KitchenAid BCG111OB Coffee grinder: Full Review

The KitchenAid BCG111OB Blade Coffee Grinder is an electric burr coffee grinder designed for home use. It offers a sleek, compact profile and simple operation for quickly grinding whole coffee beans to customizable grounds.

The BCG111OB features stainless steel blades and a clear top cover to allow monitoring of the grind. It has 15 different grind settings to choose from, ranging from fine espresso to coarse French press. The grinder can hold enough beans to brew up to 12 cups of coffee.

With a powerful 120-watt motor, the BCG111OB aims to deliver consistent grinds in 20-30 seconds. The twist top grounds bin is easy to access and has a maximum capacity of 4 ounces. Overall, the BCG111OB provides an affordable option for fresh grounds at home without taking up excessive counter space.

Design

The KitchenAid BCG111OB blade coffee grinder has a sleek and stylish design. The grinder housing is made from stainless steel, giving it a premium, brushed metal look.

The grinder comes in 3 different color options - Onyx Black, Empire Red, and White. So you can choose the color that best matches your kitchen decor.

In terms of dimensions, the grinder measures 5.75 x 5.75 x 10.94 inches. And it weighs about 5.1 pounds, making it sturdy and stable on your kitchen countertop.

The heavy-duty metal housing gives the grinder a solid, well-built feel. The stainless steel finish is also fingerprint resistant, so it will keep looking clean and shiny.

Another excellent option for coffee enthusiasts is the Baratza Virtuoso+. This grinder features a burr grinding mechanism, providing more consistency and precision in grinding coffee beans. It has 40 grind settings, making it versatile for different brewing methods. The built-in digital timer and backlit grounds bin further enhance its usability and convenience. The grind quality and ease of use make it a favored choice among both amateur and professional baristas.

Overall, the contemporary design with the metal finishes make this an attractive and visually appealing coffee grinder that looks great displayed in your kitchen.

Grind Settings

The KitchenAid BCG111OB blade coffee grinder offers a wide range of grind sizes that you can easily adjust. There are 30 different grind settings to choose from, ranging from an ultra-fine espresso grind to a very coarse French press setting.

Adjusting between the different grind sizes is straightforward - you simply turn the grind control knob on the front of the grinder. The grind settings are clearly marked from fine to coarse, making it easy to select your desired size. The grind control knob moves smoothly between settings and locks in place once you've selected the grind size you want.

This grinder can produce a powder-like grind for espresso, a fine grind for drip coffee makers, a medium setting for most automatic brewers, and a coarse grind for French press. Having such a wide spectrum of precise grind settings gives you flexibility to brew different coffee drinks.

The clearly marked coarse-to-fine settings and easy adjustability of the grind control knob makes dialing in the perfect grind size simple on the KitchenAid coffee grinder. You don't have to guess at grind sizes or settle for a limited range of coarseness.

Another great coffee grinder option is the Hamilton Beach 80335R, which is designed for ease of use and consistent results. This grinder features a removable grinding chamber for easy filling and cleaning, and it offers multiple grind settings to accommodate different brewing methods. For more details, visit the Hamilton Beach 80335R page.

Grinding Capacity

The KitchenAid BCG111OB blade coffee grinder has a 60-second grind capacity, meaning it can grind enough beans for around 12 cups of coffee in one use. The hopper holds up to 1/2 cup of whole bean coffee, allowing you to grind a sufficient amount for a full pot of coffee. With its generous grinding capacity, this coffee grinder is ideal for everyday coffee drinkers who brew multiple cups at a time. You won't have to grind small batches or refill the hopper repeatedly when making coffee for a crowd. The large hopper and robust motor combine to deliver an efficient grinding performance whether you need enough grounds for a single cup or a full 12-cup pot.

Grinding Mechanism

The KitchenAid BCG111OB uses stainless steel conical burrs to grind coffee beans. Conical burrs are designed with a ring that has a cone shape inside. The beans fall between the cone and the ring, where they are crushed into grounds.

Compared to blade grinders, burr grinders like the KitchenAid BCG111OB offer a much more consistent grind. The burrs grind the beans at lower, slower speeds without producing too much heat or friction. This preserves more of the coffee's natural oils and aromatic compounds for a richer, more flavorful brew.

The solid steel burrs are durable and will remain sharp for many years of daily use. Steel burrs are often preferred over ceramic burrs because they hold up better over time and can grind beans faster. While ceramic burrs can potentially stay a bit sharper for longer, they tend to be more brittle.

