Customer Reviews

Briel ES15BF Lido Pump Espresso Machine, Black

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I've owned the Briel Lido for about two years now and I can say that it's the a phenomenal espresso machine for the price. You can't purchase another effective pump-centric machine for any less than this. It is capable of reliably producing fine espresso with beautiful crema and frothed milk to match -- with a few caveats...

Caveat 1: You'll need to buy an aftermarket non-pressurized portafilter. The pressurized portafilter that it comes with is how it "guarantees" crema -- even with stale beans. It may work for a while, but I found that in order for it to produce consistent results over time, it needs constant maintenance (cleaning) and adjusting (via the tightening screw at the bottom to regulate pre-release pressure). A non-pressurized aftermarket portafilter means you'll have to properly grind (or purchase properly ground) coffee and learn how to tamp the coffee with the right amount of pressure so you can consistently produce a good pull. Forget purchasing a fancy tamper unless you just like to "look" professional. The plastic disc with handle that it comes with does fine as a tamper... like anything else, you just need to put in the time to learn it.

Caveat 2: Pull all your espresso shots for as many drinks as you're serving BEFORE you froth your milk. Since this machine uses one heater element to both produce pressurized water for espresso pulling and dry-steam for milk frothing, you won't be able to pull a decent espresso shot without drawing a burnt taste after frothing milk... at least not until the machine cools down sufficiently, which can take quite some time.

Caveat 3: You must clean the machine regularly if you don't do an empty "cleaning" pull after you're done pulling your espresso shots. Residual oils from the coffee will build up and turn rancid contaminating your espresso over time. You'll notice this rancidness in your espresso shots when you're into the 2nd month, if you do absolutely no maintenance and/or cleaning. Don't blame it on the beans or the water as it's more than likely that you're machine just needs cleaning.

Two years into owning this thing and it still cranks out great espresso. What's happened since I bought the machine? The silkscreen on the top is now a bit worn, especially around the steam knob/lever. The steam knob/lever control has progressively slipped over time. It functions just fine, but is now off the original graphic marks that is on the machine.

That's it. It's a great machine, still pulling great espresso and rich, frothy milk for me. If you can't deal with all the work involved in pulling a good espresso shot with this machine, I'd suggest you try one of the semi-automatics or automatics up the range... say maybe one of the Saeco's, Gaggia's, or La Pavoni's. If you're willing to work within the tools provided by this machine and you purchase quality espresso-oriented coffee blends, it's guaranteed to be able to provide superb espresso and espresso-based drinks -- substantially better than any major chain and on-par with any professional barrista-led cafe.

The LIDO machine by BRIEL is incredible. It created a rich espresso coffee with excellent crema. We especially like the machine because it's inexpensive!. Yet it has a 15-bar pump system, produces hot espresso coffee and has plenty of energy to quickly froth milk for cappuccinos, etc.

Although the machine works super with ground coffee we enjoy using the ESPRESSIONE pods that we purchased from AMAZON.COM. No fuss, no mess and the coffee is sensational.

We've enjoyed using many BRIEL products. This one is truly a winner.

Reasons to buy:
1. The price. How are you going to beat it? It'll pay for itself after one month if Starbucks would have been your destination in the morning otherwise.
2. The pour. I love a shot of espresso after dinner and when we dine out, I'll always critique the pour. Too bitter? Too sour? Just right? This little machine hits the mark every time with the espresso pods we bought for it.
3. The size. It takes up less room than your toaster.
4. The foam. It's small but it packs plenty of punch to get that latte whipped into shape in no time. We use soy milk and it creates plenty of foam.

Reasons not to buy:
1. Low profile. Hey... the size thing cuts both ways. You can't fit a proper cup under the filter retainer - you have about 2.25" of clearance. We get around this by removing the drip tray and tucking a small cup under it that way. Works great once we positioned it not to spill.
2. Short frother arm. Doesn't have a wide range of motion, constricting you to hold the container your steaming with close. We placed ours on the counter and I've positioned the machine sideways on the edge so I have more range of motion when steaming milk.
3. Filter holder sticks sometimes. I'm reaching here... just want to report all the facts. I've found removing the filter holder to be a bit difficult sometimes if it's on snug. And watch out for the steamy water if you remove it too soon! Let it cool down for a few minutes to alleviate this.

