Customer Reviews

Delonghi DCG49 Burr Coffee Grinder

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(12)

 

 

I ran out and bought this when my Mr. Coffee burr grinder died so I wouldn't have to use the blade grinder. It's a nice livable sound level. I could actually grind coffee for morning without fearing to wake anyone else in the house. It makes excellent tasting coffee. I had no problems with static. The only drawbacks are that you have to hold the button down and it has to be taken apart and well cleaned with a brush almost every time. Makes good coffee though. Much better than a blade grinder and you have to hold the button on those as well.

Pros:
-looks cool
-it's a burr grinder

Cons:
-takes at least four times longer than a conventional grinder
-grains are not very uniform (big bits throughout)
-messy: the bottom compartment has a plastic lid that you open before you dump the grinds into your filter. You have to tug the lid a bit, and more than once the coffee grinds have spilled to the nether regions of my kitchen. Grinds tend to stick to the lid and within the compartment. The oils from the beans make the grinds harder to empty.
-you gotta shake it some: the beans have to feed into the blades, but there isn't enough of a slope for the beans to slide smoothly. You have to shake the grinder often, otherwise the beans just stay put while the blades continue to whirl thin air.

i bought this grinder three months ago for espresso bean grinding. this grinder is a triumph of appearance over function:

1. the coffee bin must be fully filled with beans each time you want to grind a single serving, because the shape of the bin does not allow for small quantities of beans to adequately feed into the grinder.

2. the chute where the ground coffee dispenses into the container clogs easily and often. you have to tap the machine on the countertop to keep the grounds moving.

3. the coffee grounds form a nice static electric charge against the plastic container. they adhere to the inside of the container, and entertainly enough will collectively spring out of the container if it is tapped or bumped after grinding.

4. i used it up to four occasions per week, and after three months it no longer functions at all. after having learned to work through all of its quirks and oddities, it broke on me.

I tried, I really tried to like this grinder. But after weeks of frustrating shaking, clogging & more grounds spilled on the counter than in my coffee filter, I gave up and bought...a manual grinder! I may expend more energy in the grinding, but none in the clean up the DeLonghi DCG49 required.

This grinder being my first, I don't have much comparison data. At first, the grinder seemed to do its job fairly well. Frequently, the grinder would make this jammed-sound, which could often be fixed with some firm tapping. Eventually, the grinder just jammed and stopped working. Since it's a burr grinder, it's hard to get to the actual grinder to clean it out without soaking the whole thing in water, which the instructions advise you not to do.

This is a terribly designed machine. It almost invariably clogs on use, and the part that clogs isn't removable, so every single morning I have to unplug the machine, carry it over to the sink, and use a narrow knife to unclog the little output chute thing. It's also an extremely messy machine, and requires major cleanup of the surrounding area with every use. Way too much static as well. This machine has ruined my previously-pleasant morning coffee-making experience. I'm pitching it.

I don't understand why the manufacturers of these machines seem to think people want to stand there with their finger on the button while the grinder works its way loudly and slowly through a container of coffee beans. A pretty basic design flaw, in my opinion. I have better things to do with my time. Gave it away to a yard sale after 2 uses.

I have two main complaints (and will spare you the others).

1)You have to keep your finger on the button all the time that it is grinding (and it is very slow).

2)The coffee grinds very unevenly.

What a dumb design!

I had been looking for a reasonable priced burr grinder for about a year.I was about to give up the search when I seen the Delodnghi burr grinder. I liked the description, but was a
little skeptical because of the bad experiences with other grinders. To my delight the grinders performance was even better than my expectations. I would highly recommend this burr grinder to anyone on a tight budget and looking for a great deal.

The review that mentions shaking the beans is correct. It is quite messy as well. All the interlocks can sometimes prevent the operation of it. Removing the top burr to clean it is difficult. The part I don't like is the space that leads from the burr wheels to the storage chamber constantly clogs if you use beans that have any visable oil to them. I like that kind of coffee. If you use mostly light roasted dry beans, it may be OK. I clean the thing well and attempt to grind coffee and it is clogged before I have enough for a single cup brewer! I suppose I could clean it out several times during a grinding, but that is also very messy and is the last thing I want to do in the morning when I want some fresh brewed coffee. It sits on my counter taking up space. I may give it to a charity like Goodwill or just trash it.