We have used this grinder for several weeks now and are thoroughly satisfied. It works as advertised and offers a consistent grind almost instantly. Well worth the price.

The positive: This grinder produces a uniform grind.

The negatives: I could only add half the capacity of beans.

The first time I filled the grinder and was grinding for the 30 seconds the manual instructs you to, something plastic inside got very hot and started smoking. So, I started doing two grinds to get the amount of coffee I like.

A week ago,a friend of mine was making coffee, and not knowing the grinder's capacity limitation, filled it full with beans and burned out the motor.

Anyways, if you like strong coffee don't buy this grinder. If you like lighter strength coffee this is a good grinder because of its consistent grinding of the beans.

We bought this to replace it! Breville BCG450XL Ikon Conical Burr Grinder

Product works as expected but if you like to make 10 or more cups of coffee at once you will find the grinding chamber too small on this unit. I also don't like the lid which has a plastic inner ring that the coffee beans like to get stuck in. These beans make it tough to close the top so you can engage the start switch and won't get ground up if you do manage to start it. It is also difficult to dump the ground product into the coffee maker as the lid won't hold all the coffee so you have to unplug the unit and tip the whole machine over to empty it. On the plus side unit has plenty of power and has a reasonable quality feel to it.

this is a public service. You are wondering if you should get the Cusinart or the Braun coffee bean grinder? Trust me, I bought both and the 'other' one is the correct choice. This one has a short cord and a cap that is smaller than the bean reservoir. The 'other' one doesn't have these problems.

You are probably thinking what happened to the 'other' grinder. Well, I decided, after 2 years, to grind a blend of spices for the BBQ. I did this about 3 or 4 times, and the grinder stopped grinding. I wonder why they called it a 'coffee bean grinder'? Duhhh

Sincerely, JCG, tampa

I bought this to grind spices and grains. Wanted to add flax to my diet and this is a great product. Used it to make chai tea, it worked well.

Had it for years and still works great. No, it doesn't grind massive quantities at a time. So what? It's efficient, powerful and easy to store due to it's small size.

The main reason I bought this grinder is because it's red and it's less expensive than a burr grinder. I use it about three times a day and it's holding up fine so far. It's not as messy as most blade grinders and it has a secret compartment to tuck the cord into when it's not being used.

Works great and grinds all the coffee beans the first time. The grinder is compact and the color matches my current (other brand) red coffee maker. Very reasonable price.

Nice little inexpensive coffee mill. It allows you to grind coffee all the way down to a powder if you want to. It grinds fairly evenly, but not as well as a good burr mill. It cleans out easily and also works great for grinding other herbs and spices, and making for making meat rubs. It's fairly loud, so use it after everybody is awake (or as a morning wake up call). It is probably the best buy for under $20. If you have never ground your own coffee, this is a great way to get a good cup of coffee for little cost. It also takes up very little counter space and it's available in colors to match just about any kitchen.

I love it. Compact, simple design, easy settings. Easy to use and with the container so easily used to pour out the coffee.

Cuisinart DCG-20BKN Coffee Bar Coffee Grinder, Black
We purchased this as a gift. We also have one and I really like it's simplicity.

The Cuisinart coffee grinder model DCG-20N is a waste of good money. The plastic holding the blade starts breaking after little more than a week's use (low intensity use at that - just once a day), and if you don't want to / cannot afford to spend money on a new grinder, you have to check and clean the ground coffee / spices of the broken plastic pieces.

What's more, in a matter of a week or two more, this plastic disc is so badly broken that the blades collapse and the grinder becomes unusable. I gave it the benefit of doubt (partly because it was the only brand that the local grocery store kept) the first time this happened and bought it a second time and in a different color, after a gap of over a year just in case it was something to do with the batch.....and it happened again, in exactly the same way! And this in spite of the fact that I took really really good care to always follow the instructions in the manual!

This is a very very very substandard product. I feel cheated of my hard-earned money, and am never going to buy a Cuisinart product ever again.

I use this to grind nuts and seeds. Works really well. Nice design.

1 PIECE UNIT. AFER GRINDING MUST TIP WHOLE UNIT TO EMPTY. CHEAPER IS NEVER BETTER. LOOKING TO REPLACE AFTER FIRST USE.

I used one of these for years to grind coffee before I switched to a burr grinder, which allows more control over the coarseness of the grind. For coffee, I recommend a burr grinder but this one will get the job done, and at less than half the cost.

