Embarrassing to the La Pavoni name. (What were they thinking?) A cheap and poorly made piece of junk.
Positive Product Points
Not much - it's cheap and makes a decent grind for drip coffee. Useless for espresso. Compact and looks OK.
Negative Product Points
Quality - cheap plastic (the container for grounds has had pieces break off of the top); problems with both the timer and the push button switch. Needs frequent cleaning with oily coffee; hard to unlock burr (usually need wrench).
Detailed Commentary
I was looking for a cheap burr grinder for drip coffee, preferably with a timer/control in cups rather than seconds (easier for me to think of it that way and adjust how I want). At the time we didn't have an espresso machine (now we have the Saeco/Starbucks Barista). It's good I wasn't looking for a grinder for espresso, as this machine is totally incapable of an espresso grind. It doesn't even come close. So we're stuck with pre-ground espresso for now.
As a drip coffee grinder, it's okay, except the quality is so pathetic. I always wondered how any La Pavoni product could be this cheap and disposable - now I understand it is just a rebranded piece of junk. Bad idea on their part, I think, as I now am wary of real La Pavoni products after this experience. So what is so bad about the quality? Well, all the cheap plastic. Pieces of the top of the grounds tray break off every now and then. Sometimes the tray doesn't sit in all the way and if you don't notice, you get grounds everywhere. It needs cleaning all the time or you end up grinding air, and it's hard to get the burrs unlocked; I usually have to grab a wrench to do it. And finally, the cups knob and push button are poorly designed and manufactured: the knob is hard to adjust when you want to, but then loose towards the maximum, so the vibration of the grinder will cause it to move itself from 9 cups to 11 or 12 while you're grinding. Then every now and then the push button switch will reactivate itself while you've removed the tray, so unless you moved the knob all the way back to off, you get coffee grounds spraying all over your kitchen.
To summarize, this thing is a useless piece of junk. I am now trying to decide on a new grinder!
Buying Experience
Just bought in a normal bricks and mortar store, normal experience.
