Very Quiet. A truly useful and wide range of grind settings. Easy to clean. No static problems whatsoever. Nice cord storage. Very stable, not top-heavy, and does not wobble or 'walk' while in operation. Does not easily clog with dark or oily beans. A perfect grinder for non-espresso drinkers who still need a quality burr grinder.
Negative Product Points
Plastic, rather fragile-looking ground coffee receptacle, must take care with it.
May need modification to grind at extra fine settings (Turkish, espresso)
Detailed Commentary
I bought the Breville BarAroma conical burr grinder ($99) and it's working well so far at six months of ownership. It's very quiet, stable, and doesn't vibrate, shake, or 'walk' like some other burr grinders. The burrs are sharp, the grinding is easily adjusted, and the machine appears to grind very consistently. There is also no static cling I can detect when pulling the coffee receptacle and emptying the ground coffee. I was pleased to notice that the Breville's design is rather efficient in putting the ground coffee into its bin, rather than leaving substantial portions concealed in the assembly. Once grinding is complete, one gentle bump, and only a very few more grounds drop into the bin. The Breville is relatively easy to clean, with a removable top burr plate that allows brush cleaning. Unlike similarly priced grinders, I have had no clogging problems whatsoever, even with oily or dark-roasted beans. I clean it occasionally, once in awhile giving a run-through of minute rice through the burrs. It's a very simple grinder to operate, and most important to me, the Breville has a truly useful, wide range of grind settings, from very coarse to very, very fine.
Compared to a Capresso Infinity, the Breville appears to have a wider useful range of grinds, though I think the Infinity edges out the Breville at the finest settings; i.e., superfine/Turkish/dust. The Breville contains a safety mechanism designed to prevent burr-to-burr contact that's a little on the 'safe' side, and in effect prevents the machine from achieving the very finest grinds. This can be modified by owners at the risk of voiding the warranty (see Click Here (groups.google.com) )
I home-roast and the Breville has had no problems accepting all types of roasts and oily beans. The top loading, straight-through grinder design works quite well and with the Breville I have experienced no issues with flying grounds or loose beans getting trapped in inconvenient places. And no broken parts or breakdowns - that's something not to be counted on with some $99 machines. For my needs, the Breville has been great.
Buying Experience
Bought online. The grinder was shipped quickly, with no issues or problems to report
Three Month Followup
The Breville is still functioning perfectly after eight months of use, no problems to report.