Test: Best coffee grinder 2022

The Wilfa Svart Classic Aroma CGWS-130B coffee grinder is suitable for most brewing methods, from mocca and AeroPress to filter coffee, cold brew and cafetières (French press)
- but is it not good enough for espresso.

If you're looking for a grinder for your espresso machine, unfortunately, this Svart model cannot grind finely enough.

Quality at a reasonable price

Wilfa has installed a DC motor in the grinder, which makes it run at a lower speed, thus generating less heat – which you can taste in the coffee.

In our taste tests with ground coffee from the Svart grinder, we found nice taste nuances, and the coffee tasted neither bitter, sour, nor rancid, which we experienced with several of the other coffee grinders in the test.

This grinder is an upgrade of Wilfa’s old Nymalt grinder, and it is a very good coffee grinder at that price. It is fitted with ceramic and conical grinder knives, and, in general, delivers a consistent result with the individual grind settings.

While many of the other coffee grinders in the test produce quite a lot of micro dust, which gives the coffee an after-taste, there was hardly any micro dust or large flakes from the Wilfa Svart Classic Aroma coffee grinder.

Well-thought-through design

In the Wilfa Svart Classic Aroma coffee grinder, the design and practical features are well integrated. This makes it nice to look at and easy to use while offering many good details at the same time.

For example, the bean container is encapsulated in the design, meaning that the beans are exposed to significantly less light (making them last longer) than in other grinders. At the same time, the container has a UV filter, which protects the beans from the small part of the plastic container which is, after all, exposed to sunlight.

The grinder is also very user-friendly and straightforward. It is easy to adjust the grind size by turning the top part.

Even here, there is help to be had. If you are in doubt about how fine or coarse you should grind your coffee, then the coffee grinder features practical markings ”AeroPress”, ”French press”, "filter coffee", etc., to help you.

So when switching between brewing methods, it is easy to find the correct setting again. As opposed to many grinders where you turn a button from fine to coarse without visible steps.

Not without problems, but still our first choice

Like most other coffee grinders, the Svart model has a timer which can be set to indicate grinding duration. This way, you can set it to only grind the exact amount of coffee you need, meaning that the coffee is always freshly ground.

However, it turned out that the timer on the machine we tested was inconsistent at all settings below ten seconds, where it grinded for only a very short time. This is a defect in the machine, but unfortunately – after Googling this – it turned out that others have experienced it, too. So if it happens to you, return the grinder and get a new one.

Alternatively, you may want to weigh your coffee before pouring it into the bean container. This will also ensure an even fresher coffee.

A light sprinkle from the coffee container

The small container, which collects the ground coffee, seems less well-thought-through than the rest of the machine. The container is made from plastic and has a small flapping lid. When grinding the coffee to fine sizes it is OK to pour from, but when grinding for the cafetière, the coffee easily sprinkled outside the pot and onto the table.

There is a little static electricity in the container, but by no means as bad as some of the other grinders, where the coffee almost clung to the sides. With Wilfa, you can remove almost all the ground coffee by pouring.

Conclusion

The Wilfa Svart Classic Aroma coffee grinder soon became our favourite.
And because all the details are in place and it is so easy to use, the coffee grinder was the one that we used the most for our daily coffee brewing during the test period.

So if you are buying your first grinder or upgrading from a less expensive model, the Wilfa Svart grinder is definitely a good choice. Here, you will get good grinder specifications, which preserve the good aroma and taste of coffee.

In our blind testing, it was only overtaken by its own big brother, Wilfa Uniform, which also belongs in a somewhat higher price range.

Some first-time buyers will probably find the Wilfa Svart Classic Aroma coffee grinder rather pricey. But if you decide to buy it nonetheless, you will be guaranteed a good coffee grinder that will last quite some time.

We clearly appreciate why Wilfa Svart Classic Aroma has won several tests in some of the world’s most coffee consuming nations - Denmark, Sweden, and Norway.

