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: I like it--with one reservation-update
Summary: 4 Stars
I've had this coffeemaker for a year now and use it every day. As with many reviewers it took some experimenting to get the brew I wanted, basically Starbucks latte. FInally, I asked Starbucks how they made theirs and they sold me Bold Espresso Beans and I went to work. On Strong setting I get a cup that is identical to Starbucks. Since I only rarely make coffee for others--my husband is not a coffee drinker, I am thrilled (almost) with this machine, though the quality is not what I'd like for the money. My husband gave it to me as a Christmas gift last year but I had given him the hint so I knew what it cost. My complaint, and I think it is significant--is that after the beans are ground--for me the machine always grinds the precise amount--the basket no longer returns to the proper placement over the carafe and the machine turns off. I have to push the basket the last inch so it will immediately start brewing or hit the button to have it start up again. This means I can't use the automatic settings, a definite drawback. If this had happened at first I would have returned it but it is no longer on warranty.
I have a second home where I use a Cuisinart grind and brew. I used it recently and it is awful by comparison. Using the same beans and water ratio the coffee is second rate by comparison and a second or third cup tastes like truckstop coffee--where the Capresso coffee stays delicious for a long while after it brewed. And don't get me started on cleaning the cuisinar. If capresso ever fixes the bugs, I'll replace it.
PS--An update. i complained to Capresso that the basket does not return to start brewing after the grinding step and then sent me as brand new one , no questions asked. I was a little past warranty time but when i told them it was a gift they said send it back--they sent me a postage paid mailing label--I held on to the coffee pot and basket--they would replace it. The new one arrived within a few weeks and works perfectly. I am a fan.
Customer Review: Disappointed in this coffee maker
Summary: 1 Stars
This is the second Capresso grind and brew coffee maker that I have used. My first was the Coffee Team Luxe with its glass carafe. I had to dismantle the drip stop because it stopped working properly after about 6 months of twice daily use. After three years the automatic function stopped and I was left with a big coffee grinder. Dispite this I liked the convenience of grinding and brewing with one machine. The Stainless steel Coffee tec with its thermal carafe looked like a good replacement.
I only brew four cups of coffee twice daily. I don't really get fresh ground coffee with each brew because the grinder feeder channel holds almost all the ground coffee that I need for the next four cups left over from the previous grinding. It is too costly and wasteful to brew 6 to 8 cups of coffee each brewing just to get fresh ground coffee flavor.
NO matter what I did, I could not solve the problem of the coffee maker flooding my counter top with coffee. I was very careful to follow the instructions but it still happened. The carafe would fill about half full and then flood the pot. I could never leave the brewing pot unattended and so could not take advantage of automatic brewing and thus have a pot waiting for me in the mornings.
The other inconvenience is the angle one has to turn the entire coffee maker in order to fill it with water. In order to see the water level markings on the side of the coffee maker, I have to pour in the water with my left hand and I am not left handed. The rubber feet on the bottom of the coffee maker make it difficult to slide accross my granite counter top. I think the constant picking up and moving of the maker will eventually shorten it life.
I am very disappointed with this design of this coffee maker and have decided to return it. I am going to buy a burr coffee grinder and go back to my cheap glass carafe coffee maker. I expected better design from a $300.00 coffee maker. Capresso should do better.
Customer Review: Stay Away!!!
Summary: 1 Stars
Here is a letter I just sent to Capresso, I think it sums it up rather nicely. I finally gave up on my Coffee Team Therm this morning. The swing basket mechanism is pure junk and you still continue to sell this garbage to the public. I bought my first Coffee Therm about 2 years ago from the '1st in Coffee' website and it worked for about 3 months before the basket mechanism quit working. I sent it back to be fixed and received it back in approximately 3 weeks. It still did not work so I sent it back again. They gave up trying to fix-it and sent me another one. The swing basket quit again!!!!! This is NOT what I expect after spending $300.00 for a piece of garbage Coffee Pot that makes no better coffer that a $20.00 "Mr Coffee". The coffee Grinder would also miss the hole some sprinkling coffee grinds all over the counter when or if the basket did swing over. The Therm bottle would spill water everywhere if you poured it a little fast. This machine was taken extra special care of after having to send the previous one back twice!! I fixed it permanently this morning as I broke into a thousand pieces this morning as I was so mad at you product. I thought it would be better to take it out on the Coffee Therm as you salesman or company. However I will now go out my way to slam you garbage product every chance I get. When I find any local 'Coffee Store' that sells your products I will make it point to go in the store and steer people away from your products. Then I will go loudly discuss the problems I have had with you products with the store employees so everyone in the store can hear. I see by reading more reviews on this product that everyone is have these problems, but you are still selling this garbage as a premium Coffee Maker. This is a disgraceful practice and needs to identified publicly so I will also go to all website that sell your products and leave a copy of this email. Everyone will be warned when I get finished.
