Virtuoso Coffee Grinder Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Since I have only had the Virtuoso for three months I will not discuss the long-term quality.Because I use it primarily for press pot, drip and small espresso batches I was not looking to get a solid consumer grinder, like the more expensive Rancilio Rocky or Mazzer Mini.

Previously I have owned a Starbucks Barista (the Solis verson, not the newer Saeco Titan verson) and the Capresso Infinity 560 Black.The Barista had a long and happy life, and after performing the hack (see coffeegeek.com), made great coffee and pretty good espresso.The Capresso was excellent for drip & press coffee, but only adequate for espresso.I would happily recommend each of these for people that just want a pretty solid cup of Joe, and do not mind it being slightly heated in the process.The Capresso was still running solidly, so do not infer it died early (it cheerfully grinds my wife's flax seeds very well now), I just wanted something better for my espresso shots.

After briefly considering the Gaggia MDF I looked at the Virtuoso, mainly for three, important, reasons.

First I was very happy with my Solis/Starbucks grinder, it lasted for over 10 years of heavy use.The hack allowed it to make good espresso.Baratza has been involved with selling the Solis products, and are the designers of the Maestro and Maestro Plus grinder (yes, thats right they are THEIR machines, not Solis).After talking to a few of the locally operated coffee shops, invaluable advice, I was able to learn more about the company.

Second, many of the negative reviews were early in the introduction of the product.What I appreciated, and what the shop owners told me about, is the serious approach to resolving any issues the product has and updating the product itself.Each issue has been addressed, burr design, machine rpm, cleanliness, fineness settings, etc.Important to me was that the later reviews, specially by some of the talking heads, were far better than the earlier versions of the Virtuoso.

Third the current version of the product, it is an affordable ($200 in some cases slightly less) grinder with a professional burr, over 40 settings (it can be easily hacked to allow for finer or coarser setting- something I have not needed to do yet. That information is posted in the FAQ of the Baratza website), and lower rpm motor (very important if you do not wish to heat the ground beans, or use a heavy French Roast as I do).It is easy to clean with the supplied brush, but hand wash and rinse well, the washable parts.Absolutely do not wash the container in the dishwasher, unless you wish destroy the anti-static properties of the container, plus it isn't necessary.

After figuring out what settings work best for my three purposes, I am getting a coffee that is as good as I would get in even some of the better local establishments in Portland.My espresso is not quite as good, but then I do not have Mazzer's and a thousand dollar plus espresso machine.For my purposes the espresso is far better than I have made on my own in the past.

It may be only a perception, but it seems as though I am using fewer beans as I have in the past as well, important as coffee prices rise.This is a great grinder for its niche, one can get better, but you will have to pay more, and be seriously addicted to Barista quality espresso.

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Product Description:
585 -Black body with brushed-satin metal top and base -Italian-made 40 mm conical burrs -40 grind settings from Espresso to French Press -Innovative calibration performed during manufacture -Can be user calibrated -480 Watt DC motor -Special gear reduction with unique speed control between 405 to 495 RPMs -60 second timers switch -pulse button manually controls on/off function -Front-mounted pulse button makes it easy to grind directly into a brew basket -5 ounce grounds bin -8 ounce bean hopper -Easy to clean -Dimensions: 14"H x 5"W x 7"D -Weight: 8 lbs The Virtuoso has many of the winning features of the Maestro Plus along with commercial grade components, higher performance and sleeker style. With the Virtuoso, it s now easier than ever to make professional quality coffee, whether at the home, the office or your caf . This is a powerful grinder which includes commercial grade conical burrs, a 480 watt DC motor, and a special gear reduction feature which slows the spinning of the burr to 450 RPMs to reduce heat, noise, and static generation in the grinder. It also ensures that the beans feed smoothly into the burrs.

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Capresso Infinity Conical Burr Grinders Review

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(More customer reviews)I've been through a couple of burr grinders - the Gaggia MM and a Melitta, so when it came time to buy a new one, I knew what I didn't want - a noisy, dusty grinder that wears out quickly.I've pretty much found it with the Capresso Infinity.

I did some reading, and depending on what you need, it's amazing how much you can spend for a burr grinder - they range up to $400 and beyond.The main features I was interested in, though, were available in the sub-$200 range.For my pump espresso machine, these features included:
>consistent, even grind - for better tasting coffee
>"reduction" gearing - where the grinder motor speed is slowed down without loosing grinding torque, resulting in less static and dust
>less noise - it's nice to have conversations while making coffee
>durable, long lasting quality - I wanted to keep my third grinder for longer than a year.

The Capresso Infinity has delivered on the first three points, and looks good regarding durability.It has commercial grade grinders, which produce an even, consistent grind.With the reduction gearing, it grinds with a nice, even drone - more like a diesel truck than a jet plane taking off.And the dust that used to fly everywhere is gone - the slower speed has virtually eliminated the static.I've found it easy to use as well - one twist dial that works like the old dial timers - twist to the time setting you want, and it grinds until the time expires.

