I have always had a separate grinder in addition to my coffee maker. It was one more item to clutter the counter top or find a place for. I love the design of this . I like the built in coffee grinder. What I love more about it is that it doesn't need pods. I have never had a coffee maker with pods because I find that they are pricey but also not environmentally friendly. This doesn't need pods. Plus it has the opportunity to brew many size cups of coffee. It was easy to use and super stylish. I would highly recommend it.