It is possible to find space for the electric TSM6A013 coffee mill from Bosch in even the smallest of kitchens. Because this is the smallest mill in the test, and it is easy to store on a shelf or in a drawer if you do not have room enough to leave it out in the open.

Also, it is easy to bring along if you are going to a holiday house or somewhere else where it would be nice to have freshly ground coffee.

Can a coffee mill be better than a conical coffee grinder?

As opposed to the expensive grinders, this mill has steel blades which chop the coffee beans into smaller pieces rather than grinding them between two discs.

One disadvantage of this is that it can be difficult to grind the beans consistently. As a result, you get fewer oils and taste nuances out of the beans.

Nevertheless, what makes Bosch an interesting choice in the low price range is the fact that the quality of several of the inexpensive conical grinders is simply below par, and they end up producing a lot of micro dust and flakes, which give the coffee a bad taste.

Interestingly enough, we were actually able to achieve a more consistent grind with the coffee mill and thus avoid the unpleasant after-taste.

Both easy and difficult to operate

The coffee mill is super easy to operate
- yet, it does take a little ingenuity.

This probably requires an explanation.

When you want to grind the coffee beans, you remove the lid and pour in the required amount of beans. Then you push the button to switch it on. Easy enough, but now comes the hard part.

In principle, you leave the grinder to blend until the beans have the desired grind size. To do this, you need to have a feeling about the degree of fineness the beans should have – and you must stop the grinder at precisely the right time.

With a bit of practice, you will soon work it out, but the result will never be as accurate as with the other types of adjustable grinders.
One tip is to shake the grinder a bit while pushing the button. In our view, this gives a more consistent result.

The grinder is a bit noisy, but if you lift it up in your hands rather than leaving it on the worktop, the noise is less pronounced.

The design is part of the success

The shape of the blades makes it stand out from other coffee mills in this price range, and the Bosch TSM6A013 coffee mill also slopes at the bottom. We assume that the slanting bottom makes for better circulation of the coffee beans, enabling it to chop them more evenly.

Having said that, certain other aspects of the design could be improved. For example, the lid has to be attached with great precision before it is possible to switch it on. But if some coffee grounds get stuck between the surfaces, it can't start.

Another thing about this type of machine is that it generates heat when chopping the beans, and the most finely ground beans easily cling to the bottom.

So when you pour out the ground beans afterwards, you have to loosen the last bit yourself.
But this is probably something you can live with – particularly with a mill in this price range.

Conclusion

This is an excellent beginner's mill in a very inexpensive price range. Perfect if you want to test whether freshly ground coffee is something for you. You risk outgrowing the coffee mill, however. In time, you may want a better, and probably more expensive, coffee grinder.

But you can certainly brew a nice cup of coffee on the beans from Bosch’s electric coffee mill, which is actually superior to the other inexpensive grinders in terms of taste nuances. This is why we recommend this one as the best budget choice.

During the development process, Wilfa teamed up with Norwegian Tim Wendelboe, who knows a thing or two about coffee.

Tim has previously won the world championship for baristas which is to your advantage when you enjoy the freshly ground coffee beans from the Wilfa Uniform coffee grinder.

Wilfa Uniform is easy to get started with

The actual grinder has only one button, which switches on the grinder. Grind size is adjusted by removing the head from the grinder, after which you have 41 numbered grinder settings to choose from.

The numbers are quite practical. Numbers are often easier to remember than which line or dot on the scale you used the last time you were making AeroPress, using the cafetière, or making filter coffee.

No timer, but very practical scales

Wilfa Uniform has no timer, which is actually a drawback. Instead of the timer, you use ultra precise digital scales, which also function as a lid – and this, on the other hand, is a stroke of genius.

Especially, if you don't already have coffee scales that can weigh items down to 0.1 gram.

An advantage of the scales is that you can easily weigh out the precise amount of coffee you need for each brew. You push the on/off button to start the grinder, which stops automatically once the last bean has been ground.

