Best Coffee Maker with Grinder: The Capresso CoffeeTEAM Pro Plus

Updated for 2021. Today we’re taking a look at the Coffee Team Pro Plus grind and brew drip coffee makers from Capresso. There are two variations. A 10 cup model with a Stainless thermal carafe and 12 cup model with a heated glass carafe.

How to Use the Coffee Team Pro Plus Grind and Brew

Aside from the carafes, they are pretty much identical in form and function. You can program the machines to automatically turn on and grind and brew at a set time. So if you want your coffee waiting for you at 7 am, set it to turn on at say 6:45 am.

You can set it to brew in 2 cup increments, with a max of 10 cups on the thermal carafe model and 12 cups on the glass carafe version. Both machines share some special features that we’ll go over in a moment, but let’s check the basics first.

So up top is a bean hopper with a half-pound capacity, the hopper is removable which makes switching to different beans very easy. It also gives you access to the conical burr grinder by turning the grind control and then twisting off the hopper.

Now depending on what type of coffee you are using you can adjust the grind size in 3 steps. Typically, you’d use a finer setting for lighter roasts and go coarser for darker or oily roasts.

Ground coffee is delivered directly from the grinder to a gold-tone filter basket for brewing. The amount of coffee ground is determined by the number of cups you’ve programmed the machine to brew.

Special Features

A couple of special features with that grinder: First it uses a quality steel burr set for a consistent grind. Then it has an automatic cleaning function so no coffee is left in the grinder or delivery chute that would go into your following brew.

After the coffee is ground, doors close at the bottom of the grinder cutting off bean flow. Then the grinder runs again so all the coffee is cleared out. Another feature is the oily bean setting. Some darker roasts have oils on the bean surface which slows down the bean flow to the grinder.

Just push the “oily” button when programming and grind time is increased a little bit to compensate for the slower flow of oily beans. With that, you get the proper dose regardless of bean type.

The bottom of the filter section has a drip-stop so the carafes can be removed to pour a quick cup prior to the brewing is finished.

As for coffee temperature, if you like it hot, these brewers deliver. We measured in carafe temperatures after brewing at just over 180 degrees starting with cool tap water and room temperature carafes.

The glass carafe model has a heating plate which holds that temperature for 2 hours and then shuts off automatically. We do however prefer the thermal carafe version. In our experience thermal carafes only lose about 3 degrees per hour and they have a seal to prevent evaporation and flavor loss.

Programming the machine is very easy. For automatic brewing at a specific time, press and hold the auto button for 2 to 3 seconds and the clock icon starts blinking. Adjust the start time using the hour and minutes button. Select the number of cups to brew and press the Oily button if using oily beans. If using pre-ground coffee, press the Ground Coffee Button and add your ground coffee. When done, press the Auto button. The clock icon will illuminate solid and brewing will begin at the time you’ve set.

One thing to keep in mind is the number of cups you select to brew determines how much coffee is ground. So, you can adjust coffee strength by changing the number of cups in conjunction with the amount of water. When the machine brews it will use all the water in the tank for that cycle. The number of cups selected only affects the amount of coffee ground.

You can brew a pot manually at any time. Add water and select the number of cups you want, press the Oily button if needed and the Ground Coffee button if using pre-ground. Then press the Brew button to start the machine.

As we mentioned the glass carafe model has a heating plate that shuts off after 2 hours. To turn it off sooner, with coffee cup icon illuminated just press the brew button. The thermal carafe model turns off automatically after brewing.

The exterior of the machine is wrapped in a brushed stainless steel. The water reservoir can be filled at the machine or removed for filling at the sink. A filter cartridge comes with the machine and removes up to 80 percent of the chlorine in tap water for better-tasting coffee.

The machines are identical in size at 16.5 inches tall by 12.5 inches deep and 8 and a quarter inches wide. There’s storage for excess power cord in the back of the machine to keep your counter neat.

The Complete CoffeeTEAM Series

 

Why is a Coffee Grinder Important?

Investing in a coffee or espresso grinder is crucial to getting the best quality coffee and espresso. While many coffee and espresso drinkers prefer to use pre-ground coffee, using fresh whole bean coffee is ideal because it’ll give you the most flavor and aroma out of your coffee.

This is why we suggest using fresh whole bean coffee, and after grinding the coffee, start brewing as soon as you can so that outside elements such as air, light, heat, and moisture do not affect the quality, flavor, and aroma of your coffee.

Conclusion

Overall, if you’re looking for a better coffee experience, one sure-fire way to get there is making your coffee from fresh ground whole beans. The Capresso Coffee Team Pro Plus combines a good conical burr grinder and programmable drip brewer into one space-saving unit.

Now we prefer the thermal carafe model. It’s unbreakable, uses less energy, doesn’t cook your coffee after brewing and doesn’t let flavor escape. An airtight seal keeps it in the pot. That’s the Capresso Coffee Team Pro Plus, available now at Whole Latte Love. Thanks for reading and we hope to see you back here soon for more on everything coffee.