REASONS TO BUY
Relatively clean and easy to use
Quieter than most blade models
REASONS TO AVOID
Produces inconsistent grinds
Mr. Coffee 12 Cup Electric Review
One of the better blade models on the market, but definitely don't expect it to produce consistent grinds
Credit: Mr. Coffee
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Our Verdict
There will inevitably be a step down in grind quality when moving from a burr grinder to a blade model. That said, the Mr. Coffee 12 Cup Electric is one of the best blade grinders that has come through our testing lab. It tends to do a slightly better job at minimizing the randomness of blade-ground coffee, keeps things a bit tidier, and is slightly less cacophonous than most of the other blade models we've tested. It certainly can't come close to the quality of a burr model, but it sells for much less than any of those burr models, making it a compelling option for those that don't mind dealing with some grind inconsistencies.
Our Analysis and Test Results
If you're okay with the inconsistent grinds that will come out of any blade grinder, we think the Mr. Coffee 12 Cup Electric is a great choice. It outdid many of its blade-equipped siblings in our testing lab.
Performance Comparison
Though blade models performed noticeably worse than burr models in our grind consistency testing, the Mr. Coffee 12 Cup Electric was one of the better ones.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
Likes
By far, the most enticing aspect of the 12 Cup Electric is its price --even in the world of inexpensive blade grinders, it is quite cheap. In fact, it's not hard to find a bag of artisanal coffee beans that cost more than this grinder.
Beyond the low price, our favorite thing about this grinder is that it generally outperforms other blade grinders on the market. Its grind consistency is still beholden to the intrinsic randomness of a blade spinning through a chamber full of coffee beans. Still, in our tests, it was able to produce considerably more consistent extraction times than the other blade models. It still has that fork stuck in the garbage disposal sound of all blade grinders but manages to keep the pitch a bit lower, making the sound slightly less startling. It also produces less static than most other blade models, meaning far fewer grinds stick to the grind cup and make a mess when you try to tap them loose.
The Mr. Coffee provided a slightly more consistent grind than most of the other blade models we tested.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
Dislikes
We don't mean to sound pedantic here, but our biggest complaint about the 12 Cup Electric is the fact that it's a blade grinder. Yes, blade grinders are very inexpensive and quite compact when compared to burr models, but their grind quality is lightyears behind. Because the blade grinds the beans randomly, you're almost inevitably going to end up with some fine coffee dust, as well as some large, barely ground chunks. That means the extraction you get from your coffee will likely be different each day you use the grinder. Sure, the 12 Cup Electric does better than most in this regard, but it is still quite inconsistent.
Like all blade models, the grind chamber can be a bit difficult to clean, but we found this model to be a bit easier than most of its blade-equipped counterparts.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
Value
Like most blade options out there, the 12 Cup Electric is inexpensive. If you're aware of and are okay with the inherent disadvantages of a blade grinder, we think this model represents a fairly good value.
Conclusion
If you don't mind the shortcomings of a blade grinder and are just looking for a relatively inexpensive way to access the whole bean shelf of the coffee aisle, we think the Mr. Coffee 12 Cup Electric is one of the best options out there.
—Max Mutter and Michelle Powell
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