10 out of 10 people found this review helpful.
Clever, but Falls Short
Date of Review: Apr 18, 2002
The Bottom Line: The Kitchenaid Grinder is high in style and has some clever ideas that other companies should consider, but falls down where it counts -- it doesn't grind coffee very well.
When I first got my Kitchenaid Grinder I thought it was one of the cleverest grinders I had ever seen. The grinding chamber is a detachable metal cup that sits on the motor like the pitcher of a blender. A clear plastic cup fits over the entire metal container and a simple push down on the cup engages the motor and starts the grinding. When you are done, you can either upend the machine and pour the grinds into the plastic cup or twist off the metal cup and pour the grinds into the coffee maker. In either case, unlike most blade grinders, you do not have to upend the whole affair, motor, cord and all, in order to tip the grinds out and the plastic cup is so large that there is no chance of the grounds exceeding the capacity of the cup as with most blade grinders.
All this cleverness comes at a price, however. The large steel cup is deep but relatively narrow, unlike the broader shallower cups of most blade grinders. Therefore, most of the coffee is not in contact with the blades, but is sitting on top of a layer of coffee being ground to dust. If you try to give the grinder a shake to circulate the beans, you find the second problem. Since the plastic cup sits loosely on top of the metal grinding chamber, there is no seal and a gap down the side of the two interlocked cups which allows coffee grounds to spill out, all over the counter and sometimes jamming the safety mechanism that allows the coffee to grind in the first place. In fact, if you fill the grinding chamber more than a quarter full, grinds will fly into the gap and on to the counter, even if you don't shake the thing.
The net result is a counter covered with coffee dust and coffee in the coffee maker that is very unevenly ground. After making a pot, if you check the filter, you will see distinct pieces of coffee bean that were only slightly broken up. The mess on the counter also negates the benefit of being able to detach the grinding chamber and plastic cup for cleaning, since the base and counter will also be covered with coffee grounds that have to wiped up.
All in all, you will get better performance and less hassle from a standard Braun, Krups or Melita blade grinder.
