I bought two Cuisinart burr grinders for under $100 each at Costco last year.

Then we decided we like the LavAzza pre-ground (more like pulverized) dark roast (green label).

We make coffee in a Capresso drip machine that heats the water high enough to make the most of whatever coffee is in it. It has a thermos carafe.

Is this the one you're thinking of? As a full force coffee snob who once drank the cheapest stuff I could find and as a human being who believes in impartiality... no one needs to have 'the greatest coffee'. If you want it, get it, but honestly, other than a lack of those tiny grounds (and there should be none with a burr grinder), nope, you won't notice a difference in taste. You'd only notice a difference if you chose to grind your beans smaller or larger. Do you have a local grocery store where you can grind your beans? You might give that a try to see what you think.

I like a wee bit of sugar and drop of fat free half and half in mine, and keep in mind, I'm now a snob who's DH gets green beans, roasts them, degasses them, uses a high-end burr grinder just before brewing, filtered water, and a nice coffee maker that allows the grinds to bloom.... but if you like a lot of milk, a lot of sweetness, you probably won't notice any difference.

Like you, I love iced coffee, so I use our leftover coffee in the morning, adding extra sugar and extra fat free half and half in tiny jars for those hot summer days - I love it! But I don't need 'good' coffee for that. Just decent coffee : - )

What's a coffee snob? Is a person who prefers a better tasting or better quality food product automatically a snob in your eyes?

If you shop for coffee by price and not by quality, why be concerned about what kind of grinder you use? Jacques Pepin, a classically trained French chef (in case you don't know the name) once said something to the effect that a mediocre cook can make a delicious meal if using top ingredients, but the best chef is limited and can only do so much with poor ingredients.

If you want to have good coffee, buy good coffee. It's rarely the cheapest one you can find.

What a blowhard you can be, elmer.

That Bodum is wonderful! I especially like the fact you have control over the grind -- different beans/roasts need different degrees of fineness. Those metallic whirly grinders everyone has are only good for grinding spices.

Maybe it was the word you used, Jane, and you used it twice as if sensitive about it. There's nothing wrong with being a novice or someone who decides to learn more about something, that describes all of us for everything at one time or another. The word snob is a pejorative term, suggesting contempt and disapproval. You meant to say you're not knowledgeable and want to learn more. Even when you're done doing that, you won't be a snob in my book. You'll be better informed.

Stay calm, rhizo.

Burr grinders as Elizabeth says, produce an evenly ground coffee and you can control the size of the grounds to suit a French press, which I use (slightly coarser) or an espresso machine or Aeropress, which my DH uses (fine). I have a De Longhi which has been in daily use for so long I can't recall when I bought it, but it's well over 12 years.

"What a blowhard you can be, elmer."

Yes, at times he can be. But this is one of the many times I agree with him. After all, the OP wrote, "I have a le creuset french press which I love because it is super cute." If the equipment you use is only in your possession because "it is super cute" and not because it is the best equipment you can afford for the intended purpose, you're not going to get the best results. Add to that the fact that she's using the cheapest ingredients she can find...

We've had the Capresso grinder for about ten years. I'm shocked it's lasted that long. We paid $100 but I recently saw it for around $40 at Tuesday Morning.

We have the Capresso 560.01 and use a French press. Very happy with it. I'll use a finer grind in a drip cone if I only want to make a mall amount for myself. When I clean it I have to remember 2 things - make sure to put the container to catch the ground coffee back under the grinder before you run it, and don't lift the top off with beans in it. The beans sit right on top of the grinder and they fall out the bottom if you lift off the container from the unit. You have to grind the beans or dump them out if you don't want beans all over the place.

Scratch below my surface and do the same with yours, lindsey, to find that we may see more things similarly than not. Or, maybe not. Either way, it doesn't take away the benefit of exchanging ideas.

I'm intrigued by the idea of fat free half and half. How can something that is half cream be fat free? But I prefer heavy cream, a little bit doesn't add many calories but tastes so much better.

I have the bodum grinder that Diversions linked. We love it. In addition to lots of choices as to how coarse or fine you want the grind, I can set it to grind from 5 to 20 seconds. The only drawback for me is that you are supposed to wait for five minutes before grinding again and since we like our coffee strong, I have to come back later to finish grinding.

I just am adding my opion to what I think . You can not be a coffee snob if you put cream or sugar in your coffee. That to me is like putting 7up in a glass of fine wine. as for a grinder you have gotten so good ideas, and I have learned a lot of stuff about coffee grinding thanks.

Hello, Jane! You've gotten some good feedback. Not everyone has to spend a lot (of money, ingredient selection, time, techniques) to get "a cup of coffee." A lot of people seem to be able to be satisfied with DD or Eight O'Clock, or even Starbucks ("Charbucks" as one Boston brewer used to dub it). Whatever floats your boat.

I am fairl particular about my coffee (for my taste and "needs"). I use a Roncilio Rocky burr grinder with pour over drip. We get whole roasted beans from a somewhat local roaster. The Rocky grinder can be adjusted and gives a consist and grind and does not heat up the beans.

