I love the smell of freshly ground coffee in the morning....

....but to be honest, I'm a pretty worthless member of the human race until I've had my morning cup.... or three. Strong. Preferably the kind you can walk across without sinking into the cup.

I am by no means a "coffee snob," but I do like trying different coffees from time to time, and since the most interesting blends and roasts generally are offered as "whole bean only," I have become a coffee grinder user.

Let me start by saying that this is a review of the Braun KSM-2, which bears no resemblance at all to the manufacturer's photo, above. This is strictly a grinder-- not a techno-whiz- measuring-grinding-sorting-timing-automatic-would-you-like-your-house-cleaned-while-I-grind-your-coffee-and-play-Jeopardy-music type of device. All I needed was to have my beans ground. Besides, I was not in the market to pay $120 for the "experience" of having the coffee ground.

Basic stuff: The Braun KSM-2 is a small light weight appliance, about 9" tall, solid ABS plastic housing with a clear top. I chose black -- it is also available in white. The KSM-2's capacity will give you just enough ground coffee to make a "12-cup" batch of coffee-- however, this can be a bit tricky as you have to make yourself a little "mound" up past the top edge of the bean compartment, and I usually send a few loose beans scuttling off into dark corners when I replace the lid before grinding. If they had made the lid a bit shallower, and the bean compartment a bit deeper, this would not be an issue.

Grinding: The KSM-2 is efficient and quick. It takes no more than 15-20 seconds to get a fairly fine ground. If you were not fully awake when you started, the noise will certainly get your attention. Actually, most of the sound is not from the motor, but from the high-speed steel blades hitting the beans. Judging the coarseness/fineness of the grind is a matter of experimentation and "feel"-- there are no coarseness "settings." I haven't found this to be a shortcoming, but if you like everything to be done for you, I'd recommend one of the more sophisticated models. The grind is nice and even compared to other grinders I have owned, which left me with a mixture of find dust and whole beans.

Controls: There is but one control-- an "on/off" button, which is part of the grinder's lid and serves to ensure that you can't start the motor unless the lid is attached. Its use is straightforward and intuitive.

Cleaning up: Unless you prefer very oily coffee roasts, the grounds easily come out of both the lid and the metal liner with the blades. I have found certain very dark roasts to "cake" a bit, but they are easily cleaned off with a pastry brush.

Some general observations: This has been a very reliable machine, and it is now going on its 4th year. Previous grinders I have owned (2 different Krupps models) have generally died after 2-3 years.

The power cord is on the short side, so you'll want to have an available outlet close to your coffeemaker. If you're most likely to make full 12-cup batches, you'll want to be able to open the grinder directly over your coffee filter to avoid spills.

Overall: A good "basic" coffee grinder with a few minor shortcomings. And I do love the smell of that freshly ground coffee in the morning.....