Breville BKC700XL Gourmet Single-Serve Coffeemaker with Iced-Beverage Function

I've owned a Keurig Platinum B70 since January 2007 and have liked it a lot since getting it. K-cups are very convenient and aren't overly expensive when purchased from Amazon. My primary complaint about it is the pump noise and vibration. Keurig updated the design and greatly reduced the noise and vibration in their latest model of the Platinum and in this Breville model, and I wanted to find out just how much of an improvement there was. In my opinion, the improvement is huge. It is much, much quieter. I also liked the addition of the smaller cup size of four ounces, as well as the option to use a built-in water filter. Functionally, the Keurig Platinum and Breville BKC700XL are identical. The Breville adds a couple of nice convenience features (such as a supplied My K-Cup with a storage bin), and the cosmetics are clearly different. After using both, the cosmetics are a wash for me (some pluses for one model, and some pluses for the other), so it comes down to the difference in price. Right now, the Breville costs over $90 more than the Platinum. I don't think it's worth it, but it certainly might be for anyone that prefers the looks of the Breville. Either way, the coffee is good and easy to make!

This is a replacement for a Keurig B-60 which we certainly enjoyed and was a very good machine. One of the reasons we chose the Breville is that our kitchen wall cabinets are 17" over the counter-tops. Could not leave the Keurig under the cabinets while making coffee, as the top would not open far enough to insert a K-Cup; not a problem with Breville, as the height of this unit is less. I know that's not an issue for most people but it was just a pain.

Anyone who owns a Keuring knows the noise they make, they sound like a B-52 coming in for a landing, surprisingly the Breville is quiet, really quiet! Now the dog can sleep through my morning coffee making ritual. This comes with a nice hidden storage space on top where the included reusable K-Cup and measuring scoop are stored, nice feature, if like me, you always misplace goodies like this.

The unit is obviously stainless steel, it is attractive in the kitchen---coffee makers are normally one of those things we leave on the counter all of the time. It dispenses four different cup sizes plus has an iced beverage setting, which I'll look forward to using this Summer. I would think that all K-Cup makers, make an equally good cup of coffee as they all work basically the same, could not make that an advantage for this maker. There is attention to detail, like the indicator on the cup platform to let you know if it needs to be emptied, the storage compartment, lighted water container etc.

Programming is intuitive. Setting the time for it to turn on and off, water temp., cup size and current time is a cake-walk. All controls are illuminated and easy to use. For some the price of this unit may be an issue, but when you consider it an appliance that gets used a lot and is left on the counter, the quality over other brands, the value is there! (Just made of cup of coffee while writing this, still blows me away just how quiet the Breville is).

I always get up in the morning several hours before my wife. I would make a pot of coffee, have several cups, it would then set there until she got up. Needless to say, what she got was not the greatest. Someone was talking about these K-Cup makers, I thought that would at least let her get a fresh cup when she got up.....so I bought one. Perfect! She became a happy camper first thing in the morning and we didn't have to dump coffee when I made too much----how sweet it is. Having a selection of different blends of coffee is nice too, everyone likes something different. The Keuring was used and used until we needed a replacement, certainly got my moneys worth. Went with this, and can say that there is value for the extra cost and we are more than pleased with the performance of the Breville. Once in a while I'll put a scoop of Folger's in the reusable K-Cup, and it is great tasting too, put a tea bag in and have a cup of tea.

I think you would be more than pleased with this coffee maker if you are looking for quality, ease of use, versatility and great looks. Every review should have something negative---well, here it is: The plug is three inches long, it has this do-nut hole to put your finger in to make it easy to remove from the wall plug, great idea, but it just makes it impossible to put the coffee maker close to the wall when the plug is behind it. A thoughtful idea and probably not a problem for anyone else----just happens, our maker sits in front of the plug. Pathetic I know, but, I just had to get it out!

If you do make this purchase I really hope that you are as pleased as we are and get equal enjoyment from using it.

