Grinding your espresso or coffee beans is one of the most important parts of espresso making and a Capresso burr grinder is one of the best grinders out there. Even if you spend a thousand dollars on your espresso machine, if you don’t grind your beans correctly your drink can be ruined. Why then do some people buy some cheap little $15 models from Walmart?
Today I’m going to talk about the different conical burr grinder options you have from Capresso, talk a little bit about the different prices you can expect to see, and also discuss some customer reviews that may surprise you.
So what’s in a coffee grinder?
Some people like fine grounds and some like coarse. How you handle your beans will directly affect the flavor of your espresso, so it’s pretty important to get it right. A burr grinder is one of the most efficient ways to get the job done.
Jura-Capresso offers several models to choose from, including:
- Capresso 560.01 Infinity Burr Grinder
- Capresso 580.01 Disk Burr Grinder
- Capresso 556 Stainless-Steel Burr Grinder
- Capresso 501 Cool Grind Coffee Grinder
Capresso 560.01 Infinity Burr Grinder
At $90 this is one of the most popular design models on the market today. It comes in both black and stainless steel to fit your decor. This is a commercial grade grinder that will hold 8 ounces of beans and 4 ounces of grounds. It comes with a built-in timer and heavy-duty thick die cast wall housing. Out of 584 customer reviews at Amazon, it has 325 five out of 5 star reviews, which is staggering. You really can’t go wrong with this machine.
Capresso 580.01 Disk Burr Grinder
At $50, this is a slightly less substantial and less sturdy piece of equipment, but if money is tight then it should work better than nothing. It has 17 grind settings so that you can make especially fine espresso grounds or more coarse French press grounds. It also has a 14 ounce bean container which is pretty big. I should point out that the majority of the customer reviews are less than flattering for this model and I aggregated them up to a 78% C+ rating.
Capresso 556 Stainless-Steel Burr Grinder
At $90 this little guy is sort of like a stainless steel version of the 580 I just discussed. In fact, I think it’s the same exact model for all intents and purposes. Out of 29 reviews the majority gave it a 1 out of 5 stars and I’ve aggregated the total to a 75% C rating. For the price you should probably stay away from this grinder at all costs.
Capresso 501 Cool Grind Coffee Grinder
Finally we have this lower-end $20 model. It has a very large capacity allowing you to grind up to 15 cups worth of coffee grounds and comes with a pulse action that allows you to grind in either coarse or fine settings. It comes with stainless steel blades which means it’s not really a burr grinder so keep that in mind. On the other hand, customers are generally positive about it and it has an aggregated 90% A- rating.
A Capresso Burr Grinder may cost a lot more than a traditional grinder that you pick up in any regular department store. Heck, the good ones cost as much or more than most people spend on their espresso machines at the lower end of the price range. But if you appreciate ground coffee and espresso and you grind your own beans then you can’t go wrong with a Jura-Capresso grinder.