Some while ago I used a blade coffee mill. Then I bought a conical burr grinder much like the $100 Bodum you're looking at. With certain types of coffee beans, the conical burr grinder gave an inconsistent grind and with anything but a small amount of non--oily beans, the coffee grounds would heat up (that destroys flavor). Espresso and snarly roasted beans can tend to be oily.

All burr grinders need to be kept free old or previous dats coffee grounds and fines to give the freshest results. The Rocky is easy to keep clean. It makes quiet and easy work out of medium roasted beans. I wasn't totally for DH springing for such a robust and costly grinder, but now I'm glad I did agree with his selection.

As you have stated that you buy coffee for a low price, and it doesn't seem but low-end, and you add a lot of enhancements to it or keep it for a few days after brewing, I doubt that you are going to notice any difference between your blade grinder and the conical burr. I think that with low grade coffee, you could use the best or most expensive grinder and not notice any difference. For me, the wonderful fragrance and flavor of coffee is because of its many volatiles. These give the full rich high notes and kind body -- and they are not long lasting. Older or inferior (inexpensive) beans are pretty much lacking in these, as is brewed coffee kept hot or even in a thermos for very long. I'd still pack a thermos full for a boat trip or picnic, but I would not expect it to be the most satisfying cuppa. (But if you've been on a boat for hours and get hungry, thermos quality coffee and a sandwich or cookie can taste might wonderful.

I don't care for those K makers and cups because of the technique and usually inferior pre-ground coffee.

So, my suggestion is that if you're satisfied with the sort of brew you're getting now, save your money. Spend $5 on a very fine mesh sieve to catch any escaped or fine grounds as you pour your cup.

Wonder if I can get $30 for my used conical burr grinder on CL or eBay ;)

Chi, “I'm intrigued by the idea of fat free half and half. How can something that is half cream be fat free?” I switched to ‘fat free’ half and half (I don’t care for 2% in my coffee) to cut back on cholesterol, not to lose weight (I am, in fact, trying to gain weight). Combining that with whole wheat, 2% milk, etc., has made a huge difference. I do use heavy cream in some recipes and agree wholeheartedly, the taste is altogether far better.

greenshoekitty, “You can not be a coffee snob if you put cream or sugar in your coffee” To a certain extent I agree with you. If one is using quality beans, and goes the full nine yards in coffee prep, adding anything to coffee is adulterating it. DH and I prefer notes of chocolate and caramel – not the kind produced by French Roast (dark roasting) but the kind produced by the bean itself and our custom roast preferences, and those taste profiles (unlike, say, a great Ethiopian bean) can be complimented with “a wee bit of sugar and drop of fat free half and half” depending on the bean’s ability to hold its own with those minor additions. It’s a matter of taste preference and to each his own, therefore I declare myself a coffee snob I think “That to me is like putting 7up in a glass of fine wine” is over-stating a smidge of sugar and half and half in an excellent cup of coffee. But that’s just my opinion. We all have our taste preferences. There are those who put sugar/cream in espresso, but I don’t. I do like using milk or half and half in my cappuccino’s – that’s the way they are made and again, we buy, roast, grind all our beans, including cap’s.

I think if someone (the OP) wants to have something ‘cute’ for the looks, again, this is personal preference. Not necessarily one dependent on taste.

IMO its over-kill to buy a high-end burr grinder (Mazzer and the likes) and use a pour over method or French press with a low quality, pre-roasted, stale bean to make coffee, but it that’s what someone likes to do, that’s what they should feel free to do

I had both type grinders and much prefer the burr grinder over the blade. I drink espresso and Cuban coffee FWIW.

2manydiversions, fat free half & half has a "trivial" amount of cream. It does add corn syrup to give it the "mouth feel" of cream and the bit of sweetness cream inherently has.

donna_loomis, thank you for the info, kind of you. I read labels and ingredients (have to when my doc said to lower cholesterol naturally, and as I try to gain weight), so I did know that (corn syrup is the first ingredient named) - it's the reason I like it in my too-sweet iced coffee (which does not require good coffee at all but it's a great way to use up the leftover morning coffee and preferable to tossing it down the drain!)

Yuck.

Elmer, "Yuck" LOL! But... corn syrup is in a lot of the foods we eat. I use a thick glucose syrup for some hard candies, and sugar-blown sculpting I make, among other things, and that stuff is thicker than molasses. Tasted it once in the raw form (contains ultra high amounts of glucose)... now that was Yuck!

I have to say, I admire your attitude when people criticize your choices. ;)

Thank you Chi, I feel whether we all agree on a particular thing or not, we can find commonalities in at least something and I try to remember that (though I sometimes fail). I used to believe it was easier to make and keep friends than enemies, but feel the opposite is true these days, especially on the internet where we don’t have to take much personal credit for harsh words or opposing opinions. People take things so to heart and are often quick to temper – it’s something I have done plenty, but given time, perspective, and life experience (not to mention a cool-off period!), we are all humans, just trying to live.

I forgot about this discussion, and I really meant to add my $.02. We have had a Capresso burr grinder for many years and it still works perfectly. I like the ability to get a consistent grind at different degrees from extra fine to coarse, and set to different amounts. It took a few tries to get used to what we found to be our preference for our usual drip maker. We liked it so much we bought a second one for the lake. I love having fresh ground coffee every morning.