Capresso Combination Coffee Maker/ Burr Grinder

by Tsu Dho Nimh
(Phoenix, AZ)

The Capresso Combination Coffee Maker/ Burr Grinder, although it's a little bit on the expensive side at about $200, is well worth spending the money if you are a coffee fan. It grinds whole beans, it brews excellent coffee, and it's easier to clean than other combo grind/brew coffee makers.

Instead of an in-line blade grinder, the burr grinder is next to the brewing part, and the coffee basket flips under the hot water dispenser after the grinder is finished. This keeps the steam from the coffee making process out of the grinder.

Features:
* 2, 4, 6, 8 or 10 cups brew selector.
* 10-cup (50 oz.) capacity for a full brew
* Bean holder holds enough beans for 4 pots of coffee (about 1/2 cup of beans per pot)
* Two programmable brew settings
* Solid steel conical burrs in the grinder
* Four manually adjustable burr grinder settings, from fine to coarse
* AM/PM Programmable Clock/Timer for automatically starting the coffee when you want it
* Display shows time of day, number of cups to brew (this controls how much coffee is ground, not how much water is sent through the basket), strength of brew
* Charcoal water filter, with electronic filter change indicator
* Small pot brew setting
* Washable gold-tone metal basket, or you can use easy to find size 4 conical filter papers in the basket support
* 2-hour safety shut-off timer

This is one of the easiest coffeepots to clean I have ever had. The metal filter and the carrier for it are both dishwasher safe. The gravity-fed chute that carries beans from the grinder into the basket can be easily cleaned with a brush by popping off the cover, although I seldom clean it. Because steam stays out of the grinder area, there is no coffee dribble and caked bean dust to clean out of the grinder.