Every burr grinder I’ve ever owned has broken after +/- a year of use, until I bought the Baratza Encore. It took 4 years for it to break down, but I was able to quickly order a $10 replacement part and watch a TH-cam tutorial to repair it. I recommend their products every chance I get.
I've had the Capresso for almost a decade now (purchased in 2012). I've used it every day and it's still going strong. Easy to use, consistent grind. Highly recommended!!!!
One measure I wish you had covered: how loud are they? At 4:30 in the morning it matters. We have the Kitchen Aid; it works great and is comparatively "quiet."
This was the info I was looking for, but sadly they did not cover that. The grinder I have is extremely loud and I would have liked to know which were quiet.
Over the years I've had the Capresso and that Bodum situation-- have finally settled on the Baratza Virtuoso (just the next step up from the Encore). Easy to use and clean, consistent results. Can switch between espresso and pour over grind settings with ease.
It's not listed as an espresso grinder nor does it appear to have a setting for fine grind control. You don't want to use a drip coffee grinder for espresso as you will not be able to dial in your pressure correctly with only coarse controls. You may get lucky with one roasting of one coffee but the next time you won't.
I bought the Capresso infinity about 6 years ago as my first electric burr grinder and its still going strong today! Ive been using it for drip machines, pour overs, moka pots, and espresso machine ( with a pressurized basket ). Definitely a good beginner electric burr grinder. Ive recently switched to a bit higher end manual hand grinder now since ive realized thats really all I need for the amount of coffee I grind each day.
Thee best grinders were made long ago. I always grind fresh coffee and have gone through a number of things wrong with current models. The main one being consistency. I started buying antique grinders and found that they did the best job. They don't cost too much of you shop carefully. They look really nice on the counter too. 👏😍
When you say "antique," you make it sound like you're talking about ones that are 100 years old. Can you tell me what specific grinders you are talking about that you used and liked? Thanks.
@2:30 Adam says that the glass bowl was knocked off of the counter. In their Coffee Grinder review of Dec 7th 2018. Lisa says the same exact thing at the 3 min 08 mark. So, did it get knocked off the counter twice? And says the same thing about the grinder with built-in scale. 6-10% off at the 2 min 50 mark on the older video. Or, are they recycling reviews.
He did not say WHEN it got knocked off the counter, did he? He could have been referring to the 2018 test. Regardless, it is still something to consider. Im using a Chemex coffee drip maker. Its solid glass with a wood collar handle. So I place it on a paper towel when I'm making coffee so the granite counter doesn't break it.
I don't really understand that as a criticism. Shame on ATK. The carafe on my drip coffee maker is glass. If I'm a klutz and drop it, it will break, too. From what I understand, a glass bowl cuts down on the annoying static cling that most plastic bowls have.
When I switched from a blade mill to a burr grinder I had to adjust down my coffee measure per pot. The more consistent grind made a noticeable difference to me.
I have the Bodum Bistro-the red one he pointed out first and said it spewed coffee all over the counter top. I can’t even imagine how that happened. I’ve been using mine daily for years with no problems at all. I’m a big fan of America’s Test Kitchen, but I feel this video was really substandard compared to their usual excellent and thorough content.
@@precisionsoundworksstudio After 8 yrs, my Bodum just started acting up today where the motor only runs 2 secs or so regardless of setting. I think that is acceptable for longevity. It was used daily.
After wandering through a gazillion "coffee nerd" review videos I came to the Test Kitchen because I trust you guys - I have NEVER been disappointed by products you recommend....just starting out with an upgrade for my morning coffee - not doing expresso (Yet?) Big Thank you
Thanks for this comparison. I've been using the Encore for about 2 years. We love it. When I needed a new ring burr they shipped me one free of charge. The machine is practically rebuildable. Their customer service is beyond compare. True it is the best entry grinder among many.
My hopper won't stay in place and snaps to a finer grind (clockwise) every time I turn it on. I have to hold it in place for a coarse grind. Probably going to break the plastic hopper one of these days in doing so
I’m going to try out the ceramic upgrade kit from Baratza for my Encore, which I use daily for single cup pour overs. Baratza, as a company, purposely design in repairability by owner which is unfortunately rare these days; with Apple at the other end actively squelching right to repair.
I’m also a fan of James Hoffman’s videos, and I think these are complementary. We inherited a Kitchen Aide A-9 original series (so, 75-80 years old) and it works fine for us. Adjusting between coarse for French press and fine for espresso takes a bit of grip strength, but we’re happy.
It's interesting to me to recall a time when Americans we completely happy with some scoops of Folgers into a Mr. Coffee unit. Now we are perfectly happy with over-extracted Starbucks! So it's not surprising to me that inconsistent grinds don't make much of a difference among testers. Now... get ol' James Hoffman on the case and we may see some cringes and and some smiles! The best black coffee to me has a "refreshing" aspect to it, and it seems to be related to water temperature with a light or medium roast coffee. But that experience can only last a few minutes at most even with a good thermos mug. Maybe the Italians have the right idea with espressos in tiny cups ... of the Turks with their demitasses of ultra-thick brew.
I still have my Kitchen Aid but replacement blades are not available,it has been replaced with the OXO burr grinder which is very consistent and easy to use.Surprised not to see it in the line up and sits right next my OXO brewer.A fantastic combo,highly recommend both.
I've been using the Capresso for years and have been surprisingly satisfied with it. Does really well with espresso grinds. I can fit a Crema 54mm dosing cup in the chamber instead of the plastic hopper which makes filling the portafilter WAY easier.
I have a Sboly burr grinder and it works well. The problem with all burr grinders is that they need periotic cleaning. The hopper must be emptied and the burrs removed and dry wiped or brushed. Most of the expensive grinders are set for fine grinding to course grinding for making Espresso, Turkish coffee or French press coffee. Most of us use the grinder for one type of coffee maker and don't need all the other settings. My grinder varies the amount of beans ground for the number of cups to be brewed. It is really a timer for when the grinder shuts off. Fresh ground coffee brewed in my Breville Precision coffee maker makes a really good cup of coffee.
