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- Verified Buyer
Got this grinder yesterday - in use today. THE big improvment for me is the deep cup which holds the beans. Vendor claims it holds from level 4 (min) to 12 (max) of beans that will on average deliver 4-12 cups of coffee. After some use I can vouch for this. For optimal flavor, the experts insist you consume promptly after grinding. But, I like the convenience of grinding 8-12 cups worth early in the day, transfer to a handy jar, and we live off that for the rest of day. Flavor is good the whole time. Everything about this grinder is solid and well made, unlike others I have used. And, it's the quietest blade grinder I have ever used. It has that feel of a machine that will last a long time. I wont say more for now, but intend to return to update my review a month from now when I expect to know more.... Dec 13, 2020 UPDATE. I've been using this coffee grinder for at least a month now, and can confirm that the KitchenAid Grinder (BCG111ER) exceeds all my hopes and expectations, best grinder of the many I've had in the past several decades. Best features = (1) excellent control over the extent of grind (from fine to coarse). At max bean fill (that will make at least 12 cups), if you hold the lid down (i.e., turn the grinder on) for 20-25 seconds you get a fine grind suitable all the way to espresso. [Note - for espresso you may need to go longer than 25 seconds (with a full grinder cup) depending on your espresso machine and the nature of the beans. The vendor cautions that excessive grind time may over heat the grinder. As a test, I went up to 29 seconds without over heating my machine.] Between 15 to 20 seconds will give you a coarser grind suitable for example for a french press (mine works best at 16 seconds). Remember, I determined these grinder times required to get my desired grind (coarse to fine) WITH THE GRINDER CUP FILLED TO MAXIMUM WITH COFFEE BEANS. If you put fewer beans in the grinder cup, required time to get a particular grind will be reduced. (2) Consistency of grind - For a given quantity of beans and a set grind time I get very much the same grind output every time. (3) Small foot print. This KitchenAid grinder takes up very little space on your counter top. (4) Sturdy build that makes below average noise, and feels solid with a pleasing heft to it.To get the performance you want, you should go through a bench-marking process similar to what I did so you can consistently get the extent of grind you prefer (coarse to fine). You really need a timer for this. And, for ease of use, you should carefully familiarize yourself with the outer (clear plastic) cap and the stainess steel inner cup which holds the beans. Notice that the outer cap connects to the grinder body with two small plastic pins that extend down from this cap and fit into two corresponding holes in the grinder body. These pins have to fit into their holes or you can not push the cap down far enough to start the grinder motor. This is a safety feature. God forbid that a child could somehow start the ginder. And, for someone who is sometimes a bit rough with their equipment, this 'pin in the hole' design may also present a slight chance of breaking one of the plastic pins. In that event, you will need another plastic cap and I don't know if KitchenAid sells replacement parts.Another safety feature is having the cutting blade built into the steel cup which holds the beans. If the cup is not inserted into the grinder body, it might be possilbe to start the motor (I didn't try this), but only the driver shaft would spin harmlessly, there being no blade to engage. There are indentations on the cup which must be aligned with an obvious mark on the grinder body. To accomplish this, insert the cup with the indentation aligned. It wont fit in! Good, that's another safety feature. While gently urging the cup to insert downward, rotate the cup counter clockwise. After a half inch or so, the cup will readily drop down to the 'engagement level'. At this lower level, rotate the cup back in a clockwise move until that cup indentation is aligned as desired. The fit is snug, another reflection of the grinder's sturdy build.
