Great idea, good looks but a lack of customer service makes this a risky purchase and it does not grind fine enough for espresso.
Positive Product Points
Very good looks. Stores a large amount of coffee. Quiet with no static build up.
Negative Product Points
Very difficult to adjust grind size due to small, tight ring adjustment mechanism below the hopper. Does not grind fine enough for expresso. Very poor product support from KitchenAid.
Detailed Commentary
The grinder was purchased in Portland before it became available in Canada. When I returned home we noticed that the case was poorly finished with nicks in the metallic paint. They had been glazed over so this was a factory fault. The hopper was missing the crown piece which guides the beans into the burrs. The grind adjustment mechanism was also faulty in that it did not stop at the coarse or fine settings but turned freely. The grinder failed completelly within six months.
KitchenAid Canada was contacted and I was told that they could not service as it was an American product. The same unit is now available in Canada from the same US factory and KitchenAid will only agree to replace it if I ship it to the US and then they will only ship a replacement to a US address-not worth the cost of doing.
Coarse grind for French press or drip/filter coffee is good although the burrs run quite hot. Completely unsuitable for espresso or Turkish grinds.
Absolutely no customer service or support so you take a real risk in purchasing this product. It is inexpensive and looks good. It might be a good starter grinder.
Buying Experience
Store was very helpful and had a number of colours in stock.
