Cuisinart CBM-18N Programmable Conical Burr Mill Review

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List Price: $185.00
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I recently had to replace my Capresso Burr grinder (which I had had for over 5 years) and wanted to make sure the replacement would make me as happy, if not happier, than my old grinder.

The Cuisinart Programmable Conical Burr grinder was my ultimate choice, after reading several reviews and doing plenty of research. I love the light-up LCD display, the start/stop switch (for those mornings when I'm not quite awake and start the grinder before I realize there's not enough beans in the hopper), the ease of adjusting the grind, and the overall design. While I had considered purchasing a cheaper product, (my Capresso was only around $40 afterall) I am very glad I went with this product. We grind our coffee fresh every morning, and thus far have been very pleased with how this unit performs.

The only reason I did not give this unit 5 stars is b/c it, like other Burr grinders, has a problem with static. I live in Houston, a VERY humid climate, but even the moisture in the air doesn't keep the static down enough, which can be bothersome. It means a bit of clean-up after every use, but the extent of the static is SIGNIFICANTLY less with this unit than my Capresso grinder, and the clean-up on this unit is far easier.

I highly recommend this product to anyone who wants something more reliable and consistent than a simple grinder, but doesn't want to spend a million dollars on a burr grinder.

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Excellent coffee mill! Much quiter than any of my previous 4 mills/grinders. Also works faster and less "burn" taste from grounds. Very concsistent grinding. Also the top lid with the fill slot make pouring into filter easier versus my other mills had the window or slot on the side of the bin. Nice improvement

2 comments that are not issues but to be aware of. As it has an Blue LCD display there is always a blue light on, so for some this could be good and others a nuisance. Also you must keept the bin and slots clean as any slight grounds in the bin area will cause some minor leakage

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I enjoy whole bean coffee. I replaced a blade type grinder with this one and am VERY happy with the taste of the brewed coffee. I use drip grind. I have had my best ever cup of coffee this morning with the same beans that I have been using for months on the other grinder.

ken

Edit added 15 FEB 2011: Loving it more

Since I purchased this device, I also acquired a stove top espresso maker and an old fashioned stove top coffee percolator. I have experimented with different grinds and mostly use the setting #3 'espresso' for both my drip and espresso brewers. I weigh (ounces) rather than measure (spoons) of the coffee and have found about 1.4 ounces of #3 grind will make a very good 10 cup pot of drip coffee. The percolator still needs a coarse grind, I use #12 setting for that. I first tasted coffee before drip coffee makers were widely available and sometimes miss the taste of old fashioned percolated. You cannot hardly purchase coarse ground coffee any more, I find the selectable grind settings a big plus.

k

Honest reviews on Cuisinart CBM-18N Programmable Conical Burr Mill

I don't typically review products, but since I poured over countless reviews before deciding on this grinder, I decided to add my thoughts.

I've realized that the problem with turning to any Internet reviews, be they for products or restaurants, is that people are way, WAY too picky. Maybe it's just me, but it isn't helpful when people find it necessary to highlight anything and everything that could be seen as a possible flaw, thereby picking apart what is probably a suitable option for most people. So I want to begin by addressing to of the biggest complaints I've seen in these reviews: the unit makes a mess, there's a static problem with the grounds cartridge, and it's too hard to clean. I've also noticed a lot of people don't really understand why one would buy a conical burr mill as opposed to a plain ol' blade grinder (which are way cheaper.)

I've had the grinder for about 8 months now, and I have not experienced any of those issues to the extent that many people describe. If you give the unit a little tap on the side before removing the grounds cartridge after you grind, you're not going to have surprise grounds coming out of the chute. I have not found the static issue to be that big of a deal. The grounds cartridge is plastic, so yes, there is some sticking of the grounds to the sides of the cartridge, but it's usually the finer bits and dust (which I don't want anyway), and it really isn't that much. The cartridge is very easy to rinse out and dry. I brew using a Chemex, so uniformity of the grounds is really key for me. I brew every day, sometimes twice a day, so as long as I clean the burr every few days, the grind stays really uniform. It's not that difficult to clean. The hopper comes right off when you turn it all the way to the coarsest setting, and the inner burr pulls right out. I use the brush that comes with the unit and a lightly damp paper towel.

Regarding the functionality of the unit: the LED screen is nice (I haven't had any problems with it.) I weigh out my grounds, so I haven't used the cup presets that much. The variable grind settings are pretty accurate, especially for a coarser grind (as long as you make sure to clean it regularly as I've said.) I've noticed that some people don't think it can grind fine enough for espresso; unfortunately, I have speak to that since I don't have an espresso machine. Overall, I've been very happy with the basic functionality of the unit.

You buy a burr mill primarily for two reasons: uniformity of the grind and no inadvertent heat imparted to the beans from rapidly spinning blades. If you use an auto-drip machine, the first reason isn't that big of a deal. If you're using any other method (i.e. French press, Chemex, vacuum, etc.), it matters a lot so that the coffee isn't over-infused, to keep your coffee from having too much sediment, and so on. Blade grinders chop the beans, creating all different sizes of grounds, and creating a lot of very fine dust which can be a problem for non-autodrip methods. (Burr mills crush the beans.) From what I've found, this burr mill provides a good uniformity especially for the price. I have two friends each with conical burr mills that were over $200 (a Baratza Virtuoso and a Breville Smart Grinder) and I really feel like my Cuisinart is quite comparable in ground uniformity. The second reason for a burr grinder is important no matter how you brew your coffee. The beans are quite sensitive to temperature, and blades spinning at the speed necessary to chop the beans (20k 30k rpm) imparts heat to the grind. If you brew one or two cups at a time, chances are you're not running your grinder long enough for this to be a problem. But if you're doing a 10 or 12-cup pot each morning, the amount of aroma you lose using a blade grinder is significant. A conical burr mill runs at under 500rpm, imparting a negligible amount of frictional heat. This ensures that you're tasting your coffee the way it was meant to be tasted (assuming your brew is good.)

As the title says, this is a great grinder for the price. If you've been looking to get a conical burr mill, you've probably noticed that you can spend anywhere from $40 to over $450. So if you're new to this, it can seem like you could be spending $80 on a unit that isn't as good as ones that are more expensive but also might not be any better than one of the cheaper grinders. I'm pretty confident that this grinder is comparable to others that cost twice as much and (given reviews of cheaper burr grinders), it's worth spending the extra money for it.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Cuisinart CBM-18N Programmable Conical Burr Mill

I am NOT an aficionado i love coffee though. i am not the guy that is going to check that all of the grounds are uniform what i see when i pour them into the coffee maker look uniform to me. The coffee that i make using this grinder make better coffee than i have ever made. Prior to this though i just had a little blade grinder though. there are still issues with grounds sticking to the plastic holder but i don't' think you can get away from that there is a static issue and i don't know how one would get around that.

i dig this purchase i have had the grinder for 4 or 5 months now and still dig it it is easy to use and like i said it make YUMMY coffee.

July 2010 it pooped out! i am calling Cuisinart today. They are really good about their warranties and i have no doubt they will send me a new grinder. will update after that!

Didn't get around to calling Cuisinart until August found out that it only carries an 18 month warranty guess what? that was August 2nd they won't do anything for me. I was once a huge fan of Cuisinart recommended their products was impressed with their warranties they replaced a coffee maker for me anyway after looking on the website and seeing that it carried a 3 year warranty i didn't think i had to get right on it. . . i guess i did they claim that is a misprint and i guess they expect a $100 coffee grinder to poop out after 18 months (or right about that). too bad i guess they aren't as great as i thought. I wouldn't buy this again. wish i could remove stars. . .