Baratza Maestro Coffee Grinder - Baratza G285
From Baratza
Includes Baratza G285 Maestro Coffee Grinder.
- Brand: Baratza
- Dimensions: 4.40 pounds
Not worth the money
When I decided to buy a coffee grinder and espresso machine, I researched and read reviews and thought "This is the one!" Unfortunately, it never lived up to its name. After the first few weeks, it wouldn't grind unless you constantly jiggled it to get the beans to seat in the grinder. Yes, I took it apart and cleaned and dried it as per manufacturer's instructions, but it would NEVER grind the beans very fine. I like espresso type grind but had to settle for the coarsest grind it did. As the months wore on, it just got worse. I finally got to the point where I had to use a wooden spoon handle to force the beans into the grinder. I know this sounds ridiculous, but I had spent $140 on this thing and I didn't want to just throw it away. Maybe if you used an extremely "dry" or slightly undercooked roast, it would work better? This used to be made by Solis. I would NEVER recommend their coffee grinders. I do have a Solis espresso machine that I purchased at the same time as the coffee grinder and it works well.
Absolutely not for espresso; good for drip and french press
I've owned this grinder for a year. I needed a cheap burr grinder with a good reputation, capable of properly grinding beans for espresso (a difficult task). At $99, the Maestro was the best choice to accompany my Starbucks Barista (manufactured by Saeco), bought locally through craigslist. I'm not crazy about the pressurized portafilter (nor are most espresso drinkers) but this is best I can do until I get out of grad school and can afford the Silvia.
Procedure: I buy freshly roasted beans, grind them with the finest grind, preheat the portafilter, and tamp with an aftermarket aluminum tamper.
The result: weak espresso that runs fast and lacks flavor and crema. In one year I have never pulled a good shot--just mediocre shots that are better in mixed than straight--and I can still taste the poor quality when mixed.
To investigate, I broke one major rule and ground the beans ahead of time with Whole Food's commercial grinder in the store (ideally, you grind seconds before brewing--I brewed the next day). Next day, same routine. Results: delicious, near perfect shots, worth sipping and savoring. Dark red crema, slow pulls, complex flavor. I never pulled a shot like this before.
Conclusion: I'll be grinding my beans in the store from now on. It wasn't the machine, it was the grinder. So don't buy the Maestro if you want good espresso, it WILL NOT do the job. ("minor" side note: for those interested in good drip and french press coffee, the Maestro is a great choice).
To quote coffeegeek.com: "I can make a better shot of espresso with a $200 espresso machine and a $400 grinder than I can with a $2,000 espresso machine and no grinder (or a blade grinder)... and it's absolutely true."
Great Basic Coffee Grinder
After using a Solis Maestro+ daily for over 5 years I finally broke off the tabs on the adjustment ring (a common problem area).
I replaced it with a Baratza Maestro and am very pleased. The Baratza Maestro has been upgraded and IS NOT the old Solis Maestro. It has both the same motor, same burr set and same adjustment ring as the Maestro Plus. Thankfully, the tabs on the ring have been beefed up. BTW, I was able to move the heavy alloy base from the Maestro+ to the new Maestro.
Now the differences between the two grinders are (1) heavy alloy base which helps to keep the grinder from moving when using the front mounted momentary on switch to grind into a portafilter, (2) the momentary on switch and (3) a count down timer switch on the side instead of an on/off switch. The count down timer is useful if you keep the hopper full of beans and use the timer to control how many beans are ground at one time. If you add a specific volume of beans to the hopper and grind all of them as I do, then the on/off switch is all you need.
These grinders do an excellent job of grinding beans for anything from press to drip. They do an adequate job for espresso. If you drink mostly drip and an occasional espresso drink, I think you will be happy. If Starbucks is your standard, you will probably be thrilled! And if you have a $2000+ semi-auto espresso machine you're probably not reading this anyway. Enjoy.