I’ve been using the Capresso for years and have nothing but good things to say. Well worth it. I also go back and forth between my Bona Vita drip machine and an Aeropress.
After watching this and doing further research, I bought the Capresso Infinity PLUS, at $159, which does a very good job of even extra fine grind, all the way to coarse. It also works very well for a single cup. So, it was a compromise between the Baratza and the Capresso Infinity. Very pleased.
I have a Baratza and a Capresso. Both have gotten well-used over the years. In the end, I prefer the Capresso. There are absolutely no quality issues, it's simple to use and clean, it has a small footprint and looks good on the counter. Rarely do I feel so positive about one of my kitchen gadgets. The Baratza is fantastic too, but the bin will slowly slide out of the pocket as it is grinding. I have to stand there and hold it in place. That's a deal-breaker. The additional grind size settings are nice but superfluous. The Capresso has more than enough settings to cover any style of coffee I may desire. Helpful hint- if you've ever had your freshly ground coffee fly all over the place as you remove the bin from the grinder (static electricity), a neat trick is to VERY slightly wet your (clean or gloved) hand and run it through the beans before grinding.
I have to do the same on my sette -- hold the basket in place. I just put something in front of it and hit "go". Very frustrating for a $500 grinder. But the company does have great support. You just may need it more than you'd prefer.
I have the capresso. I've been using it for 7 years. Medium coarse, dark roast, 50g a day. I use a blow vacuum to clean it once a week; takes like a minute. Great little grinder
I’ve had that kitchen aid proline coffee grinder for almost 20 years now and it still works beautifully. Don’t set it near the edge of the counter and the glass receptacle won’t get broken. Just be careful. It does a fantastic job.
Both. The one that blows grinds all over the place is also a consideration. You may gift that to someone you dont like. All sorts of things to consider.
I agree, though he did mention they tested for flavor difference due to grind consistency. I think they left it there because in their research it did not seem to affect the quality of the brew.
Somehow we missed the boat. My favorite Burr Grinder is a manual model. They didn't even have one in the lineup. Takes less space as it is very small compared to the electric lineup. I wouldn't trade mine for any of the ones in this lineup. Mine is a TIMEMORE Chestnut C2 MAX Manual Coffee Grinder. It has quite a few selections for fineness of grind. I was impressed the minute I pulled it out of the box as it is a lot heavier than I expected.
I have been using my Bodum grinder every day for 11 years. It has never spewed grounds onto the counter, as this review claims. I picked it because it was top ranked in other reviews. It has a glass, rather than plastic, container to reduce static cling, which is helpful in the very dry climate i live in.
My problem with the Capresso, which is otherwise good and reliable, is that it retains so much of the coffee. After a grind I must invert it over the sink and shake it and shake it to get the last of the coffee out. It can get very messy. Frequent cleaning of the burrs is also necessary.
I got a Baratza Encore a few years ago and love it, I also really like Baratza as a company! You can buy any parts you need and get guidance on replacing them, and even upgrade the burrs. You could also send in your grinder if your not comfortable fixing it or it's still under warranty.
I would be interested is knowing what parts you had to replace, like the burrs you mentioned, and how long you used your grinder before having to replace these parts was required. Thank you.
@@ejahello4223 I replaced the burs mostly because they sell the better ones from their virtuoso grinder. I had it for a few years before I did that, and they weren't really in a state that they needed to be replaced, but I wanted to upgrade. I didn't really follow the directions they gave too well and damaged a reverse threaded wing nut, so I replaced that too. The part that I think most people would likely run into needing to replace is the burr holder as it has tabs that are meant to break if a small rock or super hard defective bean made it in there, it's cheap and easy to replace and a let better than destroying your burrs or something else if it wasn't made to break. Edit: extra note, the burr holders probably are more likely to break if you grind a lot of light roasted high altitude coffees from small producers, since The first two factors would make for denser beans and the last might increase the chances of a small pebble making it through the sorting process.
One thing not mentioned is baratza's amazing customer support and individual parts you can buy to replace from them. Could argue you definitely save money in the long run. 5 years of daily use and no issues for me so far!
Our Capresso is 10+ years old, but still works great for most all grinds. One fail on a superfine espresso attempt with a softer bean has been the only mishap. Cheers! ☕️
Forget these. Look at a Eureka Mignon. The inexpensive Filtro is excellent for consistent grind for drip coffee, and they have other models that do drip and espresso or espresso. I threw away my Rancilio Rocky and love the Eureka Mignon Filtro. I'd also look at the Fellow Ode now that it has new burrs that allow it to grind finer than the original burrs. There's a lot more on the market than this would have you believe, and I considered all of these and ended up going with the Eureka Mignon Filtro when I bought my Moccamaster KBGV Select. Perfect pairing. If you want a timer so you don't have to hold in a power button on the side, upgrade to the Eureka Mignon Crono. I bought my Filtro from Seattle Coffee Gear because they offered the smoked black hopper, so it always looks clean. And unlike the Rancilio Rocky I struggled with for years, the Filtro takes the beans in evenly without any need to stop and move the beans around.
I just started using the Encore Barratza. Love it! Also using 1 liter stainless steel French press. Then I included zojirushi hybrid water heater. I’m in heaven. Using coffee beans from a local independent coffee store, Rad Coffee.
I’ve used the Capresso 565 (metal body) for 10 years. It performs well for french press and Aeropress grinds. I don’t have an espresso maker. I grind three or days worth at a time because cleanup is a pain and I’d rather not do that every morning. Some gripes: 1. The hopper, bin and timer knobs are all fragile. I’ve had to order replacements for all three. 2. The timer/switch failed in the ON position after about eight years, so I now must unplug it to to turn off. The safety switch actuated by the hopper failed in the OFF position. It’s impossible to buy a replacement, so I bypassed the switch to get it working again. If I weren’t the only user I would have thrown the unit out. When it’s time to replace it I’ll see if I can find something a bit more robust.
Thanks for the great video explaining everything and guiding us to the right equipment. I really look forward to see your review of the Technivorm Moccamaster KM5 Burr Grinder.
