Customer Reviews

Breville Cafe Roma Espresso/ Cappuccino Maker ESP8XL

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

 

 

I've been making cappachino's for over 30 years with machines in this price range. I couldn't froth the milk with this particular machine and sent it back. I might have just gotten a lemon. But, if not, I hope this saves you the same trouble. The Gaggia machines and the Villa Ware machines work for me.

If you are looking for a simple to use foolproof espresso machine, choose another. It is a challenge to learn to use this machine to create a good espresso drink. It is possible though. In fact, I have been able to make some of the best I've ever had. I have worked as a barista for nearly 4 years and never got as good a result on the commercial models.

If you are up for the challenge, there is one important thing to keep in mind: the filters are very unforgiving. It is crucial that your coffee is ground perfectly for espresso or you will spend hours trying to unclog the filter (a tedious process involving a device that amounts to a pin being poked one by one into dozens of holes). I had all but given up on this machine when I decided to try a prepackaged already ground espresso. Normally I would discourage pre-ground coffee in general (due to loss in flavor) but this completely solved the clogging problem. The espresso shots were amazing. It was the promise of that incredible crema that drew me to this brand in the first place. Finally, I got to enjoy it. You will need to experiment with the proper tamping to get the desired results. Too light and your shot will be weak. Too firm and it will clog.

Foaming the milk is also a challenge. It seems you must overfill the included pitcher so that some of the milk spills out while you're foaming. If you do you will get the most velvety foam imaginable.

Is it worth it? Given the price I might have skipped it if I had known how challenging things would be. Now that I own it I am not sad since I am able to really impress my guests (and myself) with my barista skills by serving the best espresso drinks I (and hopefully they) have ever had.

I bought this to replace another bad designed espresso maker a KitchenAid that I paid over a thousand dollars including tax. This started out just like the previous one,worked fine for 3 or 4 months and it became a pretty stainless steel space filler for our counter. The main problem with these is clogging filter that cant be cleaned properly. I don't think I will buy any more hi end makers.

This review is FIRST USE ONLY, after few uses, I'll post new review if necessary.
I just replaced my burned up Nuova Simonelli Oscar Pro.

Makes VERY good espresso, nice rich, I like it!
Froths real good and creammy, but takes time to heat up the milk.

You set the included cups on the drip tray, start the machine, and they vibrate out of place, losing some espresso if you're not paying attention.
The biggest challenge w/this machine is the filter & basket.
Replacing filter basket, is a real &^%$#. The docs say they improved the basket w/the permanent spring to hold the filter. Well, that's a sorry excuse for a spring. Falls in my used grind bucket every time. It's too hot to hadnle, I'll have to pick it up quickly and 'drop' it back on before I burn myself.
Overall, I'm happy w/this, so far. We'll see how it acts after a few cups.

had the Cafe Roma for about 4 months....dumped it on ebay. Why?...tastes like coffee, not cappuccino. The machine looks nice but its all about the taste.

I have had this machine for a couple of months, upgrading from an inexpensive Krupps steam driven machine. [We have a tradition of cappuccino in the morning at my house, which means making two double expresso shots].After a little while of getting used to the differences I have to report that it works well, and produces thick crema every time. Buy decent whole bean espresso or french roast coffee, though, or no machine will give you what you crave.

The big adjustment is that the Krupps machine simply holds enough coffee to fill a 4-shot carafe. If you try to get 4 shots out of the coffee attachment on this machine you will get weak coffee! You simply have to do 2 at a time. The jug provided produces enough frothed milk for the way we use it, but then again you can alway froth two jugs.

A minor irritant is the difficulty in seeing how much water is left in the container. If you get into the habit of refilling after each use, you won't have to look.

On the price front unless the list has gone up recently, stores sell this machine for two hundred and fifty - and if you get one of those 20% discount coupons that major kitchen applicance retails send out through the mail you can get this for around two hundred.

I like my coffee but I'm not interested in paying over $2k for a coffee machine as some are. If you're looking for something that's equivalent to your local Starbucks or Seattle's Finest, this may well do the trick.

I've been using this model daily for 8 months now without a single hiccup. My only criticism is that you can only froth enough milk for one double shot tall latte at a time and that is a simple capacity issue. Steam pressure is good and does a good job frothing as well as producing good crema for each shot of espresso. I would certainly purchase again.

I make espresso with this. The espresso is good. I am happy with it. It's really easy to use. I have no idea about the frothing part, since I am a real man and don't drink those girly latte things.
Also, no sugar in the coffee. All the bad reviews are probably from folks who put sugar in their coffee. They are probably mole people and cannot be trusted.
You could use pods, since the machine works with them, but they pack very little coffee and tend to produce a tasteless brew which somewhat resembles the beverage that can be obtained by washing your workout socks in the kitchen sink. That's why you should also realize that good coffee is required in combination with the machine to produce a great tasting espresso. It must be ground properly, and you should know when to stop the flow of water or you will end up with a typical American watery espresso. Which you might find tasty, but then again you are probably putting sugar in it and doing it all wrong as mentioned above.
The good coffee grounds should be between 0.1mm and 0.233mm in diameter. If they are too large, the coffee will be weak and tasteless, and you will probably add creamer or other devilish mixtures to it to make it taste decent. If they are too small you may experience clogged filters. If this happens to you, don't despair. There are several solutions to this problem: you can clean the filters by using the included cleaning tool, which is a very unpleasant experience akin to eating a whole box of Mexican jumping beans with a pair of flexible chopsticks, you can order new filters and throw the clogged ones away or you can run the machine a couple of times with no coffee in it, and the pressure will unclog the filter for you. As some ancient philosopher (Greek, i believe) said "give me high pressure hot water and I will unclog your coffee filters effortlessly".
I feel this review would not be complete if I did not mention the bottom tray of the machine, which is very handy. It can hold several weeks worth of coffee spills. You might be able to get away with up to a month of coffee spilling if you don't spill a lot. It gets kind of nasty after a while, so you should figure out a way to have someone else clean it for you. Also if it's overly full you might end up spilling some moldy coffee leftovers all over your kitchen, if that is where you usually make coffee, which you'd have to later clean yourself. That is one more good reason to have someone else do it.
In conclusion this espresso machine, if paired with a coffee savvy owner, will provide you with endless coffee treats. You days will be brighter and you'll feel more awake, aware and energetic. If over time the effects diminish, do not blame the machine. Simply increase the number of coffees you drink every day, and enjoy your newly found energy.