Baratza G 285 Maestro Conical Burr Grinder

by Solis Crema

Product Features

• Anti Static Design  
• Grind Coffee For Any Brewing Method
• Automatic & Manual Operation
• Swiss Made Grinding Wheels
• Easy to Clean

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 14 x 7.5 x 7 inches ; 4.4 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B0000DDVS2
• Item model number: G 285
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (57 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #60,536 in Kitchen & Dining (See Top 100 in Kitchen & Dining)

Product Description

The 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 coffee brewer, whether it is an espresso machine, drip coffee maker, or French press coffee maker. The Maestro is designed and assembled in the USA with lots of innovative features built in including a list of unique features requested by some of America 's most respected coffee experts. Some of the most requested features include: smooth, quiet operation, (from enhanced motor noise isolation); conical (coned shaped) Swiss made cutting burrs that give a fine grind critical for perfect espresso extraction and more than a 50% greater grinding adjustment compared to other grinders in its class. You can adjust the grind range from a fine setting for a Turkish grind and espresso, up to a nice, even, coarser grind for a French press.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Basic Coffee Grinder, February 16, 2009

By 

R. Meyers (Monrovia, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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.

34 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely not for espresso; good for drip and french press, September 24, 2008

By 

Burton (Austin, TX USA) - See all my reviews

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."

25 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Horrendous -only good thing is the grind when it works, March 10, 2005

By 

Anonymous "None" (Columbia, SC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Baratza G 285 Maestro Conical Burr Grinder (Kitchen)

There must be variation in the quality of production of this product, given that the reviews seem very polarized. My experience is just AWFUL, the worst kitchen item I've ever purchased at any price. I've owned it about 6 months. Never been able to grind enough for a full cup of coffee without a jam despite METICULOUS cleaning and maintenance per product manual and using a variety of grinds from dark to light. The timer broke in the first few weeks, and the manufacturer did promptly replace it. But as for the jamming, their answer "Don't use an oily roast"...the machine is fine. Well, okay, so it's not a machine for expresso or Italian grinding but is a dry Columbian or Kona roast too oily? Apparently it is, because it jams and jams and jams and jams. I felt stupid to have spent another twenty dollars on brushes to clean this horrendous thing out. So, it's thrown out - only good feeling with this machine. Buyer BEWARE and hope you luck and get one of the apparently good units. NEVER again for me...The only good thing about this unit is the grind itself when you can eke out enough for a cup of coffee, otherwise RUN from this one...

PS When you send it back under warranty, you have to pack meticulously, use a bonded courier, and they DON'T pay the postage, so add another 10-30 dollars or so to the cost of this item...