"I have been grinding whole spices in my Ninja for a while, and while it worked for that purpose, it was not a machine dedicated to this task. The results varied, and the container in which they were ground was severely scared early on. Because of this, I purchased this Krups Spice and Coffee Grinder. When I evaluated this against it's competition, it excelled there as well. While the instruction book is almost adequate, and gives information on brewing coffee, I purchased this to pulverize my whole spices, based on the reviews of others. It's too bad that its stainless steel brother could not achieve such a high consumer ranking, since I would have rather had that. But the fact of the matter is, while this is plain and simple, it is also very reliable. While my Omega 8006 can grind coffee and some certain spices, this little grinder is far more practical and versatile for grinding the harder spices, such as cinnamon, which the Omega 8006 cannot grind, and this is easier to clean up. And while my Ninja mini processor can also grind spices, and it did a decent job without complaint, but the sacrifice was the rough scratching of the bowl. Although, after several times of grinding cinnamon sticks, the clear plastic dome has become cloudy from scratches. But realistically, I can't complain about it since the look of the top has not effected the efficiency of the unit. Pros: It does an exceptional job of grinding a wide variety of herbs as well as flax seed. As a result, I will definitely be incorporating more flax in my smoothies. Organic spices. If you grow or buy your own organic whole spices, you can dry them, then use this to produce your own organic spice powders. I used a combination of chili peppers to make a hot and smokey pepper seasoning/rub that I have not found in any of my local stores. It also did an excellent job of grinding up whole Allspice, which is very hard like peppercorns. I'm planning on growing, as well as buying more whole spices so I can grind them fresh and get the optimum flavor. Cons: None so far. MY BOTTOM LINE: Get the right tool for the right job. Specifically, get THIS very practical, and easily affordable grinder. After the first time you use it, you'll wonder why you didn't buy it sooner. I'd appreciate any questions or comments, so please feel free to ask me anything about this product. And if my review was helpful, please give me a positive vote. Thanks. 5-18-14 Update - I have used this a lot for many things, and it just keeps going and going without hesitation no matter what I put in it. I am still completely satisfied with this, and highly recommend it to anyone looking for a tried and true grinder. 1-16-15 UPDATE - The top is beginning to shatter. I can't determine what particular dried herb or spice caused this, but the more I use this, the worse it looks. I'm going to contact the manufacturer for either a replacement, or a refund. What a shame that, not only did this issue happen, but that Amazon couldn't have stepped up for me and took care of the matter. 1-22-15 UPDATE - After contacting Krupps customer support, they are sending me a replacement top free of charge. Thanks to them, I've renewed my faith in this machine and company."
KRUPS F203 Electric Spice and Coffee Grinder with Stainless Steel Blades, Black (Compare deals from $19.99)
"The basics: This inexpensive and compact spice and coffee grinder does its job well. I bought it looking for a way to grind spices, and it does so without any trouble. Why I chose this product: I was using a recipe that called for ground poppy seeds and I tried everything I had in my home with no success. The food processor did not work - instead, it just pushed the poppy seeds around. The blender did not work - the same thing happened. The mortar and pestle did not help at all. Nothing I tried would break down these poppy seeds. I had heard that coffee grinders work well for grinding spices. Yes, I did have a coffee grinder for coffee, but I was also aware that you do not want to use the same machine for coffee beans and spices because the spices will most likely impart a certain flavor in your coffee, even after thorough cleaning. Therefore, I wanted a small and compact grinder specifically for spices, which also would not cost too much. How it performed: This one fit the bill and I ordered it. To my delight, it worked exactly as I had hoped. It ground the poppy seeds up perfectly and finely. It is easy to wipe clean with a paper towel. Occasionally, in order to clean it better, I fill it up to the blades with white rice and then finely grind it. Then, I dump the rice flour out and clean it with a dry paper towel. This helps remove some of the odor from the previously ground spices as well. Further considerations: I could see this working well with coffee beans too, but it does not have any measurement lines on the inside of the cup for you to measure how much you are making without then using another measuring device to verify you are using the right amount. Exact Dimensions, at the widest parts: Height: 17 cm (6.7 inches) Width: 7.8 cm (3.1 inches) Cord length: about 29 inches To know before I go: Even though I plan on using this grinder strictly for grinding spices, I feel it was definitely worth the purchase. It s very compact size does not take up too much space in my storage cabinets and the next time I need to grind a spice for any reason (freshly ground spices do emit such a wonderful aroma when cooking!), I will be glad I have this one."