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Maybe it's an "I spent most of the 90's in coffee shops" thing, but finding an acceptable cup of coffee is not the easiest task in the world for me. And if I'm not going somewhere for coffee, that means firing up my Cuisinart burr mill (potentially waking up my family with the noise... possibly neighbors and nearby dogs, too) and waiting for my Cuisinart coffee maker to take a small eternity to brew a couple cups.

That's fine, if I don't have anything to do. But I'm not a morning guy, and I don't get up any earlier than I need to. Adding 15 minutes for coffee isn't in the cards, and neither is stopping at a gas station or fast food restaurant for their dirt water.

A few years back, I picked up a Senseo Single-Serve Gourmet Coffee Machine, hoping to achieve fast, quiet, and good coffee. Sadly, the Senseo failed. It was noisy, the used pods were messy, and despite trying almost every flavor, the coffee had a strange instant taste to it.

So, I had an opportunity to get the Breville BKC700XL, and I crossed my fingers. It couldn't possibly be worse than the Senseo, and K-Cups seemed to be easier to find than Tassimo discs. The selection of K-Cups really impressed me, especially seeing a wide selection from Caribou Coffee. Fortunately, I ordered some different K-Cups ahead of time, as my Breville did not come with the 18 cup sampler advertised. (Note: This may be because the BKC700XL I received is for evaluation purposes)

As soon as I got it out of the box, I was really blown away by how nice it looks. I think the Keurig Elite B70 looks really cool in the "I am a gigantic nerd who loves unnecessary blue LED's" sense of the term, but this has a distinct semi-retro look to it (with unnecessary white LED's and backlighting, which are much more understated -and different than the item's pictured blue tank light and blue LCD). Personally, I think the Breville is less likely to look dated after it's been on your counter for a couple of years.

I was also surprised by how heavy this unit is. The exterior is almost all stainless steel, and the unit itself seems to be near bomb-proof. You can definitely tell that you're getting quality for the extra money you'd spend.

Setting it up was painless. Breville is nice enough to give you a quick-start guide that gets you up and running in about 10 minutes. If you don't use the included water filter (which appears to be the same replacement part that Cuisinart uses), maybe 5 minutes. And while you're running your first-time primer brew, there's enough time to read the full manual. But here's what absolutely floored me: This thing is SO QUIET! Quieter than a regular coffee maker, to my ears. Seriously, I can't express how surprisingly quiet this is. If you're more than a couple of feet away from it, you'd hardly know it was on when it heats up the water. Once it gets going, all you really hear is your coffee dripping in to your cup.

Aaah... coffee in your cup. The moment of truth. I have to say, this thing makes some fine coffee... and QUICK! I used the Large / 9.25 oz. setting, and had my coffee in under a minute. But, in fairness, it wasn't all that great. If you stray from the standard Medium / 7.25 oz. setting, medium roast coffee tastes pretty watered-down, and flavored coffee tastes almost like tea. On the other hand, if you go for two K-Cups in a 12 ounce mug using the Small / 5.25 oz. setting, you're absolutely golden. Of course, if this is the route you plan to take, you'll want to stock up on K-Cups if you aren't using your own coffee.

The built-in timer is also a very welcome addition. You can set a "window" for auto-on and auto-off, as well as an optional separate automatic shutoff after two hours. With these turned on, you really can have a full cup of excellent coffee in your travel mug in under two minutes, and not have to worry about ruining the machine and wasting power.

The Breville BKC700XL is probably the first countertop appliance I've actually been excited about. If the price doesn't have you calculating how many Hamilton Beach Brewstations you could buy instead, buy this right now.

***November 2011 Update***

I was actually referencing this brewer in another review, and noticed all of the negative reviews about quality, so I thought I'd offer an update.

