Customer Reviews

Capresso 112.05 EspressoPro ThermoBlock Pump Espresso Machine with FrothXpress

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

This is the first consumer espresso machine I have owned that actually will brew good crema espresso coffee using a pre-packaged pod. Not only that but it does a consistent job of producing superior crema espresso with just about any fresh coffee grounds, no matter what setting one uses.
We have owned several countertop espresso machines and this is the best pump machine we have had.
Highly recommend this as a good value. The only better machine is lots more money and it is the Capresso C1000 fully automatic espresso machine.

If you are looking for a budget espresso machine which will make GREAT espresso and not take up too much counter space, YOU'VE FOUND IT!! This machine makes a perfect crema shot every time.

When I got back from Italy, I knew I couldn't start my day with drip coffee any more. I needed a machine and good beans.

I read the reviews and was afraid to by any of the machines in my price range because people said they were terrible. I had tried the Francis Francis and it made a terrible shot. Well the capresso was a gift and I set it up immediately, borrowed some Italian beans from a friend and brewed away. IT WAS GREAT.

I'm writing this reveiew after about a year of use. It is still great...every shot is great! It requires thorough cleaning about once every three months to keep up perfect brewing (we make two to four shots a day). It takes some time to get used to the tamping. And getting the right grind is essential. I recommend the Solis Maestro grinder. Its the cheapest quality burr grinder you're gonna find. And please...find GOOD ITALIAN BEANS. Illy is fine, but there are also a lot of fine small Italian companies which sell in the U.S. I get my beans shipped from Florence Italy which may seem extravagant, but its actually a lot cheaper than it would be to buy CRAPPY STARBUCKS espresso beans.

Now that you've read my review of the machine, I'll tell you the three most important things involved in a good cup of espresso. In order of importance:
1)The beans
2)The grinder
3)The machine
HAPPY BREWING!!!

The only complaint from the other reviews that I can agree with is that the amount of froth on the milk is hard to control. I certainly don't have any trouble getting hot milk. My taste in coffee is probably not very sophisticated, but this machine produces espresso and latte as good as I've had in America.

I've had my EspressoPro for 3 years and it's still working well. When I first bought the machine, it didn't work, and the Capresso people were wonderful and immediately sent a new machine. Then there was a mixup over the color (silver vs chrome), and again the Capresso people were wonderful and sent a new machine. Both times they sent me a machine immediately, with packaging to send my old machine back, so I had a new machine within two days of calling them.

I always use Espressione coffee pods, and filtered water. That's just what is most convenient for me. I've never actually cleaned the machine's innards, and I haven't noticed any degradation in performance over the years.

The milk attachment is very convenient. We wash ours about once a week, although we do have to wash the little siphon/nozzle thing every day. It's about as much work as a stainless jug I guess, with the advantage that you're not wasting milk every time you make a latte.

The downside to the milk attachment is that I haven't found a way to get a lot of froth out of it. It's got a little knob on top that is supposed to control the amount of froth. It does a good job of controlling the temperature of the frothed milk, but no matter what I do, I almost always end up with around 1/2 inch of froth on my latte. Occasionally I end up with a lot more or almost none, but I have no idea why. That's my biggest complaint.

The bit where the coffee comes out into your cup (you can see my level of sophistication there) has two holes, so it can pour into two cups at once. This is worthless. The coffee never comes out evenly, and if you use pods you can only make a single shot at a time anyway. The end result of the two holes is that whenever I make an espresso, some of it dribbles down the side of the cup instead of going in. It's also a bit short for any latte glass I've ever found, and you have to tilt the glass to get it under.

Despite the fact that the EspressoPro doesn't look particularly tough (it's mostly plastic, and not really heavy plastic at that), Mine is still going strong after three years. Much to the dismay of my grandparents, three years is considered long enough to classify something as "durable" thesedays.

So there you go. I'm sure there are machines that make better espresso, but for convenience, I haven't seen any machines that can touch this one for less than twice the price. There are a couple of things I'd like to change (milk froth control and height of coffee dispenser), but I would still recommend it.