Not storing more beans in the bean container than you will be using right away definitely benefits the coffee taste. But it is likely that not everyone will like weighing out beans for each and every cup/pot of coffee, so this is a matter of temperament – but it is quite easy to get used to.

As one of the few grinders in the test, the Uniform grinds so finely that you can also use it for your dedicated espresso maker. Yet, it soon loses out, as it is not possible to grind directly into your portafilter – ugh!

So, if you are mainly an espresso drinker, you may want to choose a dedicated espresso grinder.

Gave the best taste nuances

The Wilfa Uniform coffee grinder stands out with its flat steel burr grinders rather than the conical burrs found in many of the other grinders in the test.

Opinions vary on whether flat or conical grinder blades are best. But in this test, Wilfa Uniform takes the prize for preserving most aromas and bringing out the best taste of the coffee.

In the blind tasting, the final choice was between this and Wilfa’s Svart Classic model. And Wilfa Uniform came out best.

However, you must be a bit nerdy about it in order to taste the nuances here, and, considering the price difference between the Wilfa Uniform and Svart models, most people can make do with less.

Beautiful design and very quiet-running

As you know, this test is about grinding beans to get the best taste out of them.

But:
We have to dwell on the design of Wilfa Uniform.

This is an example of a solidly built coffee grinder made from quality materials. When handling the coffee grinder, you are in no doubt that this is a high-quality product.

And with its unique, round and simple design, this coffee grinder is a delight to the eye.

So if design matters to you, Uniform is a must.

Also, its design and quality materials mean that Wilfa Uniform is truly a quiet-running coffee grinder. We can obviously hear when it is working. But it is far less noisy and has a much more pleasant sound than any of the other grinders and mills in the test.

Another plus of its quiet-running operation is the fact that it is one of the slowest grinders in the test. But this is how you avoid overheating the beans and instead retain the good taste.

So in this case, slow is good.

Antistatic container

Who would have thought that it is important whether the container is antistatic or not?

Well, it is – especially when dealing with ground coffee beans that will soon make a mess all over the worktop. But this does not happen with Wilfa Uniform!

The Uniform coffee container is made from antistatic and stainless steel – and on top of that, the rounded corners make it easy to pour from. So we are pleased with it. Oddly enough, though, the container has a plastic lid, which is slightly static.

In general, however, the grinder is very easy to clean, and the coffee grounds do not make a mess as is the case with some of the others.

A grinder with its own app

Although you shouldn’t buy the grinder because of the app, we would still like to say a few words about it. The app can be downloaded for free, and you can use it for recipes and brewing tips for your pour-over coffee. You can also connect the scales and the app, but this feature seems rather superfluous.

Conclusion

Uniform is simply an excellent coffee grinder, both in terms of consistency of the grind, choice of material and design – and it has already won its own space on the worktop.

Yet, all of this comes at a price. And the price must be balanced against the test winner (Wilfa Svart Classic Aroma), which costs somewhat less – and has a timer to boot.

But if you like high-quality products and if it is important for you to wring out every last taste nuance from your expensive coffee beans, we warmly recommend Wilfa Uniform.

Encore is an American-manufactured grinder of the Baratza make, a company that has specialised in manufacturing coffee grinders for home use and commercial use alike.

Baratza Encore has a simple design and resembles a small version of the familiar café grinders. It has a bean container on top of the grinder and a coffee container that can be pulled out at the bottom.

Easy to operate

It is easy to adjust the grind size by turning the bean container, which is adjustable in steps from 1 to 40. It is easy to do a Google search for a small table that provides recommended settings for the individual brewing methods.

In addition, Encore has two on/off buttons. A push button on the front, which starts the grinder when pushed and stops when you release it. And a dial on the side, which starts the grinder when you turn it. To switch it off, turn the dial further forward or back again.
Unfortunately, the grinder does not have a timer.

