Capresso 455 CoffeeTEAM Therm Stainless Coffeemaker/Burr Grinder Combination
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Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of Capresso 455 CoffeeTEAM Therm Stainless Coffeemaker/Burr Grinder Combination
Customer Review: Mixed Review, but very good for 95% of coffee drinkers
Summary: 4 Stars
This coffee maker has (almost) all the critical elements of a machine for making great coffee - a superb conical burr grinder, a cone filter - gold, not paper, a stainless steel double walled carafe, no hot plate ... BUT ... it "didn't cut it for me" and here's why.
In a nutshell - there's not enough user control. Say what? There's the four settings on the grinder (fine to coarse), specifying the number of cups which range from 4 to 10, and mysterious settings of "mild, medium and strong." Add one user-control of adjusting the amount of water in the reservoir to be less or greater than the number of cups specified and that sums up the control features. That SHOULD be enough control, but, FOR ME, it wasn't sufficient to brew the strength of coffee I'm used to via the old-fashioned "pour slowly through the melitta" method.
Why four stars? Because it does brew a fine cup of coffee FOR MOST users. Thee most important key factor, of course, has nothing to do with this coffee maker - it's the quality and freshness of the beans you use. Mine are pretty oily beans and that could be part of the problem (maybe they 'slip' too much in the burr grinder and not enough gets pushed through).
Here is the problem I had: I like STRONG coffee. I could not get this coffee maker to reproduce the strength that my manual melitta method can provide. I would (1) set the grind to fine, the number of cups to 10 (the max), (2) the "strength" to strong (I called Capresso and the representative didn't know what that setting actually did, i.e., the mechanism by which it affected the strength - nothing in the manual either), (3)and only filled the reservoir to 4 cups and it produced good tasting coffee, but not nearly the strength I desired.
I also tried variations of these parameters including the grind on coarse as suggested by Capresso (to let more coffee go through the grinder) but to no avail. I also "primed the grinder" which means run it several times to "get the coffee flowing" through the grinder (as instructed by the Capresso rep).
I even tried forcing it to grind TWICE (which defeats the purpose of the automatic feature of this device) and still, it did not produce the desired strength. Also, I noticed that there were some DRY GROUNDS on one side of the basket after making coffee this way (inadequate spatial distribution of dripping water?).
Another reviewer noted the bulkiness of the maker. It is somewhat bulky, but not excessively so; my counter space is limited and it was okay. I would not consider the size to be a negative - you have to allow for a means of the ground beans to make it into the basket and the grinder is of superior quality.
I basically liked it, but because I couldn't get the strength I desired, I took it back, and LUCKILY, I got my money refunded. Yes, it is expensive, but I would have 'overlooked that' if only it would brew to the strength I desired.
REVIEW COMMENTS IN A NUTSHELL:
High quality machine, good components, has "all the right features" with one exception - not enough user control on the amount of coffee dispensed through the grinder. Makes very good tasting coffee for most people.
Design improvement: the little channel leading from the grinder output that delivers ground coffee to the basket: there's always ground coffee left in it (it's nearly level, not inclined enough to allow ALL the ground coffee to empty into the basket. Hence, there's always yesterday's leftover, stale ground coffee at the bottom of the basket the next time you brew up a cup.
Design advancement: Have an electric plate on the bottom WHOSE SOLE PURPOSE is to PREHEAT THE CARAFE, i.e., since the carafe is metal, it would conduct heat and the "hot plate" would go off just before brewing (and never come on again). I ALWAYS preheat my carafe when brewing manually - it would be nice if there were some mechanism that would do that for automatic brewing.
Customer Review: The Mercedes CLS of Coffeemakers
Summary: 5 Stars
I've only had my Capresso 455 for about a week, so I cannot attest to its longevity. In my week's-worth of use, I can attest to the following:
1. It is a beautifully designed machine that will look great on any counter top. It may have a greater height and width than some other machines, but it does not overwhelm the space.
2. The controls are simple, ergonomic and functional -- once you read the manual or watch the enclosed instructional DVD. The LCD display screen looks nice and is easy to read as well. Allow me to again stress the importance of taking 5 or 10 minutes to read the owner's manual and/or view the DVD that is included with the machine. If you don't do at least one of these two things, you will likely find some reason to complain about this unit and post a less-than-satisfied review on Amazon or some other site. Just RTFM and all will be good; this machine is not difficult to operate along with a modicum of common sense.
3. Clean-up is as simple as you can get with a combination grind-and-brew machine. I'm coming off of a Cusinart Grind-and-Brew unit which I had for 6 years. The Cuisinart machine required a thorough cleaning of all removable parts after every brew cycle. The Capresso is so much easier! Because the grinding mechanism is housed away from the brewing apparatus, it does not become saturated in wet, sloppy coffee grounds. After each brewing cycle, the only thing you have to clean out is the gold tone filter (if used), the stainless steel decanter and perhaps the filter holder. 30 seconds under the sink and you're done!