Plastic breaks on a tile floor as well. Plastic also tends to have more static cling issues than glass. KitchenAid replacement glass was $13 last I checked.
I bought the Capresso based on the ATK review. It does a great job of grinding but has a horrible static electricity problem when grinding dark roasted coffee beans. The instructions say to tap the container to dispel the static charge but it doesn't do any good. When you pull the container of ground coffee out, it spews them all over the counter top. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to prevent this? It's fine with lighter roasted beans.
The $99 OXO without the scale and a stainless grounds receptacle cup is the way to go. Little to no static. Interesting they didn’t include that one in their review.
I have a Capresso burr grinder. However, I use very fresh coffee beans from Coffee Bean Direct that have a bit of coffee oil on the beans. Nothing has been added. They are just very fresh and are not dried out like the beans you normally see in stores. So my problem is that the Capresso Coffee grinder is labor intensive to clean. You literally must take it apart and reassemble it to clean it. Adam never mentioned whether any of those he discussed, including the two favorites, were east to clean or what was required to maintain them. You don't want two - or three day old grinds sitting in the grinder. One of the most important things in brewing a perfect cup of coffee is to make sure everything is clean, including the grinders. What say you, Adam!!!
I have been using the Cuisinart burr grinder with many settings (dots, not numbers, dots vary in size with the setting. This is rather loud (as i presume all grinders are, which he did not comment on. Grinders in the morning wake you up more than the coffee will). That grinder costs about $55, works like a pack mule. I am on my second one in 12 years. Thats reasonable.
i have been using the kitchen aid one for 20 years had to replace the class base one and it broke again and i just gave up as well it spude coffee all over the counter! a real pain to keep clean! I replaced it with a Cuisinart Deluxe grinder on sale at costco and I love it wish i did this sooner!! i set it up for my vacuum coffee maker or my aeropress and works great for both!
The good: I appreciate the reviews that ATK has done and have purchased several of their recommendations. I applaud the thoroughness in their testing, and they’ve all been great products! But in this review Im disappointed that the Kitchen Aid was summarily dismissed because a tester broke the container. The bad: With all the concern over micro plastics I appreciate Kitchen Aid offering a non plastic option. Most Kitchen Aid products perform really well and I was curious how this one did. Sure, comment that it was easy to break but still give me a review of the actual performance. That was just dumb.
At least they said something about the Kitchen Aid. Several of consumer’s favorite burr grinders weren’t even mentioned once by name. It’s all a commercial for buying access to the ratings of all of them.
I was also a bit disappointed. If you don't want plastics in contact with your food, or if you prefer something that will last a long time without degrading plastics, the KitchenAid seems like a good candidate. It would be nice to see how it actually performs at the job of grinding.
I've been using my Encore for about eighten months. I use it with my Moccamaster. Moka Pot or AeroPress. It's a joy to use and produces great results every time...
We have both the Encore and the Capresso. Both do a fine job grinding, but the Capresso builds up so much static electricity that it showers the kitchen with grounds every time you remove the hopper. And this is with a coarse grind. Encore all the way.
I have the capresso set for course ground as well for my French press . I had same issue with static electricity until a barrista gave me a pro tip . When you measure out the beans I put a few drops of cold water on a chopstick and stir it around the beans . It takes a few seconds and no more grounds sticking and flying around .
@@Chopbreaka yeah if you're measuring before grinding that's great. If you have a grinder that's supposed to measure for you (as I mistakenly paid for), it's not possible unless you just don't use the feature you paid for. You'll just end up with moldy beans in the hopper.
I have the Cuisinart unit that was on the far left. I got it 3 years ago on sale for $39.99. It's noisy and some fine dust does build up in the plastic bin, but given the price I can't complain. Not sure I'd spend $60 more if I had to replace it now.
I paid $50 for my Cuisinart burr mill and though it is not a consistent grind it gets the job done to fill my universal K-Cup each morning! I grind a 1/2 lb or so and put it in a sealable container and scoop and brew each morning!!
I'm happy with the results from the Capresso, but the hopper is very difficult to clean and it generates A LOT of annoying static in the ground coffee. Still: it was cheap at Costco years ago and I am not likely to replace it until it dies.
Of these, Capresso Infinity is the quietest, along with the Breville. But there is a new KitchenAid Conical Burr grinder that is very quiet. Eureka grinders are quieter than most, but they are more expensive than this range.
I have had a Krups burr grinder for nearly 10 years. Saw it towards stage right in the lineup but they didn't mention it. I use it mostly for espresso grinds. I don't have any reason to change it out for another at this point but I hope the category continues to spawn more competitors to choose from when I need to replace it.
An unspoken use for for the burr grinder is processing a lot of spices at once (like for dry rubs). I can see spending $40 for that. I can't see spending $100 (or spend $80 and get 2).
@@quintessenceSL that ruins a grinder for coffee though. you can get a cheap $20 blade grinder to grind spices without flavoring your coffee with garlic, black pepper, rosemary, and cardamom.
Capresso...having trouble doing course grind, would love to see america's test kitchen on the results of the capresso grinding at course/medium...my results are not good :/
I've been using the Baratza Encore daily for 5+ years and it's been great! Their parts are easy to replace if need be, and the price is well worth it. For anyone curious about grind size settings, I've been using the following for various methods: Drip: 18 French Press (let steep for 4 minutes): 28 AeroPress (let steep for 2 minutes): 12 Another easy to remember rule of thumb for making great coffee, regardless of your brewing method, is 10g of beans for every 6oz of water.
I'm a fan of the Baratza Encore, and its value of repairability. However, they were recently bought by Breville. Although Breville makes some good machines, I'm worried that the big company won't bother supplying parts to the individual customer.
breville also has good support... Not baratza level, but still quite good. If they were going to get bought by a big company, that's probably not the worst one.
This is an update from the excellent 2018 comparison between burr and blade grinders where the same models were chosen. They also explained where the tasters could not tell the difference between grinder types. th-cam.com/video/O7LAzSKgeoQ/w-d-xo.html
The encore is nice, but if you are "serious about coffee", then used grinder might be good. Sure, they have wear and tear, but a decent used grinder and a new set of burrs can set you back as much as an encore. Of course it all depends on your own situation and deals, a discounted Baratza is always nice, but a used one is usually still pretty good.
