KitchenAid Pro Line Series Burr Grinder -Nickel Pearl  Product Reviews

"I've used several coffee grinders. My last one was a Braun mill-style, that was so good that when it broke, I managed to take it apart and fix it. Well, one day it finally gave up and could no longer grind beans, and it was time to do research again for the next one. One of my complaints with the Braun, which really was excellent in its day, was that it was loud. So loud I would occasionally throw a towel on it in a vain attempt to muffle it. So, I decided my next one would be quiet (or at least quieter -- it is grinding hard objects into powder, after all). Another (minor) complaint was that the grind hopper was plastic, and the little grind particles would stick all over the inside of it through the magic of static cling. Not a huge deal, but it would be cleaner and neater if that didn't happen. So, it would be nice if my next one had a glass hopper. Finally, while the looks of the Braun were not bad, it certainly wasn't a highlight of the kitchen. So, as a third priority, it would be nice (though not essential) if it looks good. So imagine my surprise when I ran across this little beauty. All metal. Very attractive. A variety of colors lifted right out of a high end car catalog. Very professional looking (looks right at home next to my Viking range -- that should tell you something). Glass hopper with no static cling. And (almost) best of all? It is amazingly quiet. Seriously, I can stand right next to it without running for my ear muffs. Plus, it makes uniform grinds, suitable for an espresso machine or, with a twist of the front dial, a coffee maker. The instruction manual (which is quite possibly the best designed manual I've ever seen, and I used to write them for a living) gives instructions for how to calibrate the grinder yourself to get the finest grind possible, if you need it. I found that wasn't needed in my case, even though I use it for my espresso machine too. And fast! That wasn't even on my list, but it is now that I've seen it. This thing can reduce a bag of beans to little bits in no time. You can actually see the beans in the hopper going down as they are ground down. Any faster and you would need a sledgehammer. And I don't think that would result in a uniform grind. Fantastic unit. I really can't say enough about it. It literally has no flaws that I can discern, and I can almost always find at least a few -- not in this case! Highly recommended."

"No static, relatively even grind, little to no dust. Solidly built. Probably the best you can find under 300.00. I use this unit mostly for drip, so I can't attest to how fine the grind or how appropriate it would be to use for espresso at this time. "

"When our last burr grinder gave up the ghost, I planned to buy another just like it. Upon reading Amazon's consumer reviews of other burr grinders, I decided on the KitchenAid. One of the reviewers mentioned the traces of coffee falling on the base when the bowl is removed. A solution: Give the side of the grinder a little spank, and those traces will fall into the glass bowl. The only complaint I have is the lack of a measuring device. We solved this by starting the grinder and slowing counting to the number of cups we want. We are happy with this machine."

"It's slick looking; it's quiet (relatively); it comes apart for serious (but easy) cleaning. This coffee grinder is your friend. A good cup of coffee (or two) is an important aspect of our morning routine. That's why my husband and I decided to pay the hefty price for this Kitchen Aid model, and we are very glad we did. The grinder it replaces was adequate but very noisy (it scared the cats away from their breakfast), and over time the burrs wore down because they were inaccessible and we couldn't clean or adjust them. The fancy instruction book is interesting to read, but beware of its quantity guidelines--we like our coffee about twice as strong as their suggested measure makes. After a bit of experimentation, we found the right amount for us--a heaping 2/3 cup of beans with water filled to 5.5-6 cups in the automatic drip coffee maker, depending on how dark a roast we're using."