4a. Brewed coffee is HOT and incredibly good. The machine claims to brew coffee at the proper 200 degrees Fahrenheit and serve it at 180. I didn't stick a thermometer into the decanter before pouring my first cup, but I can affirm that it is extremely hot. I have never had a coffee machine that brewed this hot. Consider this a big plus.
4b. Coffee tastes great and will fill your kitchen with the wonderful aroma of freshly ground coffee! That's what we're all here for isn't it? Well this machine is brewing the best coffee I have ever had from a home machine. Users might have to do a little trial-and-error in the beginning to get the brewing settings tweaked to their liking, but even as I was finding my "sweet spot" setting, I never had a pot that was undrinkable.
Negatives: There really aren't any that would make me think twice about owning this machine. I suppose first-and-foremost would be the price point and the fact that you can't really find a deal on these things anywhere. Is it really a $300 coffee machine? Well, probably in all honesty, no. But it is the best machine I have ever owned and I have had machines that cost upwards of $150-180 in the past. Before this one I had a $150 Cuisinart that gave me many years of service, but which also had a good many quirks (didn't brew all that hot and was a pain in the rear to clean).
One other possible drawback (though not deal-killer) would be the lack of a charcoal water filter. I've always used a Britta pitcher for my coffee brewing needs so this isn't such a big deal, but it would have been nice to have this feature available since Capresso seems to have it on all their other machines. The only other possible thing that I could cite as a potential downer is that the grinder is not necessarily whisper quiet. It's about as noisy as the blade-style grinder that I had on the Cuisinart. Capresso's website gives the indication that the grinder is especially quiet compared to their competition. If it is, then the competition's grinders must sound like heavy industrial machinery. Again though, very minor quibble.
All in all, this is an absolutely wonderful machine. If you have the means, I highly recommend picking one up. It is so choice.
Customer Review: Another one surprised by negative comments...
Summary: 4 Stars
It has been over a year now from the time of purchase of this coffee maker. I have waited this long to write a review just to see if any problems/issues mentioned in the negative reviews came up at the 3 month, 6 month, 1 year marks and so far...nothing.
The coffee maker works flawlessly. A little about its use: it is used at an office and on an average day we brew about 5-7 pots of coffee (weekends excluded), sometimes more, always using light roast whole beans.
Observations:
Pros
- The burr grinder works great. It is usually set for 3rd dot (from left)
- The swing mechanism still works without a problem.
- The coffee has never overflowed through the top of bean container as has been mentioned in several comments.
- descaling is easy
- carafe is very easy to "clean" - we just rinse it well a couple of times, no scrubbing required.
- Coffee stays hot for a couple of hours. Good for mid-to-late afternoon pots when fewer people drink it. It starts cooling down noticeably after that.
- The "stop-and-pour" valve works great too. The ONLY time it has ever malfunctioned with coffee continuing to flow was when the pre-ground coffee was poured carelessly into the basket and the grounds ended up on the outside of the filter, thus blocking the valve.
Cons
- LED display started dying after about 9 months of use. It is still partially visible -- enough to change cup setting if needed to -- but it is almost always set at 10 / strong
- The coffee is a bit weaker than desired. However, it is easily remedied by pouring 9 cups of water for a 10 cup grind. Alternatively, I have played with starting the grind and stopping it after several seconds and restarting it again. Either one works, depending on the strength one wants. One should, however, be able to make a very strong pot at 10 cup setting.
- No water filter! Grinds tend to, sometimes, get into the reservoir and it is troublesome to try to get them out. This happens infrequently - minor annoyance.
- When the basket swings over, the grounds shift a bit to the right after the impact. They still get hot water on them, just later in the brewing cycle. Not sure if this effects the final quality.
Lastly, due to wear and tear, the gold filter net is slowly coming off the plastic hold, but after a year's use that is expected. So get an extra filter preemptively.
I don't mind the bean container being small as this prompts us to use fresh beans for every brew, because they don't get oxidized while sitting around.
So, overall, everybody at the office is pleased with the maker. It outlasted every other one that was ever used here. Average life span prior to CoffeeTEAM Therm was 6 months, where this one is going into its 13th month right now. Would definitely recommend it. People who had never used it only need to be shown once how to close/open the carafe lid properly, how to change settings, how to swing the basket over and what to clean after use. It is really not that difficult and becomes second nature after one makes a few pots.
Last note: for people complaining about the dot being too small to see, use the little "wings" that are used to open the lid of the carafe to line them up perpendicular to the mouth of the carafe. Regarding the water level markings being on the outside, well, you can see them from the inside as well. So you don't have to turn the coffee maker to watch the level of water from the right hand side, just look from the left when pouring it with your right hand.
4/5 stars due to LED going dead, lack of water filter and lack of truly strong setting.
Customer Review: Great Coffee Maker
Summary: 5 Stars
I chose this coffee maker despite some of the negative reviews because it seemed like the problems people had were user error. And indeed after having this puppy for a week I still stick to that assumption. Yes, it is a bit more complicated than some makers, and much more advanced than anything I have ever owned, but it performs wonderfully and I look forward to years of use.
