Originally Posted by TJElite

This is also a good way to blow a capacitor up. When they are discharged, they read like a direct short, so the current that will pass through it is almost unlimited for a short period of time...enough to blow it up. When they blow, they typically spew hot crap out of them, that can really ruin your day.

Most caps on the market today, expecially the ones with meters, etc., have built in charging circuits to prevent this, but its always safer to charge through a resistor.

Toby