Solis Crema Maestro G 285 Conical Burr Grinder
 | Average Customer Rating: Recommend Baratza Maestro Conical Burr Grinder clickhere to view a comparison of all 3 Baratza Coffee Grinders The Baratza Maestro Conical Burr Grinder is one of the most eye pleasing grinders on the market, but the beauty isn't skin deep. Inside is the heart of a great grinder that can grind coffee beans for any style of coffee, whether it is an espresso machine, drip coffee maker, or press pot. The Maestro was originally introduced in 2001… Product details and pricing info |
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15 Customer Reviews Posted
- Premium Price Produces Poor Performance
- What a failed design. I never thought grinding my own coffee could bring so much despair and frustration, but truly it has. One must stand watch over this grinder as if it were a stubborn, disobedient child.
Imagine this: You've turned the timer knob as far as it allows. The grinder whirs loudly as few beans are ground. At first, you shake the grinder to coax beans into the burrs, but it doesn't help. Next, you manually shove beans down in the hopper with a small spatula. Coffee dust quickly spreads across your counter, creating a mess. Suddenly, the timer stops. You find you're left enough grinds for three-to-four scoops. You feel defeated, but you soldier on. Repeat this procedure three times until you have enough grinds for a full pot of coffee. Now wait, you're almost done! Finish your task by vacuuming the counter, grinder and floor below you with a DustBuster.
Without one iota of exaggeration, and I swear by the God who guides me, this is the most aggravating kitchen appliance I have ever owned. And I paid upwards of $100 for it!
Bottom line: If you love coffee and wish to protect your sanity, look elsewhere for a grinder. This is NOT what you want. As one human trying earnestly to help another, I beg of you to heed my warning. - 2006-10-21, 5 of 5 people found this review helpful, Rated:
- Hasn't worked well since it came out of the box :(
- My husband bought this for me about 4 years ago - and every time we have used it, regardless of the size or roast of the beans - it needs to be fiddled with and jiggled and have a spoon pushed down into the hopper in order for the beans to feed without jamming.
This takes anywhere from 3-5 minutes to get enough for a pot. :(
I called Solis immediately afterwards, thinking our unit was defective, and was told that it was a problem that they were aware of, and if I shipped the unit back to them they would fix it. Postage and insurance paid by ME. Not to mention the 3-5 week turnaround time that I would be without a coffee grinder.
Poor customer service, poorly designed product - I'll never buy a Solis again.
ETA: When it *does* grind beans it produces a nice grind for both espresso and drip coffee makers. - 2006-07-11, 3 of 3 people found this review helpful, Rated:
- FATAL design problem
- THE GOOD: I have used the Solis Maestro daily for over a year. I've gained some serious experience with it. It's a nice, slick machine that produces a good, even, fine grind for espresso (about all we ever grind around here). It runs quietly and doesn't have static electricity problems. The lower hopper fits well so it seals tightly. And it has a self-timer - which is useless. Why useless?
THE BAD: This thing has INEXCUSABLE feed problems. Beans will slide smoothly into the grinding "burrs" for only a few seconds without assistance. It's bad enough that my wife gets frustrated and abusive with the machine, so I have assumed the bean-grinding responsibility.
I have found NO beans that will simply feed into the burrs without constant help: rocking, banging, poking with spoon or chopstick, etc. I've heard that "oily beans" or "large beans" may have a problem: but in a year I have found NO beans, none - not oily, not dry, not big, not small - that feed without constant attention.
Rocking or banging the machine keeps the beans moving, but knocks the burrs together when on the finest settings - this causes burr damage! I've found that a bamboo chopstick is the best feed-assist tool; if it is nicked by the rotating burr, it causes no damage. Best approach is a gentle poking and sweeping motion through a half-filled hopper.
THE UGLY TRUTH: you must figure that EACH time you use the machine, you will give it FULL-time attention, feeding the beans down the hopper.
ENGINEERING: As a mechanical engineer, I think the problem should (and could) be addressed by the manufacturer. I believe they had to have discovered this in development and pre-release testing, but released it anyway. I think this is reprehensible.
The machine runs smoothly and quietly and doesn't vibrate like cheaper grinders; but probably this smoothness exacerbates the problem. Perhaps a bump, or bumps, on top of the rotating burr would "cam" the descending beans with each rotation, and keep them disturbed and moving. Or perhaps a central polyethylene or Teflon plug above the rotating central burr would occupy that space and keep beans from interlocking and packing there, and "bridging" the burr-set. Perhaps some combination, with a rotating central Teflon plug which is cammed toward the top, and relieved toward the bottom... anyway, I've intended to try some experiments, but haven't yet. Has anyone else? - 2006-01-23, 2 of 2 people found this review helpful, Rated:
- Solis Crema Maestro G 285, Excellent!
- The grinder is all I expected it to be and more. It's very quiet, consistant in the grind quality, and doesn't throw coffee all over like my previous grinder. In fact, it doesn't leak at all and there is little, if any static electricity.
Great little grinder.
N Feero
Half Moon Bay, CA - 2005-09-19, 2 of 3 people found this review helpful, Rated:
- not for espresso
- At first this seemed high end for my $250 pump machine. After 90 days the machine could not pump it through. I blamed on A cheap maker; & thought my great grinder should have A great machine. Another 30 days with my new $1000 machine that started to fail also. I finally realized the point of spending big on the grinded first. I popped only $250 for A cheap commercial grind; & shazam both machines work fine. I would use it for pot coffee only & et A real grinder for espresso; you may not need A commercial maker than? The espresso grind wore out these burrs very fast. For espresso, it is mearly A toy with static.
- 2005-09-17, 1 of 5 people found this review helpful, Rated:
