Cuisinart spice and nut grinder review

How easy is the Cuisinart spice and nut grinder to use?

With the lid doubling as a giant button, this spice grinder is easy to use and control. Fitting the bowls is easy to do as well, thanks to the thorough explanation in the manual as well as the embossed directions on the body of the spice grinder.

While the bowls and lid are dishwasher-safe, they should be placed on the top rack only. The main body of the spice grinder just needs a quick wipe with a damp cloth when unplugged.

The main lid is entirely clear, which is great for checking on the progress of your spices. It has a rubber ring around the underside that creates a seal over the grinding bowl when in use. But we did find that, when pulsing our ingredients to get them started, a lot of them flew out of the bowl. While this had no effect on the performance, it did make this model one of the messier we’ve tested.

The manual is comprehensive and a brilliant guide for first-timers and dab hands alike. Included are 13 recipes such as pistachio-crusted rack of lamb and a curry powder recipe for inspiration. The manual also features a table that details how long a variety of spices, seeds and nuts should be ground for. The bowls each have a maximum 90g working capacity. While there is no indication as to what the minimum capacity of the grinder is, we ground a single cinnamon stick and the Cuisinart handled it very well.

Results

We were able to run every test on this model and found it very versatile. On our large spice grinding tests, cinnamon was slightly textured rather than a fine powder, but it was evenly ground overall. Both nutmeg and cinnamon were fine in texture and fully ground in a matter of seconds. They both had bright and fragrant aromas, too.

This Cuisinart model excelled on our small spice grinding tests. Peppercorns, cumin seeds and coriander seeds were evenly milled and had a sandy texture. We found that pulsing small spices about 10 times to break them up, then pressing down on the lid for roughly five seconds to finely chop them was the best way to achieve fine and even results.

With a generous 90g capacity we were able to make Tom Kerridge’s madras curry paste with ease. The paste was super-smooth and lump-free. We had to add in the large ingredients – peppers and fresh coriander – in batches to avoid straining the machine, but once added, the blades made light work of them both, blending them in seconds.

This is also a great option for coffee lovers. The 90g bowl offers space to grind enough for six single shots or three doubles. Coffee was evenly ground and quick to prepare.

It would have been remiss of us not to grind some nuts in this machine, given that it’s billed as a nut grinder, too. We ground whole hazelnuts and were pleased by the ease with which we were able to control the grind. Initially we pulsed the nuts a couple of times to produce large rough chunks, ideal for decorating. We then chopped the nuts further to make a fine milled powder. Both were produced in a matter of seconds.

Conclusion

This Cuisinart spice and nut grinder is a great all-rounder. Whether you’re making a spice blend, a curry paste, or chopping nuts, this will soon become a machine you reach for time and time again as it’s just so versatile.

It performed brilliantly in all tests, is easy to use and assemble, and best of all, is dishwasher-safe. We didn’t find it too loud, nor was it the quietest machine, but it works quickly, so any unpleasant sound only lasts a matter of seconds. It’s not the tidiest model either, as we found spice dust had a tendency to jump out of the blending bowl, but clean-up is easy. Overall, this is a great spice grinder.

Specifications

Wattage: 200
What can it grind? Spices, coffee, pastes, nuts
Accessories: Extra bowl and lid
Dimensions (cm): H: 20 x W: 9.8 x D: 9.8
Capacity: 90g

Recipes with spices

Green curry paste
Basa Gede (Balinese spice paste)
Lamb vindaloo
Tom Kerridge's madras curry paste
Jerk spice mix
Ras el hanout spice mix
Five-spice mix
Garam masala spice mix

This review was last updated in May 2021. If you have any questions, suggestions for future reviews or spot anything that has changed in price or availability please get in touch at goodfoodwebsite@immediate.co.uk