Love your product and equipment reviews, as well as the basic recipes and cooking demos that explain the science behind why a certain technique works best (or doesn't). No such a fan of recipes that don't provide the science. Other channels do this better.
So I bought the Cuisinart bur grinder to replace an old Breville grinder that just wore out (replacement parts not available). First morning I started grinding coffee, I thought I needed ear plugs it was so loud. I wish these tests would include an audio level as I really don’t want to wake the rest of the house.
I have the capresso. my only complaint is that even the "coarse" setting is still pretty fine ground for a french press. other than that, it's very simple to use and works great!
I wonder why Kitchen Aid stand mixers don't make an attachment burr grinder? That would be great! It works for grinding meats, wy not something for coffee beans?
Not once does he mention which ones have portafilter capabilities. These are more focused on pot coffee, not espresso, hence medium-sized pieces. No ranking scale from 1-10. No feedback on the other models. A fluff piece. Grinders deserve a detailed review.
So the taste tester results invalidated the consistent grind settings for this review? Come on ATK, these are burr grinders. Give us a best review based on consistent grind, please!
Wish you had included the Baratza Sette grinder in this review. I’ve had mine for about three years and I’ve found the built-in scale to be quite accurate in that model. Also, the grind is micro adjustable and very consistent. This grinder is very easy to use. It’s more pricey than bargain models, but worth the cost in my opinion. It can be a little messy when grinding directly into the portafilter, but that might be eliminated with a dosing ring. I choose to just use the included container and that eliminated any overspill during grinding.
I'm hoping they've fixed it, but those were long known for their gearboxes failing quickly. Baratza just replaced mine for free out of warranty, so that was nice. But I'd prefer it just hadn't failed. But I just took it to their HQ near Seattle and then got it a week later working. They also replaced a broken piece of plastic (there is a LOT of fragile plastic on it). Again, I'd have just preferred it didn't have fragile plastic, but they did replace it free of charge. Also, when the replacement gearbox was brand new, it ground super smoothly, but about a month later it's already more "grindy" aounsinf when grinding. More vibration, etc. This is what happened prior to the first failure.
@@zachansen8293 Appreciate the response, good info for buyers to consider. As noted, mine is about three years old and no significant issues yet. I also bought another as an xmas gift with similar good results. I generally do 2-3 grinds of 30g every day and have needed to adjust the grind finer, about twice now, probably from wear of the grinder blades. Within the last year I’ve had a few times it stopped grinding short of the setting, which required shaking the grinder lightly to get grinds feeding through the grinding again. I’ve assumed that was a minor clogging issue, but time will tell if it might be related to the gearing issue. Since I live in the rural midwest, I’d probably have to ship for repair, if that occurred.
Oops, correction: 21 g two to three times every day. I make 16oz lattes and have a Rancilio Pro brewer that I really like. What I probably like best about the Baratza is that I don’t over grind. It always comes out within about 2-3 grams of the setting. I’ve checked that with my kitchen scale and its been accurate so far.
informative, but I wish you would have discussed noise My budget Cuisinart burr grinder makes my kitchen sound like a busy airport each morning. I'd pay up for a quiet one
Every burr grinder I’ve ever owned has broken after +/- a year of use, until I bought the Baratza Encore. It took 4 years for it to break down, but I was able to quickly order a $10 replacement part and watch a TH-cam tutorial to repair it. I recommend their products every chance I get.
I've had the Capresso for almost a decade now (purchased in 2012). I've used it every day and it's still going strong. Easy to use, consistent grind. Highly recommended!!!!
Second the Capresso! Not the speediest, but easy, consistent and compact. Love it.
One measure I wish you had covered: how loud are they? At 4:30 in the morning it matters. We have the Kitchen Aid; it works great and is comparatively "quiet."
This was the info I was looking for, but sadly they did not cover that. The grinder I have is extremely loud and I would have liked to know which were quiet.
Over the years I've had the Capresso and that Bodum situation-- have finally settled on the Baratza Virtuoso (just the next step up from the Encore). Easy to use and clean, consistent results. Can switch between espresso and pour over grind settings with ease.
It's not listed as an espresso grinder nor does it appear to have a setting for fine grind control. You don't want to use a drip coffee grinder for espresso as you will not be able to dial in your pressure correctly with only coarse controls. You may get lucky with one roasting of one coffee but the next time you won't.
@@zachansen8293they likely have a pressurized portafilter which is ok for poorly ground coffee.
I bought the Capresso infinity about 6 years ago as my first electric burr grinder and its still going strong today! Ive been using it for drip machines, pour overs, moka pots, and espresso machine ( with a pressurized basket ). Definitely a good beginner electric burr grinder. Ive recently switched to a bit higher end manual hand grinder now since ive realized thats really all I need for the amount of coffee I grind each day.
Looking into manual hand grinders.... which one did you go with? Thx.
@@johnbeard1324 Hey! I bought an 1zpresso K-Max. I've been really enjoying using it daily for pour over and the occasional espresso, great grinder!
Thee best grinders were made long ago. I always grind fresh coffee and have gone through a number of things wrong with current models. The main one being consistency. I started buying antique grinders and found that they did the best job. They don't cost too much of you shop carefully. They look really nice on the counter too. 👏😍
When you say "antique," you make it sound like you're talking about ones that are 100 years old. Can you tell me what specific grinders you are talking about that you used and liked? Thanks.
@2:30 Adam says that the glass bowl was knocked off of the counter. In their Coffee Grinder review of Dec 7th 2018. Lisa says the same exact thing at the 3 min 08 mark. So, did it get knocked off the counter twice? And says the same thing about the grinder with built-in scale. 6-10% off at the 2 min 50 mark on the older video. Or, are they recycling reviews.
