Krups 203-42 Fast Touch Coffee Grinder, Black

personally I think the less fancy model by Braun KSM2 is a better model.


For serious coffee drinkers   June 16, 2001
MotherLodeBeth (Sierras of California)
22 out of 22 found this review helpful

We are serious cooks and take our coffee seriously. Own two of these and the first one is at least ten years old and the newest one less than two. Grinds whole beans according to your desired taste. We own two simply because we like plain as well as flavoured whole bean coffee and simply wish to keep the flavors separate.

Two helpful hints someone suggested that I pass on. Place this grinder on a small towel or pot holder as it helps muffle the sound. Secondly, invest in a good quality nylon paint brush that you can use to "sweep" out your coffee grinder weekly so that you have no grounds left as these can turn rancid over months and leave an awful taste.

Oh and if this or any appliance breaks down contact the maker not Amazon.com and they will replace it. Krups is a reliable maker and I know firsthand that they stand by their products.


Simple but great!   March 13, 2002
21 out of 22 found this review helpful

I have had this Krups coffee grinder for over 15 years now. When I first decided to buy coffee beans and grind my own, I knew nothing about it. Just went into a cook store, saw several grinders, and chose Krups based on its looks and simplicity. I have not been disappointed.

I make 2-3 pots of coffee a day. [multiply that times 15 years and that's a lot of use!] It has had the usual wear and beating [oops, I dropped it, etc] and now is yellowed and has brittle teeth around the lid edges from use and abuse, and that's the ONLY reason why I have decided to get another one. The motor is still going strong and the blades still work great.

This is a simple machine to use. Put in the coffee beans, and depending on how strong you want the coffee, grind the beans longer for a finer grind. It took a bit of experimentation at first [which I enjoyed since it was a new thing I was learning] to decide how much and how long depending on how much water I was using, but now it is just automatic to measure, grind, rap the sides, and pour.

I like the safety feature that won't allow you to "accidentally" grind without the lid being seated - the trigger to start it is on the lid. That's the only "button" to push.

Spilling coffee isn't a problem either. After grinding, and before taking off the lid, just rap the sides to help loosen the coffee from the lid and sides. Then take off the lid and dump the coffee into the filter of your machine. The only thing easier would be if the grinder was in your coffeemaker already. However, the more bells and whistles on an appliance, the more possibilities for things to break or go wrong. [My Krups grinder has outlasted at least 3 coffeemakers already. It's worth it to me to keep it separate.]

Since I had such good luck with the first one, naturally I'm getting another. It's still the same number as the one I bought years ago. When something works great, why change it. 15 years... Now, that's pretty good for any appliance!


Best on the market   February 22, 2001
Joanna Daneman (Middletown, DE USA)
20 out of 21 found this review helpful

I've never had any trouble with the grinder, which is not the case with other brands owned by friends. The oval shape is interesting; apparently has something to do with the way coffee whirls around when ground and is supposed to increase grinding efficiency. Whatever, it works.

I had two, one for spices. (we got an extra as a present, so I dedicated the older one to spice grinding.) But I don't recommend it for spices, and wish I could recommend something other than my marble mortar and pestle, but that's what I use. Why? The cover of the Krups grinder gets scarred from the tough stems of cloves, and I noticed even the edge of the plastic cover got nicked and chipped. Question: where did those plastic chips go? So now I pound away on the mortar and use the grinder for coffee.