Customer Reviews

Mr. Coffee BMX3 Burr Mill

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(15)

 

 

I've been a whole-bean coffee drinker for many years and I am also very picky when it comes to coffee. No swill for me! I am also mechanically inclined and love to take things apart.

After reading reviews of burr grinders and agonizing over the prices (did I also mention that I prefer to spend more on coffee than equipment?) I decided on a cheaper model- the Mr. Coffee Burr Mill Coffee Grinder - BMX3. The price was right ($29.99) and despite the wildly fluctuating reviews I knew I could make this thing work right or have my money back from Target.

When I got it home and got it out of the box I pulled the coffee catcher out and looked at the burrs. By dialing the coarseness wheel back and forth I could immediately recognize that the space between the two wheels would produce either a ridiculously chunky coarse grind at "E" or an acceptable drip grind at "A". I wanted a better range to get an "espresso" grind.

If you possess the minimum ability to use a philips head screwdriver, small adjustable wrench and maybe a cordless drill you can adjust this grinder and have the fine grind you want. This is what I did:

1. Inside the hopper there is three small rubber grommets/plugs covering three screws. I was able to easily pop one of them off but had to bust out the cordless drill and extract the other two. I lightly pressed the small drill bit and and slowly drilled and the grommets extracted on the drill bit.

2. Next I removed the screws as well as the single screw on the underside where the top of the catcher goes. It was tricky since I had to get a philips hex bit for the cordless and back the screw out with a small adjustable wrench to grip it. I had to do it this way since only a very short screwdriver will fit and alas, I didn't have one that size.

3. I lifted the whole top part and placed it slightly to the side, as much as the wiring would allow. This exposes a large gear and a small gear. I turned the selector all the way to "A" and then removed the small screw holding the small gear. I did scratch a mark on the large gear and small gear so I could return it to the original alignment if necessary. I then lifted off the small gear.

4. Then I turned the large gear to the right until it stopped. I worked it back and forth peering up through the opening on the underside to see how close the two burrs (wheels) came. I believe about one 1/8th of a turn back to the left by the large gear is about right though closer is certainly possible. I may fine tune it but this produces a pretty fine grind.

5. I then replaced the small gear being careful not to displace the positioning of the big gear. Then I put it back together in the order I took it apart.

6. Bean test. I ground a couple tablespoons each at "A" through "E" and was quite satisfied with the results throughout the range. "A" was quite fine and all of the grinds were consistent.

I must stress that this was a snap to do. Don't let yourself be intimidated.

As for the pro's and con's the machine is: space efficient; tidy- it doesn't spray coffee grounds everywhere since the collector fits real snug; its quick and relatively quiet. It does tend to kick grounds up into the hopper when it has emptied itself of beans. I suspect it will need frequent cleanings, but the top burr twists out quite easily so this is not a problem. There is some static but that is unavoidable due to the laws of physics and will occur to some degree in any electric coffee grinder. If the motor craps out it will be returned to Tar-zhay' at once. However I suspect that is a cleaning issue. I also suspect that if you try to grind a whole pound of beans without letting it rest between hopper fills there will be a problem with the motor.

Remember, it's not a industrial or commercial-type device! For the price and the ease of adjustment I think it's a hell of a deal.

If you perform the modification mentioned above you will notice some things about how the burrs get adjusted and realize you can take it one step further. The top burr mounts into a sleeve that screws into the unit. When you turn the knob you screw in or unscrew this sleeve thus moving the top burr up and down.

The previous metioned modification makes a lot of sense but I decided to go one further. The adjustment knob has stops built into it, when you look at it you see that it rotates almost 360 degrees. This gives you ~0.5mm of total movement, but why not more?

I decided to look at how it stops and guess what? All you have to do is remove the grey adjusting wheel, and voila, there is the little piece of plastic that stops the rotation of the wheel. With a pair of pliers you remove the piece of plastic and reassemble.

What you have now is an almost infinitely adjustable burr mill. All the way from french press course to espresso fine :)

This modification makes this unit the best deal that can be found. It may be loud and it may be a little slow but now you can set the grind to anything you want. You can even use a feeler gauge through the output to set the grind, I just use my eyes and the current output.

