We are very impressed with the i1 from Ascaso, a company that specialises in commercial and domestic coffee equipment. This grinder was previously marketed under the brand name Innova. The i1 has a metal burr carrier (rather than the usual plastic) and 54mm flat burrs - much larger than those usually found on a domestic grinder.
Turning the knob on the side of the grinder allows the grind setting to be adjusted to any point on a continuous scale from the finest to the coarsest setting, making it easy to grind coffee for any type of coffee making. It allows very small adjustments to be made very easily making it one of the few grinders that can achieve the perfect grind setting for making espresso.
The body of the grinder is made from aluminium which is then powder coated to give a durable black finish. A small removable tray below the chute catches split coffee grounds and allows them to be cleaned away very easily. The hopper is made from clear plastic and holds approximately 600g of coffee beans. The hopper just lifts off for washing and the top of the grinder is easily removed to allow access to the burrs for cleaning.
The ground coffee is dispensed directly into your portafilter handle from the chute, simply hold the portafilter handle against the button on the front of the grinder to activate the grinding mechanism. If you do not use an espresso machine you can dispense the coffee into a small cup or container.