Customer Reviews

Black & Decker CBM7B SmartGrind Deluxe Coffee Bean Burr Mill - Black

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(11)
1 star:		(30)

 

 

Very uniform grinding with the exception of using flavored beans that are overly oily. Easy clean up and most of the time I put the breakaway parts in the dishwasher with no problem.

I was very impressed with how uniform and consistent the grinding was of the coffee beans I used. Oily beans tend not to be as uniform which is why I could not give it the full compliment of 5 stars. Easy clean-up as it is dishwasher safe.

I must add my voice to the growing chorus of dissatisfied B&D SmartGrind owners. My biggest complaint is that the size distribution of the resultant grind on any coarseness setting runs the gamut from superfine powder to large flakes. During the grind, I have to lay a towel over the seam between the unit and the grind collection cup to keep fine particles from flying out -- doesn't happen every time, and there's not a lot, but very noticeable against the white wall and countertop!

I've had mine for about half a year now and use it 4 or 5 times a week. A crack has developed at the bottom of the whole bean cup (like that of the other reviewers here) and is slowly working its way up the side toward the lid. The final insult is that this device is LOUD: your neighbors will wonder why you're always doing small carpentry projects early in the morning...

I purchased this grinder to replace a Krups blade grinder that had finally stopped working after many years of service. Reading several other reviews that complained of the mess this thing makes should have prepared me for the daily explosion of ground coffee across my counter caused by the static buildup of the unit. Also, if you like dark oily coffee beans from Peets, Starbucks or Illy, you'll find yourself constantly patting the top of the machine to keep the beans flowing down to the grinding mechanism. I look foolish enough first thing in the morning, I certainly don't need the help of a crummy coffee grinder to make matters worse. Spend a few extra $ for a better burr grinder or stick with your old blade grinder.

I purchased the B & D grinder fully intending to return it to the seller (They have a no questions asked guarantee and actually encourage you to try a product and return it if you don't like it) after reading all the negative reviews. I figured "what the heck...for 30 bucks it's worth a try." I don't know yet about many of the complaints about longevity as I have had it for only a few days. But the quality of grinding is great. Maybe not as good as a $500 grinder but more than adequate for my home espresso machine.

As for static causing coffee to fly all over the place... I open the lid slowly and carefully set it on the counter upside down and I actually have far less mess than I did with my blade grinder.

Most of the negative reviews are from early in this year or last year so maybe B & D has improved the product. I have no idea if this is so, but I highly recommend the grinder if you don't want to spend big bucks and want a consistent grind for espresso or a coffee maker.

The mill makes a fairly consistent grind, only failing with regards to the papery membrane of the bean, which comes out in larger flakes but doesn't seem to affect espresso brewing. The measuring spoon which comes with the mill includes a tab for clearing the spout, which has to be done after every grind.

This is the cheapest burr mill available, and is cost-effective when compared to units such as Braun's which cost twice as much and perform only slightly better. Coffee obsessives on tight budgets who are unhappy with the grind on this will probably not be satisfied with anything less than barista-grade ware. For a unit that costs only five bucks more than most decent blade mills, it's a killer bargain.

The star rating is adjusted upward for its price, and downward for the phenomenal static buildup that occurs in the grounds receptacle which cause grounds to spray when the lid is opened.

After reading the reviews, some of which gave high (5 stars) ratings and others giving very low (1-2 stars) ratings, I thought I would give another opinion to help people decide on whether to purchase this product. I bought this product to use with a "french press" coffeemaker. This type of brewing requires fresh, coarse ground beans. The SmartGrind Deluxe performs beautifully in this respect in that I can adjust the coarseness of the grinding. The burr grinder is only slightly noisier than my old blade grinder, no big problem. Also the problem with so-called "static" and messy grinding does not occur in my experience. Grinding beans is inherently messy. The one dislike I have is that the bean cup holder is made of plastic, not glass. You must treat the grinder gently and not force the bean cup holder into place or you may crack or break the plastic. Also plastic usually doesn't last longer if one puts it in the dishwasher with high heat. The bean holder and grindings holder is easy to clean with the simple wipe of a paper napkin. I hope with proper care, this product will last for years to come (I will write another review if not). The SmartGrind Deluxe is a fine, affordable product that allows one to brew a lovely, strong, and aromatic fresh cup of coffee.

I've used this 3 times so far and wonder how I ever lived without it! For a measly [price] I have graduated from those gawdawful grinders [that grind unevenly, take shaking and holding forever...yuk!] to MILLING my beans. There is no comparison between beans you mill fresh and beans ground a week ago or more. Fresh milled tastes much richer with less bitterness. Fine grinds taste different than course. You can customize your favorite flavor and 'save' your settings. This is the coffee afficianado's dream. The device does take some brains. If you can use B&D powertools you can use this. You have to clean the spout every day. The tool is supplied and takes a second...when you have time later you can fine clean it with a toothbrush or q-tip for ease. The grind holding cup is roomy and portable, both cups are washable, the machine is quiet and setting it is easy. IT looks really cool too. Other mills can cost [more]. This things gives you consistency and customized flavor for a fraction of that. Pay attention to your portions [they include a bean scoop!],high quality beans [arabica], fresh water, good filters, keeping the mill clean and set right, and keeping your cone-drip-coffee maker cleaned weekly with vinegar, monthly with lime-away or CLR. If you get these habits locked in, owning this unit might put Starbucks out of business. Why? Because your favorite coffee is SET! ... Good coffee requires that you pay attention. [ Paying attention actually makes *all of life go better!] The change in coffee flavor will impress the heck out of your spouse. Precison milling is a must for anyone who has had trouble making good coffee, or who craves consistent flavor. You can't beat this model for price and function.

I chose a burr grinder to replace a blade grinder to get a more uniform grind and especially to avoid the mess of having to scoop out the grounds. But this disaster of a product cannot grind coarse enough for a French Press, and in general, doesn't grind uniformly at all. And the mess! Instead of grind-and-scoop, now I have to grind, scoop, clean the counter, clean the base, clean the sides, clean the canister, clean the sink from dumping out the grounds in the base... Most inexcusably, the grounds build up in the chute so the machine clogs regularly. I only realized this when the motor started smoking! But now, to use it, I have to spend five minutes with a toothpick getting the insides clean. The folks who made the product obviously never bothered using it themselves on actual coffee beans. Or else they're just shameless. I should have returned it the first time I used it.

I bought this about 6 months ago to replace my old grinder that was dropped and broken in a move. I thought the name Black and Decker was trustworthy, and I hoped to get a nice long life out of this. I grind coffee for my French press once a day usually, and am by no means a heavy user of this tool.

The very first time i opened the box, plugged it in, added beans, and hit the button: nada. Silence. Nothing happened. Turned out that a bean or two was stuck in the mechanism, and when I pushed them out, it worked fine.

Still, not an auspicious start. Since then, every month or so, this happens. As of yesterday, all the cleaning in the world hasn't solved it, the damn thing will not grind at all. Even the timer won't work. Pressing the button leads to... a resounding silence.

Frankly, I blame poor design; the way the basket of beans is placed over the grinder makes it all too easy for it to clog, since naturally gravity means the beans will sink down into the grinder area, and the whole basket itself is not connected well so that trying to re-arrange it simply makes it worse.

This just sucks. If I can stop one other person from wasting money on a frustrating coffee grinder (and as someone here mentioned: who needs stress and hassle specifically in the a.m. before your morning coffee?) then this review will be worth it.