Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I bought this item a few weeks ago and wanted to give it at least a dozen uses before reviewing. That being said, I can't yet say that this item stands the test of time. On top of that, I use this not to grind up coffee beans, but for other things. I bought this item to make powders, such as dried pepper powders, dried mushroom powders and the like. PROS: given that I'm using this for purposes not intended by the manufacturer, it's doing a good job. I like how fine my end product is. It's cheap! Even if it worked 75% as good as it does, I would say this is a steal. I love how the grinder compartment comes apart, and despite recommendations against, I still hand wash the detachable parts and let air dry for a good day. I still hand clean the main part with a dry or very light damp paper, sit it upside down and and let it dry a good day. No problems here, but again, the manufacturer (and pretty much everyone else) advises against this. I'm just lazy, and the subsequent powder gets everywhere, which leads me to the cons. CONS: this thing does a great job grinding up stuff, but it often results in a powdery smoke afterwards, which often escapes while grinding. This smoke gets everywhere including into the mechanics of the grinder. I'm hoping this doesn't cause issues down the road. Additionally, if you're like me and using this for other than coffee purposes, get a cheap face mask, especially when grinding hot peppers. The mechanism that spins the grinding blades doesn't always fit snugly and when I was first using this, it gave off a plastic burn smell. It's gone away after 6 uses or so, but it was initially concerning. That's the big summation. Despite the few issues, this item warrants a 5 star, if nothing else, because it does more than just expected and is very cost effective. If this lasts 6 months with my usage (grinding all sorts of dried things 2 times a week) then I will have made out.