This grinder is a game-changer for me.  I have been grinding almost all my spices for awhile with a mortar and pestle.  While I do enjoy the active process of grinding manually, the spice grinder grinds things alot finer than I ever could manually.  It is especially useful for cinnamon sticks, star anise, whole cloves, and others where manual grinding falls short.  I am looking forward to using it to grind nuts soon.