 Huge Design Update!! Happy to Have the Coffee Fairies Back! |
| Review Date: December 2, 2009 |
| Reviewer: grmdmom, Grand Rapids, MI |
I usually buy through Amazon, but ordered from another site because I didn't want to wait another 3 weeks Amazon Time to get my hands on this coffee maker. I've had it for a little over a week now, it replaces a 7 year old Capresso CoffeeTeam, and I love the new design. The most noticeable design change is the narrow profile with direct feed grinding, thankfully doing away with the notoriously cantankerous swing-arm. I'm also glad to upgrade to the thermal carafe this time around, I don't always get around to drinking my coffee when I intend to, so it's nice not to have the coffee burning on the warmer. This is the best grind-and-brew system around, but there are still some tweaks Capresso could make to bring this to perfection.
1.) The thermal carafe is designed in a way that makes it impossible to get every last drop of coffee out, you'll always end out with 2-3 tablespoons of sad wasted coffee in the bottom. (I guess you could use a straw if you were desperate!) This design also makes it hard to clean. Unless you towel dry the inside, you'll end out with water in the bottom of the carafe, waiting to dilute your next cup.
2.) The brewing process creates a lot of steam! The coffee maker fits nicely under my cabinets, but the bottoms of my cabinets are dripping with water after brewing. I usually put a cotton towel over the steam hatch to save my poor cupboards.
3.) Between the steamy brewing and the lost coffee trapped in the carafe, plan on 1/2 cup of water "disappearing." If I want 12 ounces of coffee to fill my travel mug, I need to pour 16 ounces of water into the reservoir.
4.) The display is too bright! I've come into the kitchen a few times at night thinking I'd left a light on...they need to dim that down.
All in all, I'm a happy camper. The grinder sensor on my old Capresso failed after 2 years, so I couldn't set the timer for magic AM coffee. I love having my magic coffee fairy back again! |
Great grind and brew coffeemaker
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| Review Date: December 3, 2009 |
| Reviewer: BB, Huntsville, Al |
I just bought this coffeemaker to replace my grind and brew Cuisinart which was a horrible grind and brew machine. The Capresso makes an outstanding cup of coffee and is very easy to use. The beans remain dry and the burr grinder is superior to other coffee grinders on the market.
This coffee maker has everything you need, thermal carafe, water filter, burr grinder and auto feature which allows you to have the perfect pot of coffee ready at a pre programmed time. I like the size of this machine it takes up less counter space than previous models. |
Simply Amazing!
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| Review Date: February 13, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Gary Borad, San Jose, Ca |
I can't say enough about this machine. I bought this baby about 3 weeks ago and I could not be happier. Let me start by simply saying this combination grinder/brewer makes the BEST COFFEE I've ever tasted out of a home machine. And, after all, isn't that the most important thing? There are multiple user available tool to change the coarsness of the grind, the amount of grounds that enter the filter, and the "aroma" of the overall process. If you like strong coffee the 10 setting, even with a full pot, is as strong as any cup of Starbucks I've ever had. If you like "weaker coffee" you can can simply reduce the amount of beans you use. So, for coffee taste and flexibility/adjustability this machine gets an A+
Probably the next most important thing is the appearance. We looked at the Coffeeteam Therm - I really liked the idea of the grinding process being separated from the brewing process. That seemed important to avoid the problem the Cuisinart's have where the brewing process seems to gum up the grinding area (more on this in a bit). The problem with the Coffeeteam therm is it's not such a good looking machine. I also thought there was a high likelihood of having to clean up grounds off the counter every morning. Anyway, this machine is very sharp looking. Some folks have complained that it puts out a lot of steam and to be sure there is steam (as with any coffee maker). We don't have ours under a cabinet so it's no problem. But even if you are going to put this under cabinet again, I'm not sure it puts out that much more steam than any other coffee maker...maybe a little. So, looks, at least in our kitchen - solid A!
Clean up is important. This coffee maker comes with the gold tone filter so if you like you don't have to use a paper filter. We still do because it speeds cleanup. After each use (or before the next) just open the filter door, dump the paper filter and grounds, lightly wash the gold tone filter and thermal carafe and you're ready to start a new brew. I think once every other week it's probably important to wash the filter holder etc. I also wipe down the surfaces after starting each new pot. Bottom line - VERY EASY to clean. I give it an A.