Having owned this for just over two years now, I can say that I haven't had a breakdown or leak, with the exception of the dismal MyCup system that's included. (If that's interesting to you, please buy a ekobrew Cup, Refillable K-Cup For Keurig K-Cup Brewers, Brown, 1-Count, which works brilliantly with this brewer!)

What I have noticed though, is that the brewer is very, very, VERY sensitive to hard water. The public water system where I live comes from a community well, and while totally safe, the water quality is not very good in terms of hardness and taste. So, we use a 5-gallon water cooler (like in an office) for drinking water.

Not too long ago, I noticed the brewer was getting progressively louder, finally making a loud "clunk" one day, and it seemed like it was ready to hop across the counter. Before I could start shopping for a new one, I noticed that my wife was filling the reservoir with water from the refrigerator -thinking that the built-in water filter would be adequate. I realized that the brewer probably had some scale build-up from the tap, ran some vinegar through it several times, and it was good-as-new. So, now everyone refills the reservoir from the water cooler, and there have been no other problems to date.

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As have been noted by numerous reviewers, this coffee machine is extremely unreliable. After a week of working well, it stopped working. No water or very little water was dispensed. There is no clog to speak of. When the machine malfunctions, one cannot access the menu. The machine would turn itself off inexplicably. A few days later it would work again, and then stop working after a few days. At the price charged, Breville could have ensured better quality in this machine. A black mark for its reputation, in my mind. Worse, Breville does not have after-hours or weekend customer service. The coffee made is delicious, and I love the ice brew feature; however, these are not enough to make up for all the technical problems. I really wish that Breville and its designers had tried out this machine for about a month before pushing it out onto unsuspecting customers like me. Definitely a coffee machine that's to be avoided and I don't recommend it at all.

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Several reviewers have given this coffeemaker low marks because it "stopped working" after just a few uses. I thought that I was going to be in that group, because after delivering three perfect cups, the coffeemaker started dispensing slow drips of coffee rather than mugs of coffee. Eventually, the coffeemaker started indicating that it could only make "travel size" (largest) cups, perhaps because the reservoir where the water is heated was full. So, I tried to make several enormous mugs with the K-Cup holder empty, but it still filled the mug with only a small fraction of what was required.

Then I did something that no red-blooded American male would do unless forced: I read the manual.

The recommendation was that I clean the K-Cup holder after extracting it from the machine, and particularly that I clean the needle in the holder. I first checked whether I could see light through the needle; no such luck. It was completely clogged after only three uses. In addition, the needle was not perfectly round at the tip; it seemed to be pinched a bit (manufacturing defect?) So I used a strong sewing needle (a bent paper clip is also suggested) to force some sort of deposit from the needle. What came out could have been coffee, or it could have been something left over from manufacturing. In addition, the needle became round, not pinched. Suddenly, I could see light through the needle, and the machine is back to making perfect cups of coffee.

If this has to be done every few cups, I'll send it back to Breville. I suspect, however, that this was a one-time occurrence.

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Nespresso D121-US-BK-NE1 Citiz Espresso Maker with Aeroccino Milk Frother, Black

I started out getting my spouse a manual espresso machine and burr grinder as a gift, but it quickly became obvious that we weren't going to use them very often because of the time and number of steps involved in making espresso, cappuccino, and lattes by hand -grinding beans, brewing, steaming milk, multi-step cleanup. Weekday mornings are hectic, and who has time for all that?

So the manual machine and grinder went back to the store, to be replaced by the Nespresso CitiZ with Milk. Think of it as a Keurig machine for espresso shots. It's simple to use -just insert a prepackaged espresso capsule from Nespresso and push the button for a small or large shot. This machine is a 19-bar pressure-driven espresso maker, and when combined with the high quality grinds available from Nespresso it brews a very nice cup of espresso with surprisingly rich crema.

