Solis Crema Maestro Plus G385 Conical Burr Grinder Review

If you need to grind espresso or French press this is supposed to be the best general purpose grinder under $200.
If you're even more serious about grinding espresso you may want to look at something like a Rancilio Rocky, $295 or Pasquini Moka Grinder @ $499

This can be considered high end for home use especially for a drip coffee maker. (that's what I use it for). It also can be considered a good upgrade if you want something better than a blade grinder or inexpensive burr grinder or a backup espresso grinder if you already have a serious espresso grinder. (This was my upgrade from a Braun burr grinder).
It's also not intended for commercial use, it won't hold up to that kind of constant use but I think it's a great grinder for all aspects of home/office use if you're looking for a heavy duty conical burr grinder.

I narrowed my choice to the Solis or the Capresso. They're nearly the same but the Solis was designed and assembled in the USA, the Capresso is made in China.

This is easy to dissasemble and clean. The plastic adjusting mechanisim that rotates and holds the grinder burr simply slips out and drops back in. It's not under any stress and isn't going to break unless it's put together wrong.

It's quiet, low static with less mess. There's going to be some mess, it's just a lot less than the high rpm, less expensive grinders.

It's smooth operating with enough weight to feel like an appliance and not a toy. It's all I need for my high-end drip and low-end espresso needs.

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Product Description:
The Solis Maestro PLUS is based on the original and very popular Solis Maestro coffee grinder. The Maestro Plus includes all the winning features of the original Maestro grinder, plus some extras that increase its versatility and ease of use. These improvements contribute to more than a doubling of the weight over the Maestro and give the Maestro Plus a rock-solid feel and increased stability. The range of grind is 30% greater than the original Maestro. This increase is on the coarsest settings making it easier to get the perfect grind for drip and French press brewers. The number of grind settings has been increased by over 100% to 40 levels, resulting in a huge range of grinds. The key advantage of the increased settings is precision fine-tuning of your espresso grind settings.The Maestro is designed and assembled in the USA with lots of innovative features built in.

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Espressione 1377 Cafe Chic Cappuccino Maker, Anthracite Grey Review

I upgraded from a very cheap little steam-only machine with no pump, and the cafe chic certainly makes better espresso than that. The company claims that Cafe Chic is easy to clean, and they are telling the truth- the bad news is that as messy as this machine is, it has to be easy to clean or you'd never get to enjoy the products of your labors. As soon as I turn on the steam function, steam also comes out of the espresso maker, which has a very ineffective seal and leaks badly- I constantly have soggy coffegrounds all over everything. The steamer itself is nice, it does a good job in relatively little time, but it's in a very bad place. The steamer is off to the side, and very low, so it's difficult to get the steamed milk out without spillage. In the picture, the steamer actually looks usable, but the picture is NOT accurate- point in fact, the picture includes 2 espresso shot cups, which are not included. The espresso maker comes with a micro-filter that also has problems, your grounds don't drain, so the best of your espresso just sits there...Bottom line- it makes decent espresso, or as good as it can get while using a mere 15 bars of pressure, at an inexpensive price, but you get what you pay for. If you can, save up a little extra and go for something pricier- it'll be worth it. Wish I had...

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Product Description:
Make cafe-quality coffee drinks from the comfort of home with this cute, yet powerful espresso machine. The unit effortlessly produces authentic Italian cappuccino and great-tasting espresso thanks to its specialized ThermoCream system and 15-bar boiler system pump. It also comes equipped with a high-pressure safety valve and a self-priming pump to prevent wait times and leakage from the brew head. The unit's filter holder accommodates both ground coffee and mess-free coffee pods, which can come in handy when serving guests who may prefer decaf after dinner. The unit's Maxi Cappuccino milk-frothing device helps create perfect cappuccinos and lattes, and its hot-water function allows for quickly making instant soup, tea, or hot cocoa. Thoughtfully designed, the machine offers helpful indicator lights, simple push-button controls, and a 5-cup removable water tank with a visible water level for convenient filling. Other highlights include adjustable automatic shut-off, a coffee tamper, a cup warmer, and a removable drip tray for quick cleanup. The 850-watt espresso machine measures 10-1/5 by 9-1/2 by 15 inches.

