Capresso 555.01 Burr Grinder Select, Black
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Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of Capresso 555.01 Burr Grinder Select, Black
Customer Review: Re: Pump machine espresso, customer service in denial, but GRIND TWICE & it works
Summary: 2 Stars
-----Update to this review----
I wrote below it didn't work, but now I find if I cycle the ground beans through the grinder a second time (both times on the finest setting), then the grounds I get out work reasonably in my espresso machine.
Given that single grinding is already slow and that dispensing the grounds from the two-piece, snap-in receptacle just once requires more attention and goes more slowly than I feel like it ought to (it has a lid you don't see in the photo, which you have to remove and replace each time and it collects coffee in corners and random faces), 2X grinding feels like too much prep time and extra cleanup for a single self-serving on a regular basis. If I meant to grind a pound at a time, it wouldn't be a deal-breaking issue probably.
----original review below----
I keyword searched all the customer reviews for all the low-end burr grinders and decided that at least some of these Capresso 555 machines were satisfying customers who own a "serious" (i.e. semi-auto pump-driven) home espresso machine and can tell when the coffee comes out the way it's supposed to--which unfortunately depends on having grinds fine enough to slow the flow of the high-pressure water. Anyway for the price ($60 w/free shipping) I decided to gamble, and I lost. Capresso customer service is reluctantly sending me a new top-burr unit, which is an adjustable element but not something Capresso wants customers meddling with. I thought I was gambling time and convenience only, because (despite bad reports here) Capresso itself describes this grinder as suitable for semi-automatic machines not only in its marketing but in the manual. Only Turkish mokka something or other is excluded. So I figured Capresso would feel obliged to refund me my money or send me new units until I got the performance they promised to deliver me for my money. So far no good. The Capresso phone agent said she'd never heard any such complaints as I was making from buyers of this model, and that she knew vast numbers were grinding away happily for semi-automatic pump driven machines. She didn't recognize the name "Gaggia" as the VW of espresso or that my machine was like the beetle--the utterly conventional and archetypal model. She wouldn't grant that what I get from Starbucks or grind on the "espresso" setting myself at the grocery store was a suitable comparison point for grind fineness. Only by being implacable and raising my voice at the end did I get her to take my address and agree to send me the new burr. I'll add a postscript if that works, but I wanted to testify to this experience so future gamblers might have a better sense of the odds and risks.
Customer Review: Lovin' it!
Summary: 4 Stars
After hours of brain-numbing research and review reading prior to purchasing my first coffee grinder, I decided on the Capresso 555.01 Burr Grinder. I was shopping for a burr grinder specifically because I wanted to grind for both conical auto drip and espresso. The grinder works great, and I have noticed a problem with "grinds going all over the counter" like some reviewers encountered with various models.
I've only had the machine for a few weeks (using every day), but this is what I've found: I do agree with previous reviewer that the cleaning brush is ineffective. The size is ok, but the longer pliable bristles just don't really seem to do the job. I'll probably purchase a small paintbrush for cleaning.
Loudness: after reading reviews on grinders, I was under the impression I might wake the neighbors with a grinder. I find the Capresso quieter than my vacuum - by a lot. I wouldn't use the machine while people were sleeping in the house, but it's not a bother.
Gotta tell you that I found the instructions that came with the machine to be a little confusing. Maybe I'm just dense, but it took me awhile to figure out that the lower the number, the finer the grind. If they would just SAY that, it would be easier.
I'm using an auto drip machine that uses cone filters, so I use the setting of around 4 to grind for that. Setting 1 is great for espresso.
I have not used the portion container, because I have several kinds of coffee and rarely use the same two days in a row, so I only grind what I'll need for that morning.
Bottom line, this appears to be a great grinder for the money. Time will tell as to how well it performs over the long haul.
Customer Review: Too Much Annoyance & Cleanup
Summary: 2 Stars
I have now owned this coffee grinder for 7 months. In that time I have come to both love and hate it. It does the job you want; it grinds coffee beans. But not only grinds them, but does so in a manner that has given me the finest cups of coffee I have ever sipped.I fancy myself somewhat of a coffee connoisseur, and as proof of that statement I reveal, that for a large number of years now I have purchased my coffee beans directly from coffee farms around the world. So this sobbery I proudly cling to caused me to search for a new grinder once my hand crank grinder began showing it's age. I sought for a grinder as vain in itself as I am about my coffee drinking. I thought I found it in this one. However, in great part I must admit I was wrong. This machine, on no matter what grind level you place it has spillage of the coffee to a point that is maddening. The mouth the grinder, right at where the lip of the grinder and the catch cup meet clogs all too often, especially if you are grinding bean for a full pot. You cannot imagine the mess until you have this experience. Clean up with just normal use (That being two uses a day for a total of 6 cups-- not all mine) is a real chore in itself as the coffee grounds simply coat the hollow of the machine where the cup sits. You will find yourself forced to clean grounds from around the machine also. In the end, buying this machine was a waste of good money. Thus, I have once again opened a search for the grinder that meets my level of snobbery.
Customer Review: Capresso 555.01 is a nice grinder...
Summary: 4 Stars
I think this grinder really rates more like 4.5 stars, but since that isn't a choice I only gave it 4. I've now used it 4 times, and I need to debunk some of the the earlier complaints that I've seen. I'll compare this with the several Braun burr grinders I've worn out over the last 15 years or so.1. The lid is no more loose than that of any other coffee grinder I've used, but it is a snap-on lid withour a latch. The portion container itself, however, does latch. The portion container can be removed entirely, and an extra included lid can then be used, thus turning the grinder into a model 554.01.
2. There is LESS problem with static and fine coffee, again comparing this grinder to the Braun burr grinders I've used for years. This is partly due to the fact that the Capresso does a much quicker job of grinding than my various Brauns did even when new. Less rubbing and bouncing around equals less static electricity. Tip: to almost totally eliminate the static problem grind your coffee a half hour before you need it. The static bleeds off rapidly.
3. This grinder is much, much quieter than the Brauns that I've used. No contest.
4. The ground coffee receptacle pours easily, if you pour from the narrow ends rather than the wide side.
I like this grinder. The only gripe I have is about the rapid buildup of caked coffee on the exit(nozzle?) from the grinder to the receptacle. I knock it loose after every grinding.
Customer Review: Basic burr grinder
Summary: 1 Stars
I bought this grinder after a Target special burr grinder failed on me. I have been grinding coffee and making espresso for more than two decades. I find this grinder poor to fair, and unacceptable for espresso (regardless of brew method).
The Capresso 555 is an attractive machine that will grind your coffee between the grades of "extra-coarse" and "coarse" with numerous fine particles mixed in (the amount depending on settings of "1" fine and "9" coarse.) Of course (coarse) burr grinders are supposed to provide consistent grinds depending on settings. I have had better luck with my Osterizer blender. Most burr grinders at even half the price do a better job. If you have an espresso machine, consider another grinder. If you use filtered coffee, consider another grinder. You'll have moderate success with press-pots, although the sediment may be too much for you.
This is a poorly-designed burr grinder with one attractive feature: a portion doser. It's surprising how many of these find their way into the homes of even moderately sophisticated coffee freaks (e.g. me). When my Capresso 555 overheated, it never started again, and I used my Oster blender jar to grind better quality coffee that my wife and friends complimented.
Avoid this lemon at all costs. The previous raters have been too generous: this is a marketing item, not a real product.