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: Good maker with 1 major design flaw
Summary: 3 Stars
This was pointed out in a CoffeeTEAM 454 review, but I don't believe it's been confirmed in any of the 455 reviews (until now). A short plastic chute exists between the grinder and basket, essentially housing a large quantity of ground beans from your previous grind. I brew 4-cups daily on the strong setting, and the result of this chute is that anywhere between 50 and 90% of the grounds used to brew my coffee are actually the result of the previous day's grind and a very small percentage are truly "freshly ground." This is not only very disappointing from a quality perspective, but if you change beans or grind fineness then you essentially need to brew a scratch pot of coffee before the changes take effect. Very, very disappointing.
That issue aside, I would consider the quality of coffee to be average to above-average. I've not found the brewing to be particularly consistent (surprising quality, considering the burr grinder). The brewing temperature does seem to be a positive attribute. Personally, I drink my coffee black so I'm required to wait a few minutes after pouring before enjoying but the warm temperature does indicate a favorable brewing temp (I believe ideal is around 200 degrees).
Cleanup is remarkably easy. My first grind-and-brew machine was a Cuisinart with a blade grinder, which required daily cleaning of the grinder, chute, and basket. The only cleanup required of the Capresso is the basket (either 20 seconds of cleaning out your filter with water, or 3 seconds to toss out a paper filter).
I've had this unit for 3 weeks and have brewed Starbucks Caffè Verona and Peet's Arabian Mocha Java beans. The Starbucks was a little disappointing (which may have been the beans) and the Peet's oscillates between average to quite-good (as I mentioned, the brewing seems to be inconsistent).
Perhaps it's the beans (Peet's is generally considered to be very, very good coffee) but I've not had an issue with the strength. I brew 4-cups on strong (using 4 cups of water) on the most-course grind setting and the flavor seems to be on par. I didn't have as much luck with the Starbucks, so for those who have had issues with coffee being "too weak" I would recommend considering a better bean (www.peets.com - no I'm not affiliated, just a fan).
The thermal carafe works for me. I'll generally brew 4 cups in the morning, consuming 1 mug (2 cups) immediately, and enjoying the 2nd mug about 30 minutes later. The carafe keeps the 2nd mug tasting just as good as the first. One sometimes overlooked aspect of the thermal carafe is that it negates the need for a heating plate, preventing you from ever having to worry if the machine is left on.
I am considering returning this unit for either a Krups KM7000 or a Cuisinart DGB-700, but haven't been able to pull the trigger just yet. I don't believe any other grind-and-brew machine in this price range brews at as high a temperature as the 455 so for those of you who prefer cream or milk in your coffee it is likely your best bet.
Convenience: A+
Taste: B-
Value: C
Overall: B
Customer Review: Doesn't live up
Summary: 2 Stars
I wish I could write a good review of this coffee machine & Capresso in general but unfortunately my experience with the 455 model & Capresso itself has been horrible. I bought my Capresso 455 (Stainless carafe model) in July 2006. I was very impressed with the grinding options & the overall functionality of the machine & the coffee it produced was great. But by September the electronics had failed & the LCD readout was going haywire. I called Capresso & they immediately sent out a brand new machine to replace the faulty unit.
The new unit worked perfectly until February 2007 when the drip basket stopped working. It would no longer stay in place when I tried to swing it over under the grinder to start the grind/brew process. I again called Capresso & they told me to pack it up & send it back for repairs. I then got a voice message telling me that they had never received the original unit that I had sent back in September 2006 so they wouldn't perform the repairs on this unit until they received it back. I won't waste your time with all the phone calls that took place about this! Suffice it to say that I HAD sent the machine back & I had never heard a word from Capresso in the 7 months since that time & now they were expecting me to somehow track their UPS return label to prove that the machine had been delivered!!
I finally convinced them that there was nothing I could do about it now & they agreed to complete the repairs & return the machine to me but WITHOUT any warranty. The kicker to the story is that when the repaired machine finally arrived, it had brand new internal damage to it (the broken pieces were all over the inside of the water resevoir) & has had to be returned yet again. Naturally I have written to the President of the company about this ridiculous situation & while much of this problem can be written of as a bad customer service experience, the fact is that I have had 2 mechanical failures on this machine within a year as well as additional damage caused by the repair technicians (I'm fairly certain that it was not caused during the shipping - The unit was extremely well packed.
My advice is this: If you can find another machine that does the same things as the Capresso 455 give it a shot. While this coffee maker performs superbly when it actually works, 2 failures on different machines within a year is not a good track record. I also found their customer service department to be extremely unhelpful as soon as they had identified me as a "problem customer". I never had a leg to stand on once they said they hadn't received the machine from the return call tag that they had issued. Why in the world would I have wanted to keep a machine that didn't work in the first place???
BUY AT YOUR OWN RISK.
Customer Review: Not really worth the price
Summary: 3 Stars
The Capresso CoffeeTEAM Therm is the most feature complete coffee maker being made right now. It offers automatic burr grinding and a thermal carafe.
Comparing this coffee maker to the CoffeeTEAM S, which is a similar unit but without the thermal carafe, it turns out you are paying about $100 just for the thermal carafe.
I require automatic grind and brew in a thermal carafe, and after our Cuisinart gave out, I decided to shell out the lucre for the Capresso. I was primarily attracted by the burr grinder and the fact that the grinding mechanism does not need to be cleaned with each use like the Cuisinart.