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Richard Sapper Espresso Maker 3 cup Review

12 years ago I went to the Cannes Film Festival for the first time. It lasts two weeks...way too long when your "job" is basically to attend every party thrown. Somewhere in the middle of it I met a gorgeous German journalist. We ended up in London afterwards for a few more sodden days.When she came to visit me in L.A., she brought this Alessi 6-cup Stainless Steel Espresso maker as a gift. The relationship didn't last but ever since then, from L.A. to New York and back to L.A.; on open fires while camping; on snowboarding trips and aboard sailboats, I have made two pots of coffee a day and can't imagine life without it.Somewhere around 4 or 5 thousand pots and 7 years later, the lower half developed hairline cracks that allowed the water to leak out.Alessi replaced it for free.

The coffee is great but if you are looking for thick, strong espresso with the foam on top, this isn't it. It's more like strong coffee, which is perfect because the "6 cups" of espresso fills up one large mug and that's what I drink. It tastes delicious but is very much its own thing. Guests love it.

I like well-made machines and this is a coffee machine. The handle snaps down with an incredibly satisfying feel. The metal is thick and lustrous. Here's something great: because the whole pot heats up on the stove, the coffee inside will stay hot for an hour.Make sure you use a pot holder to grab the handle, though.

Here's one thing I can guarantee: from time to time you will forget the pot cooking on the stove until the smell of scorched coffee grounds reminds you. You will rush back to find the lower half blue with heat and bone dry, with the coffee burnt and boiling in the top half. At this point, don't do anything. Leave the whole thing on the stove to cool and take it apart only then. Pouring out the coffee and running cold water on it will cause the metal to weaken and leave you with the cracks mentioned above. Metal doesn't mind heat and would rather cool gradually.

Over time, the lower half will lose its brand new look but that's true of all of us I suppose.It you don't use abrasives on the top half it will remain new-looking forever. After a few years you may want to replace the rubber ring that seals the two halves.

Buy this espresso maker. You will not be sorry.Or buy it for a friend whom you want to remember you every time he makes coffee...for years.

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Product Description:
espresso coffee maker designed by richard sapper for alessi in 1979

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Expresso Mio Review

I love espresso and use this while traveling.It took a little practice to come up with the right grind and quantity but I can micro a better espresso than I can get from most baristas (except when traveling in Italy or France).

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Product Description:
Espresso Beverage Kit - Designed to brew a double shot of espresso in under 2 minutes - quick microwave brewing extracts full flavor - easy-pump frother froths hot or cold milk - cool-touch body and handle - all parts are dishwasher-safe.

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Vaneli's Stainless Steel/ Rosewood Tamper 55mm--2.17 inches (2 3/16") Review

The picture does not do just for the product.This tamper had deep cherry color, and is heavy enough to give a good pressure by itself. Excellent.

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Product Description:
The high quality stainless steel rosewood design ensures precise, careful hard packing of the coffee grounds to ensure even saturation of the coffee particles. It is this even saturation that gives you the most flavor from your coffee. PLEASE MEASURE INSIDE DIAMETER OF PORTAFILTER BASKET TO ENSURE A PROPER FIT!

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Rattleware 8-Inch Foam Knife Review

a foam knife is not really a necessity as a spoon often works better. Additionally there's not much that stands out in the design, appearance or quality of this product to make the purchase worthwhile.

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Product Description:
Rattleware 8 inch barista foam knife is a very useful tool for holding back or helping to distribute milk foam during the building of your milk based drinks.

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Bialetti 8-Cup French Press Review

The Bialetti 8-Cup French Press is the ultimate in quick strong "coffee for dummies". You can't mess it up!

To Use:

1.) Remove the plunger;
2.) drop a few spoonfuls of ground coffee into the glass beaker;
3.) fill the beaker a few inches with boiling water;
4.) stir;
5.) replace the plunger and press it down slowly through the water until it reaches the bottom of the beaker;
6.) pour and enjoy!

WARNING: If you're not used to coffee with a high caffeine content, go easy with this at first. An ensuing caffeine headache is almost guaranteed any day following a high-caffeine intake day UNLESS you continue to take in high caffeine levels at or near the same time of day. To avoid caffeine headaches, be consistent with your daily caffeine intake OR, withdraw from caffeine gradually, reducing the amount over a number of days.

Pros:

fast, easy, affordable, convenient, rinse-and-store clean-up

Cons:

A floating coffee granule or two may occasionally be found in the brew. For me, this isn't really a drawback and it only happens infrequently, particularly with fine-ground coffee.

Bialetti coffee makers are consistently among the best of the affordable genre of manual home brewers. This one's no exception.

Enjoy!

Scott

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Product Description:
Stainless steel, glass, black accented, French Press allows you to control the amount of time your coffee brews. Produces 6 cups of coffee.

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