I recently purchased a Mr. Coffee Burr grinder (BMX3)at Target. I was surprised to read the negative comments about the product and was thinking of returning it for something more expensive. I decided to judge for myself and I must say it works rather well. I do admit I am a novice burr grinder after years of using a blade grinder, but I can say the coffee tastes fabulous , the grinder is not noisy at all, and retrieving the grounds is very simple and not overly messy. I cannot attest to the longevity of the item, but time will tell.

What do you expect, right? $25 for a product that everyone else charges much more for...This was a Costco purchased model.

First let's just say that it ceased working after about 6 months. Hard to complain too much given the disposable price. (Though the decade old blade grinder still works fine and cost about half.)

Messy operation, serious static charge issues, coffee would literally jump from the container when opened.

The burning motor smell infected the grounds at times, giving your cup-a-joe a fine burnt taste.

Very difficult to clean and clogged easily.

I would pass on this item and try something else. Though maybe you'll get lucky and get one that will last more than a few months.

I bought this one after returning a $130 dollar one and a $50 dollar one. It works far better than both, much more expensive Kitchenaid and Cuisineart brands. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys burr ground coffee, but doesn't want to spend a fortune for it.

bought $50 capresso burr grinder first. Quit using it after only a few months. It gave very uneven grinding. Bought this as a cheap replacement. It has been great. No more wondering if I need more beans or used to many. The grind is uneven, but the dust tends to collect along the lip. I just spoon it off before dumping the rest of the grinds in the coffee maker. Burr grinders do not heat beens when grinding, so they are a good choice for the avid coffee drinker. Best grinder under $50.

I bought this burr mill over a year ago and had been disappointed that it did not produce acceptable espresso grind (it was far too course even at the fine setting), although it produced a nice, coarse grind for my French press. Due to its design, I don't feel like I am getting it completely clean when I remove the top burr and use a brush (as directed in the manual); I would think that residual oils from the beans accumulate on the gears. It is the first mill or grinder that I've owned and for the price is quite good, in my opinion (assuming no need for espresso grind). That was until this morning. I happened to read the review by E. H. Hanks "Radtek", in which he detailed a clever modification he made which allows for a much finer grind suitable for espresso. I just pulled a shot of espresso after making the modification and I'm even more satisfied with this Mr. Coffee product now.
Thanks, Radtek.

I bought this gadget from Target about a year ago. Since then I have been using it on average four times a week to grind coffee for two cups every morning.
At the beginning I was not satisfied with the "fine" setting. The coffee was not fine enough to make good espresso - it came out very weak. After following the adjustment (tuning) suggestion given by one of the reviewers I started getting pretty good espressos. The adjustment took me less than 20 minutes and was pretty fun (if you like playing with your screwdriver). It was not rocket science and required minimum skills and patience.
The gadget is not very loud and keeps all the grains almost airtight in the convenient storage. No mess in the kitchen at all. Also, the small hole in the dispenser allows you to pour the coffee in your coffee-maker without spilling coffee all over your countertop.
My only complaint is that for the last beans you need to shake it a little bit to let them go through the mill. If you grind coffee for more than two cups this won't be a problem.
If this will be your first coffee-grinder, you will love it and find it hard to go back to buying ground-coffee.
I would give it five stars if it weren't for the adjustment.

UPDATE: As of April 2008 this grinder still works.

I Bought one of these at Target 3 years ago because I was tired of the inconsistent grind with a blade type grinder. I have used it every day since. Bought one for my brother 2 years ago, and his is still doing great. Don't know about the "Cosco Deal" in other reviews as it is not this grinder. If you are looking for an inexpensive burr coffee grinder, this is a good choice !

After receiving the Mr. Coffee BMX3 as a gift and then checking its review here, I almost returned this grinder unopened. What a mistake that would have been. This BMX3 is compact, easy to operate, and a great deal quieter than my other burr grinder, the Braun KMM30. What is more, whereas the Braun is ridiculously messy to operate (because of the loose way in which the bottom hopper attaches to the machine's body), the Mr. Coffee is a snap. Cleaning the unit iself is simple, and it leaves less mess on the countertop than I would have expected from any burr grinder.

I would prefer a larger upper hopper for beans, but this is because I am lazy. I have no idea regarding longevity, but at $25, it seems a bargain.