Customer Reviews

Baratza G385 Black Maestro Plus Coffee Grinder

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

If you need to grind espresso or French press this is supposed to be the best general purpose grinder under $200.
If you're even more serious about grinding espresso you may want to look at something like a Rancilio Rocky, $295 or Pasquini Moka Grinder @ $499

This can be considered high end for home use especially for a drip coffee maker. (that's what I use it for). It also can be considered a good upgrade if you want something better than a blade grinder or inexpensive burr grinder or a backup espresso grinder if you already have a serious espresso grinder. (This was my upgrade from a Braun burr grinder).
It's also not intended for commercial use, it won't hold up to that kind of constant use but I think it's a great grinder for all aspects of home/office use if you're looking for a heavy duty conical burr grinder.

I narrowed my choice to the Solis or the Capresso. They're nearly the same but the Solis was designed and assembled in the USA, the Capresso is made in China.

This is easy to dissasemble and clean. The plastic adjusting mechanisim that rotates and holds the grinder burr simply slips out and drops back in. It's not under any stress and isn't going to break unless it's put together wrong.

It's quiet, low static with less mess. There's going to be some mess, it's just a lot less than the high rpm, less expensive grinders.

It's smooth operating with enough weight to feel like an appliance and not a toy. It's all I need for my high-end drip and low-end espresso needs.

I just bought this Coffee Grinder to replace a Braun Burr Grinder in which I had burned out and and replaced three motors. This grinder gives the most even grind I have ever seen in anything except commercial grinders in stores and coffee houses. For home, this gives commercial grind quality. For motor life and to keep from overheating the beans, the stepdown gearing for slower grinding keeps the coffee cooler and extends motor life. I would have given this a 5 star rating except for the fact that there is so much static electrcity with this (and many others) that coffee flies all over, but the benefit far outweight that inconvenience and it's best grinder I've ever owned.

If you need to grind espresso or French press this is supposed to be the best general purpose grinder under $200.
If you're even more serious about grinding espresso you may want to look at something like a Rancilio Rocky, $295 or Pasquini Moka Grinder @ $499

This can be considered high end for home use especially for a drip coffee maker. (that's what I use it for). It also can be considered a good upgrade if you want something better than a blade grinder or inexpensive burr grinder or a backup espresso grinder if you already have a serious espresso grinder. (This was my upgrade from a Braun burr grinder).
It's also not intended for commercial use, it won't hold up to that kind of constant use but I think it's a great grinder for all aspects of home/office use if you're looking for a heavy duty conical burr grinder.

I narrowed my choice to the Solis or the Capresso. They're nearly the same but the Solis was designed and assembled in the USA, the Capresso is made in China.

This is easy to dissasemble and clean. It's quiet, low static with less mess. It's smooth operating with enough weight to feel like an appliance and not a toy. It's all I need for my high-end drip and low-end espresso needs.

Having just worn out my fourth blade grinder and probably my hearing in the process, I decided to upgrade to a burr grinder. I was also tired of going through and picking out the blade 'survivors' then regrinding them to something smaller than the half-beans that were mixed in with the much finer have beens. I always like a good cup of drip, sometimes a latte and occasionally need an espresso. 'Occasionally' means I go out for that rather than invest in an expensive pump espresso machine. The same can be said for a grinder, too expensive...then it probably wasn't meant for home use. I looked at several and bought the Solis Maestro Plus which was at the high end of my range and needs, but sounded like it would meet my requirements. It has done that with little problem in my experience. I don't change the setting much and have not had any parts break. It's much quieter than blade grinders, so, I don't even mind turning it on in the morning while worrying about others that are lucky enough not to be early risers. It also provides a very consistent grind. Yes, cleaning could be improved and the price could be lower. I did make a mess the first time I ground some beans...opened it up and the static electricity sent coffee everywhere. After a little experimenting, I found that giving the ground coffee receptacle a good flick/thump with my index finger before opening it solved that problem. This grinder makes the morning coffee ritual more enjoyable and somehow that contributes to the coffee tasting better. My imagination...maybe...

I got here after going to Amazon.com review sight and seeing a "Good and the Bad" list by N. Caine. I have no idea who N. Caine is but he/she only rated this product Fair and said it didn't grind Cappuccino. WRONG!

