Russell Hobbs 10934 > Reviews > That Starbucks smell at home ;o)

Author's product rating:   

Ease of use	Very easy
Durability	Long
Cleaning & Maintenance	Very easy
Safety	Very safe
Value for money	Excellent

Advantages:	Adjustable for quantity and grind .  Compact and stylish
Disadvantages:	Static stick of grounds in hopper

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

Being a coffee addict one of the items on the "wish list" was my own coffee grinder. Reason being so I could buy beans (which work out a little cheaper and hold their flavour a lot longer!) rather than pre-ground coffee.

What is it?
The Russell Hobbs 10934 is a straightforward coffee grinder; it is adjustable for grind (coarse - fine) and quantity (1 - 6 cups). It has a stainless steel finish which looks good in the kitchen and this also makes it easy to clean the outside. This coffee grinder is small and compact - yet does a good job which makes it ideal for those with limited space. And for those that are gadget and image conscious it has the added benefits of an expensive looking finish and a compact design.

Opening the box.
When you open up the coffee grinder you will find 4 items and 2 booklets.

The items are:
1 - The main grinding unit
2 - The coffee bean hopper/dispenser
3 - The coffee grinds hopper
4 - A coffee scoop

The 3 booklets:
1 - Manufacturers warranty
2 - Instruction booklet

First use.
First off remove the coffee grinder from his box! And remove ALL polystyrene, there is also a cover on the plug… remove this.

At this point I would recommend cleaning the plastic hoppers and their lids carefully, the manufacturer doesn't but when there is polystyrene about it gets everywhere! Make sure that after cleaning them in warm soapy water with a non-stick cloth you then dry them VERY well before returning them to the unit.

Putting the unit together:
The unit comes in 3 sections:
1 - The main grinding unit
2 - The coffee bean hopper/dispenser (with removable lid)
3 - The coffee grinds hopper (with removable lid)
These need to be slotted together to allow the beans to be fed down into the grinding mechanism and the grinds to be shot out into their storage unit.

These are easy to slot together, which I did without reading the instructions, but the instructions are clear and easy to read for those of you that wish to refer to them.

Using the unit:
Plug the coffee grinder in and switch on at the socket. The unit won't turn on as it has it's own on/off switch. Fill the bean hopper with the amount of beans needs for the number of cups of coffee you are going to make. This can be done using the supplied coffee scoop. Rough guide 1 tablespoon per cup.

You then need to move the ring at the top of the unit to the desired grind level, fine for espresso, medium for drip filer and coarse for cafetiere. The only instructions on the unit beside this wheel say "fine, medium coarse" so this is a little bit of trial and error. Move to the right for coarse and to left for fine.

Next you need to turn the dial to the number of cups of coffee you intend to grind for. The unit has an auto shut off mechanism for when this amount has been ground.

When all of this has been done and the hoppers are secure hit the small on/off button and a fresh coffee aroma will fill your kitchen.

Turning off:
The unit will turn off automatically when the required coffee has been ground, but if you wish to turn it off before this simply press the on/off button again.

When the unit has finished grinding open the hopper with the grounds in and add the to the filter, espresso machine or cafetiere… wait a while… then sit back and enjoy fresh coffee in your own home!

Cleaning the unit:
From time to time I would recommend removing the hoppers and cleaning them as you did initially. In warm, soapy water with a non-stick cloth. Before returning them to the unit make sure that they are very dry or you will have water running into the grinding mechanism and damp grounds… neither of which are advisable.

Storage:
As this coffee grinder is very small and is in constant use I haven't yet put the unit away. But with a very small volume/area (realistically little more than a sandwich toaster) it is easy to store, even in the smallest kitchen.

Tips…
Buy good quality beans - they taste better
Store beans in the fridge (they last for 3 mths this way)
Don't buy more beans than you think you will use even if they are on special offer… they go off!
Experiment with your own blends… (My favourite so far… 50% Columbian 50% French)

Conclusion:
For coffee lovers out there this is worth the investment… fresh ground coffee in your own home :o)

Other features:
Stainless steel housing
Bean container holds enough for up to 6 cups of coffee
Adjustable grind control for fine, medium, coarse
Removable bean and coffee containers
Automatic shut off
Timer
100W
Boxed weight 2kg

Manufacturers Guarantee Period: 1 Year Manufacturers Warranty
Instruction book: Included

Available from: (Though prices do vary so shop around!)
Tescos
John Lewis
Amazon
Whittards