The grinding quality is impeccable

Inside, Encore is fitted with 40 mm conical steel blades, which do a good job. The beans are ground very consistently, which you can taste in the coffee you brew afterwards.

It also has a DC motor which ensures slow grinding without heating up the beans in the process.

Baratza Encore is most suitable for brewing methods like filter, cafetière and AeroPress, but can also be used for espresso
- espresso requires calibration, however. But it's easy to find help on Google on how to calibrate the grinder.

Our clear recommendation, however, is an actual espresso grinder with a timer, if you mostly brew espresso.

The grinder is easy to disassemble by turning off the bean container (which should be emptied beforehand) to enable you to brush off the grinder blades.

You need to get started

This was the only grinder in this test we had to assemble before it was ready to use.
If you’re into coffee and your grinder, this is probably not a big deal for you.

But if you prefer to unpack your new grinder and get started right away, this may be challenging to some people, as you need to refer to the manual.

Antistatic coffee container

The coffee container is handy to use. It is both antistatic and easy to pour from. Also, nothing is left stuck to the bottom or sides once you’re done pouring.

The grinder is a bit noisy, but, once again, this sound is more pleasant than the noise emitted by the inexpensive grinders, where we almost felt sorry for the motor because of the way it sounds.

Conclusion

Baratza’s Encore grinder does an excellent job in the test. It has numerous settings for grind sizes, and the coffee container is both handy and antistatic.

It doesn’t have a timer, which is a bit of a nuisance in certain situations. But if you weigh your beans before pouring them into the container, this is not a problem.

The Delonghi KG521 burr grinder boasts higher quality conical grinder blades compared to Delonghi's smaller model in the test. Does the taste reflect this? Yes, it does.

The coffee grinder also has a slightly larger motor and grinder wheel. All to ensure that the coffee beans do not overheat, as this is crucial for the coffee aromas.

Pleasant sound and consistent grind

Even though a burr grinder like the Delonghi KG521 does make a noise when grinding coffee, the size of the motor is quite simply important for the way the sound is perceived.

And here, the sound level of the KG521 is in the rather pleasant end. In addition, it is also one of the fastest grinders.
The quality of the ground coffee is definitely in the high end as well.

The grinder's conical steel blades manage to grind very consistently, both on coarse and fine settings, and it doesn’t create too much dust or too many flakes in the final result either.

This definitely shows in the coffee where the aromas and taste nuances of the beans were much more pronounced than with the less expensive grinders.

More expensive model with a range of features

The KG521 is a very user-friendly burr grinder, which is easy to operate. It also has several different features which make it stand out from many of the other grinders in the test. Some features are useful, while others appear somewhat unnecessary.

It is the only grinder to have a small LED display. The display provides an easy overview of the selected settings. It shows you the number of cups you're grinding coffee for, the grind size, and aroma.

Let us briefly explore each of the three settings.

• Grinding time is set by selecting the number of cups on a small dial at intervals between 1 to 14 cups. If the pre-set intervals do not match your brewing method, or if you want to use the grinder for espresso, you can set the grinding time for the individual intervals yourself.

• Grind size is set at intervals between 1 and 18, and here, Delonghi has helpfully indicated the setting to be used for cafetière, drip, and espresso coffee.

• Aroma is set by pushing a button, and you get to choose from three levels; light, normal, and strong. This function seemed less than obvious – and somewhat unnecessary.

Can (almost) be used for espresso

It is possible to grind for espresso, but then you need to purchase a small holder for your portafilter. Insert the holder, and then it is possible to grind directly into your portafilter.

In this particular case, being able to set individual grinding times manually is practical.

So, on paper, this grinder is geared for espresso, but if you are a serious espresso brewer, you will find that the grind is not sufficiently fine. Here, we recommend a dedicated espresso grinder instead.

But if you have a small espresso machine at home, which you use with other brewing methods, the KG521 could be a good choice.

