Plastic gear housings sound defective from the start.
I should clarify that I mostly make coffee in a French press.
Do Capresso grinders also have plastic gear housings?
Everything in that price range has plastic gear housings, but it's a moot point - IOW, it has no impact on the performance of the grinder and little if any impact on longevity.
Well, along those lines... I bought a used Virtuoso on craigslist, and one of the three little tabs on the upper burr carrier snapped. I called to order a new part, explained I bought it used, and they sent a new one... when I asked if I could buy a second one as a backup they threw it in at no charge.
After using this grinder for maybe 5 years, the main drive gear (plastic) wore off a couple teeth. The new ones (supposedly made of a better plastic) are $5. I got the new gear, but it's part of the upgrade package with a new housing and Preciso burrs. Very clear instructions on their site, in both video and PDF format, and I'm back in business for another number of years.
That's why I say Baratza is a smarter buy; a Capresso, etc, might be just as good a grinder for the money, but try fixing one or getting service for it when (not if) it breaks over time. A Baratza is serviceable and you can keep using it for much longer.
If you mainly brew with a press pot, you don't need anything beyond an Encore (the 'new and improved' Maestro Joe mentioned).
