I was really surprised at how difficult is was finding a good coffee grinder. We first had a Krups blade grinder, which was a good product, simple, effective but loud, messy and not a burr grinder.
Then we has a Capresso which got good reviews but was, IMO, very poorly designed. It gave a consitant grind and had a automatic shut off but was all plastic, very loud, the beans always got hung up in the hopper, the shute would clog, the plastic catcher had a top that was difficult to replace and if it didn't sit exactly right, grounds would spray all over. It was a horrible product.
In shopping for a new one, I saw the same mistakes made in other products.
Finally I saw the new Kitchenaid. The price made me hesitate but the quality and the lack of alternatives convinced me. It has proven to be the right choice. I don't think we'll need a new one for many years to come. Coffee grinding is by its nature a noisey process but because of the solid build of this product, it is less so. It doesn't rattle. It's mostly metal, not plastic. The glass hopper and catcher add to the substancial feel. I have not had a problem with beans getting caught in the hopper. The glass catcher fits nicely under the grinder. I haven't had a problem with clogging but I expect over time there may be some buildup that would need to be cleared. It works quikly. It only has an on/off switch. No timer with automatic shutoff, which is what I was accustomed to. It didn't take long to get used to it. When you take the catcher out there are a few grounds that fall on the pad. That is the extent of the mess. Not perfect but a great improvement over everything else I have used or seen. The only potential problem I can see is that at some point in time I would expect that my clumsy hands with drop the glass catcher. That's fine with me.
If you ask me, this is the cream of the crop. A very thoughtfully designed product that will last a lifetime. Pretty old school.