The CitiZ with Milk also includes a built in milk heater / frother unit that can either produce hot thick milk for lattes or foamed milk for macchiatos and cappuccinos. The frother is easy to use just select the mixing attachment you want (one for un-frothed milk, one for foamy frothed milk), add some milk, pop the cover on, and press a button. The frother heats the milk and optionally froths it, then turns itself off when it's done. Pour the milk over your espresso (or vice versa) and you're done.

One area where the machine could stand improvement is the temperature of the milk. The aeroccino accessory only heats milk to around 150 degrees, so your coffee beverages aren't very hot. They're not as hot as using real steamed milk, so if you like your cappuccinos and lattes hotter than this you'll need to microwave them for a few seconds before drinking.

The only other downside is that you have to buy the capsules from Nespresso, and in many areas they're only available online, so you have to plan ahead lest you run out. At $0.60 per capsule they're more expensive than grinding your own beans, but considerably less expensive than going to Starbucks every day. A wide variety of beans is available in a range of strengths with different characters, but only 3 of the 16 varieties are decaffeinated. If you're a decaf drinker you'll wish you had more options.

Other than that, we've been delighted with the Nespresso so far.

I received this Nespresso machine as a gift and loved it so much, I bought an identical unit for my office. The quality of the end product whether expresso, latte or cappuccino, is very good.

The problem began 6 months later when the built-in frother began to malfunction. I got online and found recommendations about not placing the unit back in place after using it, not keeping power turned on except when in use, etc. After trying this, the frother began to work again. However, several months later, it no longer works and nothing has seemed to work. If you can find a number or place to return these machines to Nespresso, you are better and more patient than I. Not only do I not have the box to ship it back in, nor do I want to forego my morning expresso for weeks on end, but I can't find a place to contact. Customer service is definitely lacking. Eventually, I bought a new stand-alone frother to carry me over. Eventually, the expresso part will die and I'll be forced to purchase a stand-alone of that.

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I love this machine! The espresso it makes is delicious every time, and is very fast and mess-free. There are a variety of flavors Nespresso makes to try (buying from their club is the most cost-effective way to get your capsules) and I have enjoyed trying them all in order to find my favorites. I have had my Citiz Espresso Maker about a month and have loved every minute of getting to know it!

You should be warned: the Aeroccino Milk Frother does not make the milk particularly hot. Now, don't be mistaken I love it. I think it makes beautiful foam, and heats milk to a temperature that I consider to be *immediately drinkable* but if you like your latte to be HOT, you should skip the Aeroccino and just get the espresso maker on its own. I hated having to steam milk on my old espresso maker I found the process loud, messy, and the spout hard to keep clean. The Aeroccino is super easy to clean (I rinse with water after each use), super easy to use, and I don't mind WARM versus HOT milk, so I am very happy.

Also, I am going to mention (because it was a big concern for me as a non-dairy person) that it will warm AND froth/foam both SOY and ALMOND milk perfectly. The foam is lovely with both, and the "milk" is warmed and smooth. It has no problems with the slightly thicker consistancy, and comes out beautifully.

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Pros:

I loved the weight of this machine, it was well packed, easy to setup and really enjoyed the ease of use. I really like the attached milk frother (Its heats up just enough milk and the magnetic frother works great).

The machine is super easy to use , you lift up, drop the pod, close and push the button. couldn't be easier. It has an auto shut off too so if you forget to turn off it's not an issue.

Cleaning the milk from the frother was a breeze. Cleaning the pod catcher after they drop into it was simply and well thought out.

Now for THE CON:

My goal was to use this with the refillable pods and not only the Nespresso pods. I purchased the ones that seemed to me to be the best, the CoffeeDuck Refillable Coffee Capsules For Nespresso 3 Pods These Espresso Cups fit all Nespresso machines from after October 2010 and those turned out to be a disaster (they melted after a few uses). I did more research and realized that I was not the only one to have those issues, so I ended up returning the machine as i was not willing to drink $5-$6 worth of pods a day ( to me that beats my purpose)

In conclusion, if you want an espresso here and there this is ideal, if you are hoping to replace your coffee maker with this think again . There doesn't seem to be a refillable pod at this point in time that will allow to do this without melting after a few uses.