A large grinder

In terms of size, it takes up slightly more space than other grinders. And it is taller, which could limit where you can put it.

It also has a bigger bean storage capacity. The container is not UV-protected however, so we advise against pouring in too many beans at a time. The beans will stay fresher for longer in an air-tight and light-proof container or bag.

Also, the container that collects the ground coffee is bigger than many of the others in the test.

If you grind copious amounts at a time, this can be practical. But since it is generally not a good idea to grind more than you want to use right away, this may be less important.

Incidentally, the container has rounded edges, which could make pouring from the container slightly more difficult, but on the other hand, it is less static and therefore less messy.

Conclusion

In terms of taste nuances and consistency of the ground beans, this burr grinder is close to the test winner. But this Delonghi KG521.M coffee grinder is both more expensive and bigger, and we do not think that the added features match the price.

The Delonghi KG521.M is good if you are willing to spend a little more money on freshly ground coffee and at the same time would like to be able to try to grind for espresso.

You could also choose it for the design, which matches several of Delonghi’s other products in the coffee series.

The OBH Nordica Precision GD7008S0 coffee grinder is easy to operate and it does not take up too much space on the worktop. You can set the coarseness of the grind and for how long it should grind at a time. You switch it on with a simple push of a button.

Even though this is a rather inexpensive coffee grinder, there is no doubt that you still get a better cup of coffee when it is freshly ground compared with the coffee that you buy pre-ground from the shop.

The Precision grinder from OBH Nordica is fitted with conical steel blades. On paper, this may look fine, but in this case you only get what you pay for.
We found that the ground coffee was not quite consistent and contained quite a lot of micro dust, which gives the coffee an unwanted after-taste.

Even when adjusting the grinder to a slightly coarser setting for brewing coffee in the cafetière, the grind was not particularly consistent. According to the manual, the grinder can grind to espresso, but in reality, it is not geared for this.

Yet, we must say that even though the inside of the grinder looks conspicuously like both Delonghi KG89 and Wilfa Il Solito, we had less micro dust with this grinder compared with the other two.

So if we were to choose a grinder with conical blades in this price range, we would recommend OBH’s Nordica Precision over the other ones.

Scores middle point on the cleaning front

When it comes to cleaning, a good grinder must meet several requirements. For one thing, it must be easy to get to the grinder wheel, to clean the machine on the inside.

The OBH grinder meets this requirement, and it is easy to turn the piece of plastic in the bean container, thus getting access to the grinder wheel.

Another aspect in relation to cleaning is the amount of mess the grinder makes. Here, the amount of micro dust and static electricity are very important factors. The OBH Nordica grinder's performance in this discipline is average.

The bean container is slightly static (however, less than the other ones) which means that the coffee dust clings a little to the sides and can be difficult to tap off. And it also sprinkles out onto the table.

Conclusion

The OBH Nordica Precision coffee grinder is a good buy if you want to familiarise yourself with the world of good taste that awaits you when you begin to grind the coffee yourself and enjoy a cup of freshly ground coffee.

However, it loses out on several parameters when compared to the more expensive models. On the other hand, this allows you to get started within a reasonable price range.

The coffee mill in the Bodum Bistro series comes in many colours. We tested the black version, but we would have liked to have had a gaudy yellow one. Unfortunately, it was sold out – so keep an eye on the stock levels for your favourite colour here at PriceRunner.

This little coffee mill is super simple. It crushes and cuts the coffee beans to pieces using two small blades which whirr around at a furious speed – in the same way as a stick blender.

Easy and straightforward

The mill has only one button and it is very straightforward. However, one disadvantage of the coffee mill is that it cannot be adjusted. This means that you need to grind until you reach the desired grind size. This makes it slightly more difficult to judge and means that it will be difficult to get a consistent result.

It has roughly the same noise level as other coffee mills, but may seem slightly more pleasant. As with all other coffee mills of this type, it is less noisy if you lift it off the table and hold it in your hand while grinding the coffee.