After having the unit for a couple of weeks, I think I can fairly say I am slightly disappointed.
If you prefer dark roasted beans to make your coffee, do not buy this unit. Oily beans stick in the bean hamper and do not make it into the grinder unless you actively push them. Since the main feature of this unit is supposed to be the ability to grind and brew while you are still in bed, I consider this to be a serious design flaw.
The unit works well with light and medium roasted beans. I'd like to have a little more control of the amount of beans used in a brewing cycle though.
Update:
I made the unfortunate discovery that the pour while brewing feature (pretty much standard on most coffeemakers these days) does not work very well on this unit. The valve under the basket has a tendency to stick, even after a thorough cleaning. A sturdier spring may fix this problem.
Other minor issues:
It isn't idiot proof. There are a few things that are not obvious about this coffee maker.
The pour dot on the thermal carafe is difficult to see.
For nearly $300 I expect a coffee maker that works flawlessly. This unit is definitely not flawless.
I plan on modifying mine to fix some of the flaws. Too bad Capresso can't be bothered with functional design issues.
Another update (07/01/08):
After having my CoffeeTEAM for a while, it has grown on me a little. I will say this- if you are trying to decide between this Capresso and the Cuisinart Grind and Brew, go with the Capresso (unless you are really into dark roasted coffee). The CoffeeTEAM is MUCH easier to clean between pots. I am pretty sure the Capresso has paid for itself in under a year in the time I've saved.
Customer Review: An Excellent Coffee Maker
Summary: 5 Stars
Mind you, I purchased a refurbished model at $168 so even though I paid almost half the price I took the leap of faith in a used model. I figured "it's a coffee maker, how much bumping around can it possibly go though?"
My risk was rewarded with something that looks and works like new. I love my machine and even though the critical review says you're paying $100 for the pot alone I thought the stylings was much classier and for some people who put untold amounts of money into their kitchens, it's worth it.
The pot is absolutely NOTHING to scoff at. It's a thermal retainer and the maker itself does NOT use a burner. What this means is that you do NOT end up burning your coffee and - I kid you not - the coffee was still steaming hot 24 hours after the initial drip (I tested it because a professional review said it last 24 hours and I was just curious).
The User Interface was very Euro, not that many buttons and kept as simple and classy as possible. The indicator lights are low key but elegant and the menus are easy to navigate through. You will spend more time in the mechanical workings for the grinder/drip than the electronic menu. But seriously, even that took me only 5 minutes to learn.
The conical burr grinder is considered the best of the best. It's a premium that leaves blade grinders (pardon the pun) in the dust. The coffee tastes THAT much better and for a person who has his morning rituals, every small improvement in my day is THAT much more worth it.
It's an eye turner but it's also quite daunting the first time. There are ways you can go wrong in the set up but like anything, after the first few tries things become second nature.
Ask yourself, if you're here, looking, really considering buying this high end coffee maker, you must be an enthusiast and thus you are willing to handle the learning curve. If you're not, you can go and buy a cheaper one that may not be as good but is good enough.
It's all the difference between a Chevy Malibu with automatic transition and and an Aston Martin with manual transmission: In the end they are both respectable cars with four wheels and get you from point A to point B. And the quality of experience you get from the Aston may not be worth the price for some - might be priceless to others.
This coffee maker is priceless to me for looks, function and technical detail.
Customer Review: Poor design!
Summary: 1 Stars
I've had a Capresso for years and have been relatively pleased. Yes, they were more expensive, but I'm a coffee nut and am willing to pay a premium if I'm pleased. So...when this new Capresso came out I was eagerly anticipating it's arrival. Unfortunately, it has been disappointing in almost every aspect. The most disastrous of the problems has been with the carafe. The poorly engineered lid has a little green valve ball that is SUPPOSED to let the coffee drip down into the carafe, yet keep the heat in. What actually happens, on a FAR to regular basis, is that the ball gets "stuck" and your coffee literally overflows off the lid and all over your counter. I have white counters with other things on it than this coffee maker. You can imagine my frustration over the constant clean up. YES...I did call Capresso on this. They sent me a new lid..which didn't work any better or resolve the problem. I also have a second whole carafe...it does the same with that one. It wasn't my coffee...Capresso sent me some of theirs...it made no difference. It is simply a design flaw..period. I suspect what happens is that the steam from the coffee in the pot builds up, raises that little green ball and shuts off the flow to the carafe. If you take the green ball out, you don't have the problem, but then your coffee gets cold quick! UGH! Also on the carafe...it has a very narrow opening...so narrow you can't get your hand down in it to clean it. Even if you could, the edges are so sharp you'd cut yourself. The lid itself is poorly designed in that is twists on rather hard with little to grip on to open and close it. As for the maker itself...steam will rise from around the edges of the basket assembly. Not the end of the world but not great if you have upper cupboards. The steam has literally ruining the finish on my oak cupboards. Between that...and the brown coffee stains from the constant overflow...I'm not a happy camper. For the hefty $300 price tag, I could have bought ten $30 coffee pots and have been happier. My old Capressos were great...though after awhile the automatic basket assembly breaks down...and the pumps wear out leaking all over your counter from the bottom of the unit...yet I was willing to put up with that justifying the problems with the great coffee they made and the fact that I give my makers heavy use. This new Capresso however, has turned out to be the worst investment I have ever made in a coffee maker.