NOTE - I did read where one person had a problem with the timer where he couldn't turn it off.That may be because he tried to turn it backwards, which is not what the directions recommend.To stop grinding, you turn the bean hopper to the "no grind" mode; otherwise, you can break the switch.

Overall, I am pleased with the purchase.The only real adjustment has been figuring out the proper grind level again.The "extra fine" settings will create a fine powder that is too fine for my machine.However, once I switched to the "fine" setting, it has worked great.The amazing extra benefit is how much better the coffee tastes - the fine, even grind makes for maximum flavor extraction.So matter what grinder you buy, go for one that grinds more evenly - you'll enjoy your coffee even more.For the price, I didn't find one that had the combination of features (and less noise and dust!) found in the Capresso Infinity.

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Product Description:
Elegant, timeless design.Commercial-Grade Solid Steel Conical Burrs preserve maximum aroma and grind precisely from Turkish fine to coarse.

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Cuisinart DBM-8 Supreme Grind Automatic Burr Mill (CCM-16PC1) Review

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(More customer reviews)Don't believe that ANY grinder in this price range will be the ultimate grinder for all your grinding needs. I read with amusement as some reviewers slammed this grinder for not grinding well enough to use with their espresso machines. I own this machine for use with my drip coffee maker only. I own a $500+ Mazzer Grinder for my espresso machine. The point being, that for the absolute consistent grind needed for use with espresso, you better be willing to step up significantly in price. That said, on to this grinder review.

Considering there are no decent blade grinders on the market - including those in the $25 price range, the best grinder to have is a burr grinder. Burr grinders do not create the heat that destroys the flavor of your beans and creates a more uniformed grind. Burr grinders do not produce the large "chunks" of beans in varying size that a blade grinder does. I have yet to see any missed "untouched" beans find their way past the burrs (as one reviewer claimed) and find that hard to believe, considering beans can only pass through the small space between the burrs and would thus be ground on their way through. You may get some bean smaller than your setting, but will not get anything larger than your setting.

As with any burr grinder under $200 this grinder does create some powder. It creates a lot of powder if you attempt to grind at its' finest setting (called Turkish Coffee). For drip coffee makers though, a mid-range toward coarse setting doesn't produce enough powder to be a concern when using paper filters in your coffee maker and a GOOD bean to start with. I sometimes wonder if the complaints of "bitterness" from some reviewers isn't a problem with their bean choice or their water temperature. As a drinker of 100% Kona in my drip maker, I have yet to taste a bitter cup of coffee, even with the less than a tsp. of powder that is present in my freshly ground coffee.

Noisy? Yes, but no more noisy than some and less noisy than most in this price range. A grinder of this size will create noise, but unless you plan on grinding 24/7 that is to be expected. My guests are actually enthralled by the noise and the ability to watch fresh beans meet their demise (I hang with a morbid crowd) as the beans slowly disappear down the hopper. The timer is a nice touch if noise is a concern. The fact that you can turn it on, leave the room and return in a minute or two (avoiding the noise) to find the unit automatically shut off should make those with sensitive hearing happy.

This grinder has a decent weight to it, making it feel sturdy on your countertop. The S/S body also gives the appearance of a well built machine and makes it more stylish than your standard black plastic neoprene models being produced by other manufacturers. This is a solid, sturdy, and well built machine for this price.

If there are complaints that you should be warned about, it is the age old problem of static cling caused by the use of plastic for the grounds receiver. Cuisinart should have used glass to receive the grounds. I would have gladly paid an extra $3 on the final price in order to avoid dealing with the static cling found in every machine that uses plastic for this purpose. The other is the clean-up, if you are as anal as I am about coffee equipment. Again, the static cling is annoying, but I keep a slim painters brush nearby for the purpose of brushing out the chute and receiver which makes the task quick and easy. It loses a star for the static cling issues, but I guess every grinder in this price range has the same problem because they use plastic.

Overall, for under $50 this is a very good machine for the price.

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Product Description:
Elegant SS styling

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Breville BCG450XL Conical Burr Grinder Review

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(More customer reviews)I have used three grinders in the past 5 years, one blade and two wheel burr grinders, all broke or were dusty and noisy.This is the first conical wheel grinder I have owned and I cannot compare it to its comparable competitor, the Capresso, and I have only used it a dozen times or so,However,I am impressed by its quality, it is beautifully made and the huge reduction in noise was most welcome. The big plus...I set the timer, press start and walk away, no holding lids down, no coffee flying around etc.Just for the reduction in noise, its quality and the fire and forget operation makes it a 5. It grinds coffee very consistently and the grind is adjusted easily. Is it perfect? No.Two items I noticed.It has a 30 second timer...I need more time so I set it for 20 seconds and do two grinds...not an issue but for me, but wanted to tell you. Second, the ground coffee compartment is shaped in a manner that has insets so its not as easy to clean out and I have to empty the coffee carefully. Still I recommend this and am impressed.It is quality!I will provide a six month review to see if this maintains its operation.

