This unit is on sale today at Woot:

Capresso 580.01 Burr Grinder

http://home.woot.com/?utm_source=Dai...=email#tracked

I see it's not a conical burr grinder. But as of right now, I have NO grinder. When I buy coffee, I have to buy it pre-ground.

Think this is even worth purchasing? Or just keep on with buying preground stuff until I can buy a good conical burr grinder?

Thanks in advance. :-)
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I have no experience with grinders. I too would like to get one someday but can't afford the high-end prices.

Here's that model on Amazon, with quite a few reviews:
http://www.amazon.com/Capresso-580-0...7702055&sr=8-1

Of 46 reviews, 11 are 2 star, 18 are 1 star, 5 star being best.
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Guess that answers my question lol. Normally I check the interwebz before posting a question. Forgive me, I hadn't yet had any caffeine when posting the thread.
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I wouldn't call Amazon reviews gospel. Some more educated folks around here might have a more valuable opinion. Still, all must be considered.
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Put it this way; if you go through a pound a week of coffee and this grinder lasts just one year, you've only added a $1 a pound to your coffee expense.

Capresso is a decent brand, nothing high end and I would not expect a lifetime of service from this grinder. Cheaper grinders are hard to take apart and motor may not have muscle for the long haul, but it's an improvement over your current method.

This is a good baby step until you are ready for the Mazzer or Rocky.
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I don't grind coffee every day, more like once a week. But sometimes three or more times a week. I have a Capresso brand conical burr grinder that is probably medium grade at best, but does an excellent job, every single time. And I've had it for over 6 years, and it's still working as well as it worked new. It was a Christmas gift from my mother, so I don't know the cost, but it looks similar to one's that they now sell for around $70-$80.

I guess it just depends on the luck of the draw. My luck with the brand has been all good.
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Why a burr grinder over a blade grinder/chopper?
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More even & predictable grind.
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What Moses said, but I'll add that it will affect the flavor if you use a blade grinder. If I drink coffee that was ground with a blade, I almost always get a weird burnt taste (even with great beans), as well as thinner body and overall flavor profile.
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I heard it does raise the temperature of the beans more by using a blade grinder, but have never tried burr and blade side by side. I use my blade grinder strictly for herbs and spices.
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I used a blade years ago, friends and family still use blade, and I can tell a pretty big difference. I spent around $150 on my burr and if you keep them clean, they'll last. I should have bought a Rocky back when I starting get big into coffee, but live and learn I guess. I'll get one soon.
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I have had my Rocky 13+ years and it has never been apart for cleaning. Works great. I clean by running a cup of dry rice though it.

I go through about a pound of coffee a week.
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You might be surprised at how easy it is to open it and give the burrs and area around it a good brushing and vacuum.

I'm on a 6 month schedule with my Macap M4 and have it done in 20 minutes.

Rice works ok, but theres no substitute for a good brush and light scraping and Shop Vac IMO.
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It's all about extraction. The more uniform the coffee has been ground, the better the extraction of the good stuff in coffee during the brewing process. Since a whirly bird blade does not usually provide a uniform grind, there's a potential for negative a variation in the cup.
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Here's one on Craigslist that looks awesome

http://boston.craigslist.org/gbs/app/3191534137.html
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Should read "Brasilia" in the ad, but that is a really nice grinder for the price.

Brasilia doesn't have a large presence in the USA, but is big in Europe.

They do have an awesome customer service department here and I deal with them occasionally for my Brasilia Mini Classic machine.
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I have a Capresso brand conical burr grinder bought from Costco several years ago. It's loud and makes a staticy, dusty, friggin' mess every morning. My wife is about ready to chuck it. I'm thinking more on the lines of an economical manual conical grinder like the Kyocera CM-50 or the Hario Coffee Hand Grinder Skerton (really both the same thing). It's compact for traveling, too. I've read the many reviews and watched the videos. Anyone else have one to critique?
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Take a look at the Cuisanart Burr Grinder, Jamie. I have one and it works great. Mind ya, I use it sparingly, but it grinds nice and doesn't make a great big mess. (It spews all the ground coffee into a box with a spout on it.)
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The Capresso and does the same thing as yours, Scott. However, the ground in inconsistent and the finely ground dust is extremely staticy (sp) and falls all over the counter and in the sink no matter how careful you are. It's just a messy bastig! Plus, there is that dust in the grind that makes a fine slug in the pot (which my wife hates). I was thinking maybe the manual grind would be more consistent and since it wasn't at such a high speed, the static wouldn't be generated. Here's a look at my current grinder.

The pretty picture with the non-static coffee is total BS, too. With that much grinding, there would be a clouded mess in the catch container.

Image
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Yup, yours looks pretty much just like mine and works the same, including the static. :-)
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