Virtuoso Coffee Grinder Review

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(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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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 560 Infinity Conical Burr Grinder, Brushed Silver Finish Review

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(More customer reviews)I bought the model 565 instead because it is actually metal and weighs about twice as much as the plastic one. I wanted something solid. This one is. It sits vibration free on the counter while grinding. I tried two other grinders before this one. You will find negative reviews on them somewhere here.
I have been using this one for a couple of weeks now and LOVE it. It does a great job grinding the beans, even flavored, very oily dark roast, the bane of most grinders.. I found the right grind setting for my beans,gold filter and Krups drip pot after only a couple of tries. Makes wonderful coffee. I don't make Expresso, so I can't speak to that. There are five finer settings than the one I use and ten that are courser. I think most people could find one that would work for them. I don't clean it after every use as recommended. Maybe once a week or so. I've had no problems so far.
It's much quieter than any other grinder I've used and I have had very little static problem. Nothing a light tap on the side doesn't handle.
It's not perfect, but as close as I can afford. Bottom line: spend a little more and get the 565. It's worth it.

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For maximum aroma and flavor retention nothing beats the Infinity Conical Burr Grinder.Computer controlled special grinding heads cut the angles and shapes of the steel burrs to within 1/10 mm precision.Burrs are produced as matched pairs and are hand assembled in Switzerland for precise fit.The multiple gear motor produces the slowest grinding action of any grinder resulting in highest precision grinding from Turkish fine to percolator coarse.The Infinity is also the lowest noise conical burr grinder in its class.Timer can be set to grind from 5 to 60 seconds.See through bean container holds up to 8.8 ounces of beans and the tight fitting ground coffee container holds up to 4-ounces of ground coffee.Cleaning Brush and Measuring Scoop are included.The Capresso Infinity Conical Burr Grinder gas elegant, timeless and user friendly design.

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Krups GVX Burr Grinder Review

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(More customer reviews)First, let me say that I am NOT a coffee connoisseur (heresy, I know). Just a guy with a drip machine and a need for much morning brew. I wanted to grind my own because I hate the flavored coffee taste that I always seem to get from the grocery store grinder. I'm also busy and lazy.
I really like this grinder; and I like it for the same reasons that the guy from Hawaii hated it. I want to spend my morning drinking coffee, not preparing it (one cup at a time? - yeah, right). Pour the beans in (no more measuring), push the button, and before you can fill the maker with water, you have just the right amount of grind ready to go. Yes, there's a little sticking to the plastic container, but I've never had it cause any mess - just tap it on the sink before you remove the lid then pour it into the filter. Grind size and quantity takes a couple of attempts to figure out exactly what you like, but seems pretty consistent once set. Only gave it 4 stars because there are features on the more expensive units that would be nice - a BIG, sealed, hopper that would hold several days worth of beans; and glass grind containers that would completely eliminate the static issue. However, for my use, and for the price, this thing works great. Hope it holds up over time.

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Krups GVX2-12 Burr Grinder, Black and Metal. Grinding beans just before brewing ensures the best flavor. The best method of grinding is with a Krups burr grinder which produces a highly controllable texture without overheating the beans, 17 position finen

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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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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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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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Cuisinart CBM-18 Programmable Conical Burr Mill Review

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(More customer reviews)**See July 18 update below.
Original Review:
I've been looking for a replacement to my "Lello 45800/3006 Ariete Burr Coffee Grinder" for at least a year. I've probably read a good portion of the reviews for every burr grinder sold by Amazon, and the combined reviews in general left much to be desired for every single one. Finally a few weeks ago I noticed this unit in my search results, and from what I could tell, it was a new release! There were no reviews at all at the time, so frankly there was nothing to dissuade me from purchasing this one. I couldn't even compare prices, because it seemed Amazon was the only one selling it at the time. In addition, the black/stainless styling matched my new coffee maker (Cuisinart DCC-1200 12-Cup Brew Central Coffeemaker). So I ordered it, received it today, and I just had my first cup of coffee using its coffee grinds.

