Baratza Maestro Opinions

[Mycon]

It appears that I really need a grinder in order to fully enjoy the french press. A lot of people here seem to recommend the Maestro (my budget is maxed at about $100) and I even found a local place to get one.
However, this thing keeps getting really polarized reviews online. People either love it or despise it. Since I really have no interest (or money) in espresso, will this work for me? The biggest issue people seem to have is the machine clogging VERY easily.

 

[danek]

I have had a Baratza Maestro for over a year now, have used it to grind about as fine as it can (for Moka), grind relatively course (for French press) and have run all kinds of bean through it (including dark roasts), have never cleaned it and it's never clogged.

I strongly reccomend this machine, It's very reliable and I've never had any problems with it.

 

[KenS]

Instead of the Maestro I have a Virtuoso. Yes I know it's more money, but if the results of the Maestro are simular, you will have a good machine. I bough my Virtuoso from http://www.baratza.com (no affiliation). I bought one of the reconditioned units for $200.00 which is $100.00 off of MSRP. I checked and they have similar savings on the Maestro and Maestro Plus. I lilke the Virtuoso because it grinds at a slower speed.
Good luck with your search.
Do you homeroast too?
Ken.

 

[Mycon]

As much as I would like to homeroast, my current income says otherwise. I live alone and only work part-time.
It appears that my brother actually has this exact machine. For some reason I thought he went with some $60 thing. He has also never had any of the mentioned issues with it. I wanted some other feedback since a lot of the reviews on other sites are mainly from espresso makers. There is also the possibility of shipping defects, and user error from those who really don't know what they are doing.

 

[Bertilak]

I have a very old model. Forget what it's called but its the all-plastic version with the timer switch (not just on/off). It has been going for a long time.

It did have one failure, long out of warranty -- a little plastic tab involved with adjusting the grind broke off. They sent me an updated part and by then they had already modified the part to beef up that little tab. This meant I had to take a Dremmel to the hopper to enlarge the slots that engage the tabs. It has been going fine for close to another two years now.

My point about the broken tab is not to show the product is defective but to show that they
a) pay attention and update the product to fix problems, and
b) were able to help me fix mine.

I am pretty satisfied. I want to get one of their new anti-static grind receptacles but the machine is getting pretty old and I have started to notice an intermittent scraping noise as it spins so am not sure how much longer it will last.

 

[Jim]

I have the Virtuoso and had a small problem (the tab issue) after 3 years. The company was great to deal with, they had me up again in a couple of days. I am inclined to agree that its the espresso guys who are giving this grinder low marks. FWIW- instant rice make quick work of cleaning the burrs.

 

[Lynchmeister]

I actually just got my Maestro last Wednesday and am very happy with it. At the moment, I use a French press exclusively to brew and have been very happy with the results.

Some things I really like about this grinder (and this applies to all "good" grinders):

- it looks cool. The massive cone hopper on top says, "I mean business."
- it's quiet!
- it grinds slowly instead of winding out to the moon like my old 80cc motocross bike.
- dust is virtually eliminated.
- uneven extraction is a thing of the past.

I'm still getting acquainted with it, but so far it's been a pleasure and I'm expecting many more years of service from it. Speaking of which, I've heard that white rice can be run through it to clean out the residual oils, etc. Does this have any negative effect on the grinder, and if not, what type of rice. I have both "normal" and instant and would hate to ruin something by using the wrong one.

EDIT: Jim answered my question before I had a chance to hit "post." Thanks!

 

[SiBurning]

they
a) pay attention and update the product to fix problems, and
b) were able to help me fix mine.

I am pretty satisfied. I want to get one of their new anti-static grind receptacles but the machine is getting pretty old and I have started to notice an intermittent scraping noise as it spins so am not sure how much longer it will last.

+1

To the OP...
Make sure the reviews you're reading aren't too old. They've made a lot of improvements. Read all the reviews at coffeegeek and watch the dates and you'll see they're filled with info about it.

+1 on bad reviews for espresso. It's barely adequate for that.

 

[Bertilak]

Make sure the reviews you're reading aren't too old.

I'm a bit confused. I haven't read any reviews of the Maestro/Baratza/Virtuoso/Solis in a few years and wasn't referencing any in my post. I was just reporting my personal experience.

 

[xillion]

I have been an owner and daily user of a Maestro since 2003. For me, it works well for every type of brewing method I use from ibrik, moka pot, syphon pot, pour over, and French press. I had to find the grind settings that worked best for me so I made markings on the scale for each brewing method I use. It produces some static in the grounds but nothing that can't be fixed by giving the basket a few taps after grinding. For the price it is a great entry into cone burr grinders. It is easy to take apart for thorough cleaning. I clean mine regularly when I change beans. The grinder has been a true workhorse for me. If and when it finally dies I will step up to the virtuoso, but until then it will always be there on my counter to great me each morning.

Baratza sells factory refurbs at a discount, check them out here:

http://www.baratza.com/refurb.php

Chris
xillion

 

[SiBurning]

I'm a bit confused. I haven't read any reviews of the Maestro/Baratza/Virtuoso/Solis in a few years and wasn't referencing any in my post. I was just reporting my personal experience.

Oops! Could've written that better.

Wasn't responding to you. Just agreeing with what you said. I edited that post to make it a little clearer.

 

[Jasonian]

Poor for espresso. Adequate for non-pressurized brew methods.

 

[Mycon]

Well, I got the Maestro yesterday along with some beans from the same place. I have a new question though:
Do beans from different places grind differently? The first bag of coffee I got from my brother was from a different roaster, ground in the exact same machine on the same setting, and it was far less dusty than the stuff I have now.

 

[Bertilak]

Do beans from different places grind differently?

Different beans will grind differently whether from the same or different places.

Some are drier, some oiler. Some have more or less cruft mixed in with them.

 

[SiBurning]

They'll even grind different when they get older. Month old beans might be drier than week old.

 

[jherm77]

It's fine for everything but espresso.

 

[SiBurning]

It's fine for everything but espresso.

... and Turkish

 

[chab]

I got a Maestro refurbished from Baratza and have been happy with it. I've had it only about 2-3 months now though. The grind seems very consistent, its easy to take apart for storage, not much to clean up really and my aeropress coffee tastes great. I'm happy with it so far! My previous grinder was a cheapy burr grinder that was loud as heck and random in grind size - all of which I only learned about after moving up to the Maestro. So there are probably much better things out there too...but this one works for me for now.

 

[Jasonian]

It's fine for everything but espresso.

Ditto. (also ditto the "except for turkish")

 

[SiBurning]

Be careful about putting the burr back the right way when you clean it. Yesterday, I put it back the wrong way. The coffee grind came out way too large and irregular. Did three grinds before realizing what was wrong. After putting it back in the right way, this morning the coffee looks and tastes good again. Hopefully it didn't do much damage.