Braun Aromatic Coffee Grinder, Black

When I received a bag of coffee beans in a gift package, I decided to do what every coffee lover eventually does, get a grinder, and enjoy the marvelous aroma of newly ground beans, and the freshest of coffee in my cup. I've always had good luck with Braun appliances, so chose this sleek and easy little grinder, which is simple to operate and clean; it only has one lever, with the fineness of the grind determined by how long you press it down, and the progress is visible through the clear top. For an extra fine grind, use less beans for best results...there is a warning to not "overheat the motor", which would probably be the result of grinding too many beans at one time for too long. Cleaning is a snap: The top rinses out, and a swipe with a paper towel cleans out the grinding cup, which is part of the motorized section, and the bottom has a handy spool for use as a cord wrap. Now my little kitchen area is permeated with the smell of fresh coffee, my lattes taste better than ever, and I have the new adventure of trying out different types of beans, and delight in the wondrous world of gourmet coffee !

We make a lot of Asian food. For some salads, we use peanut and dried shrimp powder. We have this machine for more than 4 years grinding powder of dried shrimps, peanuts, other nuts, roasted cumin, red pepper, black pepper, etc., everything other than coffee though it's quite small. I'm not a coffee lover so I don't grind coffee with this machine. I use instant coffee if I want to drink coffee. After grinding, I just washed it with soap and water carefully not to get wet outside of this grinder and wipe dry. No smell of earlier items left (such as from cumin), I can grind coffee if I want, without mixing smells. It takes only a few seconds to grind dried shrimps. Just to pause between presses of the "press button." If you've large dried shrimps (expensive ones), just put small amout at a time. I also tried Cuisinart DLC-2ABC Mini Prep Plus for grinding powder but it didn't even grind panuts and had to return it. If you want to grind powder for Asian food, this is a life saver.

It's a small, high-quality, reliable coffee grinder. It is easily the most used appliance in my kitchen. It is very loud when grinding the beans, but then so is every other coffee grinder I have ever used. Cleaning is easy: Just wipe it down every now and then with a damp cloth or paper towel. Important Note: ALWAYS UNPLUG IT BEFORE CLEANING IF YOU VALUE YOUR FINGERS! ;) The grinder cannot be submerged in water and should not be held under a faucet. No big deal. You are only wiping out coffee grinds. As I already warned, be careful when cleaning because the blades are extremely sharp (not a bad thing). Braun has been making this grinder almost unchanged for decades. It is near bulletproof when handled properly. Relatives of mine have owned older Braun versions for more than a decade and they still work flawlessly. Braun KSM2-BLK Aromatic Coffee Grinder, Black

I had a Braun coffee grinder just like this model but in the white color for around 15 years. It was still running strong but the plastic part that holds the blade on was beginning to break. I was afraid the blade would spin off during use one day so I got this one to replace it. It works the same as well as looks the same except the color. But I like black better cause when you handle coffee it stains the white cord & plastic body of a white grinder in time. This little grinder works great for grinding small amounts of coffee beans. Who wants to lose the aroma of fresh ground coffee anyway by grinding large quantities? Isn't that the point of it? LOL For the price... you can't beat this little work horse. Just make sure you never submerge it in water or even get water in it or you will ruin it. You merely wipe out the coffee residue with a cloth or napkin. I find a Kleenex works wonderfully well. You can wash the plastic top lid however.

What more do you need to say, it grinds coffee beans. The only bad thing to say about it is if it did not do its job, which is to grind coffee beans. The only thing I can say is that coffee grinds do tend to stay stuck in small corners and on the blade of the grinder, but you can always tap it. I also wish that this came with a brush to clean it with, as its later models come with one. But for those who are reading this, wondering WHY you need a coffee grinder when you can always grind it at the store. Here is the answer. Coffee beans tend to oxidize when they are exposed to air. When you grind them, you are exposing more surface area for them to oxidize, therefor makin them spoil quicker. The taste difference can be relatively faint, but still noticeable. So if you want good quality coffee all the time, I would recommend getting a coffee grinder. Also, keep your coffee in the freezer as it slows the oxidation process too.

The grinder was used on daily basis to grind coffee beans . It was not used for anything else. As far as grinding is concerned it did do a fine job. The motor quits,however, after exactly 2 months of use. It was sent back to a service center ( cost of shipping was about half its original price ). Did not receive it back yet. In summary , although it is moderately priced; I do not recommend it for heavy use. It may be adequate for occasional use. But why bother; it is definitely cheaper to invest in a more expensive and at the same time more durable grinder.