Customer Reviews

Briel CG5B Java Heavy-Duty Coffee Grinder

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

My grinder is 6 months old and already: (1) so much fine dust built up on the motor that it slowed almost to a crawl, (2) the doser fails to catch and deliver a dose, (3) too much coffee flies out onto the countertop, (4) the finely ground coffee builds up and eventually clogs the output from the grinder area to the doser area, and (5) the owner's manual is useless for information to take apart the grinder and clean it.

It works much better with the coarser gind for drip coffee, but stay away from it if you want to use it on weekends for espresso.

I got this grinder hoping for something that would grind coffee well for a french press. It did this just fine, but in the process it dusts a large portion of my kitchen counter with coffee grounds. This seems to stem from two problems. The first is that there is no seal between the grinder and the grounds container, which allows some coffee to fly out the sides when grinding. The second problem is that everything becomes so electrostaticly charged, that when you open the container the grounds scatter everywhere no matter how careful you are. I was very disappointed by this and am back to looking for a good grinder.

I loved this grinder when I first bought it. That it has an espresso doser was a big plus. And for a few months this was a great little machine. Soon, though, grounds started jamming up the burr. Then, when grinding fine coffee, it would block the exit into the ground coffee receptacle. It seemed like I was taking the thing apart every day. This caused the bean holder to crack, and now it's unusable. I guess I could get some of the parts repaired, but for ... bucks, I would expect a little more than 3 months of trouble free operation. Fortunately I have an old blade grinder available while I search for a really good, sturdy burr grinder...

This Briel Coffee Grinder is amazing... After blowing out/wearing out three other coffee grinders I finally found one that can put up with the abuse that i give it...and grind all the coffee that i consume. i love the coffee "doser" -- it is perfect for my expresso machine.

I was having problems finding espresso ground for a pump machine (this is a fairly remote area), so I figured that if I bought the grinder to go with my espresso machine (the Briel Chamnoix), it'd solve the problem.

It did. The grind is perfect. The dosing is perfect. In fact, I _love_ this machine! And I can't begin to tell you the difference it's made in the quality of the espresso. (Both in terms of taste _and_ crema). I've not even had the problem with jamming reported by other users.

So what is the problem? It's messy. It throws ground coffee everywhere: on the counter, the walls, the floor. . . I'm cleaning up around the thing at least twice a day, and the amount of ground espresso that lands on the counter usually adds up to enough to make a cup of espresso for every four I make using the doser.

So, while I heartily recommend this machine, it's definately NOT the grinder for anyone concerned with state of their countertops.

Like many other reviewers, I was quite pleased with the grinder at first. After grinding a few pounds of coffee I had the same problem with clogging. I tried cleaning it by running a pipe cleaner through it over and over which just BARELY helped. The unit is unusable for espresso. It will not feed any beans into the grinder reliably. I got what I think was an excellent deal for the Briel Brazil espresso machine plus grinder and base to hold the two for only $168 but don't spend $100 for this grinder. Two generally accepted excellent grinders available are the Rancilio Rocky and Gaggia MDF. each will run closer to $200. I also heard some good things about the Solis Mulino for about $125 but it doesn't have the doser attachment. good luck!

I bought this grinder for my husband for Christmas 2000. He drinks quite a bit of coffee and needs a sturdy grinder. The grinder started jamming from the first use, necessitating constant attention. Finally, after six months the bean container broke completely off. He's not happy.

Yes -- it throws coffee all over the counter -- simply place a paper towel under the doser, sliding it up the back a little, when you turn it off, fold up the paper towel and throw it out. The doser really leaves little room -- just take the filter out of the transporter and place it directly below the doser (be sure to hold it snug against the stop ---...

I have seen more than one negative review of this product and every time I have to ask myself, "are they talking about the same machine?" I have had my grinder for over 4 years now and it has never jammed up, never broken, and never diapointed me. As with any grinder that dispenses coffee through a chute, it will have to be cleaned occasionally but nothing major. No complaints from Kentucky. (Breil, ready for an update though)

I bought this grinder for doser feature so I could dose right into my espresso basket. The area between the doser and the bottom is too small, so it this feature is useless.