He did not say WHEN it got knocked off the counter, did he? He could have been referring to the 2018 test. Regardless, it is still something to consider. Im using a Chemex coffee drip maker. Its solid glass with a wood collar handle. So I place it on a paper towel when I'm making coffee so the granite counter doesn't break it.
Got all the NITS out now?
I don't really understand that as a criticism. Shame on ATK. The carafe on my drip coffee maker is glass. If I'm a klutz and drop it, it will break, too. From what I understand, a glass bowl cuts down on the annoying static cling that most plastic bowls have.
When I switched from a blade mill to a burr grinder I had to adjust down my coffee measure per pot. The more consistent grind made a noticeable difference to me.
You mean you used less coffee after switching?
I have had the breville one for 7 almost 8 years and its been great the whole time no issues
I agree, have used my Breville 5 years now coffee always come out perfect like the way you set your settings.
I've had my Breville for what is probably 10 years now. Still going strong.
Yay!!! I actually bought the winner a couple of years ago & I do agree it’s a great grinder! I use it every morning & it never fails me.
Got a Vario as a gift 7 years ago. Looks just like that Encore. It's solid and never missed a beat.
the vario is orders of magnitude better than the encore, hope you're enjoying it!
you can actually do espresso with the vario not so much with an encore.
I have the Bodum Bistro-the red one he pointed out first and said it spewed coffee all over the counter top. I can’t even imagine how that happened. I’ve been using mine daily for years with no problems at all. I’m a big fan of America’s Test Kitchen, but I feel this video was really substandard compared to their usual excellent and thorough content.
If your Bodum Bistro was spewing coffee all over the counter, you’re doing something terribly wrong.
Hi. Still liking the Bodum grinder?
@@precisionsoundworksstudio After 8 yrs, my Bodum just started acting up today where the motor only runs 2 secs or so regardless of setting. I think that is acceptable for longevity. It was used daily.
@@yohan2437 Thabk you for the reply!
After wandering through a gazillion "coffee nerd" review videos I came to the Test Kitchen because I trust you guys - I have NEVER been disappointed by products you recommend....just starting out with an upgrade for my morning coffee - not doing expresso (Yet?) Big Thank you
Thanks for this comparison. I've been using the Encore for about 2 years. We love it. When I needed a new ring burr they shipped me one free of charge. The machine is practically rebuildable. Their customer service is beyond compare. True it is the best entry grinder among many.
My hopper won't stay in place and snaps to a finer grind (clockwise) every time I turn it on. I have to hold it in place for a coarse grind. Probably going to break the plastic hopper one of these days in doing so
I’m going to try out the ceramic upgrade kit from Baratza for my Encore, which I use daily for single cup pour overs. Baratza, as a company, purposely design in repairability by owner which is unfortunately rare these days; with Apple at the other end actively squelching right to repair.
I’m also a fan of James Hoffman’s videos, and I think these are complementary. We inherited a Kitchen Aide A-9 original series (so, 75-80 years old) and it works fine for us. Adjusting between coarse for French press and fine for espresso takes a bit of grip strength, but we’re happy.
It's interesting to me to recall a time when Americans we completely happy with some scoops of Folgers into a Mr. Coffee unit. Now we are perfectly happy with over-extracted Starbucks! So it's not surprising to me that inconsistent grinds don't make much of a difference among testers. Now... get ol' James Hoffman on the case and we may see some cringes and and some smiles!
The best black coffee to me has a "refreshing" aspect to it, and it seems to be related to water temperature with a light or medium roast coffee. But that experience can only last a few minutes at most even with a good thermos mug. Maybe the Italians have the right idea with espressos in tiny cups ... of the Turks with their demitasses of ultra-thick brew.
I still have my Kitchen Aid but replacement blades are not available,it has been replaced with the OXO burr grinder which is very consistent and easy to use.Surprised not to see it in the line up and sits right next my OXO brewer.A fantastic combo,highly recommend both.
I wish kitchenaid would make a coffee mill adapter for the stand mixers! Got meat grinders, why not a coffee bean grinder?
Surprised not to see my Cuisinart burr grinder in this bunch, top rated on consumer reports and a year round resident at Costco
I've been using the Capresso for years and have been surprisingly satisfied with it. Does really well with espresso grinds. I can fit a Crema 54mm dosing cup in the chamber instead of the plastic hopper which makes filling the portafilter WAY easier.
I have had the capresso for 5 years and never had any problems. Easy to use and consistent grinds for drip use.
I have a Sboly burr grinder and it works well. The problem with all burr grinders is that they need periotic cleaning. The hopper must be emptied and the burrs removed and dry wiped or brushed. Most of the expensive grinders are set for fine grinding to course grinding for making Espresso, Turkish coffee or French press coffee. Most of us use the grinder for one type of coffee maker and don't need all the other settings. My grinder varies the amount of beans ground for the number of cups to be brewed. It is really a timer for when the grinder shuts off. Fresh ground coffee brewed in my Breville Precision coffee maker makes a really good cup of coffee.
I’ve been using the Capresso for years and have nothing but good things to say. Well worth it. I also go back and forth between my Bona Vita drip machine and an Aeropress.
How do you clean it? I have to take mine apart to clean it which is a pain.
After watching this and doing further research, I bought the Capresso Infinity PLUS, at $159, which does a very good job of even extra fine grind, all the way to coarse. It also works very well for a single cup. So, it was a compromise between the Baratza and the Capresso Infinity. Very pleased.
I have a Baratza and a Capresso. Both have gotten well-used over the years. In the end, I prefer the Capresso. There are absolutely no quality issues, it's simple to use and clean, it has a small footprint and looks good on the counter. Rarely do I feel so positive about one of my kitchen gadgets.
The Baratza is fantastic too, but the bin will slowly slide out of the pocket as it is grinding. I have to stand there and hold it in place. That's a deal-breaker. The additional grind size settings are nice but superfluous. The Capresso has more than enough settings to cover any style of coffee I may desire.
Helpful hint- if you've ever had your freshly ground coffee fly all over the place as you remove the bin from the grinder (static electricity), a neat trick is to VERY slightly wet your (clean or gloved) hand and run it through the beans before grinding.
