Cuisinart Supreme Grind Automatic Burr Mill
The difference between drinking pre-ground coffee and grinding whole beans right before you brew is like the difference between eating the pre-popped variety from the grocery store and the kind you get at the concession stand at the theater. Coffee beans, like peppercorns, release their concentrated oils (and in turn, their character) when they are ground. For optimal aroma and flavor, you want this to occur in your kitchen moments before you use them, not months ago in a processing facility thousands of miles away.
I read dozens of reviews of different coffee grinders in a range of price points before I decided on this one. More than a few mentioned inconsistent grind size and the need to agitate the unit slightly in order to coax the beans down into the grind chamber in order to not leave some of the beans unground in the hopper. The Cuisinart has neither of these problems. It had an adequately-sized removable hopper, produces uniform grounds, and grinds all the beans, every time.
The large wheel on the front of the unit makes it easy to adjust the grind size to one of 18 settings, even while it’s running. Experiment and find what works for your preferences and the variety of bean you’re grinding. You don’t want to over or under-extract the bean’s flavor and ruin your coffee. Under-extracted lacks its full flavor and an over-extracted one is overpowering and unpleasant to drink.
I appreciate the fact that Cuisinart is intentional in how they unify the appearance of their appliances. We keep this grinder right next to our Cuisinart coffee maker, as they complement one another well. The stainless steel makes for a timeless yet classic look, although you will have to stay on top of keeping it wiped down for fingerprints and dust.
This grinder, like all burr or blade grinders, is quite loud. There is no getting around this unless you buy a manual (hand-cranked) grinder. You’ll get used to the noise the more you use it. Don’t let it keep you from enjoying coffee the way it was meant to be.