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In cases like that, I would recommend the Cuisinart DBM-8 Supreme Grind Automatic Burr Mill. In fact, unless you plan on making espresso, you might be able to deal with a less expensive grinder--particularly if you are a drip-coffee or French Press fan. The additional on/off button on the front makes dispensing into a portafilter simple and effective--granted you have the right amount of beans in the grinder when you do.Having mistakenly purchased cheaper grinders, I can say the price is definitely a deterrent for non-espresso drinkers.
I hoped that a simple $20 KRUPS grinder would be able to produce a consistent, fine grind for my espresso. The machine is significantly quieter than any other grinder I have owned and the weight of the device prevents the grinder from shifting around on your countertop. I recently purchased the Miss Silvia espresso machine by Rancilio and was naive regarding the grind-quality.
The timer is accurate, so you can grind exact quantities of beans without effort. From using one for a very short period of time, I can say it is very loud and not nearly the same quality as the Baratza Virtuoso, but for a quick and dirty burr grinder for you non-espresso drinkers, the Cuisinart is a competent performer. In a pathetic attempt to save money, I assumed a $50 Cuisinart burr grinder would suffice, but the finest grind on that model was literally five steps above the finest grind on the Baratza.As many other reviewers often indicate, the grind is just as important as the espresso machine.
This machine works extremely well, despite the high price.
Unfortunately that one only ran for two weeks then stopped running. Need I say more. Well, the first one was broken right out of the box. Oh, and the front bin doesn't fit well and was difficult to remove and place back in. Very overpriced for the quality. The outer shell slid off to show the detached motor. Company was great about replacing.
Very simple to operate, classic elegant design.my only criticism of this model is that its too expensive but if you are a smart shopper you can find one of these on the cheap. And sure its noisy, but hello.its a damn coffee grinder fer cryin out loud.My machine has been in service every day for 4 months now, and I suspect its due for a cleaning, but it hasn't had one and neither has it had any problems. I set the grind to a medium espresso grind and I've enjoyed the best coffee of my life. This is my first burr grinder so I don't have any experience with anybody else's product, but I'm very happy with the decision I made on this Baratza model.I see a lot of criticisms that I dont agree with, particularly the grind cup not fitting or the grinder not producing enough beans to make a full 12 cup pot. 4 Cups A single cycle is plenty for MOST people. Geez, I thought I drank strong coffee. No problem with static after the first week of use, but those first few grinds clung like a codependent girlfriend.
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. My espresso is not quite as good, but then I do not have Mazzer's and a thousand dollar plus espresso machine. Each issue has been addressed, burr design, machine rpm, cleanliness, fineness settings, etc. 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. The Capresso was excellent for drip & press coffee, but only adequate for espresso. 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 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.
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. For my purposes the espresso is far better than I have made on my own in the past. 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). 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. 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. First I was very happy with my Solis/Starbucks grinder, it lasted for over 10 years of heavy use. It is easy to clean with the supplied brush, but hand wash and rinse well, the washable parts. The Barista had a long and happy life, and after performing the hack (see coffeegeek.com), made great coffee and pretty good espresso.
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. 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). 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 hack allowed it to make good espresso.
It's built well too, easy to clean. I'm very satisfied. I had the Capresso Infinity and I never managed to get a good shot out of it.
It makes me wonder if Baratza has released different products under the same name. But then, I would never use my Mazzer for drip. Very difficult for me to understand the negative reviews.
If you want a grinder that can handle espresso AND drip AND french press, this one is an excellent choice. I grow fonder of it every day. I've had mine for two weeks and it's worked very well for me.
It doesn't do espresso as well as the Mazzer Minis that I keep at my coffeehouse, but it delivers.
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