I have to do the same on my sette -- hold the basket in place. I just put something in front of it and hit "go". Very frustrating for a $500 grinder. But the company does have great support. You just may need it more than you'd prefer.
I have the capresso. I've been using it for 7 years. Medium coarse, dark roast, 50g a day. I use a blow vacuum to clean it once a week; takes like a minute. Great little grinder
I’ve had that kitchen aid proline coffee grinder for almost 20 years now and it still works beautifully. Don’t set it near the edge of the counter and the glass receptacle won’t get broken. Just be careful. It does a fantastic job.
I'd be most interested in the quality/consistency of grind, not ease of use.
Both. The one that blows grinds all over the place is also a consideration. You may gift that to someone you dont like. All sorts of things to consider.
I agree, though he did mention they tested for flavor difference due to grind consistency. I think they left it there because in their research it did not seem to affect the quality of the brew.
Thanks. Stopping this video now
No matter what your pick,clean them by grinding white rice thru them once in a while,it removes the build up of oils within the burrs.
ATK specifically recommends not doing this.
@@jacobprince6602What does the manual say about cleaning?
Somehow we missed the boat. My favorite Burr Grinder is a manual model. They didn't even have one in the lineup. Takes less space as it is very small compared to the electric lineup. I wouldn't trade mine for any of the ones in this lineup. Mine is a TIMEMORE Chestnut C2 MAX Manual Coffee Grinder. It has quite a few selections for fineness of grind. I was impressed the minute I pulled it out of the box as it is a lot heavier than I expected.
I have had the Capresso for years and clean it only occasionally. It works great and hasn’t failed me yet.
I have been using my Bodum grinder every day for 11 years. It has never spewed grounds onto the counter, as this review claims. I picked it because it was top ranked in other reviews. It has a glass, rather than plastic, container to reduce static cling, which is helpful in the very dry climate i live in.
My problem with the Capresso, which is otherwise good and reliable, is that it retains so much of the coffee. After a grind I must invert it over the sink and shake it and shake it to get the last of the coffee out. It can get very messy. Frequent cleaning of the burrs is also necessary.
I got a Baratza Encore a few years ago and love it, I also really like Baratza as a company! You can buy any parts you need and get guidance on replacing them, and even upgrade the burrs. You could also send in your grinder if your not comfortable fixing it or it's still under warranty.
I would be interested is knowing what parts you had to replace, like the burrs you mentioned, and how long you used your grinder before having to replace these parts was required. Thank you.
@@ejahello4223 I replaced the burs mostly because they sell the better ones from their virtuoso grinder. I had it for a few years before I did that, and they weren't really in a state that they needed to be replaced, but I wanted to upgrade. I didn't really follow the directions they gave too well and damaged a reverse threaded wing nut, so I replaced that too. The part that I think most people would likely run into needing to replace is the burr holder as it has tabs that are meant to break if a small rock or super hard defective bean made it in there, it's cheap and easy to replace and a let better than destroying your burrs or something else if it wasn't made to break.
Edit: extra note, the burr holders probably are more likely to break if you grind a lot of light roasted high altitude coffees from small producers, since The first two factors would make for denser beans and the last might increase the chances of a small pebble making it through the sorting process.
Go with the Encore or go home. As a bonus, it is completely user repairable, and maintenance is easy, manufacturer support is superb.
One thing not mentioned is baratza's amazing customer support and individual parts you can buy to replace from them. Could argue you definitely save money in the long run. 5 years of daily use and no issues for me so far!
They were just recently bought by breville so idk if this will remain true.
Our Capresso is 10+ years old, but still works great for most all grinds. One fail on a superfine espresso attempt with a softer bean has been the only mishap. Cheers! ☕️
Forget these. Look at a Eureka Mignon. The inexpensive Filtro is excellent for consistent grind for drip coffee, and they have other models that do drip and espresso or espresso. I threw away my Rancilio Rocky and love the Eureka Mignon Filtro. I'd also look at the Fellow Ode now that it has new burrs that allow it to grind finer than the original burrs. There's a lot more on the market than this would have you believe, and I considered all of these and ended up going with the Eureka Mignon Filtro when I bought my Moccamaster KBGV Select. Perfect pairing. If you want a timer so you don't have to hold in a power button on the side, upgrade to the Eureka Mignon Crono. I bought my Filtro from Seattle Coffee Gear because they offered the smoked black hopper, so it always looks clean. And unlike the Rancilio Rocky I struggled with for years, the Filtro takes the beans in evenly without any need to stop and move the beans around.
Love it! Best gift I received. So happy with my purchase
I have the infinity runner up. My only complaint is it’s a little loud at 3am in the morning. Noise level should be considered. That said I love it.
Get a lamp extension cord, and put the grinder in a cupboard when you turn it on. You're welcome.
@@hxhdfjifzirstc894 actually I have taken it out to my laundry room so my wife can sleep in 😂
Price went up but what do you do?
I ordered the winner.
Thanks for the review!!!
I just started using the Encore Barratza. Love it! Also using 1 liter stainless steel French press. Then I included zojirushi hybrid water heater.
I’m in heaven. Using coffee beans from a local independent coffee store, Rad Coffee.
I’ve used the Capresso 565 (metal body) for 10 years. It performs well for french press and Aeropress grinds. I don’t have an espresso maker. I grind three or days worth at a time because cleanup is a pain and I’d rather not do that every morning. Some gripes: 1. The hopper, bin and timer knobs are all fragile. I’ve had to order replacements for all three. 2. The timer/switch failed in the ON position after about eight years, so I now must unplug it to to turn off. The safety switch actuated by the hopper failed in the OFF position. It’s impossible to buy a replacement, so I bypassed the switch to get it working again. If I weren’t the only user I would have thrown the unit out. When it’s time to replace it I’ll see if I can find something a bit more robust.
find a nerd with a soldering iron to try and fix the switch!
I use an encore grinder and I completely agree with your assessment.
Thanks for the great video explaining everything and guiding us to the right equipment. I really look forward to see your review of the Technivorm Moccamaster KM5 Burr Grinder.