Over all build quality. Yes, for $200+ one might expect more stainless steel but this baby is a well built solid, compact machine. I have no issues with the overall build - A solid B
Other points:
Grinder Noise: Some have complained about the noise the grinder made. Heck, I was prepared for the worst when I bought it. I used to have a blade grinder that seemed very loud so my expectations were fairly low. Still, I'd live through 30-45 seconds of grinding for a nice cup of joe in the morning. Well, to my surprise this grinder made A LOT LESS NOISE than my blade grinder. In fact I don't even hear it in the morning. Now, our bedroom is upstairs so it is a bit away from the machine but when I used the blade grinder everyone in the house would be up. This machine - you can barely hear it unless your either in the kitchen or in an adjacent room with the radio or TV off.
Coffee In Transit: Some have mentioned there are "beans in transit to the grinder" that hinder ability to go from caffinated to de-caf. The simple answer to this is to grind what's in transit into an empty filter, put in your de-caf and off you go. Yes, this means holding some already ground beans aside for future use but I'm not sure other machines have any answer to that one.
Coffee Ground in Transit: Yes, there is some coffee already ground that doesn't make into the filter that rests in the channel between the grinder and the filter basket. This is a nominal amount and will be used for your next pot- most likely the next day. I'm not sure this changes the flavor - it's such a small amount.
Gumming Up: This is a problem with the Cuisinart so I was a bit fearful with this machine because the grind process is above and a bit set back from the brewing process. However the automatic seal device that closes off the channel between the brew and grind does a fantastic job. This baby doesn't have any issues with gumming up - AT ALL.
Top of Bean Reservoir popping off: Well, all I can say it, not on mine. Not once. Never seen it.
Internal Water Line View: Yes, there is not externally exposed view for the water reservoir. Uh, I don't see this as a big deal. When you open the bin there is one inside. Quite functional. No issue there.
SUGGESTED IMPROVEMENTS:
The bean reservoir could be larger. I've heard there's an attachment for that. It holds about 3 days (Full Pots) of coffee.
The water reservoir lid needs to be reviewed a little. It's functional but a bit hard to open and close. Probably would suggest a different material.
Anyway, LOVE THIS MACHINE. JUST LOVE IT! |
Simply Awesome - So Far
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| Review Date: March 3, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Dodadnules, St. Joseph, MI USA |
Let me start by qualifying my comments, not that they are any more valid than anyone else but, I'm VP of R&D for a high end hobby company. I develop products for a living and I'm very critical of poor designs.
That said, the Capresso 465 arrived at my office earlier today so, I unpacked it and took it for a spin. It would have shipped back the same day if it didn't pass muster but, I took it home at lunch and it's on my counter, set up, filled, and programmed to make coffee tomorrow morning.
The guys and I evaluated the machine and the overall design quality, materials, and construction are quite good. We cleaned it up a little and then brewed a pot of coffee. The maker worked flawlessly and the coffee was excellent. We grind beans and use a Bunn at the office so, myself and the guys are more than just coffee drinkers.
OK, to keep things brief, the best feature is the simple and elegant design that makes using and clean up about as simple as it could be. We essentially never referred to the manual except to confirm why it changed to 10 cups from 6 when run in auto mode (there are separate settings for auto vs. immediate brewing and they both default to 10 cups). Other than that, turning it on, setting the current time, programming the auto on time, etc., is just so simple. Also, the settings for the grind level and strength or, "aroma" as they call it, are obvious and intuitive. It took about 12 minutes from start to finish (when the machine shut off) to brew 6 cups of coffee. We used the medium aroma and 2nd to finest grind size for light roast Colombian beans. The coffee came out hot, too hot to drink immediately (which I think is how it should be) and the taste was excellent. It was noticeably better than the Bunn especially after the coffee "cooks" for a half hour or so on the burner. So, it passes with flying colors on making coffee and the quality of same. Clean up is simply rinsing the filter, filter cup, and carafe under water and you're ready to go again.