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This is an easy review as it is the second Nespresso Citiz I have purchasedone for home and one for office. A great cup of espresso and easy milk frothing with these machines. While the capsules are pricey, the end result is wonderful and would be hard to match without spending a great deal more and losing convienance.

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Cuisinart DGB-625BC Grind-and-Brew 12-Cup Automatic Coffeemaker, Brushed Metal

I had an earlier version of the 10-cup Cuisinart Grind and Brew that lasted more than 3 years. It made an awesome pot of coffee. I read online reviews of this and similar grind and brews from Cuisinart that made me nervous that I wouldn't get as good a product as I had last time. I looked closely at other brands and other versions of grind and brews and decided based on my own experience with the last one I bought, I'd give this model a shot. So far I have not had any problems that other people have mentioned. Yes, there are more parts to take apart, clean and put back together than a regular coffee maker. But the superior taste of the coffee you get from the grind and brew is absolutely worth the extra couple minutes of prep time it takes. Besides, I was used to it from the previous model I owned. So that is not an issue. I read other reviews about the hinge not closing or popping open during the brew cycle, or leaking. I have not had ANY of those issues. NOTE: One reviewer said to read ALL the instructions carefully and follow the directions and that's what I did. Most important thing to remember here is you have to be sure to keep the handle of the gold filter basket facing the front of the coffee maker. Last I saw some reviewers complain of the noise as it grinds the coffee beans. This version of the grind and brew is noticeably more quiet than the last one I had, so no issue there either. All in all, I am VERY glad I purchased this product. I love it!

A very nice, straightforward coffemaker, makes good coffee with pre-ground beans, can be programmed to start when you want. A nice feature is that it can also be programmed to shut down when you want -either right after brewing or up to 2 hours later. A bit on the noisy side, even without the grinder function on. Initial setup is easy. Please note that if you do not close *and latch* the reservoir cover, the machine will beep constantly and not brew until you do. Drove me crazy for about 15 minutes until I noticed that the cover wasn't fully latched. Although it does tell you that in the instruction manual, it's not immediately evident -it's a line in the middle of lengthy instruction under #6 "Close Reservoir Lid", on page 8.

Update on Feb. 1, 2010

It was a learning curve to figure out how many scoops of whole beans to add for a good cup of coffee. A small scoop is included, with instructions to use one scoop per cup. However, the grind on this machine is fairly coarse, so it comes out a bit weaker than I'm used to. Adding a bit more each time took me over the top to "bitter," so it's hard to find a balance. I'm afraid I enjoy pre-ground coffee in this coffeemaker more than whole-bean.

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Bought this unit for my wife for Christmas 2009. Liked the idea of a combo grinder and coffee maker. $100 at World Market, Houston. Get it cheaper now.

1. Also bought the gold filter basket (no brainer).

2. The unit makes great coffee.

3. The grinder is very loud. Loud enough to wake the household at 5am. I now purchase ground coffee and don't use the grinder in the coffee maker.

4. The filter basket sits in a swing out holder that is spring-loaded. There is a "release" button on the side of the unit. The door tends to pop open at very inopportune times, including while the coffee is brewing. This is an unacceptable glitch in the design. This gets the unit a 3-star rating from me.

I'm in the process of getting a replacement unit from Cuisinart. Even for $50, not worth the mess.

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I am very pleasantly surprised by this machine. It replaced a 3 year-old Cuisinart grind-and-brew that just stopped working one morning. I intended to buy one of the expensive burr-grinder models from Capresso when I found this one on clearance at a warehouse club for fifty dollars. I figured for a quarter of the price of the Capresso it was worth a shot if I didn't like it I could always take it back. I am so happy that I tried it!