I highly recommend the Breville grinder Pro. Only drawback is there’s plastic parts inside that are not replaceable. CLEAN IT REGULARLY!
Plastic breaks on a tile floor as well. Plastic also tends to have more static cling issues than glass. KitchenAid replacement glass was $13 last I checked.
I’ve had my kitchen Aid burr grinder since 2006 and never broke the glass receptacle though I did have to replace the burrs.
I use a simple manual burr grinder. It wakes me up twice. Once from the work out and the other from my coffee.
I bought the Capresso based on the ATK review. It does a great job of grinding but has a horrible static electricity problem when grinding dark roasted coffee beans. The instructions say to tap the container to dispel the static charge but it doesn't do any good. When you pull the container of ground coffee out, it spews them all over the counter top. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to prevent this? It's fine with lighter roasted beans.
Hello I would like to know which meat grinder is best in quality n price too thank you?
The $99 OXO without the scale and a stainless grounds receptacle cup is the way to go. Little to no static. Interesting they didn’t include that one in their review.
The OXO is crap!
OXO : try and get a replacement lid for the ground bean cup. Impossible !
If have both the Encore and the Breville Dose Control Pro. The encore cannot grind for espresso but the Breville can.
I have a Capresso burr grinder. However, I use very fresh coffee beans from Coffee Bean Direct that have a bit of coffee oil on the beans. Nothing has been added. They are just very fresh and are not dried out like the beans you normally see in stores.
So my problem is that the Capresso Coffee grinder is labor intensive to clean. You literally must take it apart and reassemble it to clean it.
Adam never mentioned whether any of those he discussed, including the two favorites, were east to clean or what was required to maintain them. You don't want two - or three day old grinds sitting in the grinder.
One of the most important things in brewing a perfect cup of coffee is to make sure everything is clean, including the grinders.
What say you, Adam!!!
The Solis is the bomb. THE bomb. Seattle Coff Gear runs sales
I have been using the Cuisinart burr grinder with many settings (dots, not numbers, dots vary in size with the setting.
This is rather loud (as i presume all grinders are, which he did not comment on. Grinders in the morning wake you up more than the coffee will).
That grinder costs about $55, works like a pack mule. I am on my second one in 12 years. Thats reasonable.
Affordable home grinders have come a long way in the past couple of years. It's quite hilarious looking back at this video.
i have been using the kitchen aid one for 20 years had to replace the class base one and it broke again and i just gave up as well it spude coffee all over the counter! a real pain to keep clean! I replaced it with a Cuisinart Deluxe grinder on sale at costco and I love it wish i did this sooner!! i set it up for my vacuum coffee maker or my aeropress and works great for both!
Spude?
The good: I appreciate the reviews that ATK has done and have purchased several of their recommendations. I applaud the thoroughness in their testing, and they’ve all been great products!
But in this review Im disappointed that the Kitchen Aid was summarily dismissed because a tester broke the container.
The bad: With all the concern over micro plastics I appreciate Kitchen Aid offering a non plastic option. Most Kitchen Aid products perform really well and I was curious how this one did. Sure, comment that it was easy to break but still give me a review of the actual performance. That was just dumb.
At least they said something about the Kitchen Aid. Several of consumer’s favorite burr grinders weren’t even mentioned once by name. It’s all a commercial for buying access to the ratings of all of them.
I was also a bit disappointed. If you don't want plastics in contact with your food, or if you prefer something that will last a long time without degrading plastics, the KitchenAid seems like a good candidate. It would be nice to see how it actually performs at the job of grinding.
I've been using my Encore for about eighten months. I use it with my Moccamaster. Moka Pot or AeroPress. It's a joy to use and produces great results every time...
We have both the Encore and the Capresso. Both do a fine job grinding, but the Capresso builds up so much static electricity that it showers the kitchen with grounds every time you remove the hopper. And this is with a coarse grind. Encore all the way.
I have the capresso set for course ground as well for my French press . I had same issue with static electricity until a barrista gave me a pro tip . When you measure out the beans I put a few drops of cold water on a chopstick and stir it around the beans . It takes a few seconds and no more grounds sticking and flying around .
@@Chopbreaka yeah if you're measuring before grinding that's great. If you have a grinder that's supposed to measure for you (as I mistakenly paid for), it's not possible unless you just don't use the feature you paid for. You'll just end up with moldy beans in the hopper.
I suggest included noise level in any future reviews of burr grinders.
I have the Cuisinart unit that was on the far left. I got it 3 years ago on sale for $39.99. It's noisy and some fine dust does build up in the plastic bin, but given the price I can't complain. Not sure I'd spend $60 more if I had to replace it now.
there's a used one near me for $20 hmmmm
I paid $50 for my Cuisinart burr mill and though it is not a consistent grind it gets the job done to fill my universal K-Cup each morning! I grind a 1/2 lb or so and put it in a sealable container and scoop and brew each morning!!
I'm happy with the results from the Capresso, but the hopper is very difficult to clean and it generates A LOT of annoying static in the ground coffee. Still: it was cheap at Costco years ago and I am not likely to replace it until it dies.
what about sound pollution? which one of them is most silent?
Of these, Capresso Infinity is the quietest, along with the Breville. But there is a new KitchenAid Conical Burr grinder that is very quiet. Eureka grinders are quieter than most, but they are more expensive than this range.
Love this channel!
I've had the Bodum one for years and have never had the issue they mention here. Perhaps a faulty unit?
I have had a Krups burr grinder for nearly 10 years. Saw it towards stage right in the lineup but they didn't mention it. I use it mostly for espresso grinds. I don't have any reason to change it out for another at this point but I hope the category continues to spawn more competitors to choose from when I need to replace it.
An unspoken use for for the burr grinder is processing a lot of spices at once (like for dry rubs).
I can see spending $40 for that. I can't see spending $100 (or spend $80 and get 2).
@@quintessenceSL that ruins a grinder for coffee though. you can get a cheap $20 blade grinder to grind spices without flavoring your coffee with garlic, black pepper, rosemary, and cardamom.
