I first used my coffee grinder to grind fresh coffee beans, and it was amazing. Yum! The grinder is very easy to use, and the clear insert can be removed so you can rinse it easily. I soon realized that with a press of a button I could use this grinder to grind spices as well. I grabbed some sticks of cinnamon and in a flash I had ground cinnamon for my coffee. I even ground up some whole pepper corns for fresh pepper. The unit is the perfect size, and I love that the cord stores in the base of the unit. It is overall a great kitchen helper.