Difficult to adjust the grind size

It grinds to an acceptable result, but as mentioned earlier, it is a bit difficult to control the grind size so that you don’t end up with either too many coarse or fine grounds. The construction makes it a bit difficult to get a consistent result with the ground coffee beans.

On the inside, Bodum has a flat bottom, where grinders from some of the other manufacturers have a slight incline. On the other hand, the Bodum Bistro mill has a bigger capacity. And this may be important to you if you typically grind coffee for many cups at a time.

How easy is it to empty the container (empty out all the coffee)?

Once you have achieved the correct grind size, it is easy to pour out the ground beans into your coffee brewer. However, every time we have used it, a small lump of the finely ground beans got stuck to the bottom, and we had to loosen them with a finger to pour them out.

The mill is super easy to clean, as it is easy to reach and wipe off all parts with a damp cloth.

Conclusion

The Bodum Bistro coffee mill is a good choice, especially if you are looking for a small mill that is easy to take with you on the go. Or maybe as your first mill, testing whether the whole thing about freshly ground beans is something for you? (We think yes.)

Your main reason for choosing this mill would probably be its affordability – and if the design and the many colour options are to your taste.

This DeLonghi is a simple coffee grinder. It has an on/off button that starts the grinder. If you wish to stop it prematurely, this is also the button to push. You adjust the amount of ground coffee on a dial at the front where you can choose from 2 to 12 cups. And you can adjust the grind size on the side of the grinder.

Small motor

Just like all the other affordable (cheaper) grinders, this grinder has a small motor. Unfortunately, this also means that it is quite noisy. It almost sounds like the grinder is struggling with its task.

If you happen to use the grinder without coffee beans, the machine will slowly move along the worktop. While there is always some hilarity in kitchen appliances going for a stroll, it does speak of the grinder's capabilities.

OK, so how does it grind?

All grinders produce a certain amount of micro dust and flakes. But we have to say that Delonghi KG89 produces quite a lot more dust and flakes than the other grinders in the test.

Is that a problem? Yes, because a large amount of micro dust gives the coffee a rancid taste and it may even give you a slightly gritty sensation in the mouth. On the other hand, too many flakes will give the coffee a sour taste.

When grinding coffee beans for a cafetière on DeLonghi KG89, the bitter substances in the coffee were very pronounced. The picture also clearly shows the formation of lumps of coffee, which are much finer than the other particles. So although the grinder has conical blades, it did not grind consistently at all.

Difficult to empty the container without making a mess with coffee grounds

There is a great difference in the antistatic properties of the individual containers for the ground coffee. This affects how easy or difficult it is to empty out the coffee
- and unfortunately, we were not impressed by the KG89 model.

The container was very static, and because of the large amount of very finely ground coffee, some of it almost jumped around – like fleas – when we wanted to pour the coffee into the cafetière. This means that a lot of the coffee grounds end up on the table, but also that the coffee dust clings to the inside of the container and the lid.

The burr grinder is easy to take apart and clean, but here too, the large amount of finely ground coffee causes problems, as it can be difficult to remove it from the bottom of the grinder. Also, the construction of the container appeared slightly fragile; we dropped it on the floor and the handle broke off easily.

Conclusion

This is a small, affordable coffee grinder which is easy to operate. It doesn't really stand out in comparison to the other grinders. On the contrary, the grinder is challenged in certain ways when it comes to grinding uniformly and regarding the static container for the ground coffee beans.

If you will only be using the grinder for filter coffee, this is a fine alternative to the pre-ground coffee you buy at the supermarket.

Wilfa Il Solito CG-110 is the smallest coffee grinder from Wilfa, and it is somewhat more simple too.

For one thing, it has a smaller motor, and even though it is fitted with conical grinder blades, they are not of the same quality or size as its larger siblings from Wilfa.