Overall: Very pleased with the purchase. If you buy it, get the espresso pods! They're convenient and make surprisingly great espresso. The pros far outweigh the cons in my opinion. It's a great little machine at a great little price.

Oh, and one other thing: They give it a water test in the factory before they ship it out, so don't be alarmed (as we were initially) if there's a bit of water in the plastic bag it comes in. A small note is included that explains this but we missed it in our enthusiasm to start brewing.

SUMMARY - Good coffee, very inconvenient to use regularly.

The Briel Lido machine is not a bad espresso machine per-se. It makes good espresso and if you only plan to use it for special occasions it is fantastic. The coffee tastes great with beautiful crema and it works very quickly.
SIZE!
If you live in an RV, dormitory or a Manhattan apartment where space it an at extreme premium, then you will love the machine's size. If you will only use it once in a blue moon for dinner parties, you'll probably love that you can put it away easily.
If you are anyone else in the known universe you will curse this machine's lack of usability. The photograph does not adequately show just how tiny this machine is. It is so small that only 2.25" tall espresso cups fit. Shot glasses are too tall! Many cappuccino cups are too tall! Don't even think about using coffee cups. The only cup you can use is the specialty little cup.

Miniscule clearance is a hassle in general but major issue when making a latte. The steaming arm will swievel, but is so short that you can not use a standard 20oz pitcher.

Some reviewers suggested taking out the drip tray. That wins you a tiny bit of clearance at the expense of a wet counter.

POWER CORDS AND WATER
The electric cord is right above the water tank! If you pull out the tank to refill it, you have to be very careful to keep the cord from falling in.

WATER TANK ISSUES
The water tank has a big hose that drops into it (as opposed to having a valve at the bottom.) Whenever you take out the tank, that hose will drip on the counter making a mess. You also have to be carefull when removing/reinserting the tank as to position the hose properly.
You can avoid this by filling the machine from the top but I'd much rather take the tank to the sink than use a pitcher to carry water over.

Filter Holder
Because of the small size and low position of the machine, it is difficult to properly align the filter holder. On several occasions I thought I properly put the holder in but then steam and water started leaking from one side. As I have used it more, I've gotten better at this but other machines definetely have a better fit.
It also does not properly divide the coffee between the two cups. Not a major issue for me but if you're looking to make two shots at a time, it might be a problem.

In short...
This machine makes a good espresso but don't waste your time with it if you are going to use it regularly. This is not a daily use machine. Spend a little bit more and get one that is a proper size... you'll thank yourself for it every morning.

Based on the positive reviews here, I put this on my wife's Xmas shopping list for me. I'm a Lusophile and do whatever I can to support Portuguese enterprises. So I wanted very much for this product to work for the unbelievably low pump-drive price of $129. Wrong, all wrong! At $129, it delivers the same quality--poor quality--espresso as the non-pump-drive espresso units of about the same price. That is, the shots were weak and watery, the two-shot basket was too small for two shots, the steamer was awkwardly located and required meticulous angle calculation to get inside a steamer pitcher, and the basket and holder are so low a standard espresso cup has to be kept at an angle to get under it and filled. A call to the only number listed in the manual, a resupplier, to find out why I couldn't get a thick, strong shot, won me a confusing conversation with someone who had less idea than most people, including me, about what to do. I gave it my best shot, now I'm returning it. Altogether a very unsatisfactory espresso experience. You care enough to get this, spend another $70 and get a Gaggia.

I'm modifying my original review of 4 stars down to 1 star. It doesn't look like Amazon will let me change my original 4 star rating, so I'm mentioning it here. THIS IS A 1 STAR EXPERIENCE.

The lukewarm shot temperatures can be overcome with much cycling of the unit, but it was just too much of a hassle. Shot temperatures started around 130 degrees and as I cycled the unit gradually topped out at 175 degrees. The sticker on the unit says 190 degrees in 35 seconds, but I was experiencing 170 degrees after 5 minutes of frustration. Either my unit was defective or Briel's specs are deceptive. I'll modify my review again if I have trouble getting my money credited.

The first few cups were good then there were issues with the seal for the cup and I started to get leaks. Now after about 1 month of use the steam is blowing out through the cup holder area and makes a complete mess. I have seen this issue in other posts and now mine has done the same. Also the steamer valve is too close to the counter and makes it hard to get a cup or small pitcher underneath for frothing. I am having to return this item after only owning it for 1 month so be aware of the issues if you are planning on purchasing this one.