All of the reviews of this model are mostly consistent with my own experience. Why did I give the product a five star rating? Because when this machine is compared to any traditional coffee maker, it is leagues better; plus, for the money, it makes better tasting espresso than what you will find at coffee houses. Compare it to other espresso machines and it depends on how much money you want to spend. The complaints about temperature are true. The complaints about controlling froth are also true. However, the espresso quality is better than some of the reviews suggest. I have yet to taste a better cup of espresso, coffee, cappucino, latte, etc. from any other machine or any other coffee house. I generally make cafe Americano with my machine and it's great. If you are a barista snob, you shouldn't buy this machine. If you want a great tasting cup of whatever, this is a very good machine for the money.

I was tired of paying $... per day for a mocha ($... if anyone else wanted one), not including the drive. Bought the predicessor to this machine (now showing discontinued and replaced by this model). I had no experience with making such drinks. I have had the machine for over a year now. I make mocha's for my wife and I almost every morning. We like them better than our local drive thru or Starbucks. There is a learning curve. It is overcome in short order. The grinder is important. I realized the other morning how well the machine had worked for us. I also realized I had bought it based on reviews, so felt obliged to write one myself. Only downside I found is that it will not handle half & half for "breve" drinks. Very simple to operate. Very simple to clean. Well worth the price.

This is my first pump espresso machine (I used to own a $30 coffee/espresso combo). Fairly pleased with it, although I do agree that the espresso and steamed milk could be much hotter than they actually get. However, they get hot enough for me to have an enjoyable cup of cappuccino (definitely did not have the 'lukewarm' experience that a previous reviewer had), I just would prefer if the milk would get steaming hot. I love the FrothExpress, as I can get steamed milk without putting much thought into it.

Overall, I am happy with this machine, and I can see that it will serve me well for many years to come.

The frother is great! Easy to use etc. The espresso temperature is 140 degrees F when measuring the stream of coffee coming from the machine after the machine has warmed up for 6 minutes. At that LOW temperature you can't extract the flavors and aroma required for a great cup of espresso. Other reviews stating it can take 5 minutes to brew a cup of espresso are accurate. This occurs when the grind is too fine. I've had this machine for over a year and it is NOT recommended. I use it mainly for the frother and make the espresso in another machine. To add insult to injury, the chrome like decal on the machine has an air bubble under it so it looks cheap. I thought it was chrome undil the decal started to get this bubble. Previously I had a Gaggia which is superior in every manner, and cheaper also. The only reason I rated it 2 stars is because of the frother.

I bought the Capresso 114 last December (the difference being, the model 112 has chrome trim and a very questionable milk reservoir). This machine is unbelievably finicky; you must use an extremely coarse grind (according to the manual), and almost zero tamping pressure (again, according to the manual), otherwise you get unbelievably slow coffee flow (several minutes for a shot of espresso). Even when you get everything according to instructions (which includes, according to Capresso tech support, disassembling the machine every few days), it takes at least 5 minutes to pour a shot of espresso, which comes out weak, bitter, and with no crema. After two months of discussing this with Capresso tech support and getting nowhere, I returned the machine to Amazon. After that I bought a Krups XP 4000 -- bliss! The machine makes great espresso in about 25 seconds, even with a fine grind and firm tamp.

I am extremely pleased with the results from this machine. Produces great tasting espresso and crema. The frother produces excellent froth as well. The water well is removeable and easily filled right from the filtered water dispenser on your fridge. I suppose if there are a few items to note for that undecided shopper, consider that there is no cup warmer, but I knowingly sacrificed that for the frother, as I could not find a machine in my price range with both. Also, there are a half dozen small parts to assembling the frother, but once you get the hang of it, it's a snap. I was a bit disappointed to find that you cannot put thick liquids such as eggnog through the frother, but now that the holidays are over it's not such an issue. Lastly, as for the reviews I've read stating that their latte/cappuccino was not hot enough with this machine...I did find that to be true if you try to use ice cold milk straight from the fridge. I simply put the frothing container with the milk in the microwave for about 15-30 secs while I am assembling the frother. This takes the initial chill off the milk and produces a steamy-hot drink. To me, the most important thing is a quality, great tasting espresso without leaving the house and this machine delivers. Overall I am very pleased with this machine for the price. Hope this helps!

After about 1 year of use the pump failed. As the machine had made acceptable coffee and it looked good on the counter, I spent $60 for service. About 3 months after that, the control knob stripped. Well, I've learned my lesson, and will go for a more reputable maker, like Gaggia or Rancilio.