Wilfa Il Solito is not suitable for espresso, as it does not come close to grinding finely enough. But it is excellent for filter coffee or brewing methods such as cafetière or Hario V60.

The coffee grinder has two dials. One to adjust the amount and another one to adjust how fine or course the grind should be.

Easy to operate

The small motor makes a lot of noise. Depending on how finely you grind the beans, you may also find that it does not sit firmly on the table and will slide a bit along the worktop.

But it is easy to operate and it is also easy to pour the ground coffee from the container.

Very static coffee container

Emptying the container is not easy however, because it is super static. The coffee clings to the sides and easily spills onto the table – a common challenge for many of the less expensive grinders.

Very inconsistent grind

We experienced a few problems choosing the right settings for the different types of coffee – mainly because the coffee grinder does not grind consistently.

For the cafetière, where we used a slightly coarser setting, some of the coffee ended up as finely ground microdust.
The microdust gives the coffee an unpleasant after-taste, which muffles the good coffee aromas.

On paper, the grinder ought to give you a good cup of coffee. But in the blind tasting, we found that it lost to other grinders in the same price range, as well as to the less expensive electric coffee mills – which actually just blend the coffee beans.

To us on the test panel, this emphasizes how important it is for the grinder to actually grind with complete consistency.

Conclusion

This grinder is best suited for those who are novices at making freshly ground coffee and for those who want an inexpensive model.

But it is worth considering whether it would be worth spending a little more for one of Wilfa's slightly higher priced models, such as the test winner.

Yet, an inexpensive model still performs better than pre-ground coffee, and from that perspective, Wilfa Il Solito is an acceptable choice.

Like many of the other grinders, Russell Hobbs 23120-56 has two buttons, which can be adjusted to set the grind size and time to grind the coffee beans.

Just press one of the two adjusting knobs to start the grinder. The button emits a blue light while grinding. As opposed to some of the other less expensive models, the motor does not sound as strained when grinding. It is still noisy – but in a less unpleasant way.

Disappointing grinding abilities

Unfortunately, the grinder loses out when evaluating the quality of the ground coffee that it provides. We were unable to grind the beans to a sufficiently fine and uniform quality to find it adequate for filter coffee. (See the yellow marking in the picture further down)

OK, we are a bit fussy and nerdy when it comes to our coffee, but seen from the perspective of a coffee enthusiast, this makes the grinder almost useless.

Harsh words, we know, about what appears to be a fine little coffee grinder. But even the finest grind setting produced far too many large flakes. In addition to the flakes, we also saw a lot of unwanted microdust (the pink markings in the picture below).

Static container and impossible to clean inside

The container for the ground beans is easy to remove and pour from, but that is as far as the praise goes. Because the container is so static that it was impossible to empty it completely.

The coffee grounds stick to the container like a bunch of mountaineers caught in a storm without their safety lines. (See the green marking in the previous picture)

Actually, you have to either wash or vacuum-clean the container to remove them.

To clean the grinder inside, you need to turn and remove a piece of plastic inside the grinder, but we were unable to do so at all.

We may have been unlucky with this particular grinder that we had received. But the piece of plastic was so tight, and there was hardly any room to get a proper hold of it. In the end, we gave up trying to remove the piece of plastic – and that makes it difficult to keep the grinder clean.

Conclusion

The most positive thing we can say about the Russell Hobbs grinder is its nice, compact design. The coffee grinder is certain to look good on the worktop. But the grinding properties are not such that we can recommend it – that is, if you want a cup of coffee which actually tastes like a cup of coffee should taste.

The coffee beans are ground far too coarsely (even with the finest setting), and in no way consistently.

Either we had received a very faulty coffee grinder, or this is an example of yet another fancy idea concocted by the manufacturer rather than an honest attempt to produce an affordable grinder.

Please note: We will be happy to test a new grinder of the same make to find out whether we reach the same conclusion again. Until then, this coffee grinder is just not good enough.