I use this grinder to grind whole spices (cloves, cumin seed, cinnamon sticks, mustard seed and flaxseed). This little grinder rips through those hard spices in 10 to 15 seconds. I was very pleased that it chewed up the flaxseed. It saved me spending $50 for a flax specific grinder.

Overall, I highly recommend this product for grinding spices and seeds (5 stars). I give this machine 4 stars for coffee, only because I like to be able to control the size of my grinds for multiple brewing options (French press versus drip).

I received this grinder as a Christmas gift from my son-in-law after my cheapo, cheapo grinder went kaput! I am surprised at some of the not so happy reviews because we use this grinder every single day, sometimes twice in one day, and it works really well.

If the grinder is dedicated for coffee or spices, there's no need to clean it (like, with water and soap; just tap around the outside canister and all the excess residue falls off the edges into the cup/blade area.

I really like the grinder, and knowing my luck, this Cuisinart will last a long time only because I've had my eye on a Kitchen Aid coffee grinder (to match the rest of my appliances) and just happened to get this one as a gift. Oh well! But, the grinder is worth the money, and it does what it's supposed to do. Unless you're the type of person who needs directions on how to breathe, this grinder is a no-brainer :-)

This is the first coffee grinder that I have ever purchased and I am extremely pleased. That being said I have to say that I find it a speedy little unit that is easy to clean and makes just the noise you would expect! I also have to say that I purchase high quality coffee and I make full pots of strong coffee without having to grind a second run of beans...

This is the second Cuisinart I own. The motor burned on the first one. I bought the same one as to preserve the Lid from the first one as a Spare. I had the Braun counterpart before and the lid broke on me. The only real complain I have about this unit is the fact that the lid is very dark and you can't see well inside to evaluate the grinding process.

I liked the Braun better as the lid is clear and you can see what's happening inside; this way you can achieve the proper grind without opening the lid to check.

The Braun has 150 Watt motor while the Cuisinart has 130 W. The Cuisinart looks more modern and sharper. With either you can get a good grind, but I would go with the Braun.....I'm currently considering a Burr grinder, but I can't sell my self that it'll be worth all that counter realstate....I keep my coffee in the fridge, and after grinding it to fine it does not feel hot, maybe warm if I grind to a super fine. From the reviews I read on the Burr Grinders, it looks like a lot more hassle, but what the heck, we love to complicate our lives....

The lid for this grinder has a weird double wall, and coffee gets between the walls. It is very hard to clean. The only work-around we have found is to load and assemble it upside-down. Then, you can turn it over and grind without too much problem with the seal. Our old Krups never had any such problem. I also bought a Cusinart hand mixer recently, because it used to be a good brand. Both were fair to poor. Be warned.

This little red kitchen buddy is a whiz with the coffee beans, and looks stellar next to the Cuisinart 12-cup CoffeeMaker. My main beef is with Amazon, who, a week after my purchase, lowered the price another $3 bucks. Oh well! Sunny cheery RED and great coffee sure are an eye opener, any day of the week! I haven't had any problems with this grinder, but have only had it a short time. To be fair about Amazon... I love their choices, and I've had a specially fun time with creating my Red Kitchen! Amazon has a very good Red selection! Now if Frigidaire would only come back out with their Poppy Red appliances (1970s or early 80s)... I left my Fridge and stove in the house I sold in New Mexico in 1985, and sorely regret I did!

Though this grinder does a nice job grinding my coffee beans, the switch mechanism has little margin for error. About once a week, when I try to operate the grinder, the switch will not engage and the grinder will not operate. Only after I empty the beans out and give the machine a good shake will the lid finally go on tightly and the switch will engage. I am not particularly messy. This should not happen with a 3 month old coffee grinder.

This grinder was a replacement for a seven year old Krups that I discarded due to the dullness of the blades (not surprising), but I never had a switch problem with that one, or the new Krups I bought for home. I regret not sticking with Krups.

I thought it would go well with my new Cuisinart Coffee Maker. It seems to take longer than my old Krups unit. If you overfill it simply won't grind the beans. Once you get the hang of the amount of beans to place in, it works OK but still seems to take longer than other grinders.

This grinder has a small capacity [not as advertised]. If you follow directions, it will only grind enough for 4 cups at a time. Also, for some reason it generates a static charge and there is coffee dust all over the counter after emptying it. The cord is stiff and the cord storage is inconvienient. Finally, it is much more noisy than my old one.