I've had my grinder for several years and LOVE it. I grind for drip coffee mostly but will sometimes make cappucino. All you do is twist the bowl to the cappucinno setting, add a measured amount of beans and press the grind button.

The heavier Plus unit is fairly quiet and doesn't vibrate. The plastic lid does not come off during the grinding process as stated by one reviewer. I add the desired amount of beans and set the timer on the grind. Then add water and filter to my drip coffee maker while the coffee is being ground.

The unit works awesome. About a year after I got it I was grinding beans and a stone that looked just like a bean got caught in the grinder. I emailed the manufacturer and got replacement burr blades for a reasonable price. They screw on with reverse threads (clockwise to remove, counterclockwise to install)

I do have a little static problem in the winter when the furnace is on (air is real dry in Minnesota in the winter). No problem in summer.

This is a great grinder and has a wide range of adjustment for coarseness (Turkish to French Press)

At first I loved this unit. It was a very consistent grind between espresso and a coarser drip setting. However, the fine espresso grounds gets stuck in the adjustment ring, and as other customers have noted, cause the two tabs on the adjustment ring to break - ruining the unit. If still under warranty, they will ship a replacement part for free, but after three of these allegedly "reinforced" replacement rings, I am now stuck with the unit outside of warranty and it is broken. Very frustrating to deal with. Beware if you plan to use for an espresso grind...and maybe even for drip grind.

I purchased this unit refurbished and was initially disappointed because it came unclean and smelling of old coffee grounds. The second strike was that the unit was not calibrated correctly - i.e. the setting for "espresso" is too coarse for espresso, and "drip" is more ideal for french press. I did find out that the calibration is adjustable by following some simple instructions you can download from the company's website. However, I just keep it between "espresso" and "drip" for everyday use with my drip machine. I have tried it with an espresso maker and it worked fine set between "espresso" and "turkish."

The grind, although not perfect, is adequate for most home use. There is very little dust created and fairly minimal static electricity. The only other nitpick would be that the plastic cover for the bean hopper rattles loose when the machine is running and vibrates loudly. All I do is hold it down with my hand. I'd say for the money this is a very solid machine.

I almost did not buy this grinder because of some of the reviews, so here's mine. I had been using a Capresso Barista that I bought at Starbucks and this grinder is far superior to that one. Less mess, fuss and noise...grinds better more consistently and it is a breeze to clean.
I so highly recommend this grinder, that to me, to buy anything else or this one is a no brainer. The coarse grinding for press/drip is perfect and I have used it for espresso and the fine grind was great too!!! I have an old fashioned espresso maker, not one of the electric type, and it ground great plus it has a pulse button on the front so you can get just one serving of grinds.

Have owned this grinder for about 4 months. Purchased based on reading several good reviews. I thought I had purchased a lemon when the unit continually jammed and then the timer broke with gentle three times a week usage. So I sent back to the company after it took over a week to get through to service for an RMA, not to mention having to pay expensive courier shipping and insurance, they don't offer to take care of that part. They did replace the broken timer successfully, and stated that the unit was jammed due to fine grinding of dark roast. Hello? What did I buy a grinder for? But anyway, when I got it back and it immediately jammed again, guess what? I was grinding medium roast to a medium grind. This is the worst kitchen item I have ever purchased, hand down. I would not say this without giving the company a chance to fix or replace what I thought might be a lemon, but apparently that can't be done on such a poor product.
If you get one as a gift, return it quick and get the credit slip!

My wife and I make espresso every morning with a pavoni machine.
We bought this grinder when we started getting very inconsistent grinds from starbucks (where we buy our coffee beans) The machine works well once you figure out the correct setting, which takes about 5 attempts. However, there is a glaring design flaw in that if you adjust the grind while the machine is off, two plastic tabs will break, rendering the machine useless. You actually have to turn the adjuster while you are grinding (wasting) beans.
We just returned from thanksgiving to discover that our house-sitter changed the setting from espresso to drip, a reasonable thing to expect to do, and of course the little plastic tabs broke right off. It is insane. I have yet to hear back from the company (I got a machine) about a replacement part so we shall see. but the part that breaks should be made out of metal or a much stronger piece of plastic.