Lots of plastic, burr collar floats a bit (haven't seen the effect of this however), power cord placement tricky
Detailed Commentary
At this price, nothing is better. Why? Well, ask yourself... will you drink espresso exclusively, all the time, or are you like me, where you want espresso one day, vac pot coffee the next, french press yet another, and maybe drip when you need to serve coffee for 7 people? This grinder can do it all -- it grinds fine enough to choke up my Silvia real well, and it grinds coarse enough for French Press. And of course, it does every grind in between. And it does it consistently.
PS -- this machine was designed and built in the United States of America, not Switzerland as other reviewers may have you believe. We have the kind folks at Baratza on the west coast to thank for this machine.
On to my experience...
TIP -- Cleaning it is a snap -- just rotate the EMPTY bean hopper completely counter clockwise and lift, then lift the burr set and wipe clean. Reverse the order to replace and you're set.
Don't turn the hopper if you have beans in it and the motor isn't running -- just a helpful tip. Only twist the hopper when EMPTY or with the motor running. (This way you're not possibly damaging the stationary burrs which of course have half-crushed beans in between them from the last time you ground).
It's quiet, too. You can grind coffee and not wake the whole house. If your spouse doesn't share your coffee geekness then this is the grinder for you.
The timer is a nice function - eventually you can twist it and get consistent doses.
TIP -- Figuring out the power cord was tricky -- you have three little slits on the bottom of the plastic base that you are supposed to vertically slide the cord into -- didn't figure that one out for a few days and the grinder rested unevenly on top of the power cord! When you do slide the cord into the little slot, make sure it is UNPLUGGED so you live to tell the story.
PS -- did I mention no doser! What a pleasure it is to not waste coffee any more, and have a fresh grind each and every time! It allows you to grind right into your portafilter handle (even big commercial-style ones).
Utterly blows away the Gaggia MM, such a horridly designed piece of junk. It was loud, messy, inconsistent, and ugly. This is the polar opposite of that grinder.
Haven't tried the Rocky, but the Rocky has a doser and I just don't drink that much espresso (4 shots/day). Will try the doserless Cunill El Tranquilo some day and advise!
