If you buy this to make finely-milled flour, you'll be disappointed. It's a grain grinder, not a flour mill. If used as intended, it does a great job. Some notes:
Mine looks great and has no visible plating defects.
Definitely wash it thoroughly in soap and hot water before using. Dawn does a good job of removing the oils and their smell.
Manufacturing tolerances are somewhat loose, which is fine for its intended use. But some care is needed during assembly, particularly when installing the support bracket that holds one end of the feed screw in place (Step 4 in the manual). You'll do this every time you reassemble the unit after cleaning. If the manual's simplified instructions are followed, the two grinding discs will not be well aligned. To find the correct alignment position, loosen the wing nuts a tad and move the support bracket in the slots until the two discs are concentric. This is easiest to see when the red cover is not installed. Then tighten the wing nuts to hold them in place. Make a note of the position so you can set it there every time. On mine, the discs are aligned when the bracket is set all the way up and to the right in the slots. Aligned discs are easier to turn and give a more consistent grind.
Don't even try to grind too finely with this. Always maintain a little bit of play between the discs. If the discs are grinding against each other, metal bits will scrape off and the discs will get dull. If you need finely-milled flour, get a flour mill.
Oh, and definitely attach it securely to a stable surface, so all your energy goes into the grind.
I really like this grinder. It is definitely a minimalist device; there's a primordial, archetypal quality about it. I expect it will handily outlast me and most of my other kitchen tools.
