Customer Reviews

Capresso 501 Cool Grind Coffee Grinder, Black

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

I bought this grinder and just love it. I don't seem to have any of the problems others are having...it isn't messy and my coffee has not stuck to the bottom at all. I love that it is larger, as we like our coffee strong, and with this one, we can grind a larger amount. Someone mentioned it takes up to 30 seconds to grind your coffee....well coffee should be ground for 20-30 seconds anyway for a perfect flavor...I grind it for about 25 seconds in this grinder and it comes out perfect!

This grinder has performed flawlessly. I have had no problems getting whatever grind I desire and I have had no problems with clean up, nor do I find this grinder to be messy. As for longevity, well we will just have to see as it is new. I hope we have a long and continued happy relationship.


Update. 04/30/08 I have now had this dandy little grinder for about 13 months and still am very satisfied with it. I should have noted on my original review that I don't make espresso at home. At that time I used a drip and a percolator and the grinder did very well for both. I now have a french press and it works fine for that also. I am very well satisfied. However folks keep telling me to get a burr grinder, that especially with a french press I will really note a difference in the coffee. I am not sure I want to spend so much money on something that really doesn't make all that much difference especially since I have been so pleased with this particular product.

I bought the chrome version of this machine about a month ago and my experiences with it are excellent. The machine stays cool, grinds about 1/2 pound of coffee beans at a time, and the results are consistently good. It is a neat device, with the cord wrapping around the machine for easy storage. Cleaning requires a small brush so that grinds do not stay at the bottom, and they come right out. I could not be happier with this purchase, but then again, I use it only for what it was made to do, grind beans!

I am finding that it takes much longer to grind coffee w/ this grinder than with my old Krups. The capacity is larger but taxes the ability of the grinder. Does great for French Press coffee!

I also bought this based on the recommendation of the Cook's Illustrated web site. You cannot get a fine grind with this grinder. After 30 seconds of grinding, I still didn't have the fine grind that I can get with my old Jericho grinder. And, the coffee smelled burnt. I wanted a larger capacity grinder, but I will have to go back to my old reliable and continue to grind two batched. However, if you have a French press, this is the perfect grinder. I am keeping it to use with the French press I take camping.

I have owned this grinder for 12 years! It has served my family well. Finally decided that a new grinder with sharper blades is in order and will be ordering another Capresso 301. The lid is design is about the best it can be. I turn the whole bullet over and tap, tap, tap on the cabinet and most if not all the grinds are in the lid. Pull it apart while still upside down and drop the grinds into your filter. I prefer to do this before I put the filter into the coffee machine so stray grinds don't make their way into my cup O Joe. Beans with higher moisture content might stick a bit. Overall a great grinder!

I had been saving for the Capresso 560 BURR grinder for awhile, and when I finally had enough $$ to blow on a grinder, I thought about it: I'm no aficionado and I only grind 4 tbsp of beans every day--is it really worth it to get a massive burr grinder taking up precious counter space in my teeny tiny kitchen? Nope. Do I even need a grinder at all? Yup, because ANY kind of grinder (almost) is better than pre-grinding a 2.5-lb bag of decent French Roast at the store. Yuck! So I drove down to my nearest Bed Bath & Beyond, with my 20%-off coupon in hand, and snagged one of these for around $16. Cool! What a deal! And it looks perfect sitting next to my Magic Bullet, aka Margarita Machine!

Static electricity will cause not-quite-fine-enough coffee to stick to the sidewalls of the interior, but a little tap and a shake in between pulses gets them down in there where the blades are. I was grinding at the Turkish setting at the store, and the consistency looks pretty close to me. It's so fine that it even cakes up at the bottom and I have to scrape it off with a butter knife. But what's really cool is that I can turn the Cool Grind upside down, dump all the grounds into the lid, then dump it straight into my French Press, without having to worry about clearing out grounds that may have gotten stuck in the burr mechanism (which this one doesn't have). Cleanup is easy as can be: wipe the inside with a damp paper towel, then a dry one, and you're done! Try doing THAT with a burr grinder every morning.

It's taking me a little time to adjust to smooth, fresh tasting coffee without the rancid, acidic, harsh taste of beans pre-ground at the store, but I think I'll get the hang of it. Plus, after saving about $80, I have some money left over for a SIPHON/VACUUM coffeemaker, which won't be just fun to watch, but will REALLY spoil me rotten!

I grind beans for my coffee every morning. I was using a Krups grinder and decided to switch to this quieter grinder...sold the old grinder in a garage sale. I do regret buying this grinder. It is loud and takes 30 seconds to grind instead of 10. My main complaint is that it is messy. The grounds stick to the sides and bottom and I have to smack it several times to get all the coffee out. I am tempted to purchase another Krups before I break this one by beating the grounds out of it. Also, coffee grounds are EVERYWHERE, I always have to use a cloth to clean up. Not a good buy.

Upon taking the Capresso Cold Grinder out of the box for the first time, it just feels like a high-quality addition to our growing coffee appliance empire. Great design (both style and function), high-quality materials, and sturdy base. After our first use, three things are very apparent:

1) Although it is a bit loud (who cares, coffee alone doesn't wake us up anymore!) the grounds are easily sized to taste (cone, drip, French press, etc) with highly consistent particle size.
2) It can grind (estimate) up to eight cups, more than enough for a two-person morning.
3) Clean up is easy. Just pop it apart, shake it out, and rinse!

What more can I say? Granted, I can't speak to the longevity because we've only used it once. None-the-less, so far we love it.

Have always had great success with Capresso products. This one is no different!

I have had this grinder for 11 months. Use it once a day at work. Best feature is the large capacity of the cup. As you grind you actually get a vortex of coffee. Unlike a couple other grinders I have owned the ground coffee does not get warm.

Some coffee will stick to the inside of the metal container.

It has work very well for me over the past year.