Really Grinds My B....
Written: Apr 08 '03
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Reasonable price, easy to use, many features, burr type grinder
Cons: No cleaning brush, noisy, lots of plastic
The Bottom Line: Decent grinder for the price. Beats holding your finger on that grind button.
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| cwmont's Full Review: Black & Decker SmartGrind Deluxe CBM7B Electric Bu... |
Mostly I use canned coffee here at home but every now and then I like to use whole beans and try something different, mostly on weekends or after a nice dinner. To me the idea of buying whole beans and then grinding them at the store is defeating the purpose of whole bean coffee, so for me a grinder at home is a must have.
My old grinder was a generic Mr. Coffee IDS-50 blade grinder. It did an OK job but I got tired of holding the button down and having to guess at whether or not the grind was correct.
While shopping I happened to see the Black & Decker model CBM7B Smart Grind Deluxe coffee bean mill at a local store. The price was decent at $29.95 so I purchased one. It's a nice looking unit in black and clear plastic with a somewhat small footprint that should fit in almost any spot on a kitchen counter. All controls are on the front, well marked and easy to see.
The features are as follows:
ˇBurr type grinder – crushes instead of chops
ˇAdjusts for fine(espresso),medium(auto drip),coarse (perc/press),or anywhere in between.
ˇ Timer – shuts off automatically
ˇ Removable cups make it easy to scoop into your basket or filter
ˇ Measuring scoop with cleaner
So how does it work? Using it is straightforward. You put the beans in the hopper side, set the grind adjustment and the timer then press the on switch. I used Trader Joe’s East meets West, a very smooth and tasty medium roast that is a favorite here at home. I used a medium setting. The coffee is ground into the container side, which you remove, and transfer to the basket or filter in your coffee maker. The timer controls the whole thing and shuts the unit off when finished. That’s the theory, here’s the reality!
Sometimes the mill stops before all the beans are ground. No problem I just restart, but wait… I thought “start it and forget it” was the reason I bought the thing to begin with. As with any type of plastic container you get static build up which means the grounds cling to the side of the container. I was able to live with it by letting it set for about 30 seconds after grinding and tapping the lid and sides before removing the container. You still get some cling and since NO brush comes with the unit, you have to use your hand or buy a small brush to get out all the grounds. Noise factor is high so if you are doing the morning coffee for your spouse, lover, or significant other and they are sleeping, they might get a rude awakening. You might get a rude awakening too if they’re usually cranky till that first cup.
Overall, this is a decent grinder. The price is only slightly higher than a standard blade grinder and you get the added benefit of an automatic burr type grinder with multiple settings. There’s lots of plastic in this machine, so take care when using. Noise, well all grinders are somewhat noisy so it’s something you have to live with if you want fresh ground taste.
Things that would be nice:
A way to get at the burr section for cleaning the grinders. It’s pretty well sealed up, so probably a small can of compressed air might be needed to blow out the unit from time to time. The rest of the parts come off easily for cleaning and are listed as dishwasher safe “top rack only”.
A cleaning brush. Even the cheapest blade grinder has a brush included.
Final notes:
The clearly written instructions include a handy measuring guide for use with the included scoop. As with any grinder, trial and error will produce the right combination for your particular coffee maker. A small note on the timer, the knob does not count down or move while grinding so you might not think it’s working. This is noted in the instructions and you can always stop or start the grinder by pushing the off/on button if the timer still has time on it.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
cwmont
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Location: Surprise, AZ, USA
Reviews written: 9
Trusted by: 1 member
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