Simply the best of its kind, bar none

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.