Published December 7th, 2007

LA PAVONI

$59 at culturedcoffeebean.com

The smallest grinder tested and very good looking. However, it’s a bit noisy and there’s a lot of static. The ground coffee container is too large and coffee spills everywhere when you pour it out. It grinds by the cup, so you can keep the hopper filled and grind as many cups as you like—very convenient, except a “cup” is 4 ounces, the instruction book tells us. With 19 settings you have to experiment to find the right setting for your prep method. And don’t follow the tips in the instruction, they’re wrong. But it does grind very evenly. Highlights: 19 grind settings >> Large bean hopper and ground coffee container >> Automatic portion timer >> Flat-plate burr >> Easy to clean and maintain >> One yearlimited warranty. Overall: While the La Pavoni gets top marks on some websites, I found it too fiddly, too loud and awkward. But if that doesn’t bother you, it’s a deal.