Krups GVX Burr Grinder

First, let me say that I am NOT a coffee connoisseur (heresy, I know). Just a guy with a drip machine and a need for much morning brew. I wanted to grind my own because I hate the flavored coffee taste that I always seem to get from the grocery store grinder. I'm also busy and lazy.

I really like this grinder; and I like it for the same reasons that the guy from Hawaii hated it. I want to spend my morning drinking coffee, not preparing it (one cup at a time? yeah, right). Pour the beans in (no more measuring), push the button, and before you can fill the maker with water, you have just the right amount of grind ready to go. Yes, there's a little sticking to the plastic container, but I've never had it cause any mess just tap it on the sink before you remove the lid then pour it into the filter. Grind size and quantity takes a couple of attempts to figure out exactly what you like, but seems pretty consistent once set. Only gave it 4 stars because there are features on the more expensive units that would be nice a BIG, sealed, hopper that would hold several days worth of beans; and glass grind containers that would completely eliminate the static issue. However, for my use, and for the price, this thing works great. Hope it holds up over time.

I've been the owner of this grinder since February 20, 2005. In that time span, I would guess that the beans have gotten "stuck" (whereby the burrs spin freely without doing anything) maybe 5 times TOTAL. I make coffee about 3 or 4 times a week. So that's somewhere between 30 and 45 operations, and it's goofed up 5 of those times. NOT ONCE have I had to disassemble anything. You just hit the grind button again to stop it, jostle it GENTLY back and forth, and hit the grind button again. Of course, you lose the timed grind that is supposed to happen, but I view it as a VERY MINOR inconvenience to have to stand there and manually turn it off when it's done grinding.

As for the complaints of size, I think we've pretty much come to a consensus among the reviewers that it's NOT freakishly huge, or whatever that one reviewer said. It's modestly sized, and certainly less blockish and imposing than, say, the Rancilio Rocky, for which you'll pay 5-10 times as much.

The noise is not an issue for me, because it's no noisier than the old blade grinder I had. You've got to look at these kinds of issues like you would evaluate a car. Yes, a Rolls Royce is going to have less road noise than a subcompact Toyota, but the Toyota isn't going to set you back $50,000, and it's going to use less gas, AND it's going to get you there in just as much time. So there might be some noise (particularly when the beans get lodged funny), but it's no worse than the KitchenAid blade grinder that will wake up not only your partner, but also your dog and the local fire department.

Lastly, the grind itself. I will agree with the complaints that have been lodged previously. First, the grind is generally too fine for the setting. I haven't tried french press yet, but I get the suspicion that it'll be too fine even on the coarsest setting. Additionally, there's a little bit of overground powder that comes through with every grind. This shows up as a very thin layer of sludge at the bottom of a brewed pot. And finally, the cup dial does not accurately reflect everything I've learned and been taught about how much bean goes into one cup of coffee. It does grind too long for the cup setting. But you learn this quickly, and it's a pretty easy fix. If you're making 4 cups, set the dial to JUST above 3 cups. Voila. And if you're making fewer than 3 cups of coffee, you should find a roommate. There's no good way to make coffee in that small an amount.

My final thought on this grinder is that people who give it one star are being way too hard on it. I'd honestly give it 3 and a half, but I'll go with 4 just to boost its self-esteem a bit. You're paying $50 people. It's not a Rancilio. It's not a Mazzer, it's not an Isomac, it's not even a Starbucks Barista. But it's pretty good, and affordably priced, and it's a hell of a lot better than a blade grinder.

For those of you who might WANT to spend $350-500 on a burr grinder, but know you reasonably SHOULDN'T, this is the grinder for you. Just learn to live with its quirks, and you have a fantastic bargain on your countertop.

**UPDATE**

French press works great. My favorite use for this setting: I grind up a baggie-full before I go camping, and with my Lexan French press, I get a spectacular cup of coffee, which makes my fellow campers extremely jealous.

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One other reviewer stated that this grinder is ungodly big soooo not true. At a little under 10 inches tall, 5 inches deep, and 4 and 1/2 inches wide, this grinder is WAY smaller than my previous Cuisinart Burr Grinder which just recently broke. And the noise! DECIBLES quieter than my Cuisinart!!! It is such a low sound for a grinder. Mainly sounds a little louder than a murmur....First time I grinded coffee, I nearly jumped for joy that the volume was loads lower than my other one! Grinds were also very even. I grind in between medium and fine, and I did not see extremely powerdy grinds or even course grinds. Everything was very even in it's texture! Great grinder. I love it already!!!

