Wilkinsons-USA

Now what would be a great gift to go with a bag of fresh roasted coffee beans?  A handy mini grinder would be high on my list. While there are several about I’d personally go for something like this as the Krups name is known for its quality. I have heard of these models going on for years on end reliably faithfully constantly..

Now there a few pro’s and cons to having a smaller grinder like this. To be complete lets review them.

• They are fairly cheap. This one is going for about the $20 mark as of this writing.
• They are surprisingly reliable when used as intended.
• They are quick to produce a pots worth of ground coffee. (Two or three ounces)

However:

• Don’t be misled by statements saying they are suitable for both coffee & Spices. It should read Coffee OR a spice, unless you have an all stainless steel case & cover AND you clean it extensively there will be a build up of whatever it is used for that could change the flavor of a different ingredient.
• Its very easy to over grind coffee in them making it too fine for a permanent filter. Paper filter machines will not have this trouble so much but blade action “grinders” tend to over do things unless you watch them very closely

So are they worth it? Absolutly! Fresh coffee is what its all about and grinding it right before brewing is just about the best way you can achieve it. For only a few dollars you can greatly improve the taste of your favorite coffee in the morning and lets not forget that whole beans have a longer active shelf life than pre ground. If you like speciality coffee’s then having something like the KRUPS 203-42 is ideal when you want to splash out and treat yourself to a fine coffee.