I'm no expert on coffee. But I must say this is the easiest coffee grinder I have ever used. There is an LED display alongside a button allowing me to select number of cups. The LED display also shows the selected grind setting dialed on the hopper. First I pressed the button to select number of cups, then I adjusted the dial to select the grind setting. Finally, I pushed Start and let it go. I think the noise level is about half that of my previous grinder, but that's not saying much. The LED display counted down the seconds until completed. I was surprised by the amount of output, which seemed much greater than from my old grinder. But in retrospect I don't think this was due to this unit using more beans. I noticed when I poured the grinds into my coffee filter that the grinds were much looser than I'm accustomed to. I think my previous grinder had been compressing the grinds and there were always clumps. I did not notice any clumps in the output from this unit, and the grinds seemed very even and loose.
Now that I've used the grinder several times, I must say it does spill some grinds onto the base when I remove the bin unless I work the grinds out somehow. I now gently lift the entire unit about an inch off the counter and gently tap it down to release the remaining grinds into the bin. I then remove the bin and tap the lid of the bin a few times before removing the lid. This just minimizes mess and waste.
The grind setting of 6 seems perfect for the relatively dry beans I used this time, even though I used it for auto-drip coffee, not espresso. For oily beans such as Starbucks, 7 might be the optimum grind setting.
Two other differences between this grinder and my previous one were the lids, one for the hopper and one for the grinds bin. In both cases, the lids for this unit snap shut, whereas the ones for my previous unit just nestled precariously on top of the respective containers.
One curious note: there is no way to turn the LED off, which concerned me because it is very bright and I don't want the display to burn out and quit working any time soon. But I think this is why there is no switch: within the entire (tiny-but-informative) manual for this unit, there is only one sentence in all caps: "UNPLUG FROM OUTLET WHEN NOT IN USE...". So there we have it -- that is why there is no on/off switch; the manufacturer expects us to keep the unit unplugged when we aren't actively using it. In response to the other reviewer's comment on needing to reprogram the number of cups after plugging the unit back in, it takes about 4 or 5 seconds to cycle through the number of cups (the default is 12 cups) until the desired selection is displayed, an extremely minor issue.
In spite of it's brevity, the manual is very descriptive and I found it sufficient. It provides a very detailed set of instructions for cleaning. The bean hopper, hopper lid, grind chamber, and grind chamber lid are all dishwasher-proof (top shelf). Then it also provides instructions for removing and cleaning the burr unit.
A dual-purpose scoop/stiff brush is provided.
Regarding it's appearance, it actually looks even nicer in my opinion than my new coffee maker. The body has a sleek, brushed stainless steel appearance, and the blue LED is very attractive when it is on.
The grind chamber is not made of glass, but I live in a humid climate; dry air here is almost a luxury and I rarely have problems with static anyway. Problems with static are dealt with the same as with any other grinder. I personally minimize loose grinds spilling everywhere by the following method. First I remove the hopper lid, then I cover the top of the hopper with the filter (opened wide, placed top down), then I turn the filter/hopper over and place it into the cup, keeping hold of the hopper which is now upside down. Then I tap the bottom of the hopper and remove it from the filter. Finally, I remove the filter from the cup and place it in the appropriate area of the coffee machine. I do this on top of a full sized paper towel, and clean up merely involves folding up the paper towel afterwards to contain the few stray grinds. However this method probably only works well for me because I rarely make more than 4-5 cups of coffee at a time and I always use paper filters.
I didn't find cleaning the unit difficult at all. Dump the beans into another bowl, twist the hopper hard right twice until the arrows align and then lift up, lift up the burr sleeve using a combination of the handle and grasping the sides (if the handle pops off, just pop it back on), and brush, brush, brush. Then twist the sleeve back on, twist the hopper back on, clean up the mess, and you are back in business.
By the way, contrary to the product description, there is no true cord storage; but one can wrap the cord around knobs underside the base.
This product has a 3-year limited warranty.
UPDATE APRIL 30, 2010: I've had this unit for about 15 months and all of a sudden it started whining a high pitched noise and almost no grinds were coming out. I called customer service and they are going to ship me an entirely new unit -- they specified "NEW"; they only asked that I return the old unit in the same box the new one comes in, when I receive it. They said there is a 4.00 shipping charge but they waived it. At this moment I am very impressed with Cuisinart. They surprised me.
UPDATE JULY 18, 2010: The brand new (2-month old) replacement grinder is now doing the same thing my original one started doing after 15 months; after grinding for 14-cups, I'm lucky to get a tablespoon of grinds from this nearly new one. The grinder can work for 20 or more seconds without a single grind coming out, and then I hear it finally grab a bean and a few sparse grinds fall out. Getting enough grinds to make a cup of coffee really heats up the unit. Apparently this is going to happen to these grinders sooner or later. I had one that went bad "later", and one "sooner".
After considering my options, I decided to see if Cuisinart would honor their warranty yet again. Surprisingly, they did! This time they sent UPS to pick up the old (second) one and sent me a third one, brand new. I haven't yet used this third one, but even if it turns out to be as good as the first (lasting more than a year, the duration of my original warranty), I can no longer endorse this product. Even so, I can say this: Cuisinart does honor their warranties!

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The perfect grind will be yours every time with this elegant brushed stainless programmable conical burr mill.The easy to read LCD display shows time, fineness and number of cups to ensure that every grind is just right.The 18 position conical burr grinder grinds the coffee beans uniformly while maintaining their natural flavors and oils, and automatically stops grinding after the correct amount has been ground.It packs away neatly with the convenient cord storage and scoop/cleaning brush.

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