Should be good enough for any type of grinding at home for all but the most OCD ridden of coffee geeks
Positive Product Points
Heavy, sturdy, grinding settings, anti static, metal knob.
Negative Product Points
Weak bean hopper, requires regular maintenance just like anything else you own
Detailed Commentary
This unit is much improved over the old Barista. That model lasted 7 years of daily use... one press pot and 3 double shots virtually every day. I never cleaned it. Ever.
Now arrives this heavy Maestro Plus. The weighted bottom is awesome. The grinds bin does not slide out during operation. No static. Metal timer knob that will not break. All of these are great points.
The grind on the finest setting is just fine for expresso. I don't know what the other geeks are talking about. Seriously. Any finer and my machine pulls bitter honey shots. The consistency is spot on as well.
The bad news is that with all the improvements the hopper is thinner. My was broken at the interface during shipment by the weight of the machine. And it concerns me that this is the part that has to be turned every time a grind setting adjustment is done. The timer knob and the hopper should be rock-solid. They screwed up by thinning out the hopper material.
Buying Experience
Comfort house had a competitive price and shipped quickly.
Three Month Followup
The max and min grinds are consistent for what I do... one french press and 3 double shots using a pressurized porta-filter each day. The grinds bin does have static depending on the dryness of the beans used.
One Year Followup
Still ticking like a Swiss time piece. I am still concerned about the hopper durability and am careful when dialing in the grind setting between finest and course as I must do each morning. Otherwise this seems to be a fine enthusiast device (i.e. not expert-snob level).
