We are fortunate in that we have a coffee roaster in town. We buy in one-pound bags. Either single source or blends that are made for local restaurants.

We buy whole bean and grind them as needed (every other day generally). The missus has hers (regular); and I have mine (decaf). Our grinders are low-tech and work well enough for us.

what kind are they Jim? Do they make a mess? It's the mess of it that made me throw my last grinder away. It was one where you pour the beans in the top, press down on the lid, then when they're done, you're supposed to flip it over and the coffee goes into the lid. Problem was, it didn't all come out. Lots was stuck under the blades, on the sides, around the rim etc. I think I used it once before I tossed it.

After consulting the Council of Elders here on the KT...

...I bought a Cuisinart burr mill for $30 at Costco last November. (CCM-16C1) I put it away when we left for Maui and forgot about it until May, so I can't vouch for its' long term reliability.

It's *loud*, but easy to use, with a small 'footprint'. You can grind 8 oz at a time. I just use one cup of beans and set to medium/fine to make three cups in the morning. (I drink 'coffee-flavored milk'; DH has two cups of coffee.)

I buy small amounts of beans and leave them in the bag on the cold granite beside the grinder.

thanks chisue....

I use a cheap Braun coffee grinder. And Starbucks coffee beans that I buy at Costco. HUGE bag for $18. I grind them fine and sometimes the grounds stick to the grinder. I use a small spoon to get it all out. When I want to clean my grinder, I put in a small piece of bread (about a 1/4 slice) and grind it up, then shake it out and use paper towel to shine it up. They're very easy to clean.

Here is a link that might be useful: This is the grinder I use.

I know everyone says the only way to make good tasting coffee is to grind it yourself, but I've given it up. Like you I make and drink lattes. I originally had a "blade" grinder, and it never ground the beans finely enough to make a reasonable latte, and as you've stated, it was somewhat messy. So I bought a "burr" grinder, where you put the beans in the top, and press a button and the ground coffee comes out into a container below. However even on the finest setting, it was never fine enough, and wasn't consistently sized at all. And it was MUCH more messy that the blade grinder. It would build up a static charge on the ground coffee so that when you removed the container and opened it some of the coffee would jump out of the container and scatter itself over the countertop for a foot or so in all directions.

I researched it some and found several people stating "If you want a good espresso shot the most important thing is a consistent sized grind and to get that you have to spend at least $150 or $300 or $500 for a GOOD burr grinder". Well that's not happening.

I tried the machine at the grocery store for a while, but for all of its size and power, it still wasn't very consistent in its grind, and the coffee often had a burnt or bitter flavor since the beans were sitting in those plastic bins or paper bags for God-only knows-how-long.

Since then I have been buying the vacuum sealed packages of pre-ground espresso either Cafe Pilon or Cafe Bustillo. They have a consistent grind that makes them work well in my espresso machine. The heavy foil, vacuum-sealed bags keep the coffee "fresh" for a long time until the bag is opened, and reseals well enough to keep the coffee from picking up a burnt or bitter flavor before the bags is all used.

Not to sound like an advertisement, but try it for at least one bag and I think you'll find it better in every way than your current method.

I have a Cuisinart Grind and brew coffee maker in the kitchen, it even has a timer (was a gift).
Before the Cuisinart, I bought a small Krupps grinder for travel, years ago. Still using it when we travel.

See link below (it's under $20 from Amazon).

Here is a link that might be useful: Kripps small grinder

I have a Cuisinart coffee maker that has a built in grinder. I keep beans in the freezer, put a handful into the grinder, add water and voila, good coffee. I like Seattle's best coffee, but I will buy 8 o'clock when it's on sale as buy one, get one. They have lots of different beans, plain coffee or flavored. This is probably the ultimate convenience being all in one. As far as cleaning, I remove the grinder, and wash it out with the rest of the coffee maker.

I took our little Braun blade grinder out to the condo years ago. Still working when we left in March.

