Cuisinart DBM-8 Supreme Grind Automatic Burr Mill
A stylish grinder for the serious coffee buff, this Cuisinart Supreme Grind automatic burr mill provides plenty of options and good results in an attractive and tidy structure. This makes it a great appliance for houses where coffee is a steady dietary staple and preferences vary from espresso to French drip. Outfitted with a heavy-duty motor, the machine has 18 grind settings ranging from fine to extra-coarse, which are controlled by a clearly marked, pleasantly clicking dial. Rotate the hopper to personal preference, and the machine does the rest, using burr plates for a highly uniform grind that protects bean oils and releases more flavor. Automatic operation in this grinder covers quantity as well–simply set the amount slide control anywhere from 4 to 18 cups. The grinder shuts off when the desired level is reached. Transfer of ready grounds to a coffee pot or espresso group is quick and tidy, because the grind chamber slides out with its clever lid in place.
Smart and elegant, the grinder has brushed stainless steel housing and black accents in durable plastic. The hopper, hopper lid, grinding burr, and grind chamber all remove easily for cleanup, and a safety feature keeps the grinder from operating without the hopper and chamber in place. Standing 6-3/4 by 9-3/4 by 5 inches, the unit has built-in power cord storage at its base. Cuisinart includes a coffee scoop/cleaning brush in one and covers the machine with an 18-month warranty.
Almost as good as I expected
First off, the grind you get from a burr grinder is superior to a blade, hands down. This grinder makes a superbly uniform grind, and the fineness/coarseness is easily adjustable. For the price, this is an excellent burr grinder. Highly recommend it for your average coffee drinker. If you are grinding things finely, grinding spices or flavored coffees, or grinding lots of coffee, read on for important details.
I was a little disappointed with the plastic grind hopper. Burr grinders I have used in the past were glass, and while I didn’t think plastic would be a big deal, extremely fine grinds tend to ’stick’ due to static electricity.
When doing longer grinds (for larger pots of coffee, etc) the motor really starts to sound strained. I’m worried that with heavy use over a few months I might have issues with it. If I do, I’ll update this review.
*most* of the grinder is very easy to clean… however, inside the base there are a couple of pieces out of reach, and really fine grinds tend to collect just inside the chute that dumps the grinds into the hopper. If you grind flavored coffees (or, in my case, fresh seed spices) and need to clean it, you might be a little frustrated.
An attractive, efficient, and competent grinder
This is the second automatic hopper-type burr grinder that I’ve owned. The first was the similarly-priced Capresso 551.01, which died after a couple years of use. I don’t know what the lifespan of this Cuisinart grinder will be yet, but so far I’m extremely impressed with the comparison between the two. Start with the weight, at nearly 4 pounds–it simply feels more substantial. (The Capresso is a comparatively diminutive 2 lb. 9 oz.) The casing is an attractive stainless steel (which may just be a veneer over plastic, but it certainly looks nicer than the Capresso’s black plastic) and the hopper and grind chamber are of thick, good-quality acrylic.
The Capresso had to be emptied before changing the grind coarseness, and had a small, finger-bruising wheel with which to adjust it, but the Cuisinart’s entire hopper turns freely to adjust the grind, filled or not. I’m also very pleased to find that the Cuisinart doesn’t dust the countertop with a sprinkling of coffee after use, as the Capresso did. The motor isn’t whisper-quiet by any stretch, but it’s not as noisy as many home grinders.
There are only two disadvantages of this grinder, in my opinion. First, the timer can only be adjusted in two-cup increments (minimum of 4 cups). It does this with a satisfying click, but still, I’d like to nudge the slider a bit for a weaker morning brew or a stronger nighttime one. Second, the hopper contains almost four cups’ worth of coffee below the visible area, inside the machine. That, combined with the grinder’s heftier weight, makes it a chore to empty it if you want to change coffees (say, if a guest requests decaf). Not only do you have to turn this brute upside-down, but you also have to turn it every which way so that all the coffee inside the machine works its way out.
But these are minor quibbles. Overall, this is an excellent machine.
Good Value for the Price
This review pertains only to using the Cuisinart grinder for press pots. We have no experience using it to grind coffee for espresso. We have found that if we use the coarsest or next-to-coarsest setting, among the 18 settings, the coffee will be coarse enough to use our Bodum press pot. The grind is about 95% even-grind, with the remaining 5% “coffee dust.” We don’t find this to be a problem (it makes the coffee richer in flavor), but if you insist on a clear cup of coffee this grinder is probably not for you. The grind in a burr grinder like this one is nonetheless much more even than one can get using a blade grinder. We grind for six cups, which takes just several seconds. The Cuisinart is not really a loud machine—about the same as a standard blade-grinder. There is some static cling on the walls of the grind receptacle, but from what I have read that seems to be an unavoidable feature of such grinders. With a fine brush and some care, even a relative klutz like me can get the coffee out and into the press pot with only a quarter of a teaspoon or so of coffee on the counter. At Bed, Bath, and Beyond, with its ubiquitous 20% off coupon, the grinder is $40. We’re well-satisfied. 4 1/2 stars.
