespresso
1490993
It's a very fast grinder. For example: I make eggs and tip the grinder over for about two seconds for 4 fried eggs. The downsides are: the holding compartment is pretty small so I have to refill it often and it's a pain to refill. If I bought another one I would look for a bigger holding compartment for sure. Good luck!
1921876
This has been a problem reported by other reviewers and I also have had the problem when I over tightened something inside while cleaning. I had the grinder fixed. Since then, the grind has been very even. You can read the comments section of my review to learn the whole story.
174466
I used a hand grinder for many years because the 'reference' grinders, like the Rancilio, were out of my price range. After reading several positive reviews, and seeing a couple of youtube demonstrations, I just purchased the Baratza Encore. It costs less than half what a Rancilio can cost. I am very finicky about coffee, but I can recommend it without reservation. It is a superb grinder, and I'm happy I didn't spend a penny more.
1751988
That is correct. A hand coffee grinder isn't expensive, but it takes some time to go through it.
1068231
I really don't know. I've had one for over a year and use it daily for Turkish grind. An excellent product, takes some time as fine as I grind but never any problems. Only today found an electric for under $350 that might match it.
95559
Yes, a good one. I've used it at least once each weekend day for at least the last year with no degradation in quality of grind. I recommend it.
203433
No, there are better choices but for the money it is an excellent choice. The other grinders that I viewed were the type that need a table to work on. This works great so I consider it a good choice.
707417
I use it every morning, however, didn't actually need to clean it, as yet - I usually leave beans in the top compartment and grind only as much coffee as I need, discard any leftovers. The grinder is still works well and looks great. I would probably use a brush, if I had to clean it (inside).
1233854
not hard to clean at all. I put the loose parts in dishwasher. Sometimes, I just rinse them off if I think I will need them before I run the dishwasher. I always feel the top part with the grinder works better if it is as dry as possible when you use it.
1439524
I used a battery operated grinder and it handled it just fine, until the grinder pooped out ... but then I used it a LOT. Then I just decided to buy the already ground stuff and I'm much happier. Either way it's quality salt, no additives, no difference in taste or flavor, and no grinding!
1439337
I bought mine for Christmas (2013) and it still works great - about 4 months with using twice daily. I have disassembled it and cleaned it and it is well built and I have had no problems with it. The only thing that could be fabricated a little better is the timer switch (it comes off sometimes) but overall, I would highly recommend this grinder.