Compared to my old Cuisinart this one is much, much quieter. Don't get me wrong, it's still loud, but it's more like the sound of a truck driving by while my old one sounded like a jet engine taking off. I attribute the quietness to the much thicker grinding chamber on this model. I think it holds in place better, reducing the vibration noise. Maybe a burr grinder model would be quieter; I don't know. The burr grinders I have used make noise at a lower frequency so they sound different, but not necessarily quieter.

The coffee tastes great! The warming plate / glass carafe keeps the coffee hot enough for my taste. Might not be hot enough for some I don't like my coffee scalding hot. The grounds in the basket get well saturated during the brewing process, so you don't have to use an excessive amount of coffee beans to get a strong pot.

The only drawback is the need to clean the machine after each use. I'm used to it, because my old Cuisinart was the same way, but I can see the attraction of a burr grinder model that you don't have to constantly wash. The cleaning process is easy. Everything pops out easily and cleans up quickly, but there are several parts that have to be washed. The instructions say you can run the parts through the dishwasher, but when I did that with my old Cuisinart the plastic eventually developed a white residue that took a while to scrub off so I'm not going to use the dishwasher with this model.

Overall I am very happy with this purchase. It is inexpensive, relatively quiet, has good programming features, and makes a good pot of coffee. Having a 12-cup capacity is great!

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This is my second Cuisinart Grind and Brew Coffeemaker in the last six years. This model is easy to clean, easy to set timers and you can check the water level from the outside of the unit. Parts go back into unit with ease. I am very happy with my purchase.

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ESPRESSO MKR 4CUP SS

Much easier to deal with making coffee , and not have to worry about the handle burning ever! Not to mention that it matches my mortal and pestal!

First model of this type I've bought. The handle and lid are both metal and are too hot to handle. I would return it if I could.

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Espressione Professional Conical Burr Coffee Grinder, Black/Silver

This is quieter than most conical burr coffee grinders. The ground coffee beans so far have been of a consistent size. Seems to grind consistently and quickly for my needs. So far, I am impressed. The disappointment came when I attempted to clean the machine. The upper conical burr that is supposed to be easily lifted out is locked or frozen and cannot be removed. Although electra craft has responded to my emails regarding this matter, to send it in for repairs will be at my expense. It is still under warranty. I am not sure that I want to invest any more money with expensive shipping charges to and from. I could by another unit somewhere else for less money. My advice, buy a coffee grinder locally where you can return it if it doesn't work.

I never write reviews, but I thought I should for this to help keep people from buying a product they might not be happy with. I found many flaws with this grinder and was not at all satisfied. First, the description and instruction booklet aren't accurate. There are 15 grind settings, not 10 (but they aren't actually very different between grinds -see below). The upper burr can be removed (with significant difficulty) and lower can't be removed. This makes brushing out and cleaning the deeper parts of the grinder fairly difficult. Also, the instruction booklet advises against filling the ground coffee container above the max fill line, but there IS no max line on the ground coffee container. In actual use, I was not at all satisfied with the quality of grind this grinder produced. I used this for french press coffee and the grinder doesn't grind coarse enough or consistently. There was a lot of dust and smaller bits so that when I would go to press my pot, the plunger would stop about halfway down and become too difficult to press. I also noticed that between the coarsest and finest grind settings, there is hardly any difference. I don't make Turkish coffee or espresso, but I tried grinding at many settings and the resulting ground coffee was only adequate for drip brewing. Fine grinding isn't too fine and coarse is definitely too fine. Finally, the ground coffee container IS NOT anti-static as advertised.

For the same price, you can find a similar burr grinder with a large bean hopper that produces a MUCH better grind in terms of consistency and dust. See the Bodum Bistro Burr grinder. This grinder's price is the same and it produces a wider variety of grind sizes and has a glass ground coffee container that greatly reduces static even in the driest of climates. The burr in this grinder is also much easier to remove and the lower parts are more accessible for cleaning with a brush. I replaced my Espressione with this one and I am quite satisfied.

