Capresso Coffee Maker: Full Lineup Review

For over two decades, Capresso has been bringing their A-game to the coffee industry. From introducing the first programmable coffee maker and conical burr grinder combo to even throwing stainless steel vacuum carafe to that mix, this brand has changed the drip brewer game. So, needless to say, if you’re considering a Capresso coffee maker, you’re looking in the right place.

At A Glance: Our Top 5 Picks for Capresso Coffee Maker

 
But how do you know which one to choose with such an expansive line-up? That’s what we’re here for! Read on for the low-down on the complete Capresso coffee maker range plus our top 5 picks. 

Catching Up With Capresso

What does Cappuccino vs Espresso=? Capresso! This brand has been around since 1994 and is primarily aimed at the American market. Since 2008, they’ve been under the ownership of Jura, a well-low high-end home appliances. In addition to coffee makers and espresso machines, Capresso also sells a line of grinders, water kettles, and automatic milk frothers .

Top 5 Capresso Coffee Maker Reviews

CoffeeTEAM

Firstly, we’ll be looking at the Capresso CoffeeTEAM TS. And it’s definitely one of our favorites. It stands out thanks to its integrated conical burr grinder. 

It freshly grinds whole beans immediately before brewing, which can seriously up your coffee game. Plus, even with the 6 ounce bean hopper, it’s relatively compact.Additionally, it can brew up to 10 cups into the stainless steel thermal carafe. So, it can brew two entire carafes before needing to refill the bean container.

The permanent goldstone filter means you won’t need to buy wasteful paper filters, and it’s easy to clean. Also, the CoffeeTEAM has a 24-hour programmable clock/timer and a backlit LCD display that shows the time, grind size, and strength. 

Lastly, it has 5 fineness settings, which doesn’t give you a tone of programmability but should be more than enough for drip brewing. The sizes will accommodate light to medium-dark roasts without a hitch. However, if you use really oily dark roast beans (like French roasts) you’ll need to make sure you clean it to prevent clogging. 

This model also comes in a Glass Carafe option. 

5-Cup Mini Drip

The Capresso mini drip has a black base with stainless steel accents. It comes with a glass carafe, which isn’t usually ideal. However, since this little brewer only makes 5 cups to begin with, you shouldn’t have any issue finishing the batch before the coffee gets any sort of bad flavor. Furthermore, the hotplate stays on for 2 hours before the auto-off function turns off the machine entirely, 

It features an internal water level indicator as well as a programmable 24-hour timer and clock displayed on a digital LCD screen. Additionally, the Mini comes with a one year limited warranty.

MT900

Next up we have the MT900. This is a sleek, 10-cup rapid brewing coffee maker featuring a stainless steel heating system, permanent gold-tone filter, removable 50-oz water tank, and 24-hour programmable LCD clock/timer. 

This machine can brew a while 10 cups in about 7 minutes, so you can your morning comrades won’t have to suffer too long before getting your morning fix. It also makes it pretty convenient for people who have fast-paced mornings. 

However, the thermal carafe makes this machine  great for lazy mornings as well because it will keep your coffee warm without bringing it for a substantial amount of time. So even your late-risers can still get some good coffee. 

Lastly, this model is also available with a glass carafe.

MT600 Plus

The MT600 Plus is another 10 cup thermal brewer. It also has a stainless steel heating system, permanent gold-tone filter, and 24 hour programmable clock/timer on an LED display. However, the water tank is not removable on this model, making it slightly more inconvenient to refill. 

Otherwise, we like the model for the same reasons we like the 900. Plus it comes at a slightly lower price point. The thermal carafe keeps coffee hot for four hours and won’t create any off-putting burnt taste. 

The stainless steel housing is also fingerprint-proof, so it’ll stay looking sleek even with grubby hands fooling around with it. Lastly, the main visual difference is in the component above the carafe, which is durable black plastic rather than stainless steel. Still, the MT600 Plus definitely belongs on this Capresso short-list.

On-the-Go

If the previous two models have been misses for you due to the large brewing capacity, this option might be perfect for you. The Capresso On-the-Go brews directly into either the included travel mug or the cup of your choice up to 7 inches tall. 

Not only does this powerful machine heat up quickly, the coffee it brews is still up to Capresso standards. So you get the convenience and single brewing without using aluminum coffee pods. Nevertheless, you can still use soft coffee pods, which are usually paper based and can be composted. 

Lastly, it has full stainless steel housing; and the travel mug, filter, and filter basket are all dishwasher safe.

The Other Capresso Coffee Makers 

Obviously not all of the Capresso machines could be on our top picks list. But we still want to show you all your options, so here are the other machines that Capresso has in their lineup. We’ll still give you the highlights, and maybe you’ll find one that suits you even better than the other 5 you’ve seen so far. 

CoffeeTEAM Pro

Like the original CoffeeTEAM machine, the CoffeeTEAM Pro with a Thermal Carafe is a bean to cup machine, meaning it grinds coffee beans directly into the filter. 

It includes a 10-cup stainless steel thermal carafe; however, to also includes a special “oily” setting for extra dark roasts. This gets the machine to deposit and grind the beans more slowly so that the oils don’t clog the machine. 

The bean container itself has a 7 oz capacity and is fully removable. Like the other machines, the Pro has an LCD display. Nonetheless, it also includes a solid steel conical burr grinder with a  removable upper burr. So, overall it’s pretty similar to the non-pro versions and the few extra features aren’t really worth the price jump in our opinion.

