I don't accept that all things remain unchanged. A grinder, due to design, age, and a host of other variables, is likely to put out results that change over time. How does a nut loosen on a bolt? What is the output of a clean set of burrs vs. not clean? How much change occurs with each use? How often should a grinder be cleaned? These questions can't be answered without data. My grinder is likely not producing the same output at the same setting as the day I brought it home. If I know what the output should be, I can set it to THAT "notch" rather than the one I used when I first bought it. I don't know how to explain why information is important to me...perhaps it's due to the influence of a college professor who was always stressing the importance of accuracy. Maybe it's just that the 'a-pinch-of-this' and 'a-touch-of-that' technique is not an ideal way to achieve consistent results. I like to quantify the variables just so that I know the equipment is doing what it is supposed to be doing...delivering a predictable output.
No matter how many variables you monitor and attempt to keep consistent, there are always more. It is an exercise in futility.
So the choices are: 1) monitor all of them; or, 2) monitor none of them??
How about just monitoring the variables that are important? Before answering...I intentionally did not say "...the variables that I feel are important..." just to see if you'd bite! Monitoring variables is a necessary evil. Of course no one is interested in monitoring ALL variables, but I'd bet you'd expect your heart surgeon to be monitoring some of the important ones!!
Clearly your choices are more diverse than measuring all or none. My response was simply to indicate that you will never monitor all variables, and yes many are interested in doing this. You have to decide by what measure to define the variables you would like to monitor:
Is fresh ground coffee important to you?
How fresh?
3 minutes?
60 seconds?
15 seconds?
How about weight?
10:1?
What about the tolerance on your scale?
What about air pressure?
A fan nearby?
Different elevation?
What about water temperature?
How about the tolerance of your probe?
Water source?
Impurities in the water?
Temperature of the brewing device?
I'm sure there are at least 1000 more variables that can be addressed by reasonable means.
If you want to worry about grind, I would first focus on your grinder. No matter what they say about this "system" it will not and cannot change the shape of the grind and will never be able to substitute a cheap grinder for a quality one. And even better, you don't have to spend 5-10 minutes shaking a small box to get your grounds. However, the work might make the coffee taste better, like lemonade after working in the yard all day. Also, I don't think this system will do what you expect it to, by giving you a direct readout of grinder conditions you listed above. This would vary grinder to grinder, bean to bean, day to day, etc....
More power to you for purchasing this system, without people to try new things we couldn't have progress. I would also curiously test it out. However, don't be fooled by their marketing ploy, it is not an end all be all for coffee grind. It is simply another variable to introduce into your daily routine. It might turn out great or might be terrible, destroying the complexity of the bean.
Evaluating the negatives of this product does not amount to trashing it, by giving it genuine thought, those posting here have done more for the product idea than those using it for an outlet of extra cash, buying into a new fad product for the heck of it (For the record I am not implying or saying that this is you.).