The reason why most coffee grinders make a mess is because the container holding the ground coffee is plastic, and with the static electricity that builds up, the grounds go everywhere when you open the container. Find one with a glass or stainless steel container and you won't have that issue. We have a KitchenAid ProLine (burr) coffee grinder that has a glass container for the whole beans and a glass container for the grounds. We love it, but I know that most folks don't want to spend that much money for a coffee grinder.

KitchenAid has a blade grinder for $30 that has a stainless steel container for the beans/grounds. Comes in three different colors. You can buy it direct from KitchenAid.

Here is a link that might be useful: KitchenAid Blade Coffee Grinder

I just rinse my Cuisinart grinder, bottom piece that houses the blade and top..under hot water for less than a minute to get the fine dust that collects on them after use....lay on a paper towel, and they air dry clean as a whistle. both dry by the time I finish my coffee.
No flying dust.

Wish I'd seen that tip about a glass container rather than plastic. My trusty old Braun grinder finally gave up the ghost. I've had that thing for ages. I decided to replace it with a burr grinder and got the Cuisinart. So far my socks have not been knocked off. I do like that you can put a half pound of beans in the top and close it before grinding, instead of scooping it in and then cleaning runaway beans off the floor. I also like that you just push a button and it grinds itself instead of having to stand there holding the lid down.

I don't like the way the ground coffee clings to the plastic container and I have to scoop it out with my finger. I am still getting the ratio of grounds to water figured out. I have less control over the amount of beans per pot, but I think I can get that down.

I don't think a burr grinder makes any difference in the taste of the coffee over the old blade grinder.

I have the same Braun (only mine is black) that Debby ab has.
Works great for me!

This is my Cuisinart...even has a thermal carafe.

It's the best around. Got it for Christmas gift 5-6 years ago.

Here is a link that might be useful: cuisnart Grind 'n Brew

I own a Capresso and my DH uses it everyday and we have had it for 4-5 years. It was probably around $90, but he swears by it.

dedtired, the difference between a burr grinder and a blade grinder is that the burr grinder can be set to produce various grades of fineness of grind, and a blade grinder can't. Also a burr grinder produces all particles the same size, which a blade grinder doesn't.
For use in a French press or coffee maker these differences are not crucial, but they are if you are using an espresso machine.
I've had a Krupps burr grinder for over 10 years; it's never missed a beat.

We have had a Bodum Bistro Electric Burr Coffee Grinder for about three years now and when it dies I will buy exactly the same one to replace it. It's a burr grinder, as the name says. The receptacle that houses the beans is plastic, but the receptacle that the grounds go into is glass. We like our coffee very strong (not to be confused with coffee that has been setting around for hours) and I like the fine grind I get with this baby. Combined with the DeLonghi DC514T 14-Cup Programmable Drip Coffeemaker we bought over a year ago, we are supremely happy with our daily Joe. And yes, the coffee pot really does make a huge difference. Both the pot and the grinder cost more than we have ever spent for either in the past, but it was a splurge we were willing to make. They were about $150 each.

Here is a link that might be useful: Burr grinder

Correction: I use HALF a cup of beans to grind coffee for 3 cups of coffee, not a whole cup of beans.

I would prefer a glass container for the ground coffee, but don't find the plastic on in the Cuisinart a big problem so far. The plastic container for the whole beans is of no consequence to me. It's grinding evenly, and a setting just south of "Medium" grinds fine enough for me. The roar is a waker-upper. Think of an old cartoon where a character has upset a hive -- only *louder*.

The most important feature of any drip coffee maker is its' ability to heat the water to the right temperature and keep it there to the finish.

You also need good water. Our tap water is great, but I still draw from the filtered water dispenser in our refridgerator door.

I only want coffee brewed NOW, not an hour later, and not 'kept hot' on a hot plate. My old Krups drips into a pre-heated thermos carafe that I can then seal tight. I don't find that feature on any 'grind and brew' makers. (Some have thermos carafes, but they don't seal.)

We would probably be good candidates for the single cup capsules, but I'm too cheap to pay more for the maker or the capsules!