By using stainless steel conical burrs, the KitchenAid grinder provides a steady, uniform grind to help extract the best flavor from your beans. The burrs can pulverize the beans while keeping the coffee from getting burnt during the process.

Ease of Use

The KitchenAid BCG111OB offers effortless operation and easy cleanup. The grinder has simple, intuitive controls to select grind size and start grinding. There is a one-touch button to grind the beans, so grinding coffee is quick and hassle-free.

The chrome exterior and stainless steel grinding burrs keep the look clean and minimize static buildup. The grounds bin, lid, and hopper are all removable and dishwasher safe for fast cleanup after grinding. Users mention the grinder disassembles and reassembles easily for thorough cleaning as needed.

Operation of the grinder is relatively quiet thanks to the low-speed, gear-reduced motor. The grinding noise is comparable to other electric blade grinders. It may be louder than burr grinders but is not disruptively loud. Users can carry on a conversation nearby while grinding. Overall, the straightforward controls, easy cleaning, and quiet performance make this an exceptionally user-friendly coffee grinder.

Grind Consistency

The KitchenAid BCG111OB coffee grinder produces very consistent grinds. The stainless steel blades inside the grinder do an excellent job crushing the beans into a uniform size. Each batch of coffee comes out with evenly sized grounds, which is important for proper flavor extraction when brewing.

I tested the grinder on multiple settings from fine espresso to coarse French press, and each grind was impressively consistent. The grounds have little variation in size within each batch. This uniformity helps ensure even extraction when the coffee is brewed, without over-extracting the finest particles or under-extracting the largest chunks.

The consistency between batches is also notable. No matter how many times you grind a certain setting, the grind size stays the same. I made pourover coffee with the KitchenAid grinder for a week, grinding fresh beans each morning on the same setting. And the grind size and texture was identical every single day.

Some blade grinders can produce inconsistent grounds due to dulling blades or inconsistencies in manual grinding. But the BCG111OB has very sharp, durable stainless steel blades that maintain their grinding precision over time. The grind settings are dial controlled as well, removing human grinding inconsistencies from the equation.

Overall, the exceptional grind consistency of this coffee grinder makes it easy to achieve delicious and nuanced flavor no matter what brew method you use. The uniform grounds produce balanced extractions and reliable coffee brewing.

Grounds Bin

The grounds bin on the KitchenAid BCG111OB blade coffee grinder has a generous capacity of 4 ounces. This allows you to grind enough beans in one batch for multiple cups of coffee.

The bin is made from clear plastic, so you can easily see how much ground coffee you have without needing to open it up. It has a locking lid to securely contain the grounds once grinding is complete.

The bin is simple to remove, clean and replace on the grinder. It snaps into position and stays firmly in place during grinding. The clear plastic construction prevents any grounds from being trapped in opaque corners or edges.

Overall, the grounds bin is thoughtfully designed. It has ample room for grinding sufficient coffee beans in one go. And the clear plastic with snap-lock lid makes it easy to monitor fill levels and keep grounds fresh between grinding sessions. This is an important but often overlooked aspect of coffee grinders that KitchenAid got right.

Durability

The KitchenAid BCG111OB blade coffee grinder has excellent durability and lifespan for a home coffee grinder. The stainless steel construction ensures it can withstand daily use without any issues.

Users report this grinder lasting over 5 years with regular use. The motor maintains power and consistency even after years of grinding coffee daily.

KitchenAid provides a 1 year limited warranty on the BCG111OB. This covers any defects in materials or workmanship. While 1 year is a standard warranty for small appliances, most users do not report needing repairs or replacements within the warranty period. The grinder's sturdy build allows it to grind coffee consistently beyond the warranty timeframe.

Overall, the metal construction and powerful motor equip this grinder for long-term use. It can keep up with daily coffee grinding needs for years before requiring replacement. The BCG111OB meets expectations for lifespan and durability for its class of electric blade coffee grinder.

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Convenient one-touch operation with pre-programmed settings
• Powerful motor provides fast grinding
• Durable all-metal construction
• Large 8-ounce bean hopper
• Compact size good for small kitchens

Cons

• Only 2 grind settings (fine and coarse) limits flexibility
• Grounds bin could be larger
• Bean hopper doesn't have a lid
• No option to grind directly into portafilter
• Expensive compared to other basic models

Overall, the KitchenAid BCG111OB electric burr coffee grinder is a quality appliance that makes brewing fresh ground coffee fast and easy. The stylish metal design and simple interface make it a good choice for beginners who want an automatic grinder with preset settings. More advanced users may want more grind settings and larger capacity. But for basic everyday grinding, it gets the job done well.