"It starts like this: my parents grind coffee every single morning. I watched them do it all throughout high school. I didn't really understand what the difference was, nor did I really care all that much about it. Then I got to college and bought cheap, pre-ground coffee from the store. Then I understood. I haven't gotten around to buying this, and my own coffee beans until this year, but I will say that this is perfect and allows me to grind and brew much better coffee than offered in the pre-ground section at the store. Note: I've had this grinder for about two weeks now. First grinder I've owned. I've only used one other grinder (my parents, which is pretty old). In other words, this is a simple review, with no professional coffee maker/brewer base to it. I'm in college, to say the least. Just trying to be a little sophisticated, or something like that. As far as the construction of this grinder, it's perfect. Yeah, it says you can grind other things inside of it, but I don't bake or anything so I have no need for it, other than grinding almonds for my oatmeal in the morning, which turned out to be one of my best decisions next to buying the grinder itself. It's a solid machine. Doesn't make too much noise for my five suite mates or apartment roomies or whatever you want to call them. They also use it for their own coffee as well. It holds the perfect amount of beans, and grinds them very well and efficiently. Functionality- its perfect, for me at least. I just want to grind coffee so it can taste better. That's it. I'm not into the whole "fine grind, coarse grind" thing. I don't particularly care if the coffee beans are ground to a dust. It still goes into the coffee machine, in the filter, and I don't find chunks in my coffee. Sometimes it misses a bean or something, but there were like thirty other beans in there that got ground up so I'm not really missing much in my mind. Lastly- cleaning the thing. Cleaning is not a fun thing. I don't do it frequently, partially because it's not needed and partially because it's somewhat of a pain, as it would be with any grinder. The coffee sticks to the bottom of it sometimes, meaning I gotta get in there and rotate the blade to get to it all without cutting myself. This is not specific to this grinder, but just is a general statement about cleaning grinders in general. Not a big deal though; it's well worth it in my mind. The clear plastic piece is easy to clean, though. No issues with that at all. A little hot water and it's all good to go. Again, I'm no coffee connoisseur, but this does what I need it to do, and I get better tasting coffee because of it. I'll update this review if something goes astray. Hope this helps somebody!"
"I purchased this grinder a little over three years ago as a Christmas gift for a family member. This grinder has been used multiple times every week, and it has done a great job grinding up coffee for a drip coffee maker. Pros: Grinds coffee quickly - It takes just a few seconds to grind up a full load of coffee beans. I recommend pulsing the motor on and off. That way the coffee grinds evenly. Easy clean up - All you have to do is just do a quick wipe out of the grinding chamber with a paper towel. There isn't any thing to take apart to clean it which is a big plus. The black housing on this unit still looks nice after three years, and it doesn't show dirt easily - This is important for a device that will be sitting in your kitchen to be used each morning. The grinder won't operate without the lid attached. Cons: Quite noisy while grinding coffee. However, this is to be expected at this price point, and no coffee grinder is going to operate silently. Keep this in mind though if you need to make coffee quietly in the mornings. The power cable is a bit short, but it's still long enough to use in almost every kitchen. Just keep in mind that you wont be able to snake the power cable around many obstacles on your counter top. Other thoughts: Something to keep in mind is that this grinder isn't suitable for espresso or other coffee drinks that require a very fine grind. It should work for a french press or other brewing systems that need a more coarse grind, but I haven't tried it so I can't say for sure. If you plan on grinding lots of aromatic / oily herbs then I would buy another grinder just for that use. It would be hard to totally remove all traces from this grinder and the residue could adversely affect the flavor of your coffee. Conclusion: Overall this is a great grinder for the price. Does it have a ton of features, settings, and a digital display? No. But what it does have is a strong motor, an easy to use design, and it will last for many years grinding coffee."