Now, for a couple of downsides. The bean hopper lid vibrated up (not off) as others have reported. This is just a press fit and a matter of tolerances. I think it may be better to have a simple twist/lock feature in the future. For me, fixing this minor issue is as simple as a couple of very small unnoticeable pieces of black electrical tape to snug up the fit. No big deal. The other semi-down side for me is that I like to brew different kinds of coffee. Especially on weekends. There is no way to easily empty the bean hopper. You would have to tip the entire machine over, which can be done. So, in order to use a different type of coffee bean, you need to run out of what is in the hopper and then add the new beans. Also, there will be a tablespoon or so of ground coffee "in transit" that will end up in the new pot. The grind channel, as they call it, can be cleaned out by simply removing the cover and brushing the ground coffee into the basket. Again, not a big deal, just a point for those that often switch types of coffee. For example, if you had a decaf drinker in the house along with someone who preferred leaded, this could become a bit of a hassle if the decaf drinker can't handle a tablespoon of caffeinated coffee in their pot or vise-versa.
In terms of other reviews, and since I based my purchase solely on them (never saw the pot until it arrived today) I think there may be some knit picking out there. For example, someone talked about leaving some coffee/water in the carafe. Well, coffee I get. You may loose a couple tablespoons each pot but, in terms of water, just tip it completely upside down and shake it a little and all the water will come out. Of course, it's not bone dry at that point but, no more water remains than in any glass carafe I've used. And, in terms of the LCD being too bright, unless you're sleeping in the same room with the maker, no big deal. I kinda like the idea of a night light in the kitchen anyway. In terms of noise, the Melitta Mill & Brew I used for 8+ years is at least twice as loud. The burr type grinder is lower pitch and much more tolerable than the Melitta was. Oh ya, the cats always left the kitchen when the Melitta went off! It was pretty obnoxious but, to me, worth 20 seconds of noise for a fresh ground pot of coffee. By the way, the Melitta was the best coffee maker I've ever owned previously. They are no longer made. We'll see if the Capresso can overtake that title going forward.
I absolutely love this thing already and unless something very unexpected starts to happen, this is a very well designed machine for making excellent fresh ground coffee. If I have reason to update this review, either positively or negatively, I will. Those of you on the fence, I recommend you give the Capresso 465 serious consideration - even at the price. |
Well designed machine
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| Review Date: January 23, 2010 |
| Reviewer: PSL, Chicago U.S. |
Let me preface this review by saying I'm more engineer than coffee connoisseur.
I think this is an extremely well designed machine, not only in the creative engineering, but the high quality manufacturing. All parts fit together tightly and are of solid construction. Extremely compact. Quite a good looking addition to our kitchen.
Wow, is this easy. Add water. Hit start. Drink your coffee. Really folks, it's that simple. I think it's very good coffee, and I'm still experimenting with the settings.
Clean-up is a few seconds of rinsing the carafe/lid, filter, and filter cup. I've only had it for a week, but no clogs or issues whatsoever. I have not tried dark beans yet.
I chose this product over the Cuisinart because a) the reviews on the Capresso overall seemed more positive, with less clogging issues, and b) it's slightly shorter than the Cuisinart, which would have been a tight fit under our cabinets. I did like the stainless steel sides on the Cuisinart. However, in hindsight now that I look at the coffee maker where I placed it, I think all stainless steel would have been too much "bling" anyway.
Oh, one concern I hadturned out not to be an issue due to the smart folks at Capresso. I was concerned that given the lack of a clear water tank like on the Cuisinart (I believe), I thought it would be difficult to read the water level marks on the inside tank wall when peering down into the tank. Not an issue: the tank has a piece of clear, bright plastic inside the tank with "steps" -- each step contains a large easy-to-read number (e.g., "4" for 4 cups), facing directly up. Works great.
As for the common complaints, a few are true but I think probably inherent in any similar design (thermal carafe, burr grinder), and not an issue for me. So I give this 5 stars but at least acknowledge the small issues others mention frequently:
- Coffee is pretty hot, but sometimes I do give it a quick 10 second zap in the microwave, especially if I make a small pot (cooling effect of small amount of liquid in big pot), or I wait a bit before drinking. But I prefer a quick zap in the microwave vs. drinking "cooked" coffee from a glass carafe/ heating element design. NOTE: I like HOT coffee, my wife thinks it's fine.
- The thermal carafe lip does make it difficult to get the last bit of coffee out of the carafe, and you have the thing practically upside down getting the last cup out. My guess is this is a trade-off for better thermal protection, though.
- Yes it's loud, it did wake up my wife. She needed to get up anyway.....
I highly recommend the Capresso CoffeeTEAM TS.
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