Kitchen & Housewares Capresso 565.04 Infinity Burr Grinder, Brushed Chrome
- No Complaints + a tip for using blade grindersI have the shiny chrome version but there's no separate listing for it. No problems with static. As others have said, this is a High quality, heavy machine. The plastic parts are so clear that when it was new I actually put the drawer in upside down twice! What a mess, the coffee was all backed up inside and took work to clean out. I finally put an X on the bottom to remind me.
While researching this more expensive burr grinder I read a tip that if you pick up and shake the cheap blade grinders while grinding you will get a more even grind without the powder that sticks at the bottom. I needed a simpler grinder for our boat so got a new one and tried this method. It actually works very well. So if this burr grinder is a stretch for your budget but you are fed up with your blade grinder, try this trick before you commit to the upgrade.
Rating:
- Best Bang for the BuckI have used this for espresso the past year, and this is where some difficulty comes in. It is difficult to fine tune or go back to same setting espresso settings. With more coarse grinds this would not be an issue.
If only it had twice the number of "clicks" when setting it would be easier for espresso grinds but I find myself trying to set between clicks. I would easily give it 5 stars otherwise.
Espresso grinds are consistent once set. Just difficult to find previous setting if changed to another, very imprecise. BUT A GRINDER THAT IS A LITTLE BETTER WOULD COST A GREAT DEAL MORE MONEY.
The only other issue I have had is that the cover is almost impossible to see. At least once a month I scoop in beans to have them go all over the counter and floor. Funny the first few times but gets old. I have 20-20 vision, I could fix this by adding something more visible to the lid but it is so very good looking the way it is.
I have the polished chrome model, looks GREAT, relatively quiet and heavier compared to plastic versions, but chrome shows finger prints and dust easily compare to satin finish. Keep that in mind but I still prefer mirror finish.
I use it for percolator, moka pot, french press, (and most often) espresso machine many times a day. Easy maintenance. I have washed parts in dishwasher the past year (WITH HEAT-DRYING OFF and LIQUID DETERGENT) with no problem but is not recommended. Powder detergents can scratch and heaters can melt the plastic parts.
Rating:
- Burr grinder "sticks"I have bought two of these grinders and have had problems with both. It grinds very well, but ground coffee lodges in the center burr and discharge chute, and the grinder must be dismantled after every use to clean it out. The coffee catcher fits loosely. I used a rubber band to secure it. Some ground coffee falls out when the catcher is removed. The lid of the bean hopper also fits loosely.
However, the worst problem is that both units burned out within a year of purchase. The motor is not repairable. (I tried.)
I am giving up on this model and buying a Kitchen Aid Proline instead.
Rating:
- Excellent Grinder!I received this grinder as a birthday gift a couple days ago and am very pleased with it. It is a LOT quieter than several other grinders I have used in the past and the grind is very uniform from fine to course. My coffee roasting buddies are going to be jealous when they see it!
Rating:
- Good Machine, But Have to Learn to Use ItI would rate this machine 3.5 stars.
Good Points:
- It produces fluffly, grind that makes good tasting coffee in our Cuisinart drip coffee maker. This is the most important - the quality of the grind is very good.
- It's reasonably priced
- Noise level isn't too bad, but this is personal preference. It is one of the noisiest appliances in the kitchen, about like the garbage disposer.
Weak Points:
- It needs to be cleaned up after almost each use. Best way is to buy a 1/2" round brush (WalMart craft department for $2.50). The brush that comes with the machine is a joke. I expected better for $139. We make both decaf and regular coffee. We use 8-O'Clock Columbian and some Starbucks. The Starbucks is very oily and creates a lot of cleanup. The 8-O'Clock residue isn't as bad, but still needs to be cleaned out. I suppose if we only used one type of coffee, we could keep the beans in the machine, but this isn't possible when we change types daily.
- It's very difficult to measure the exact amount of beans to create the right amount of grind. I've played with the measure for a couple of weeks and have resorted to just pouring in some beans and creating a small bag of grind to be used and stored as grind. It's too much hassle otherwise, without grinding too much and then throwing out the excess grind.
- The instruction manual is not very good. It doesn't explain any of the issues above, nor does it do a good job of explaining how to use the machine.