To summarize, this grinder is practically worthless. If you want versatility and consistency in grinds or don't buy it. If you want a static free container, don't buy it either. Finally, if you want to be able to clean your grinder with ease, avoid this one. There are many others out there that are much higher quality for the same price.

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My experience is totally the opposite of some of these reviews. First, it is not quiet, it sounds something like the vacuum cleaner but that doesn't bother me for the time it takes to grind enough coffee for a cup.

I've started grinding again recently as I've been buying my beans in bulk (cheaper). Pulled out my old Pavani, which I use for regular coffee, and bought this Espressione unit which I use for decaf. I only do one cup at a time.

The grind is beautifully fine (and consistent) and I could go finer if I wanted to, which would be several grinds finer than my Pavoni gives me. Whenever I finish grinding with the Pavani, there are grounds sticking to the top and sides of the gound coffee hamper; I open it up and get a certain amount of ground coffee around the counter area. When I grind with the Espressioni there is very little static, no coffee is stuck to the lid and very little to the sides and bottom. My counter stays completely clean, and I don't waste any coffee.

In contrast to another reviewer, my ground coffee container does have a max line, but I don't get anywhere near it grinding one cup's worth at a time.

I plan on buying a second one for my regular coffee, it is such a pleasure to use!

Added 25 Sept 11: I purchased a second grinder, this time from Amazon. There are differences from the first. The labels on the grind coarseness/fineness are different. The first one labels them clearly from fine to coarse, with several degrees you can choose in between. The second one labels only 1 to 15, and I had to hunt through the manual to find where it said which end was fine and which was coarse.

As one reviewer complained above, there is indeed no marking for MAX on the cup. Not a big deal, as the max line is right where the little lip is at the top of the collection cup that its lid sits on.

The cup for the second grinder is slightly less anti-static than my first one. So obviously there are differences from one to the next I guess these can be "treated" non-uniformly.

A reviewer complained that they had to keep giving the grinder a shake while grinding as it would stop pulling the beans into the grinder. Yes, I have experienced this with my first one but not the second one. I give it a little shake or slap on the side. ;) Works everytime. Again, not a big deal.

All in all this grinder is still head and shoulders above any other coffee grinder I have ever owned.

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Many burr grinders deal with static so I was expecting some, but not to the degree that the Espressione Professional Burr grinder has. The grounds become so full of static that they seem to be jumping out of the grounds-catcher when I remove it from the machine and it gets worse when I remove the lid. It is quite messy and impossible to control. While I am happy with the quality of the grind, I am wasting too much coffee in addition to the frustrating mess I am left with after use. If I grind more than one catcher-ful, it is difficult to replace because it is a tight fit and even more so with grounds in or around the cup . I would not recommend this appliance. There are many others to choose from and I will be buying a replacement soon.

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I just got this and had to try it out. I am a advid expresso drinker so I will always grind a fine powder. This is my first burr grinder, having owned a couple of regular blade grinders in the past. It came with relatively easy to understand instructions. I made sure I read them through and disassembled what I could on the grinder prior to my first use so I would know how to clean it. I filled the beans in the above hopper, set the grind settings to the finest, set the cup amount to 5 cups, and pressed the start button. Much to my surprise it was actually quieter than the blade grinders I used in the past. It ran for about 20 seconds and gave me enough grounds for a pot of my expresso. Very pleased at this point, very impressed, and would recommend it for anyone else that wants to purchase a machine for home use. I think it will last and it has a nice appearance to even set on my counter top.

Update: 1/25/12: Still going strong Grinding exactly as I described previously, cleaned once and use it daily Hoorah!

Update: 2/24/12: This grinder is very easy to clean with a brush. I still use it daily and now I can honestly say I can tell the difference in the roasting process of different coffees,what I mean is I can tell if the beans have been over roasted or if the beans themselves are fresh or not. Still working stong everyday. I still say a great grinder.

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