Capresso...having trouble doing course grind, would love to see america's test kitchen on the results of the capresso grinding at course/medium...my results are not good :/
There is video on TH-cam on how to adjust grind size on Capresso grinder,easy fix takes 15 minutes or less .
@@mikecanniff3873 have you tried the fix and are you referring to this video: th-cam.com/video/lC2eRr5kbvY/w-d-xo.html
Yes that is the video,and yes I did mine. Pretty easy.
Love our encore!!!
I've been using the Baratza Encore daily for 5+ years and it's been great! Their parts are easy to replace if need be, and the price is well worth it. For anyone curious about grind size settings, I've been using the following for various methods:
Drip: 18
French Press (let steep for 4 minutes): 28
AeroPress (let steep for 2 minutes): 12
Another easy to remember rule of thumb for making great coffee, regardless of your brewing method, is 10g of beans for every 6oz of water.
I'm surprised they didn't include Oxo's $99 grinder (without the scale). I would highly recommend it, even over the Baratza.
IS there anything Oxo can't do well?!?!
I also use an Oxo and have had no issues at all.
@@cshubs I love a company that is consistently good!
Burr grinder go brrrrr
I'm a fan of the Baratza Encore, and its value of repairability. However, they were recently bought by Breville. Although Breville makes some good machines, I'm worried that the big company won't bother supplying parts to the individual customer.
I wonder if that's why their prices also increased by at least 20% per product.
breville also has good support... Not baratza level, but still quite good. If they were going to get bought by a big company, that's probably not the worst one.
Is there any article with the test results to review?
This is an update from the excellent 2018 comparison between burr and blade grinders where the same models were chosen. They also explained where the tasters could not tell the difference between grinder types.
th-cam.com/video/O7LAzSKgeoQ/w-d-xo.html
thank you for mentioning this
The encore is nice, but if you are "serious about coffee", then used grinder might be good. Sure, they have wear and tear, but a decent used grinder and a new set of burrs can set you back as much as an encore. Of course it all depends on your own situation and deals, a discounted Baratza is always nice, but a used one is usually still pretty good.
After this review Baratza increased the price by 21%. Hopefully a new update will be along soon
I like how well you cover things😃👍.
Love your product and equipment reviews, as well as the basic recipes and cooking demos that explain the science behind why a certain technique works best (or doesn't). No such a fan of recipes that don't provide the science. Other channels do this better.
Dag nabbit! Where was this video when I searched for it when I was researching which one to buy?!
The problem with this review is it didn't cover the topic of espresso grind which MANY users use.
So I bought the Cuisinart bur grinder to replace an old Breville grinder that just wore out (replacement parts not available). First morning I started grinding coffee, I thought I needed ear plugs it was so loud. I wish these tests would include an audio level as I really don’t want to wake the rest of the house.
I have the capresso. my only complaint is that even the "coarse" setting is still pretty fine ground for a french press. other than that, it's very simple to use and works great!
I wonder why Kitchen Aid stand mixers don't make an attachment burr grinder? That would be great! It works for grinding meats, wy not something for coffee beans?
They have one for grains, but it's not recommended for oily coffee beans.
Not once does he mention which ones have portafilter capabilities. These are more focused on pot coffee, not espresso, hence medium-sized pieces. No ranking scale from 1-10. No feedback on the other models. A fluff piece. Grinders deserve a detailed review.
Glad that I bought the Encore last year.
So the taste tester results invalidated the consistent grind settings for this review? Come on ATK, these are burr grinders. Give us a best review based on consistent grind, please!
They're just rehashing an old episode. Why didn't they do an updated episode with new stuff?
Best lower cost models are which ?
Wish you had included the Baratza Sette grinder in this review. I’ve had mine for about three years and I’ve found the built-in scale to be quite accurate in that model. Also, the grind is micro adjustable and very consistent. This grinder is very easy to use. It’s more pricey than bargain models, but worth the cost in my opinion. It can be a little messy when grinding directly into the portafilter, but that might be eliminated with a dosing ring. I choose to just use the included container and that eliminated any overspill during grinding.
I'm hoping they've fixed it, but those were long known for their gearboxes failing quickly. Baratza just replaced mine for free out of warranty, so that was nice. But I'd prefer it just hadn't failed. But I just took it to their HQ near Seattle and then got it a week later working. They also replaced a broken piece of plastic (there is a LOT of fragile plastic on it). Again, I'd have just preferred it didn't have fragile plastic, but they did replace it free of charge.
Also, when the replacement gearbox was brand new, it ground super smoothly, but about a month later it's already more "grindy" aounsinf when grinding. More vibration, etc. This is what happened prior to the first failure.
@@zachansen8293 Appreciate the response, good info for buyers to consider. As noted, mine is about three years old and no significant issues yet. I also bought another as an xmas gift with similar good results. I generally do 2-3 grinds of 30g every day and have needed to adjust the grind finer, about twice now, probably from wear of the grinder blades. Within the last year I’ve had a few times it stopped grinding short of the setting, which required shaking the grinder lightly to get grinds feeding through the grinding again. I’ve assumed that was a minor clogging issue, but time will tell if it might be related to the gearing issue. Since I live in the rural midwest, I’d probably have to ship for repair, if that occurred.
Oops, correction: 21 g two to three times every day. I make 16oz lattes and have a Rancilio Pro brewer that I really like. What I probably like best about the Baratza is that I don’t over grind. It always comes out within about 2-3 grams of the setting. I’ve checked that with my kitchen scale and its been accurate so far.
What about the dreaded static problem?
I love when I already own the winner
I've been using the cuisinart on the end for years. At $50 retail and less at a flea market you can't go wrong there
I’ve been waiting for this one!
informative, but I wish you would have discussed noise
My budget Cuisinart burr grinder makes my kitchen sound like a busy airport each morning.
I'd pay up for a quiet one
And one that didn’t create all that boring static.
I have a Cuisinart. It's a little messy and makes a huge racket, but my 18 month old loves it... The sound, not the grounds.
I like the Cuisinart burr grinder
Hand grind, hand pour. Always works.
this is like the main stream media version of youtube coffee channels