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I got this grinder because it seemed ridiculous to pay three or four times the price for the nice industrial-strength Kitchen Aid grinder that I saw sitting next to it on the shelf. After a few months of using it, I know why it's cheaper -it continually fails, even on fresh, oily Peet's beans. As another reviewer noted, when it jams, you have to unload the whole thing into a bowl, disassemble it, note disconcertingly that the insides are made of plastic, and put it all back together.

And in actual use, this grinder leaves the largest countertop coffee-ground piles of any grinder I've used.

It's extremely frustrating and I wish I'd bought the Kitchen Aid to start with. Poor build quality, short lifespan, and poor design.

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After a "long term road test" of this Krups Coffee Grinder, I wanted to summarize my experience. I have used it pretty much daily. It replaced another Krups grinder (blade not burr) that I had used off and on for 20+ years.

Good:

1. Easy to use, particularly for getting beans into it and ground coffee out of it.

2. Does not get coffee everywhere (a key modification was to put it on a little tray that catches the ground coffee that falls out as you remove the ground coffee container).

3. Moderate noise level. It is not "quiet" and has gotten noisier over time. That makes me suspect that the noise level of individual units may vary a bit. But it is much quieter than the Krups blade unit it replaced.

4. Has been reliable. My previous burr grinder (different brand) failed within one week.

Bad:

1. Plastic grounds reservior is very staticy, so grounds adhere to the plastic. I carry the container to the sink, and give a sharp rap on the bottom of the sink, to get everything loose off.

2. Beans do not feed evenly, sometimes the grinder freewheels with no beans feeding down and you need to whack it. I found that the grind affects this (finer grinds seem to feed better) and the beans; very oily (i.e. dark roast) beans do not feed as well as drier beans.

I still have ranked it 4 stars as I thought it was a very good value. It has lasted nearly a year without an issue and I have worked around or adapted to the shortcomings. I would not spend money to replace it: it meets my needs.

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Cuisinart DGB-900BC Grind & Brew Thermal 12-Cup Automatic Coffeemaker, Brushed Stainless/Black

I bought this coffeemaker after returning my Krups KM7000. Overall, I have been pleased with this model, save for a few quirks. The bottom line is that it makes OUTSTANDING, HOT coffee with great convenience in a design that appears very durable. I have NOT had any problems with getting the pieces together and I do not find it complicated on a day-to-day basis whatsoever.

PROS:

-Coffee is full-bodied and flavorful. I use the 4-cup setting with about 3 cups of water and the strength set to strong. This uses the aroma feature, and the coffee is perfect.

-Temperature is perfect, the hottest I've tasted from a model like this. The base WARMS THE THERMAL CARAFE when the machine goes on, then goes off when the brew is complete. This may theoretically be eliminating the effect of the cooling of hot coffee by a stone-cold carafe. On the other hand, the carafe is highly insulated and it may be doing nothing. The bottom line is that the temperature is perfect, the coffee is still hot even after adding cold milk. The coffee remains hot for quite a while in the thermal carafe.

-Design is quite niceit is self contained as opposed to other mill & brew models that have parts that swing around. The design feels very robust, there are no wimpy plastic bits. There is a piece that fits over the grind basket that has a gear which appears to rotate, likely to keep steam out of the grinder.

-It could not be easier to use on a daily basis all I do is put in THE RIGHT amount of water, put the cover on top of the brew basket, and press program (I have it programmed for the same time every day). After it brews and I pour the coffee, I swing out the basket, pour out the grinds & rinse the basket, rinse the carafe, and I'm ready to go.

-cleaning is simple; I notice others complain but I haven't had any problems. See above for my daily routine; I've been using the brush weekly on the grind spout, it takes two minutes and is not messy.

-The brushed chrome looks great on the counter.

-3 year warranty is reassuring

CONS:

-The grind appears to be too coarse. Other models have a grind control to change the coarseness of the coffee, this one does not. This has improved a little after a few weeks of use, but not completely. Also, I've noticed that (through laws of physics) the coarsest part of the grind stays on top, then the finer grounds work their way to the bottom. This is probably wasting a bit of coffee, but once I worked out how much water to use it doesn't affect the strength. Overall I have not noticed that I am going through coffee faster than before, so I think some of the "coffee wasting" reviews may be somewhat overstated. On first glance it does appear to use a lot of coffee when you are pouring out the grounds, but looking at how many bags I'm going through it doesn't appear much different.

