Coffee connoisseurs know that even with excellent coffee beans, the perfect water, and a high-quality brewing machine, coffee still will not be good without the right grind. Bodum's Antigua grinder produces a superior grind by using a sharp, hand-forged, conical stainless-steel blade so that the coffee is cut rather than crushed. An inlet cover over the blade makes it easy to grind oily beans. In addition, the two-step grinding gear has a powerful motor so that the rotation is quiet and occurs at low speeds. This keeps the beans from overheating, thereby retaining the coffee's flavor and aroma. Measuring 8 by 10-1/2 inches, the Antigua is designed to be a smaller version of professional burr grinders for in-home use, occupying only as much counter space as a traditional 10-cup coffeemaker. Although the unit is compact, the bean container can hold up to 1/2 pound of coffee beans at a time. An airtight lid fits on the bean container and keeps beans from losing their aroma. Three grinding settings let drinkers choose their grind: fine for espresso, medium for filter coffee machines, or coarse for French press coffeemakers (or anywhere in between settings if an intermediate-level grind is desired). The timer/quantity control sets the number of minutes the beans will be grind, based on how many cups of coffee are being brewed, what type of beans are being used, and what the level of grind is. Both the bean container and the ground coffee container are transparent to monitor the grinding process, and the ground coffee container easily pulls out of the grinder for use. An automatic power cut-out feature prevents permanent damage to the grinder by turning off the grinding gear in the event that a stone finds its way into the Antigua. The grinding gear also can be disassembled for cleaning. The Antigua comes with adequate power cord storage beneath the unit for excess cord length and a .25-ounce coffee scoop.