COFFEE- I love how customizable you can make your coffee. Choosing the bean coarseness, the strength and how many cups is really neat. But, I will agree that the "strong" setting isn't as strong as I'm use to. However I don't consider this a problem worth taking away a star. You can cheat by adding less water than you tell it your adding. (i.e. I have 3 cup mugs, but I tell it to make 4 cups, therefore more coffee for less water.) *Also, it remarks in the instructions (which you should read) that the first cup is weaker. Oh yeah was that weak coffee. So much that I would recommend not even drinking it. But after that every cup is fine.
GRINDER- It's certainly loud, but not wake the dead loud. I have never heard it before I wake up in the mornings when it makes me coffee, despite there being no closed doors between me and the maker. It is more piercing than my previous grinder, but not unbearable.
TIMER- I love the automatic timer. Fresh pot of coffee waiting for me when I get up is more wonderful than I would have ever thought. The programming is very easy and straight forward.
THERMOS- So far I haven't let coffee sit in there forever. If I make coffee I'm drinking it right away. However one morning I accidentally set the auto timer for an hour before I was getting up, instead of right before, and I have no idea I had done so until I was programming it that night and saw the time set. The coffee was hot and tasted yummy even after sitting for an hour, but I know that's not a long time.
CLEAN UP- Very easy to clean. I rinse all the removable parts after I pour my coffee and that's that. What I love about the swing basket is that I'm not spilling grounds all over my counter like I did with my other maker, which I had to manually transfer the grounds. It's very tidy and self sufficient.
USER ERROR- The problems people describe are so silly I just had to write a review to give this maker a good name. People complain that the dot is hard to see on the thermos, uh, what? It's a shiny raised mound. Yes it is also black like the lid, but that way it looks sleek. These people must have bad eyesight or they make coffee with no lights on. They complain that the thermos must perfectly line up with the drip spout. I really don't understand why this is so hard. It just fits snugly in its spot and the basket swings right to it. The lid is hard for people, why? You turn it till it doesn't turn anymore without force, and then its ready for brewing coffee.
This is a great machine. I have had no problems and am so glad I ignored the bad reviews. Those people are just being nit picky to be picky and I guess don't read instructions. Read the instructions people! I read the whole thing before I made any coffee and have had no problems.
A final note, that this comes with a list of replaceable parts with a price list and a number! The very reason I had to get a new coffee maker was that my carafe broke on my old maker, and COULD NOT be replaced. They told me I had buy a new one, despite it being a few months old. So I am so pleased to see that that will not be a problem here.
So buy this maker and enjoy! Unless you don't like to read instructions and/or are blind.
Customer Review: Great Concept, Flawed Design
Summary: 4 Stars
Like others, I received this coffee maker as a Christmas gift. Having owned the Capresso Coffee Team with the glass carafe, I had high hopes for this model.
The concept here is brilliant--instant bean grinding, thermal carafe, one-step coffee, easy cleanup, etc. Capresso has managed to hose up the concept in ways I had not imagined.
My first issue is that there is no charcoal filter. Capresso, you had it with the Coffee Team, why not here too??? Puzzling. Pay the engineers a few more bucks and design one in.
Next, coffee strength. If you are brewing less than a full pot, there are ways to program the machine to get the strength you want. However, when you are brewing a full pot, setting the machine to its full brew strength is just adequate. Like others, I do not understand why the engineers could not have set up more options for the grinder. My hypothesis--it came down to the height of a kitchen counter. Because the height of the machine was designed to fit under a standard kitchen counter, the bean hopper is small. It will use almost all of the beans when set to "10 cups-strong." Accordingly, there was no latitude to allow for more grinding because the machine would run out of beans. Rather than design the machine to allow for more beans, the manufacturer settled for limiting the bean capacity and consequently the grinding capacity. It's okay for my tastes, but if you like the liquid asphalt that Starbuck's brews, you're wasting your money buying this machine. Even though Capresso sells a bigger hopper for those with high cabinets, it does not allow you to set the grinding for longer. Mistake.
Neither of those two things are that big of a deal for me. The last one is, though. The spring that swings the filter basket from the grinder to the carafe is borderline adequate. To make things worse, there is no lubrication on the mechanism that holds the filter basket. So, the first few pots brewed just fine for me. This morning, the thing would not swing over correctly. Tried several times, tried using the gold tone filter instead of paper filters, nothing worked. The solution--a $3 can of silicone spray. I sprayed the gaps on the hinge with silicone, and voila!! It works fine. I should not have to do that, though. My other Coffee Team worked perfectly because it had a nice heavy spring. Capresso engineers, you need to talk to the people who make AK-47s. The things work when they are greasy, grimy, dirty, sandy, because of engineering. You need to put a nice heavy spring on this thing so it whacks over no matter what.
Anyway, now it seems to work well. I have not had any other issues. The coffee is tasty and very hot. The thermal carafe keeps it that way too. I have had no spillage problems.
If you buy one, expect these issues. Buy the silicone spray and hose it down from the get go. If you don't need horribly strong coffee, you will like it a lot.
**February Followup - so far so good. This thing works great following the tweaks. I added the large bean hopper. That really makes it good. I only have to add beans about once every 5 days.