Customer Reviews

Black & Decker CBG100S Smartgrind Coffee Grinder, Stainless Steel

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

I thought the only problem with this grinder was that it didn't grind up the beans completely until the grinder kept going even when the lid was removed! I had this grinder less than 30 days and, needless to say, it has been returned. At the speed these things grind they have to have safety features that work. It was an intermittent problem but even once is too often if you have to unplug the thing to get it to stop.

This Black & Decker CBG100S Coffee Grinder needs to be recalled!

Mine worked just fine for about 6 months and then it malfunctioned the last time I used it. It ran without me pushing the on button and it continued to run without the lid in place. I think this is very dangerous! I have been using it about 4 times a week, and only for coffee beans. It had never been dropped or anything. It was clean and there is no reason for it to have done this.

I have seen other people complain about this too. The coffee grinder sometimes keeps grinding even with the lid off. Do not buy.

If I were this grinder's parent it would be GROUNDED for bad design. Whoever designed it was clearly not a coffee drinker of coffee made from freshly ground beans. While this coffee grinder does the job (2 stars awarded for functioning out of the box), there are several elements of this grinder that really just stink.

1) The cap. The cap design is probably an example of the least thoughtful engineering I have ever seen. The button that engages the grinding function on the motor unit/base extends from outside the cap like a thin spindly finger, almost like it is silently flipping you the bird because you woke it up too early in the morning to do its work. The worst part (and the reason I wrote this review): the capacity of the cap is LESS than base cup. This means if you grind more coffee beans than can fit in the lid (not even 2 cups worth), you will end up spilling the grounds EVERYWHERE if you try to use the cap to dump into your coffee filter/press/what-have-you. You will need to use the motor unit to pour the grounds, and this is quite awkward, and pretty ridiculous.

2) The cord. Speaking of pouring grounds out of the base, keep in mind that you'll probably need to unplug the cord before doing so. Unfortunately, the cord is not easy to wrap up beneath the base, so plan to leave this unit out on your counter. Additionally, there is no way to secure the cord easily such that it doesn't protrude from under the base in a haphazard manner while you're grinding it. Plan to steady it with one hand and press the grinder with the other.

3) The grinder does not handle large amounts of beans very well. It has a pretty powerful motor so what happens if you "overload" (read: 2 servings worth of beans which is about 2 oz) the grinder, the beans near the blades get overground and really fine. Forget about using the French press for this one unless you want to grind one bean at a time or you really enjoy your morning cup of sludge.

Moral of story: Black & Decker is good at power tools. Put your $20 toward a nice set of drill bits instead.

I'm a weekend coffee drinker at home (get my coffee at work during the week) so I didn't need some deluxe machine. I was a little concerned that this grinder would be of good quality since it had a very reasonable price, but after it arrived and I used it - I was very happy. Grinds great. You might get a couple of beans that did not grind all the way but this little grinder will give you a course or fine grind depending on how you like it. Why buy the big grinder to take up the counter space when all you need is this and when finished put it back in the cabinet where it doesn't take a lot of space to store. Great product would definitely recommend.

Read the instructions before you use it. They state explicitly to wait for the blades to stop turning before you remove the cap. They tell you multiple times to be careful because the blades are sharp. (And why shouldn't they be?) I think it's basic safety to just unplug it before you remove the grinds.
So far I have had great luck with this grinder. It is very powerful and sleek. I don't normally review products but I felt I had to pitch in my two cents because I don't think the negative reviews are justified. I would definitely recommend it. I got it for $15 at my local grocery store.
I will continue to use it and if it starts to show any decline in use or it prematurely breaks I will change my ratings to reflect that. However, so far it is serving me well.

this is a very poor design..the top cup piece only hold about half of the amount you are able to grind..which means you have to take the top off and tip the whole machine to empty the coffee out..and the safety mechanism- that black vertical piece- breaks..this is a really bad product by a good company.

I purchased this Black and Decker SmartGrind when I saw it for sale at the local Kroger Grocery Store. It was about $17.00, I believe. I had just bought my first Bodum French Press and I knew that this would be better than nothing. I think that if you use the Pulse feature and grind your beans for 8 or 9 seconds (the instruction say 10-12 seconds) it makes a good coarse grind with minimal "dust". To me, using the Pulse feature, one second at a time, makes the big difference. I am still looking at a conical burr grinder (I like the KitchenAid model that sells for about $170.00) but, for now, this little grinder works well. And, it can be used for nuts and spices. It seems to be well made. I think I just got lucky when I found it on the shelf for $17.00.

I ordered this after receiving a Keurig brewer for Christmas, and it is really simple to use. To measure the right amount of beans to grind for my ekobrew Cup, Refillable Cup For Keurig K-Cup Brewers, Brown, 1-Count I use a shot glass and fill it about 90% of the way. I'm still experimenting, but I am finding that a finer grind works better. It also helps to use these. DisposaKup Filters - 100 Disposable Replacement Filters for Use DisposaKups and others - Box of 100 Filters - FREE PRIME SHIPPING

So far, this grinder has been perfect. It is my second Black and Decker; the first was a different model that lasted for years. I had tried two different brands, neither of which worked nearly as well as the B&D. I use it mainly to grind up grape-nuts slightly! But it has also done well on coffee beans and to make bread crumbs. I'm surprised to read about the problem; I'll be on the lookout for it.