The blade broke after 14 months of use. And to take advantage of the warranty, I learned that I was required to send THEM a check for $4.00 for processing costs, not to mention the cost that I would incurr to ship it to them. It was an adequate grinder at best, so I'm definitely not going to bother returning it (I assume that this is Cuisinart's reason for having such a lame warranty in the first place). I wonder if the rest of their product line is like this. Until now, I thought Cuisinart was a name you could trust. I'm very disappointed.

This is a great little coffee grinder and does a good job for its size! I recommend it to any discriminating buyer who prefers the wonderful, rich flavor of coffee brewed from fresh ground coffee beans.

This grinder lives in my kitchen right next to my sink. It is subjected to a continual flow of crud coming out of the sink and floods from coffee spills, and sink overflows, flying dough and vegetables, the works. It is extremely sturdy, and does tend to grind my coffee just as I like.

My only complaint is that it is a little hard to clean; but then I've never had a coffee grinder that was easy to clean.

After two months of use, about twice a week, it stopped working. The warrantee is useless. It would cost about as much to ship it there and back as to replace it. Also, Cuisinart customer service is about as useful as the cable company's customer service.

Let me say I abuse my coffee grinders. The ones I have had in the past have died young because I have dropped them in a dopey morning pre-coffee daze. I have dropped the Cuisinart numerous times and it is warped on one side from me leaving it on the gas stove with the oven on...IT STILL WORKS..just as well as the day it arrived. Best purchase I have made yet and I would buy another but I don't need to.

I've never used it for coffee (I don't drink the stuff), but this little gem does a super job grinding spices and dried herbs. I use it even for grinding chunk cinnamon.

I've owned several grinders and will say that this one is great. I'm suprised that it doesn't cost more! Plenty of power. Good looks. Easy operation. What more could you ask for???

A powerful little sucker! I grind coffee beans, mimosa hostilis, syrian rue seeds, and oatmeal with this bad boy. It kick's serious but!

I clean it by using a damp paper towel and wipe out the inside chamber.

I accidentally dropped the lid and made a crack on it. But, it's holding up fine.

oh how my life has changed for the better since i bought my Cuisinart DCG-20BKN Coffee Bar Coffee Grinder. no longer do i have to grind my coffee in the supermarket where the machines are always disgusting and from which i always fear that i will either catch some terrible disease from the other disgusting customers who are either too cheap or too poor to buy a grinder of their own, or that i will get one of my hands caught in that big disgusting grinder and wind up grinding my fingers off and die of blood loss in the express line because that lady in front of me either can't read the '10 items or less' sign or she is too stupid to count - and no, twenty cans of cat food do not count as one item! No, now that i have my own Cuisinart DCG-20BKN Coffee Bar Coffee Grinder i can grind to my hearts content in the sanitary privacy of my own apartment. now i grind all the time, day and night. when my neighbor complains and bangs on the wall, i just keep grinding. i love my Cuisinart DCG-20BKN Coffee Bar Coffee Grinder! i just wish i liked coffee.

I purchased the cuisinart coffee grinder to grind coffee beans, flax seed, crackers and other dry materials. This grinder is so simple. You put the material in, put the lid on and press down. The lid must be on to operate so it is also very safe. It's quiet operation is also a plus.

Best small sized grinder I have owned yet (and I have owned quite a few). High power, quick grind, great for size, excellent for the price. Quick shipment! Highly recommended.

Just fill the bowl with beans, press the button and with a lot of noise, this coffee grinder whizzes into action! Nothing's nicer than fresh ground coffee and this Cuisinart lives up tho the "Cuisinart" name.

Areas which I think need improvement are insulation of some sort, if loud, grinding noise for a few minutes bothers you. Also, this unit is not immersible, and you must clean it with a wet cloth rather than being able to dunk the unit in warm, soapy water. For this reason, I do not recommend using this for coffee and for spices, unless you are intentionally blending for flavor.

This grinds quite well, however the bowl isn't large and for large pots of coffee, I've found that I must grind the coffee in two loads.

You cannot see the consistency of your grind accurately, so you must open the unit and peek. It grinds so well and so quickly that it is easy to over-grind your beans.

All in all, it's a handy little gadget that grinds well and quickly. Its blades and motor have withstood regular usage. With little practice, you're able to grind uniformly. With routine use, I'm able to discern when the coffee is ground to my preferences by listening to the sound of the beans within the unit while grinding.