After six months my initial views remain the same, a very fine grinder!

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Product Description:
Beautifully designed, this conical burr grinder features adjustable settings for various grind options. Choose from ultra-fine for Turkish coffee or large and coarse for percolators. The settings offer consistently shaped grinds and even extraction, which is the key to producing flavorful coffee. In addition, the unit's metal conical burrs preserve more natural bean flavor than blade drivers due to the slower grind nature. The grinder comes equipped with a removable bean hopper that holds 1/2 pound of coffee beans, and its stainless-steel/polymer base offers start and stop control, as well as an on/off switch. Other highlights include a variable timer with 10 to 30 seconds of grind time, anti-static technology, and a removable burr for convenient cleaning. The conical burr grinder measures 5-1/4 by 7 by 11-1/4 inches.

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Capresso 464.05 CoffeeTeam GS 10-Cup Digital Coffeemaker with Conical Burr Grinder Review

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(More customer reviews)I'm a Top 1000 Reviewer here at Amazon, but haven't reviewed anything in years -- until now. The Capresso 464 compelled me.
First things first. This is not my first grind and brew. My old Melitta Mill & Brew, with its faulty plastic latch long since broken had become a drag. For years I had to put a box of chicken stock on top of the grind chamber to keep it shut so it would work! And while it made pretty good coffee, it seemed to waste grounds by spraying them inside the grinder basket. And the daily cleanup ritual had started to make the whole idea of grinding and brewing in one device seem only of marginal value. And yet, the alternatives, including a best-selling Cuisinart model, have notorious bad reviews here at Amazon for being a total chore to clean.

Enter the Capresso CoffeeTeam GS, which solves all of my problems with its ingenious design. No longer do you have to measure the coffee. The CoffeeTeam GS will brew from 2 to 10 cups automatically, grinding just the right amount of beans with no guesswork. Cleanup is a breeze. The filter basket swings out and is easily washed. And because the grinding occurs in a separate chamber from the filter basket, there is no wasted coffee.

The quality of the coffee is also exactly what I want -- hot, and with the full flavor of the bean preserved by the conical burr grinders. If you want stronger or weaker coffee, it's very easy to do. You can also choose finer or coarser grinds depending on the type of coffee you are using (oily coffee should be coarser, light coffee finer).

There are two items that are drawbacks, but I don't mind them so am still giving this five stars. First, the grinder is wake-up-your-wife loud. And it can go for 40 seconds if you are making a full pot. It's not so loud that it hurts your ears, but it is not pleasant, and Capresso would have done well to add some amount of noise insulation. Second, because of the design, a small amount of ground coffee is left in the machine every time. This is an issue in two respects. First, switching from one type of coffee to another is not instantaneous, because invariably there is this overlap. Second, if you leave the machine unused for more than about a week, Capresso recommends cleaning out the coffee chamber and using new coffee. That's because the coffee will get a little more stale with each passing day. But like I said, in my mind these are very minor complaints to a really great product!

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Product Description:
The Capresso CoffeeTeam GS is a fully programmable 10-Cup Coffee Maker/Conical Burr Grinder Combination.Professional, solid-steel conical burrs have 5 grinder settings from coarse to fine for adjustable coffee strength.The slow burr grinding imparts minimal heat, preserving more aroma and flavor.There is a 6-ounce capacity bean container and a see-through window that allows you to check that ground coffee flows smoothly into the filter holder.There is a detachable see-through cover for easy cleaning of the grinder channel.The Digital Control Panel has an easy to read illuminated LCD display, Programmable Clock/Timer, 5 programmable brew amounts for 2-10 cups, and 3 programmable coffee strength settings; mild, medium and strong.There are 2 Mode settings: Grind/Brew - for grinding programmed amount of whole beans directly into the Gold Tone Filter, then automatically starts the brew process and Brew - push the filter release button to open the swing out filter holder, add ground coffee without using the grinder.Charcoal water filtration removes up to 82% of chlorine and other impurities from tap water.The filter holder and one charcoal filter are included.Features: 2-hour safety shut-off, Drip Stop and Stop-and-Serve.Nonstick coated warming plate.900 watts, 200-degree brew temperature. Black with stainless steel accents.

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Rancilio Espresso Machine - Rancilio SILVIA Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I have owned several different expresso machines in different price ranges. Hands down, this machine is the best I've ever used.The machine works exactly as it is supposed to - I use it every day, sometimes a couple times per day and the espresso never changes - it's always delicious, and the steamed milk comes out perfectly.I've even left the machine on all day a couple of times, and it still does not affect the machine - it keeps working like it's brand new.The only downside is that it takes about 45 minutes for this machine to heat up.HOWEVER, there are websites out there that can tell you how to get around this and have your shot of espresso in about 10 minutes.

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Product Description:
Rancilio is a company with a long tradition and our production of high-quality espresso machines dates back to the twenties. After decades of growth and learning, we proudly continue to offer products that are first in their class in design and technology

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