Others say...

"Almost Excellent, but Needs Improvement"
We love to grind our own coffee, and need a variety of differing grinds, depending on whether we use the French Press, the Drip with filter or espresso. Let it be said that few grinders other than conical burr grinders costing hundreds of dollars can really do consistent espresso grind. That being set aside, this is an exceptional blade grinder, in terms of easy use, and consistent grind, with generous capacity. That sets it far above most blade grinders. The unit is rather powerful for a blade grinder and is therefore very loud. Hamilton Beach has been great with replacement parts at reasonable prices....oh....replacement parts???

Yes, now comes the negatives:

1. The clear safety top loosens easily during grinds, autostopping the otherwise superb one-touch grind system. If this happens, you will need to either keep your hand on the top during grinding, or add a few strategically placed strips of clear adhesive tape to make the fit a bit tighter. However, eventually, the plastic top will wear out a bit at the "latches" that lock in place, and a new lid will need to be ordered -
they are inexpensive, and Hamilton Beach is great about sending them quickly and for minimal freight, which is rare nowadays.

2. At times the unit seems to go on strike. Usually this means that the removable blade assembly as shifted. It should be turned counter-clockwise to remove and clean, as some ground debris finds its way into the area between this and the main body of the machine. Clean and reinsert, being sure to fully seat turning clockwise. This will usually
correct this problem. Also be sure that the clear top is fully locked and loaded.

3. There is a cute little black arrow indicating the back alignment of the top to the base of the machine. As far as I am concerned this entire approach was a major fiasco in engineering. My wife has broken one top already because she forced the thing on with the arrow facing the front, which cracks the locking tabs. If Hamilton Beach is listening, please redesign this to be universal fit, or change the whole lock down design to be more secure, and easier for everyone to use BEFORE they have had their first cup of coffee in the morning! Remember, people are only half conscious at this point. :)

4. After a bit more than a year, our first Hamilton Beach just gave up. I suspect something in the basic electronic circuitry like a thyristor or maybe even the push button switch, rather than the motor, but it was a sad moment. Now we have to find something else...likely a burr grinder that will cost us a fortune.

What is disappointing is that this product has such great potential, but fails to fully succeed, and the design elements are brilliant on one hand and utterly insipid, idiotic on the other. If Hamilton Beach would only fix the flaws they would have a truly outstanding performer that can compete with $ 100 burr grinders and produce superior grinds at a fantastic value.

In the final assessment, this product is well worth its price, but be prepared to live with some shortcomings, replacement parts and perhaps a shorter than expected product life. Look for future reviews on any new grinders we get.

"Another piece of junk!!!"
Another piece of junk!!! I've only had this thing for 3 months and it will not turn on anymore. For what little I used it, you would think that I would get at least a years worth of use out of it. Unless you plan on replacing your coffee grinder every few months, don't waste your money. This product gets a "0" from me

"Works well for 2 months"
I bought this as a replacement for my older Hamilton Beach coffee grinder which died after a year. This one was worse, as the blade fell off after only 2 months, and we haven't been able to screw it back on. Waste of money; put in a few extra dollars and get a more reliable coffee grinder.

"Coffee Grinder"
This is a fabulous product. The first one didn't last a year but we liked it so much we bought another one.

"Excellent grinder"
This coffee grinder does a very good job for me. It is truly a one-touch system -- select the number of cups on the slider switch, hit the power button and off it goes, grinding the beans and stopping when it's done. The coffee beans seem to grind up consistently, from one batch to the next. Sure, occasionally I might have a bean or two left unground, but it's no big deal. If it bothers you, you can always hit the button again, or just select a finer grind next time.

The little clean-up brush that the grinder comes with was a nice touch, and works well.

The noise that this unit makes doesn't bother me -- this is a coffee grinder, after all, and the noise it generates doesn't seem that excessive to my ears. It's not like I'm trying to use this in a library or anything, and the grinding process is over in about 10 seconds or less. The product seems solid and well made, and the cost was reasonable. I like it a lot.