Good affordable burr grinder
Written: Jul 04 '03
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Even grind, affordable, consistent performance
Cons: Static issue, can be messy, LOUD
The Bottom Line: Yes. It is a good burr grinder for the money, all things considered.
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| tennesseeguy's Full Review: Black & Decker SmartGrind Deluxe CBM7B Electric Bu... |
I searched for an affordable burr grinder for about a month before finally deciding to take a chance on this one. For those of you who can't decide between a burr and a blade grinder, I suggest a burr. Burrs crush the coffee bean and leave the coffee oils. Blade grinders (the $20 cylinder-shaped ones everyone seems to have) have two issues: 1) they can pulverize the bean, which may or may not give you too find a grind. These are GREAT for turkish or Arabian style coffee, but not for presses or mesh filters. 2) They generate heat when they get going, which can evaporate the coffee oils. Coffee oils are what give coffee it's best flavor.
Anyway, I purchased this grinder in early May, 2003. I grind about half a pound of coffee per week, so I would say I have been fairly steady in using it. I either grind coarse (for the french press) or medium (for the drip), depending on mood. Both grinds have been very consistent with no clumps or inconsistencies. I'm not sure why they have a timer on there since the time it will take to grind is a function of degree of grind and the amount of beans. I just guess most of the time and sometimes get it right. ;) I could see this feature on a blade grinder as you have to time the grinding to get what you want since the beans are captive, but not on this grinder.
The burr grinder grinds them up then transfers them to the catch container. This IS a LOUD grinder, but it's about the same as my high-pitched blade grinder. Is there a quiet grinder out there for $20-30?
I see a few grinds on the counter while it is grinding. Not sure why but it's not a major issue. The grinds do stick to the inside of the catch container after they are ground, apparently due to static electricity. My guess is that making the catch container out of glass would probably alleviate the issue but hey, I'm not the designer. I let the grinds sit for about a minute or so, letting the static dissipate, but this doesn't always work.
The grinder comes with a scoop with an angled end for making sure all the grounds are out of the grinder outlet. Everything here is plastic, which probably accounts for its low price. Cleaning up the unit is not that bad as a little hot soapy water usually does the trick. I take the base and shake it over the sink a few times to get all the loose beans out of the body. I'm starting to see a little build up of oils on the grinder right above the blades so I'll watch that.
Overall, it's a good burr grinder for the money. Nothing is perfect, but it's a reasonable value.
It's a little messy to transfer the grinds from the catch container into whatever I'm brewing with, but hey, I had that same issue with the blade grinder. For $30, I think I can clean the counter. ;)
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
tennesseeguy
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Location: Sugar Hill, Georgia
Reviews written: 2
Trusted by: 0 members
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