-The mechanism to pour coffee from the carafe is not perfect; it works ok when pouring out from a mostly full carafe, but to get the last cup or two from the bottom I have to take the top off. If I don't it drips all over the counter. Taking the top off I can pour it without any mess.

-The water indicator level is on the right side near the back. If you are putting it against a wall on the left it will be fine, but on my counter it needs to be against a wall on the right, so if I need to look at the water level I need to pull the coffeemaker away from the wall. To get around this I have figured exactly how much water to put in from a measuring cup.

THE BOTTOM LINE (again):

The coffee is excellent, and HOT. The design is marvelous. On a day-to-day basis it is extremely easy to use and convenient. The grind is a bit too coarse, but I don't seem to be going through coffee much faster than before, so this may be a little bit of an illusion. YOU WILL BE ABLE TO ADJUST THE STRENGTH OF YOUR COFFEE USING THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF WATER. I can strongly recommend this coffeemaker if you want hot, convenient, fresh-ground coffee every day. Enjoy!

I chose this grind and brew after reading all of the reviews for this and similar machines. Frankly, I am surprised by the negative comments. This is an easy to use machine once it is set up properly (the bean hopper takes a little of effort to snap in). The coffee tastes great and the parts are very easy to clean quickly. While the instruction book is not clear, Cuisinart was very helpful on the phone. The machine does not know how much water you put in, so if you set it to grind coffee for 6 cups and you have 8 cups of water in it, it will process all 8 cups of water. Other than this small quirk, the machine is a small wonder and I do not feel compelled to go out for coffee in the morning. The thermos carafe will keep the coffee quite warm for a few hours, even when the carafe is not warmed up with hot water. Wondering why it took me so long to go ahead and buy this machine. This is the best model; my neighbor has the first generation/second generation machine which is hard to clean and has a large footprint. Save your money and buy this model!

Now that I have had the machine for a month and a half: It requires some cleaning to get the fine grounds that compress and stop the grinder and ground coffee to get into the filter for brewing. I use a bamboo chopstick and a skewer to break up the compressed fine grounds that impede the machine from working properly. (Unplug the machine and put it over the sink area). I also use compressed air to blow out the fine ground particles. Still, this is a small maintenance to allow for great coffee in the AM.

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This unit wastes beans.

According to the user manual, if you fill the coffee bean hopper with 1/2 lb of coffee, you can expect "at least" two 12 cup brews. I thought this was a bit conservative but it was confirmed when I made the first pot of coffee. I set the machine for 12 cups and watched as almost half of the beans disappeared on the first pot.

I figure it uses almost 1/4 lb of beans to brew a full pot (12 cups of 5 oz coffee). This is about double what would be used if you followed the directions when using a manual grinder (one scoop of beans per cup using the scoop that comes with this coffee maker).

I think Cusinart kept the grind at very coarse level to ensure proper grind flow in the machine. To compensate, they increased the amount of coffee ground. Thus it uses about 4 oz of beans versus 2.5 oz of beans per 10-12 cup pot. It doesn't sound like much but works out to 60% extra per pot.

I've owned the Cuisinart DGB-600BC Grind and Brew Coffeemaker and Melitta Mill & Brew Coffee Maker so this is my third unit brew and grind unit. The two previous units has manual bean fill and comparatively good control on the grind. This unit always grinds very very coarse.

Pro: Large Bean Hopper

Easy to clean

Fill level on side (DGB-600BC did not)

Gold filter basket included

3 Year Warranty

Simple operation (for a grind & brew machine)

Seems well constructed

Cons: Grind is always very course

Uses twice as much beans

Carafe pours slow and tends to drip

The coffee tastes OK its not as good as what you can get with a manual grind/brew but consistent with the other Mill & Brew machines I've had. It is well built and I think the 3 year warranty is key because our other Cuisinart grinder motor lasted about 18 months, but its going back because I make about 2 pots/day and this translates into a couple hundred dollars year. Going to try the Capresso 455 or 454.

Update

I've got the Capresso 454 and love it. It can grind from super fine up to coarse and makes a great cup of coffee.