Good Riddance!!
Customer Review: Great coffee, but too many overflow messes - update - problem fixed
Summary: 4 Stars
We've had the Capresso for almost 3 months. In that time, it has made 5 major messes in our kitchen. As others have experienced, after a small amount of coffee has gone into the carafe, the rest just pours out all over the kitchen. This morning, we awoke to yet another mess. After the previous event, we put a large tray under the coffee maker. This morning, the tray was full with almost an entire ten cups of coffee. At least it wasn't all over the kitchen counter and floor again.
We like the flavor and convenience of grind and brew, but these big messes that it produces are just unacceptable.
To those who say "read the manual", I'd respond that I am a computer person. I've been reading manuals, and working with machines for over forty years. I've been brewing coffee for as long. It isn't the manual. It isn't my mistake or a mistake by the many other people who have commented on this problem. It is a defective product.
UPDATE: I contacted Capresso, and described the problem. They suggested cleaning the carafe lid. I explained that I had been cleaning it each time we made a cup of coffee. I also pointed out that the ball in the lid is not perfectly round, and can easily get stuck. They offered to send a replacement lid. It hasn't arrived yet, but we have had two more overflow spills in the past week. The problem appears to be getting worse. We've stopped using the timer function in the mornings so that we can watch it each time it runs, and prevent a bigger mess. I'll wait for the replacement lid, but if it spills after that, it is going back.
Definitely think twice (maybe three times) before buying one of these coffee makers.
Update --- October 2, 2010
We received the new lid many months ago, and we haven't had another spill since. The coffee maker now works wonderfully, so I've changed the rating. It always made great coffee, and now that the problems are solved, we love it.
Customer Review: Don't give up
Summary: 3 Stars
I received the 455 CoffeeTEAM Therm Stainless Coffeemaker as a Christmas gift. Here's a summary of my efforts:
December 25
* Programming was easy and well-explained.
* The first attempt yielded a scant teaspoon of ground beans and a big pot of water.
* The manual says the first pot will be weak, so I tried again.
* The second attempt yielded a scant tablespoon of ground beans and a big pot of light brown water
* The manual says to use less water if it's not strong enough, so I set the unit to make 10 cups of strong but filled the resevoir with only 8 cups of water
* The unit brewed 8 cups of medium brown water
***Here's where I went wrong: I re-read the manual and assumed I had a clogged shute. I cleaned it. No, no, no. It wasn't clogged, it just hadn't built up enough beans to yield an adequate amount. After cleaning the shute, it ground away for about 30 seconds and yielded zero ground beans. Zero!
* I went to this site and read all the postings. I felt like an idiot when I read postings that said everything was perfect, so I kept trying.
* Five attempts later WITHOUT CLEANING THE SHUTE, the unit yielded enough beans to make a decent pot of coffee. Unfortunately, the basket didn't swing into place properly. (The optional anti-static lid with the rubber gasket doesn't fit snugly, so it caught.) With a little nudge, the basket was positioned correctly, and the result was a decent cup of coffee. It seemed less bitter than the coffee my old Krups brewed.
December 26
* The auto function worked flawlessly (without the anti-static lid). I awoke to 8 cups of hot, dark, smooth coffee.
CONCLUSION: It's not perfect, but hey. . . it's busy grinding your beans and brewing your coffee while you're sleeping!! How mad can you get at it when it makes a few mistakes?