"I didn't know what to expect from this little grinder, because I've never used a grinder before--not for coffee or anything else. But I found myself in need of a grinder for flax seed, so I decided to give this a try. The tray is smaller than I anticipated, so it's not possible to grind a lot of things at the same time, but that's not a huge deal. When it's powdered it takes up a lot more space. I tried it on flax seeds, which was my primary purpose for purchasing this unit. Just a few pulses and a few seconds of continuous grind resulted in perfectly-ground flax meal exactly the consistency I was looking for to use in baking. More than a few seconds of continuous grinding caused this grinder to produce a lot of heat, so I wouldn't recommend any amount of holding down the grind button for an extended time--more than 10-15 seconds, and it could probably use some cooldown time between each use. I ground about a cup of flax seed 1/3 cup at a time into about 2 cups of flax meal, and it took just a couple of minutes total. For me (admittedly not knowing much about grinders) cleaning this spice and coffee grinder lost it a star. The lid is removable and can be washed or even put in a washer, however the blade and pan are not user-serviceable. You're supposed to wipe them down with a damp cloth, or use a brush to get debris out from the crevices under the blade mechanism. I have good-sized hands and found it difficult to believe that I was able to thoroughly cleanse the device after using it. It looks clean and I'm not seeing any more bits of flax seed anywhere after thoroughly wiping it down and brushing around the blade mechanism, but I'd feel more comfortable if I could remove the blade and pan for a thorough cleaning. Because this doesn't look like a possibility, I'd definitely not recommend grinding anything mild-tasting after grinding something with a strong taste. There could be some cross-contamination. If I were going to grind coffee, I'd probably purchase a separate unit could have one for spices and another for coffee."
"Bought this to replace my Braun coffee grinder which lasted about 20 years. Apparently Braun no longer makes these, and the remaining stock are selling on Amazon for about $150. I liked my old grinder - but not THAT much! My household has been using the Krups grinder daily now for about a year. It has held up well and will probably last for another 20 years if nobody drops it. My parents had a Krups grinder when I was a child and this one is much like their old one. The design hasn't changed much since the 1980s. Here are a few things to know about this grinder (and similar ones by other manufacturers): ---------------------------------------------------------------------- True coffee snobs will tell you that a burr grinder is needed for the optimal brew of coffee. While that may be true, I am very happy with results I get from this grinder - and you can't beat the price. Burr grinders are generally more expensive. The coarseness of grind is controlled based on how long you hold down the button with this grinder. There are no settings for different grinds. You will need to practice to learn how long to hold the button for your desired grind. A finer grind for espresso requires holding it down longer. After grinding coffee, you will probably need to unplug the grinder and use a small spatula (or your finger!) to scrape all the coffee out of the grinder. BE SURE TO UNPLUG THE GRINDER before doing this! If you want to use this for grinding both coffee and other things (nuts, spices, etc.) you will need to clean it well between uses or the flavor will carry over. (Think coffee flavored spices) You will also need to be careful when grinding anything think like peanuts, as you can easily burn out the motor. If you smell burning, stop grinding immediately. I know many people who have burned out grinders this way. All in all, this is not a bad little grinder and a good value for the money - though true coffee snobs may want to look for something fancier."
"At first let me say that I'm a 'coffee-holic' and, as such, grinding my own beans is a must. That said, this puppy did it well enough for use in my single- cup Aeropress (which I love) and I've been totally satisfied in that regard, no question. But that's about it. Then why my 2 star reasoning? - The top fits tightly, which is surely good while during the grinding process, but then because of that, pulling it off to get at the grinds when completed is a real bitch for no matter how carefully I do it, fine grinds end up all over the kitchen counter top. - It is verrrrry difficult to pour the ground beans out once the job is done. The grinding chamber is not removeable so I have to unplug tgrinder and lug the whole thing over to the sink so that I can hopefully pour the grinds directly from it into the coffee maker. I say"hopefully"because most of the time only about half the ground coffee comes out this way. The rest I have to remove with a small plastic spoon (don't wanna damage the blades with a metal one). And even then, quite a bit still sticks to the inside of the plastic grinding area so I hafta flip the spoon and using the other end, kinda scrape the remainder out. - Again, because it is one-piece and therefore not water immersible, you can't wash the grinding chamber out to clean it thoroughly. Not good. Well there ya go. Those are my reasons for the 2 star rating and now it's back to the drawing board as I'll be ordering another different one. Prob'ly will take a chance with either The Mr. Coffee or the Epica, both about the same price and both having decent reviews re: doing the job, removing the finished grinds and cleaning the whole thing up. In any case, c'est la vie with this one, I guess..."
KRUPS F203 Electric Spice and Coffee Grinder with Stainless Steel Blades, Black (Compare deals from $19.99)