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This is a GREAT coffee maker. The primary objections in other reviews I saw were 1) Weak coffee I do not understand this as you can adjust both the strength of the brew as well as the quantity of beans ground (e.g. grind enough beans for 10 cups but only put in 8 cups of water). We have actually had to reduce the strength settings as the strong setting was too rich for my wife ; 2) hard to pour this is somewhat true as the opening on the carafe is very small (to preserve heat), but twisting the top open just slightly solves that problem; 3) coffee not hot enough it is not as hot as what you would get at a specialty coffee shop but it is still hot enough to make very good coffee. We always rinse the carafe and our cups with hot water before we start and that seems to help a lot; We do find that we need to microwave the coffee in the cup if it has been in the carafe for about an hour or more 4) difficult to program or set up it does require being put together properly and it is somewhat more complex than the traditional drip coffee maker, but the setup requires about 20 seconds to master. We leave the settings alone and just pour in water and add beans daily so once it is set up, it is a "no brainer". We have never had problems with grinds being spilled and I suspect that whoever did either had a defective unit, or did not put the basket into the unit properly. My wife forgot to put the filter basket into the unit one time -and it would not grind the beans until she did -great feature.

The combination of a burr grinder, 12-cup capacity, insulated pot (no hot plate to burn the coffee), adjustable coffee strength, and large bean reservoir with ability to specify the number of cups being brewed (no need to measure beans every time you brew) make this a really great coffeemaker.

If your expectations are for a super-hot cup of coffee then you will be disappointed. If you just want an easy-to-use coffee maker that allows you to adjust the coffee strength to your preference (including very strong), then this is a great unit.

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We are very happy with this coffee maker. The things that are not good are that the thermal carafe pours out a very weird thin stream of coffee which takes to long to fill a cup and it is awkward to comepletly emtpy it. It does leave some grindings on the lid but that is not a total problem. The coffee is not as hot because it goes into the cool carafe and that cools it down.

So the point of a thermal carafe is now a drawback. I like my coffee hot so its a draw back for me. Other than that it all works well, stays clean, you do not have to clean the grinder compartment eveyr time you use it. The compartment does not get any steam it in it like the previous one did. We bought ours from Williams Sononma and are trying it out. I think we will keep it but we are still not 100% sure. It makes a good cup of coffee and the grinder works great and the extra beans it holds is a big plus.

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Lavazza Espresso Point Matinee (SILVER MODEL)

Very reliable. Uses the Lavazza Espresso Point capsules to make espressos, cappuccinos, teas, soups, and many more. It does need periodic maintenance from time to time, but what machine doesn't? Definitely recommend this machine to anyone who likes a good beverage.

Saeco Coffee Maker Odea Giro Plus Auto Espresso

OK, so I get one of these for my birthday after years of cappuccino making with a manual stainless steel Breville espresso machine. I feel pretty useless now because this gadget does all the work for me, including grinding the beans. All I have to do is fill the water tank and pour the coffee pucks into the sink. And then simply enjoy some excellent coffee.

This particular machine is housed largely in plastic, and for that reason I would judge it to be a home kitchen, consumer grade espresso maker. After a month of use, I do have a couple of minor gripes. First, I wish the machine remembered the desired setting of the coffee strength controls on the front panel. Unfortunately, the user must remember to reset every time the machine is turned on...unless he or she prefers the weakest setting. Second, despite the adjustable cup tray height, it sometimes slides slowly downward if particularly heavy cups or mugs are placed on it, and I see no way to adjust the tension.

This machine is fully automatic and makes quick, delicious coffee. Keep in mind that such machines do require maintenance to keep them working optimally and preserve your warranty. These operations, such as descaling, cleaning and lubrication are not difficult and full instructions are included.

The warning or 'heads up' indicators on the front panel can be disconcerting at first...but I've found them to be very necessary on a fully automatic machine. They let you know when the machine needs priming, for example, or doesn't have enough water or the puck drawer needs emptying. It was hard for this southern boy, but you do have to actually read through the instructions to know what those lights mean.

The steam wand on this machine does an excellent job of frothing milk. We use almond milk no casein so very easy to clean, low calorie and for some reason doesn't taste like almonds. Properly frothing milk is something of a learned skill, but the frothing wand on this machine seems to inject the right about of air and does the whole thing for you. All you do is stick the wand straight down into the milk, then stand back and watch the microfoam rise in your pitcher like magic. That, to me, is the most amazing thing about this gadget. A touch of a button converts the frothing wand into a hot water dispenser for those Americanos.

