Customer Reviews

Ascaso DR.118 Dream 16-Bar-Pump Espresso Machine, Polished Aluminum

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Our little Ascaso just gave up the ghost, after less than four years of delicious daily cappuccino for my wife and me. We'll miss it. But we haven't decided how to replace it.

This machine was fully manual, which meant getting good coffee out of it was like getting a melody out of a Stradivarius. It took practice and patience. But once dialed in, ahh, the results were splendid. My wife could never get the foam just right, and never learned to give it enough time to cool down after making the foam without scalding the coffee. But I found all the right ways to make delicious espresso beverages of all types.

I liked the machine, loved the design, tolerated the price, and the adored the coffee it made, but I can't give it the highest rating. Fairly early on the foam wand started leaking, just a little. Then the seals stopped sealing well which caused un-pressed coffee/water to leak around the brew basket into the cup (a repairable problem.) Then the temperature gauge stopped working - not really a big deal. But the death nail problem was the demise of the heating element. No heat, no coffee, no steam, no nothing. And even Seattle's espresso repair shop can't locate a replacement heating element.

Will I buy another Ascaso, or try a different brand? I don't know yet. Did we get almost four years of good espresso out of a $650 (on sale at Starbucks in 2006) machine? Yep. Should we have gotten more years of service? I'd like to think so. Would my wife prefer to listen to a digital CD player (i.e. use a fully automatic machine) to learning how to play a musical instrument (like the Ascaso)? As long as I'm around to make the coffee, she doesn't care.

I purchased this machine about a year ago. It has been nothing but flawless, averaging between 2 and 4 uses a day. I am a barista at Starbucks and we get a chance to demo a lot of espresso machines that come through the store and this has been my favorite by far. The build quality is beautiful, all solid, high quality metals (the pictures do the machine absolutely no justice). Strange maybe to mention this, but even the packaging is great. Those Apple fans out there know that even good packaging can add to the experience. I also purchased an Ascaso Mini grinder which makes for a perfect pairing, the two machines next to each other look stunning. In the right hands, these machines can make a very robust espresso, including an impressive crema. Great cappuccino microfoam is also achieved with surprising ease. The possible learning curve is really the only drawback I can forsee with these machines. The grinder is infinitely adjustable, which is great but can take a lot of messing about to find the perfect setting. Possibly worth noting also is that the machine is moderately loud while pulling shots. The tamper that comes with the machine is a joke, so buy yourself a real tamper (most companies supply these "toy tampers" with their machines, so that wasnt a surprise). Although I got a great deal on the machine, I would happily pay the full price knowing what I know now. Anyone looking for a machine in this price range should place this at the very top of their list, and certainly look into the Ascaso Mini grinder to complete the package. I now push Ascaso's name to everyone I can.

My wife and I purchased this espresso machine about 18 months ago. Although the finish and materials quality are excellent, I had my first inkling of trouble when the portafilter gasket dropped out of the housing. No amount of pressing could return it to its original state; I eventually gave up and lived with the small amount of water seepage around the filter basket. Otherwise the unit performed well, producing excellent quality, and presenting a handsome display on my kitchen counter.


Unfortunately, a few days ago the pump started acting up, no longer pushing water through the grounds and rendering the machine effectively useless. The machine was well out of warranty, so I attempted to find a suitable repair shop.

Apparently, Ascaso has only certified one vendor in the United States -- a company in Washington State. When I contacted them to arrange shipment and repair, I discovered that it would be $72 to ship (and insure) the machine from California to the repair facility, $85 to look at and repair it, estimated $99 in parts, and another $72 to ship (and insure) the unit back. So, repairs would run about $328 -- a significant portion of the cost of a brand new unit!

Needless to say, I opted to buy a new machine. Happily the vendor I purchased from (not Amazon.com) had its own lifetime warranty, and replaced the unit at no charge.

I would recommend against buying this unit, unless you do so from a vendor who stands behind their products, or if you live in the Greater Seattle area and can drop the unit off at the repair facility yourself.

We got the machine late 2007, after having had an AEG espresso maker for c. 5 years. It immediately captured our hearths with excellent espresso (once you learn the right coffee brand and roast, right way of tapping it in the mold etc.) and smooth milk foam. Also, its design is a focal point in our kitchen, and ours being red we call it our Coffee Ferrari. For these, I would not hesitate giving the machine 5 starts.

However, the quality of the machine does not live up to the design, not to mention the price (it currently trades near the £ 500 mark here in London). First problem was already with the delivery, when the other of the 2 screws holding the top was bended and did not fit in. That was a minor thing, not visible. Then, the thermometer went offline. Also the plastic piece that helps your fingers not burn in the hot steampipe melted in the heat and drop off. The final insult was the heater element malfunctioning at less than 3 year point. And having now red several similar reviews in the net, I am really not alone with these problems - acually, i must be happy that it lasted nearly 3 years. In this price category, that is simply unacceptable. It feels as much a shame to throw it out as it does to pay for expensive repair, and i am still pendlign between these options.

Best thing you can do for yourself is not to buy this machine until the manufacturer starts to address the quality issues.

Machine worked great upon receipt. Pulled a good short, however, left soupy, syrupy mess in the filter basket. Also machine dripped excessively (more than other machines I've owned or currently own). Stainless finish hard to keep clean. Understand that machines were pulled from Starbucks because of lead content. That was enough for me.

While I respect the previous review I'm sure it was a bad unit from the line. I have had a number of these machine and this is the best expresso machine I've ever used and the steam pump works without flaw. If you in the market, I'd give this serious consideration. I'm quite happy with this purchase.

i would give this 5 stars but i don't have much to compare it to and i have not had it longer than 5 months.
but i really like expresso ( great for before intense yoga practice ) as well as cappuccino and have drinking them for 20 years and this maching does a fine job. if it lasts a few years well i will be back to give it it's 5th star .

Bryan Kest: Advanced Yoga 2 (CD & Booklet)

Let's face it; it's hard to find decent coffee outside of EU. Long before Starbucks went national, I would taxi downtown to Greenwich Village for my espresso. If you just can't find happiness without a flawless cappuccino this machine will do the trick.

Bought a new aluminum machine but unfortunately it did not work out of the box...it appeared that the water hose would not pull up any water. Lots of noise and vibration but no water would run through the machine. Called the Help line...they called back within an hour...we tried various things for about half an hour but eventually gave up. The machine was returned. Looks great but no espresso...next.