I recently received the Briel Lido for my birthday and have not been disappointed. It is a breeze to set up and very easy to use. With the crema-enhancing filter, I was pulling very good tasting shots by my second shot. I have not had any problems with the espresso being weak or lukewarm. The machine is also very sturdy and looks nice sitting on the counter. The instructions are decent, although I would highly recommend supplemental reading from coffee web sites like CoffeeGeek.com. My only complaint is that because of the machine's small size, there isn't much clearance between the portafilter and the tray. I have the taller, thinner espresso cups rather than the wider, squat cups, and I have to tilt the cup a little to get it from underneath the portafilter. Also, there is not much clearance between the steam wand and the counter, so you have to do some maneuvering to get the frothing pitcher into proper position. However, this complaint is very minor when compared to the finished product. While long-time espresso afficianados will probably want a higher-end machine, the Briel Lido delivers a lot of bang for the buck for a coffee newbie like me.

The only reason I give this 4 stars instead of 5 is that the little strainer that the coffee grinds go into has notches on the sides that are supposed to hold it in place in the funnel thing that the coffee drips from, unfortunately when you twist the funnel on/off the unit, the strainer ends up twisting too and is quite difficult to get out of the funnel thing to clean out, I usually have to pry it out with a flat screwdriver. Other than that, I have no problems with this unit and it makes awesome expresso. My in-laws are from Italy originally and they asked me to get one for them for the holidays. They give the expresso two thumbs up! All in all, for less than $200 you get a machine that makes great expresso with an excellent crema, has plenty of pressure to make great cappucino and frothed milk, workes quickly (2 cups in about 30 seconds or so) and looks great on the counter. The problem with the strainer is minor in order to receive the other benefits of the unit. I will be calling the manufacturer to see if they have a fix for the problem, I'll update this review at that time.

I've had my machine for about five months now. This machine makes good espresso and it froths milk like a pro. If you've done your homework you probably already know that pump espresso machines are preferred by coffee drinkers and product critics. I looked around for pump machines and kept finding them in price ranges from $300-$500+. Then I found this one on Amazon. I was doubtful at first because the price was so low. I read the good reviews, though, so I decided to try it out.

One of the best features of this espresso machine is that you can almost immediately remove the filter holder, reload, and brew a second serving. I wait only about 30 seconds before removing the filter holder, reloading with fresh grounds, and brewing the next serving.

(On my old non-pump steam espresso maker I used to have to wait until the thing cooled down [10 to 20 minutes] before I could brew a second batch. The reason the old machine had to cool down before reloading is that the the pressure and steam might burst out and either make a mess or burn you. Not a convenient thing when you have two people wanting espresso.)

The other day I was daydreaming and I accidentally pulled off the filter holder right after the first batch finished, without waiting for 30 seconds. It made a steam/pressure noise and blew out some steam, but there was no danger. So, I can tell you that even if you forget to wait 30 seconds, it's reasonably safe.

The milk steamer is situated a little low on my model, making it a little difficult to fit the frothing pitcher underneath. I handled this by removing the drip tray when frothing milk. It's no big deal to do that. If this were a $500 machine I might complain more about the location of the steamer. But really, it's not that bad. I noticed, however, that the image of the product above has changed since I bought my machine. The steamer seems to be placed higher. I bought the same model number, but my steamer is located lower. Maybe they produced some new ones under this same product number and relocated the steamer? I hope so. But if you get your machine and the steamer is lower than it's pictured above, don't fret. Just remove the drip tray when you want to froth milk.

I read another review from someone who mentioned that the filter holder/brew head leaked sometimes. This has happened to me, but only when I overfilled the filter with grounds. Don't fill the filter to the brim with grounds--that's when you may see it leaking. Leave about a 1/8 inch at the top and you shouldn't have any leaking problems.

The instruction manual leaves a lot to be desired, but the machine is pretty simple to use.

All in all, this is a great product for the price. If you work for a living like most of us and don't have a hundreds of dollars to spend on an espresso maker, this may be the solution. It was for me. I'm making great espresso and saving some money I'd otherwise be spending at Starbucks. Well, I still go to Starbucks, but not as often, now that I can make the caramel lattes at home. Hope this review helps you make a decision.

For the ultra-critical, you may find it challenging to deal with the small imperfections; but for everyone else who wants to save money and get a decent espresso drink, you'll be pleased.