Mr. Coffee BVMC-BMH23 Automatic Burr Mill Grinder, Black/Silver

Having had two Krups GVX Burr Grinder over the last 10 years. I wanted to try one that was different after the last Krup's on/off button bit the dirt. I noticed the just released Mr Coffee grinder had a nice large bin to keep us from having to refill it so often and they claim it holds a 1/2 pound of beans which is about right. It seems to grind the beans faster than the Krups and is a bit less messy. It comes apart easy for cleaning. It is as noisy as all grinders are and a bit higher pitched than the Krups. The settings are easy to use and seem to be a little less prone to moving accidentally. It is nice looking on the counter and my wife is happy with it as I am. It is also several dollars cheaper than the Krups and this was also a bit of a factor. I could say the coffee tastes better now, which is true, but perhaps I just hit the settings better than I did with the Krups. I would highly recommend this to a friend if they wanted a coffee grinder.

Bottom line: this is an average burr grinder that produces consistent quantity grind-to-grind but it is marred by a flawed grinding chamber design that makes a uniform mess when opened to remove ground coffee.

Pros:
* consistent quantity is produced grind-to-grind,
* removing the grind chamber turns off the grinder, and
* inexpensive.

Cons:
* inconsistent grind consistency that is typical of burr grinders (finicky coffee consumers should pursue conical models),
* when the grind chamber is opened fine grounds that cling to the roof of the chamber fall out onto anything in the vicinity, and
* limited grind fineness settings on the fine end of the range (may not get fine enough for some espresso beans or machines).

Other appraisals:
* the amount of ground coffee is measured in arbitrary "cup" units that the manual says are larger for coarser settings and smaller for finer; they're not really "cups"
* the... Read more

This is a great grinder for the price. It has a fairly consistent grind, and it seems well build and operates smoothly. It does produce some dust on the coarse settings, and it also does have some static/mess issues as any grinder with a plastic grounds container does -- but for forty bucks... it is at least as good as anything close to its price range. As long as you don't try to compare it to a $100+ grinder I think anyone would be satisfied.

The integrated cord wrap under the base is a nice touch for keeping the counter uncluttered. One odd feature is that the scoop/brush combo actually lives in a grooved out area in the lid to the ground coffee container, which surprised me (and led to it falling out several times until I got used to it).

My only serious complaint about this unit is that it falls victim to the annoying-bright-blue-led trend of consumer electronics. There is an extremely bright blue LED on the grinder that is ALWAYS on. I dearly wish these... Read more