javajoop's Full Review: Braun KSM 2 Electric Blades Grinder
Make some more? We work 36 hours on, 18 off, which is 90 hours a week, 52 weeks a year. For that, we are paid $23,739 before taxes, and we also have to *make* the coffee? - Dr. Peter Benton, E.R.
One would think that with a user name like javajoop*, this person would be a expert on the beverage, a barista perhaps. That would be further from the truth. What I do enjoy, though, is a good cup of coffee. Wait...scratch that, make it a giant mug of good java. Upon my travels here and abroad, I suppose my tastebuds have acclimated from the usual mundane coffee crystals to a more mature, robust flavor of ground coffee, which led me to the choice of a coffee grinder.
I had to purchase a coffee grinder to complement my Bodum Brazil coffee press. After strolling the aisles of Targét, I spotted my find and picked up a Braun Coffee Grinder KSM2. I could have chosen the Braun KMM-30 that offers a precision burr grinder, 14 grind settings, timer, separate hopper and integrated storage container - great for those who have ample counter space and patience. Alas, I lack neither at the moment. The KSM2 is a sleek, elegant and compact package that does a satisfactory job.
Braun constructed this implement to a high industrial art-form. The unit measuring 7.5" by 3.75" in circumference holds the 150-watt motor with a stainless steel cup and blade embedded on top; all encased in a durable plastic housing. It's top is not only a 2.5 oz. cup for coffee beans but also a spring-loaded safety switch, allowing for constant or pulse action. The electric cord neatly stows around the lower base, ideal for packing in the kitchen cupboard or carrying on your bag for your next brew excursion to Sumatra.
It's all in the grind Sizemore. Can't be too fine, can't be too coarse. This, my friend, is a science. I mean your looking at the guy who believed the commercials. You know, about 'be all you can be'. - Spec. John Grimes, Black Hawk Down
Now, my coffee ritual does not approach the solemnity of a Japanese tea ceremony; however, I tend to a matter of expediency. I usually grind the beans at the KSM2's maximum capacity as indicated on the cup's fill line. With the unit inverted, I insert the cup while lining up the pins and revert it right-side up. You're ready to operate. I'm apt to fill an entire one pound can of ground beans that last about a week. Your mileage may vary.
Tip: I've read other reviews that mentions the cacophony it produces and the burnt grounds that result from high r.p.m.'s the blade generates. I muffle the unit with a large oven mitt if it's really early in the morning and "pulse" the lever intermittently about 10 secs to produce a coarse grind for my french press. 15 secs allows for a finer grind. Any longer, well, it's your poison.
Once the KSM2 is unplugged, maintenance requires either a swab inside the grinder and cup with a damp cloth or sponge. Use a bit of vinegar to remove stubborn odors. The instruction recommends not to immerse the unit in water. On occasion, I do use it as a spice grinder. The key is use lightly toasted spices such as cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg. Hmmm. Mix with simple syrup, lemon and seltzer. Hey! Isn't this the formula for Coca-cola?
[spills coffee in his lap] That's great. Now my crotch is gonna be up all night. - Fox Mulder, The X Files
The Gillette Company
Braun Consumer Service
1 Gillette Park 4K-16
Boston, MA 02127-1096
800-272-8611
Full one year warranty for parts and labor available in US, its territories, possessions, military exchanges and Canada.
Movie quotes courtesy of www.imdb.com
*joop = joe in dutch
Once you've ground your own carefully chosen, aromatic coffee beans immediately prior to brewing, it isn't likely you'll willingly return to the bland...More at eCOST.com
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