CoffeeTEAM Pro with Glass Carafe

ST300 (SG300)

The ST300 and SG300 are the next model we’re going to be looking at. The ST has a thermal carafe while the SG has a glass carafe, but they’re otherwise the same.

They are both 10 cup coffee brewers with programmable LED displays, illuminated icons for operation, reusable goldstone filters, 24 hour clocks/timers. There’s also a dedicated setting for brewing 1-4 cups. 

12-Cup Coffee Maker

Next up is the 12 Cup Coffee Maker 424.01. As the name suggests, it brews 12 cups in about 10 minutes. Like the other models it has a permanent GoldTone filter, clock/timer, and LCD display. 

The down side to this machine is that it is made with a glass carafe and hotplate rather than a thermal carafe. This design is impractical for larger brewing sizes, so you likely wouldn’t be able to use the whole brew capacity unless you were hosting a few guests. 

There’s also a 414.01 model that has a slightly different look and higher wattage. 

CM300

Another pretty basic model from Capresso is the Capresso CM 300 Stainless Steel Thermal Coffeemaker 475 05. It’s a 10 cup programmable coffee maker with a  GoldTone filter and 9 minute brew time. 

This one has a push button swing out filter and see through removable water tank. But it is otherwise pretty lackluster and doesn’t stand out too much with the rest of the line.

SG220

Lastly, there’s the Capresso 427.05 Coffee Maker, Stainless Steel. This is another 12 cup brewer with a glass carafe. 

Similar to the other models, it has a goldstone basket filter and LCD display.It’s biggest asset is the price, which is pretty reasonable. 

Percolators

What is a percolator?

For the full low-down on the difference between drip brewers and percolators, check out this article. But the short answer is this:

Percolators are the predecessors to drip brewers. They work by heating water in a lower chamber which then filters through the coffee grounds in an upper chamber. The primary difference between drip brewers and percolators is. that percolators can cycle water through the grounds multiple times, whereas drip brewers only complete the cycle once.

So in addition to their drip brewing options, Capresso also offers a couple percolators which they also place in the “Coffee Makers” section (as opposed to the “Espresso Machines” section).

Capresso Percolators

Capresso offers 8 and 12 cup percolator options called the “Perk” models. They’re different from other percolators which you use on a stovetop in that they function similarly to an electric kettle. They can brew about a cup per minute.

While they aren’t the best percolators out there, they are convenient and fast, especially for percolators. Nevertheless, we recommend opting for one of the Capresso drip brewers over these Perk machines. 

Thermal vs Glass Carafe

One of the biggest factors that will divide a drip brewer line up. Most designs will come in both a glass and thermal carafe model. So what’s the difference, and which one should you go with?

Well, the first, most noticeable difference is usually the price. There can be anywhere from just a $10 to a $50+ jump in price from a glass carafe to a thermal carafe, even if the rest of the machine is identical. So many people wonder whether it’s worth swinging the steeper price. And the shirt answer is, for most people, yes.

Thermal carafes will keep your coffee hotter for longer by locking in the heat produced during brewing. One the other hand, glass carafes usually keep your coffee hot via a hotplate. This adds heat back into your coffee as it loses it, which can result in the brew tasting burnt if you leave it for more than about 15 minutes.

Additionally, thermal carafes are more durable than glass carafes. However, glass carafes can be good options in some scenarios. For example, if you’re only brewing for one or two people using a small pot, a glass carafe is perfectly acceptable. Also, if you really want to see what’s left in your carafe or just want something more lightweight, glass is the better option. 

Other Things to Consider

Brew Capacity

One of the first factors you need to note when buying a coffee maker is how much coffee it can actually brew. The majority of Capresso’s brewers are 10 cup brewers, but their line does extend from single serve to 12 cups. 

If you’re only brewing for one, the personal or 5 cup models should work just fine. For households that have two or three moderate coffee drinkers or one heavy java enthusiast, a 10 cup brewer would probably be a good choice. However, if it’s the latter, make sure to go with a thermal carafe. 

Lastly, a 12 cup brewers from Capresso probably aren’t the best option unless you have a house full of morning coffee drinker because they’re only available in glass carafes. Go here for some other drip brewer suggestions. 

Built-in Grinder

This is a consideration both for drip brewers and espresso machines. For the Capresso line, only the CoffeeTEAM models have built-in grinders. The plus of this functionality means that you can have fresh ground beans without having to purchase extra kit or do much extra work to get fresh coffee (which is a must). 

However, the built-in is not going to have as many grind settings as a separate grinder, and also won’t give you grinds that you can use for many other brew methods. So if you also like to brew other types of coffee, such as French press or Aeropress, you’ll be better served by a more versatile grinder. 

Nonetheless, if your drip brewer is going to be your only coffee brewer, a built-in grinder could prove to be a convenient feature. 

Wrapping Up

So there you have it! If you’re looking for a durable, quality coffee maker, Capresso’s range of machines is an excellent place to start. 

If you’re just brewing for you, check out the On-the-Go or 5-cup models. On the other hand, if you’re looking for something with a bit more functionality, the CoffeeTEAM might be for you. For something in between, look into the MT900 or MT600 Plus.

Or maybe something from another part of their line up caught your eye! Whatever the case, we hope you get some truly excellent coffee out of it.

Happy Caffeinating!