One reservation I have about fully automatic machines is that if the grinder fails, the entire machine is rendered inoperative. So that nags me a little about this device, but if you've going to enjoy the benefits of automatic, it is simply a risk you have to take.

In summary, when you spend half a grand on a coffee maker, you do expect excellent performance and delicious coffee. So far, that's what we are getting with this machine. It's not finicky either to use or maintain. I do recommend it as a very reasonable purchase.

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Sunbeam Hot Shot Hot Water Dispenser

I've used a Hot Shot a whole lot for heating up water for drinking various types of tea and other beverages. If it's right for what you're brewing, it really is a great product--the water is heated within a minute or two, which is way faster than a kettle, and it holds the perfect amount for a large mug.

There are a couple things to note though. Like other reviewers have said, because of the product's design, some taller mugs (especially large vacuum-sealed caddy mugs) won't fit in to receive the water, so you either can't use them or have to dispense the water into another container first and pour it from there. Also, you definitely should empty the excess water after you're done--you might even want to open the lid while it's still warm to let the extra moisture evaporate. This is because the inside is metal, and re-re-reheated water that's been sitting in there gets a bit gross and might not be the healthiest.

The last issue, which affects me more than it may others, is that the Hot Shot heats the water to boiling or very near to boiling. This is great if you're drinking black tea, hot chocolate, or hot cider, but if you're drinking green tea (which takes hot water that is well below boiling), the water from the Hot Shot can be too hot and make the tea bitter. If it's right for the beverage you want to make, though, I can't recommend a more convenient or quick option.

Sunbeam 6131 Hot Shot Hot Water Dispenser, Black

We have used a Hot Shot for many years, replacing the first two because they eventually stopped heating water sufficiently (only up to 160 degrees F). Since they had become a mainstay in our kitchen, used several times a day, we were eager to replace the last one, and ordered the sleek new black model, which is of a somewhat different design than the original.

The first one we received from Amazon leaked considerably if we didn't use up all the water that had been heated, so we sent it back (Amazon paid for the entire return postage and sent us a new one at no extra cost). The second one leaked just like the first one, through the dispenser spout, when water was left to sit in the heating chamber. We never had this problem with the older model.

I am giving it two stars instead of only one, since some people may not mind being sure to empty the heating chamber after each use. (If it didn't leak, I would give it 4 stars -and 5 stars, if it were also tall enough to accomodate taller cups).

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I've used a Hot Shot for at least 20 years and won't go without one. But they are made real cheap now. My son is still using the one he bought over 10 years ago. I had this less than a year when it leaked, and is getting worse. Put water in, press the button. Before you get the water poured in and put the cup under the spout it is dripping, real fast now. By the time the water is heated, if I grab it real quick I lose about 2 tbsp. (in about a minute). If I don't catch it right away it will leak enough so I have to warm up more water to make a full cup. I keep a towel under the spout now. This worked good for a few months. Think about it, if every small appliance in your kitchen had to be replaced within a year......

Also, a tall cup/mug won't fit under the spout. So I pour the water from one cup to another. I do like the old hot shot, saves time and electricity.I gave it one star because I do like the hot shot water heater, I just don't like this one.

UPDATE: A couple months after I wrote this review, there was a burning smell--the cheap thing burned out. Meanwhile it leaked water into the cabinets below and spoiled the food.

I went without one for a while, but eventually bought another one because I like the concept... put in cold water, press a button, come back to boiling water. I bought the cheapest I could find because it won't last. I'm just glad I don't have to replace all my other appliances every year.

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There is an ON button but no OFF button so if you plug it in and press on before filling it with water, the water heating area will singe. Uh oh. This works so much faster than putting a kettle on that it really hits the spot especially in the middle of the night when you just feel like a hot tea.

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This product has been around for over a decade, and for good reason: it works, and works well. My mother bought me one in Fall 1993 when I went off to college and lived in a tiny dorm room. It has served me well ever since. Nearly 12 years later, it still works as well as the day I got it. It really does heat 16 ounces of water to boiling in under 2 minutes. It's insulated so the outside does not get hot. Just remember to only heat water inside of it, not other liquids. It has a nice, clean look and a modern design which I'd even call "cute". The cord stores underneath the base when not in use, for a clutter-free appearance. I'd recommend it to everyone for a wide variety of situations.