Hamilton Beach 80374 Custom Grind Hands-Free Coffee Grinder, Black
From Hamilton Beach
The Ultimate Performing Coffee grinder , grinds up to 15 cups of beans. Takes all the guesswork out of grinding , as it automatically grinds coffee to the preset roast settings for the best tasting coffee . Internal cord wrap. Dishwasher safe removable stainless steel grinding chamber with cover .
- Amazon Sales Rank: #5933 in Kitchen & Housewares
- Size: Medium
- Color: Black
- Brand: Hamilton Beach
- Model: 80374
- Dimensions: 9.50" h x 5.50" w x 5.50" l, 2.60 pounds
Best grinder for the money
I couldn't recommend this grinder more highly. It is solidly constructed, and the manufacturer took the time to add all the little details that are missing on cheaper models, like no-slip feet and a retractable cord (which is a little short, perhaps the one negative to this otherwise perfect product). The stainless steel grinder bowl is well designed - it has gradiated markings to let you know how many beans to put in for the number of cups of coffee you intend to brew, and it perfectly grinds the beans to your desired coarsness. In addition, it is removable AND dishwasher safe, making for easy cleaning.
The machine's slim, tall profile is ideal for easy on-counter or cabinet storage, and the black / stainless steel finish is attractive and a good match to most major coffee maker and espresso machine brands. The grinder provides multiple different settings for different coarsness and the amount of beans you are grinding, and since the grinding time is pre-set you can just push the button and move on to doing something else while the coffee grinds. It may take the "art" out of coffee grinding, but it will give you a great cup of coffee every time.
A final note - you may feel constrained by the pre-set options, but they still provide quite a bit of flexibility. If you like your coffee weaker, just put in a few less beans than your desired cup mark would call for (or vice versa if you like your coffee stronger). Having the specific settings means that when your experimenation finally comes out the way you want it to, you'll be able to remember next time ("oh, I used the 4-cup measure of beans to 8 cups of water, and I ground it on the medium-coarse setting") rather than having to try to guess at what you did to get that "perfect cup."
I can't imagine anything else that I would want in a grinder - the only semi-common option that it is missing is extra storage for beans or ground coffee; these features are not missed, however, as I always grind my beans fresh and I store them in a cool, dry airtight container. Storing your beans or grounds in the grinder is a sure way to ruin their taste.
Is this the perfect grinder? I'd say so. I give it a perfect 5/5.
Best grinder we've owned
When my husband and I got married we EACH owned our own coffee grinder. Both of them were very dependable (one was a Waring, one a Brauning) and it took many years for them to both wear out. (The Waring's plastic lid deteriorated by bits and pieces, but when we got this new grinder we still use it for a spice mill!) But this one is the best ever---we just love it. It's much better than our old ones in every way. You can easily adjust the grind, and best of all the cup is detachable so it's very easy to get the coffee into the filter with NO MESS (that's one reason it doesn't need a long cord). It's even attractive-looking! We have nothing negative to say about this grinder---it's a great product.
UPDATE: TWO YEARS LATER!
I bought this grinder in June 2007 and it is still going strong after daily use for over 2 years. I've had none of the "cap-loosening problem" or "stopped working" that others reported. I'm now buying a second one for my vacation home. Things I love about this grinder:
1) You don't have to stand there and hold the button
2) It has multiple grind selections and it really DOES grind to espresso fineness
3) You can put the coffee in the lid for transport instead of having to drag the whole grinder over to your coffee pot
4) It's really dependable
5) It's attractive
6) Reasonably priced (with free shipping!)
7) Retractable cord! Yay!
8) Metal lid hasn't eroded at all over 2 years
9) And it's easy to use, too!
Best coffee grinder we've ever owned.
Here is why there are all those "it stopped working" reviews
The machine is not really a "hands free" coffee grinder. The clear plastic cover/cap has a safety mechanism such that the machine will not grind unless the cover is twisted firmly all the way into place. After some usage, in my case about a month, the cover starts to walk out of position ever so slightly because of the vibration from the grinding motor. The result is the grinder shuts off. Frustrating until I figured out what was going on.
I did not return the machine because 1) the solution is simple, hold onto the machine while it grinds away and 2) for that minor inconvenience it is a great grinder. The inside of the stainless steel bean cup is marked such that you fill it up to say 8 cups, set the dial for 8 cups, rotate the knob for the type of grind and the grinder delivers perfectly ground coffee. Espresso grind 8 cups is about 25 seconds of grinding. It takes all the guess work out of the regular automatic grinders that grind as long as you hold them. Not withstanding the holding of the top the machine has been great. I'm so happy to have perfectly ground coffee I don't worry about it. It would have been nice to have a longer cord, but I think they made the cord as long as they could without having to make the body thicker or resorting to the dreaded wrap-the-cord-around-the-bottom design.
It looks nice, cleans easily, the selection between amount and coarseness of grind make it easy to customize your grind, but I have been very satisfied with the factory settings. I have owned/used it for more than a year now.
