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Question: How long should you grind for a espresso (fine) grind? At the min 4 cup line?
Document: I bought this product for my wife for Christmas. We frequently drink espresso and it says it can give a superior fine grind on coffee beans that can be used for making espresso. This product is terrible. It has a 1/4 gap between the base of the cup and the blade where coffee grounds and beans get stuck, it doesn't allow room for expansion and no matter how long you grind you will still have hole coffee beans.
Following instructions (especially not pumping the lid) produces consistently ground coffee beans. The resulting flavor converted me. You control how long the beans grind and, accordingly, how fine they grind though not recommended for producing espresso grade fine grind. It will not beat out more expensive burr-driven grinders in terms of quality of grind and control but for the price it is hard to beat. Sturdy construction, easy to take apart for cleaning--top and cup are dishwasher safe.
I bought this to replace my Mr Coffee ('chamber maid' plastic piece broke after a year). I was concerned because I often make two cups worth and some reviewers mentioned the 4 cup minimum, though the Mr Coffee had the same min and I didn't have issues grinding smaller amounts. With the Kitchenaid I feel the grind wasn't as fine, even when making 4 cups worth - and was quite coarse when doing less than 4.
So I just always do 1/4 cup which is perfect for my morning routine anyhow.I also grind flax and chia seeds in it and that works just fine. I just wipe it out with a paper towel or wash it by hand in between using it for seeds / coffee.
Some beans stay in the lower portion and get ground really fine, while other beans stay towards the top and barely get ground at all. I have learned that to avoid this problem it's best not to fill the grinding cup more than about 3/4 full with beans, to pulse the machine rather than leave it on a steady grind, and to shake it up a bit as you grind to help mix the beans. WIth these tricks, i am able to get a good grind.
Like thedecibels were really doing some level of damage if I didn't. With this grinder, I don't feel like I need to cover my ears. It's still noisy, but I don't worry about losing my hearing by using it. I think it grinds the beans a bit slower which is fine with me because I like to get the grinding just right (not too fine).I use it mainly for grinding coffee, and I grind 1/4 cup of beans at a time.
I think if you drink espresso, where it matters how uniform the grind is, you need a grinder that will uniformly grind the beans. We use French press, and I used to think it mattered whether the grounds were uniform or not, but the hot water sits in the carafe for 4 minutes, so if some of the grounds are slightly smaller or larger than others, the flavors will still get extracted. I've concluded uniformity is not necessary in this case.
Picked up the KitchenAid Blade Coffee Grinder to replace an inexpensive Sunbeam that we had for years. "Might as well pick up a nicer unit since these things last a long time" kind of thinking.The issue is that this coffee grinder's blade is set too high above the base of the grinding well. The extra height means that 1/4"+ beans and coffee powder collect below the blade and get compacted into the bottom of the unit each time you grind.
It works fine for couple of months. I bought this because of its stainless steel blades and cup. I thought this will last long but after few month of use, the plastic base broke. I tried to glue it back together and used for few more months before another part of the base broke again. Now the grinder stopped working completely after 1 year of use. Don't recommend this item.
The unit is a solid tool for quickly and efficiently grinding coffee beans, which is of course why we purchase a grinder. The price is fair but here is the bonus. Filling and cleaning the stainless blade holder is easy since it detaches. Bottom line is we use this 4 or 5 times a week while we rarely used our one piece B&D. Highly recommend.
Answer: Hi Amanda,  Well I've had more time with my KA grinder since I wrote that review.  I'm still pleased with the way it operates  but have come to realize that grinding times need to be longer than the directions call for.  I, too favor a fine grind so have been holding the grinding to a count of twenty (one one thousand, two one thousand,  etc.).  Sometimes it helps to pause at ten and shake the grinder lightly to ensure a thorough grinding with no left over whole beans.  Enjoy!