Others say...

"Complicated, messy"
I've used several grinders over the years and this one is by far the messiest and fussiest to use. First, the cover of the machine must be carefully twisted into place, and after each grind, the track upon which it is twisted becomes filled with ground coffee and must be cleaned out mechanically (simply turing the machine upside down and shaking is insufficient). Second, thanks to the wide-mouth design, it is difficult to empty the coffee into a normal-sized filter without creating a mini-explosion of grounds on the counter.

"Lasted less than a year!"
My husband and I received this grinder as a wedding gift. We had problems with it from the very beginning! We drink A LOT of coffee and it started to be very tempermental within the first few weeks. The finer we would grind the beans the more the lid and push button would become jammed. I cleaned and dusted it often but it continued to jam up. Then about six months later I put the beans in, put the top on, pressed the button and a peice of plastic flew off. The peice of plastic was from the push button which made it possible to make the machine work. It would no longer push down when the lid was placed on - therefore it no longer worked. I would not recommend this product for someone who drinks a lot of coffee. It may be OK for someone who isn't a serious coffee drinker but it seems to me it cannot handle heavy use.

"Great kitchen tool"
I bought this little gadget for spice grinding when I (foolishly) decided I absolutely had to buy my spices in whole form and crush them before using... as if I have the time each and every day of the year. This little grinder worked great for that, btw, and I was able to clean between each use with rice whirred in and then brushed out - no transfer of flavors that I could perceive.

This year I mistakenly purchased whole coffee beans and finally put it to its intended use and was quite pleased with the results. That it sometimes didn't grind completely was mainly due to my impatience and not holding the button down long enough. I am only here looking for another because I left the little darling on the counter, answered the door and came back to find the little button lying beside it, my dogs and boys sitting as far from it as possible with suspiciously innocent expressions on their faces. I'm deducting a star only because I wasn't able to fix the darned thing myself. Obviously I found it worthwhile since I'll be getting the exact same model again, besides which I paid $10 more the first go round.

"Pepper grinding is all it's good for..."
If you have any aspirations to enjoying properly made espresso coffee in the home, then I'm afraid this little critter is a total waste of thirty bucks. There's nothing wrong with the brand or construction - it's the very notion of a blade grinder that's no good - you just CAN NOT get good consistency, evenly ground coffee this way.

Without evenly ground coffee you could have the greatest coffee machine in the world and it would still produce slop of the type found in roadside diners - you know, the sort which comes with a sachet of chalk powder in lieu of milk.

N.B. - if you use a plunger or a filter, then this comment doesn't apply. With a plunger or a filter, EVERYTHING tastes like slop, no matter how you grind it. There is only one way to make coffee, and that's with an espresso machine.

Coffee perfectionists should therefore look to a burr grinder, and preferably a fairly good quality one. These ain't cheap, but if you care about your morning hit, it's a sacrifice worth making.

Still, this little guy gets an extra star because you can use it as an inexpensive air freshner. Whizz up some coffee beans, open the lid, leave to stand and before long your kitchen will have the aroma of a Neapolitan sidewalk cafe...

"Fresh Ground Rules!"
I love this grinder because it is an economical tool that provides excellent performance. The coffee is always evenly ground with no leftover beans going to waste. The blades are simple to keep clean with a grinder brush. A second one of these is a must for a pepper mill