I just got this. The instructions say not to use coffee that is fine ground. I am confused - because expresso is fine ground and this is supposed to
2057159
I use regular ground coffee of the shelf. If it's too fine, you may get a lot of coffee powder floating in your coffee. You will notice it when you add milk into your coffee.
2057160
I agree with Karin. I use fine ground all the time. I don't pack it tight like you see done at espresso bar. Keeping the metal filter and rubber gasket clean is right too. After over a year, I still love the coffee it makes!
2057161
You are correct Espresso is fine ground. I use it all the time without any problems. Just make sure you clean the bottom of the pot (filter) carefully.
318367
Olga: This unit did not hold up to my grinding needs. I use a fine setting with dark, oily beans, and this grinder could not handle it. The company even admitted that it wouldn't, yet refused me a refund. If you use a lighter bean, it will probably work for you. I'm unfamiliar with Turkish style coffee, and I can't tell just how fine this grinder goes, but its range seemed to be quite adequate, (assuming darker beans aren't used.)I've been using the Baratza Encore for many months. It does not buckle under when I use a fine grind with dark beans; I recommend it, and it sells for a few dollars less than the Capresso. My review of the Capresso, "Do you like a dark roast and fine grind? Beware!" may be helpful. Olga: This unit did not hold up to my grinding needs. I use a fine setting with dark, oily beans, and this grinder could not handle it. The company even admitted that it wouldn't, yet refused me a refund. If you use a lighter bean, it will probably work for you. I'm unfamiliar with Turkish style coffee, and I can't tell just how fine this grinder goes, but its range seemed to be quite adequate, (assuming darker beans aren't used.)I've been using the Baratza Encore for many months. It does not buckle under when I use a fine grind with dark beans; I recommend it, and it sells for... » Read More Olga: This unit did not hold up to my grinding needs. I use a fine setting with dark, oily beans, and this grinder could not handle it. The company even admitted that it wouldn't, yet refused me a refund. If you use a lighter bean, it will probably work for you. I'm unfamiliar with Turkish style coffee, and I can't tell just how fine this grinder goes, but its range seemed to be quite adequate, (assuming darker beans aren't used.)I've been using the Baratza Encore for many months. It does not buckle under when I use a fine grind with dark beans; I recommend it, and it sells for a few dollars less than the Capresso. My review of the Capresso, "Do you like a dark roast and fine grind? Beware!" may be helpful. « Show Less
934171
Hi. You can use any coffee ground from beans to espresso fineness. You can also use pods but freshly ground coffee is best. Enjoy.
1221986
No problems in general, but when I use oily, dark roast coffee, grinder will 'skip' and brew lighter coffee. If i mix medium and dark Starbucks, it will perform OK. Still, best so far is Lavazza Super Crema.
2182278
It can be a bit of a jolt to learn that espresso machines are about half the cost of great espresso. I use this Gaggia Classic. My Rancillio grinder cost more. Think it through, there are many bean types and freshness varies. Both effect grind. If you buy truely fresh roasted beans they should be ground slightly coarser, still quite fine, for first 4 or 5 days. Then less fresh they dry out a little and need slightly finer grind to control 22sec brew time. Store whole beans in really air tight containers, non refrigerated. The "art" of great espresso is how you grind it. That takes long experience. If you get a truely fresh roast and grind just right you cup will fill with 50% golden foam and it will taste a little sweeter. I still need a little sugar but never milk or foam. Starbucks has an advantage with their always fresh roasts. By the time you can "pull" a good single shot 2oz espresso you might agree with me, LOL. They still give me trouble........... Happy Trails
2257368
I spoke with Breville and they told me that the likely problem was too fine of a grind in the filter. They had me soak the filter in a vinegar/water mixture over nite then run the machine without coffee and I would see the grounds in the cup. Well, I did as they advised and only saw a few grounds. The problem persisted. I tried the pod and the flow was mostly drips, not a steady flow. I decided that this machine is too fussy, I just want my latte!
2182279
You have to use ground coffee, or pods. Just don't get real fine ground coffee or it won't allow the water to seep through for expresso. I actually use either starbucks ground or safeway select italian roast.
233477
I have the same issue with the crema. Would also like the answer. I know it's not that my grounds are too coarse.
728977
The coffee I received was ground. I use it in a regular drop coffee machine. You can buy this whole bean as well.
747128
No. What ever you use needs to be ground. So either buy ground coffee or grind it yourself. Hmmm. Sounds good right about now.
1991495
Susan, if your coffee is ground very fine, you might want to use the filter. I don't use, although with a different grind I might want to to avoid grounds in the coffee dispensed.
914023
I purchased the Coffee Duck refillable pods, and they worked marginally but made EXTREMELY weak coffee with no crema (the espresso foam) on top. We were so bummed! We have a custom grinder and played around with setting it to super fine, medium fine, etc. and nothing seemed to help. We tried packing the pods tight, leaving a little room, etc. and still the coffee sucked. Stick with the capsules; they're expensive up front, but worth it in the end. Plus, Nespresso's capsules are Rainforest-Alliance certified, which is the highest certification for both sustainability and fair-trade. You can also recycle your pods now by turning them into Sur La Table. Hope that helps!
620068
You can totally use ground coffee. Just throw it in the filter compartment, and press "grind off."
211956
Sorry can't help with this one. I only used it once and it left coffee grounds all over the place so I just trashed them.
643605
After trying a couple of different coffee blends that did not seem to work and the coffee was extremely weak I found somewhere that you could try a finer grind. I have a tiny electric coffee grinder so I took the coffee that I already had and ground it some more and it worked! I think the answer is to grind the already ground coffee finer. In fact, my coffee is now very strong.
1500793
Yes your on the right track, I think espresso is a little to fine and the coffee comes out bitter, I have my coffee ground at a coffee shop and they grind it a notch above espresso ground, this Hario Drip makes a great cup of coffee if you have the time and patience to go thru the procedure to do it. Hope this helps.
904082
Catherine, I had this same question when reviewing owners questions and answers on Amazon's site. All the reviews seemed to be talking about grinding their own beans, but I looked the coffee maker over real good and it looked to me that I could use already ground coffee from a can or a pouch. I bought it and sure enough it handles ground coffee just like any other coffee maker. Enjoy, it's working great. (The lighted clock "is" really bright but no bother to me. Hey ! It's in the kitchen not in the bedroom! LOL