Ok, what the heck IS it?

[rasqual]

http://www.amazon.com/TRU-Grinder-Holds-2-Pound-Coffee/dp/B0073Z4WOA/ref=sr_1_17?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1335312786&sr=1-17

They say it has a grindSTONE.   

Can't find anything out about it. And of course one review is just useless.

I'm in another one of those situations where someone with a whirly budget is wondering about a burr grinder on a budget.

It's so tough to advise folks with limited means.   

[EricBNC]

I have a couple of cheap burr grinders - a couple Mr Coffee's, Black n' Deckers, & Cuisinarts I picked up from thrifts - still use one for decaf - they share similar burrs to the one discussed here:



Info is from here:

http://www.coffeeco.com.au/articles/september2002.html

They generate a lot of static and inconsistent grinds - the static keeps the dust stuck to the bin so it's almost like electrostatic sifting - better than nothing and similar to a blade grinder - for paper filter brewing on the cheap I could see someone getting one of these.  Buying from Target or Walmart where the return policy is decent if the results are unacceptable would be my advice.

[mp]

I am thinking that they are a cheap Chinese wanna be burr grinder.

We had bought a Black & Decker burr grinder ... it is a poor excuse for a burr grinder next to the Baratza.

 

[EricBNC]

The "limited means" part caught my attention. With paper filters these type grinders can suffice - like i said, I use one like this for flavored beans - not Preciso quality grinds but not a mangled mess either for auto drip.

[Tex]

There's not much you can do when someone can't, or won't, spend the money necessary to make good top quality coffee. Since consistent brewing is so dependent on particle size, this type of grinder will always disappoint an experienced specialty coffee drinker.

But that's probably not who's buying the grinder, is it? Freshly roasted coffee that's ground just before brewing, is going to taste so much better than what the noob's used to, so I suggest not obsessing about grind quality at this point. Teach them the value of fresh roasted coffee and the need to grind it just before using and you'll be a hero to them.

[rasqual]

The fun part is that they're considering starting to roast, and they don't have a good grinder yet. So the combination of roasting their own and grinding even imperfectly, is still, yeah Tex, a major leap.

Once they're inside the gates of paradise, they'll find their more expensive way to the temple.   

[Tex]

The fun part is that they're considering starting to roast, and they don't have a good grinder yet. So the combination of roasting their own and grinding even imperfectly, is still, yeah Tex, a major leap.

Once they're inside the gates of paradise, they'll find their more expensive way to the temple.   

Bait the hook, set it deep, then reel them in.

Under $100 startup costs;
air popper
Melitta cone
burr grinder
Sweet Maria's sampler pack

If they like the results, then tell them about the thousands they can spend in search of the fabled God Shot.

[4thJohn]

http://mylifeintheburbs.wordpress.com/2012/03/11/its-tru-burr-grinders-are-better/

[rasqual]

http://mylifeintheburbs.wordpress.com/2012/03/11/its-tru-burr-grinders-are-better/

"I washed it out with gentle soap and water, rinsed and dried before my first use, as they always recommend on anything you are going to eat or cook out of when you buy it new."

 

This image in my head of a burr grinder (well, stone or whatever -- thanks Eric for the picture that's as good a theory as any) in a sudsy sink -- good grief.