Susan wrote on Sat, 07 Feb 2009 10:44:26 -0500:

> James Silverton wrote:
>> Lin wrote on Fri, 06 Feb 2009 17:01:02 -0800:
>>
>>>> I use a quite cheap Braun blade grinder and I don't find
>>>> the noise objectionable. It only takes a count of 80 for my
>>>> preferred grind.
>>
>>> Ours is a Braun burr grinder. It's noisy. It does have a
>>> dial for setting the amount of grind time, so I don't have
>>> to keep count. Lately though, I've been having to shake it
>>> AS it grinds. For some reason it's not grabbing the beans
>>> like it used to and it's taking longer to fill the ground
>>> coffee receptacle. There are other reasons why I don't like this
>>> grinder. Not sure what's better out there, so if you
>>> have suggestions I'd be happy to look at them the day this
>>> thing finally dies (I might give it a push along).
>>
>> I forget and can't find the model number of the Braun but I
>> think they are available for about $20 around here. Cuisinart
>> makes a very similar one as does Sears. The very first one I used was
>> made by Peugeot of France (about 25 years ago). I
>> have an old Salton of the same design that I use for spices. All of
>> them switch on by pressing on the lid and are thus
>> pretty safe to use. I did have a burr grinder that died like yours
>> but it was not the best of designs because it stored
>> the beans above the grinder and they tended to get warmed up by the
>> mill.
>>
> With a burr grinder, you have to replace the burr itself
> periodically. In our case, that turned out to be every 6 mos. or so.
> A tip off is if the coffee is coarser and you can't
> get the grind you want. Another thing is that you have to
> brush it off regularly for it to work well.

A burr grinder strikes me as more trouble than it is worth but that's
personal.

Incidentally, like coffee beans, instant coffee keeps much better in the
freezer too. It does not absorb water and get sticky and keeps its
flavor better. I won't respond to denunciations about actually using the
stuff but it's very useful when you want a quick cup of coffee. Unlike
real coffee, I sometimes make instant coffee with 100% to 50% milk. You
can't really call it coffee but it's a pleasant occasional drink.

--

James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

Email, with obvious alterations: not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not