I recieved this grinder as a gift and used it to replace my Starbucks Barista burr grinder (made by Solis). I was never very happy with my Starbucks grinder (I went through 3 replacements) but I strongly regretted giving my old grinder away after receiving this Kitchenaid.

First off, the unit is noisy - very noisy. It sounds like a vaccum cleaner or power drill in the pantry. You need the lid on the bean hopper on to grind because the beans bounce all around and will fly out otherwise. Second, the grind is inconsistent on both ends of the range. Grinding espresso results in plenty of french-press sized grains and vice version. Finally, grinding range is terrible (mostly as a result of inconsistent grind size) - I find the grinder usable for drip coffee, but it's totally unacceptable for espresso or french press.

As far as output, there are problems here too. The grounds shoot horizontally out of the grinder (there's a flap to kinda-sorta redirect them downward) making them impossible to catch in a container. This grinder will consistently make a huge mess on your counter after every use.

A final note - cleaning of the unit is very difficult. The chute the grounds come out of always has grounds from your last few grinds stuck in it which are very hard to get out (and very messy). Cleaning the burrs is a pain but not terrible - getting them back on and adjusted correctly is near impossible to get right.

Skip this grinder and pay the bit extra for the KitchenAid Pro Line

I have used this grinder for 3years and it has been flawless! I love it! Yes it makes some noise, and yes it can make a mess. I use a small Dixie cup to catch the grounds, which i then put into my brikka. On average it gets used 3 times a day. I do have to clean it out once in awhile as some coffee grounds get built up around the intake. This allows fewer beans to get to the grinder, which makes the thing shreak something awful!!!! Its always hungry for coffee beans!!! Oh, not to mention I get a lot of comments from friends about how cool it looks...

Have owned this for years and it has died on me 2 times but with a single call to the toll free Kitchenaid number they have sent out a brand new one and postage to cover shipping the damaged unit back. I love that about Kitchenaid - if anything ever goes wrong they replace the item right away!

I have had my grinder for over a year now. I have never cleaned it with the rice, and I use it daily. It does leave coffee grinds on the surface around the unit, but so what! When I opened the box I broke the glass cup. Kitchen Aid replaced it for free. I love this grinder.

Bought this 3 years ago and use it at out lake house. So it gets used only on weekends. IT stopped running recently and when I took it in to be repaired I am told by a Kitchen Aide authorized repair shop, that this grinder has been discontinued and they cannot repair them. I called Kitchen Aide customer service and was told the exact same thing. So if you buy it and it last more then 2 years(if you are lucky) it will not be able to be repaired. If it is still under warranty they would replace it. But it obviously cannot handle very much use if it could not handle three pots of coffee a week.