Customer Reviews

Capresso C1300 Super Automatic Coffee and Espresso Center

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

 

 

I have owned a number of espresso machines including Gaggia pump driven manual units, an Acquaviva commercial superautomatic machine, a Capresso C1000 and now the Capresso C1300. The best espresso was obtained from the manual (not a superauto) Gaggia. However, it was not consistent and a pain to keep clean.

The superautos are extremely convenient as one simply pushes a button or two and is rewarded with a very respectable espresso or cappuccino. One thing that I like about the C1300 is that I can actually get a legitimate 30 second pour with very good crema (the brownish-red foam on the top of the shot that tells you it's been done right). You're going to want to do a large to extra large shot and set the grinder to almost the finest setting. Remember than you can only adjust the grinder when it is actually grinding.

Frothing milk is okay, but not the best. This is common as the superautos typically don't have the horsepower to pump out gobs of hot dry steam necessary for the microfoam that you can obtain with a high-end manual or commercial machine. However, it's good enough I suppose.

One of the reasons that I bought a superauto was because keeping a manual machine clean was a lot of work. With the Capresso, it's quite easy to keep it clean. Simply dump out and wash the grounds tray when the display tells you to and drop a cleaning tablet in every now and then again when prompted by the display.

The Capresso machines are much easier to keep clean than the Saeco/Starbucks units, which require removal of the brew head. Frankly, I'd rather not bother with that. Know thy self, as the old saying goes.

Even though Capresso states that you do not need to use the Claris water filter if you use distilled water, I use the filter anyway. It's a small price to pay to keep your machine in good shape, in my opinion.

If your unit ever breaks once it's out of warranty, Capresso will repair or replace it for a very reasonable price of $125 which includes return postage as of this writing. So if you ever need to fix it, you'll know in advance that repair costs aren't going to break the bank. FWIW, I never had one single problem with my C1000 and so far, the C1300 has been flawless.

I feel that the C1300 is handsome and looks better in person than in the photos. The digital display has an attractive cobalt blue backlighting which is easily readable day or night. Most adjustments are pretty simple to figure out and are made via several dials on the face of the unit (one is behind a hidden door on the left side of the machine).

It's a nice machine and throws a very respectable shot for a relatively moderate price. If it seems like a lot of money to spend on a "coffee maker", you probably won't feel this way after you use it for awhile. I use mine on a daily basis, making either crema coffee (espresso shots with hot water), cappuccino, or espresso. The Capresso C1300 is highly recommended!

I have a C1500 that I paid $1299 for. I have taken care of my machine religiously - Claris filters, tablet cleanings, RO water, finest beans. It produces great espresso. But, after a little more than a year, it clogged internally, and I had to send it in for repair at a cost of $125. Now, a few months later, it has clogged again, and I'm out an additional $125. The C1300 internals are essentially the same as my C1500, so I expect that it will have the same problems. Capresso says it's my fault - I'm using too fine a grind (on the internal grinder). Maybe so - but the manual never said the machine would clog if you use a fine grind - the coffee flow was strong on this grind setting - and why put a setting on the machine that will break it in normal use? Caveat Emptor.

For over a year I debated the wisdom of spending a thousand dollars on a coffee maker. During that year, I estimate that I spent roughly $1000 on my preferred drink - the medium nonfat latte (that's an average of 6 lattes per week times 50 weeks times an average price of $3.25 each). And this doesn't include what my wife has spent! Why I feel I "need" a latte every day is another question that I'll sidestep in this review...

Now I prepare my own medium skim latte every morning with my Capresso C1300 and it couldn't be easier -- and it tastes just as good as Starbucks. The process itself is very simple. First, power up the machine, which only takes 30 seconds or so; the machine rinses itself out, which takes maybe another 20 seconds. Then pour a cup of milk and place it under the steamer/frother. I put the cup of milk on a small box so I can walk away while the milk is being steamed; it usually takes about 2 minutes for the milk to be hot enough. (When I ordered my lattes at coffee houses I generally ordered them extra hot to ward off the dreaded tepid latte, but now I'm my own barista!) With the milk steaming hot, I press a button on the Capresso to prepare a double shot of espresso, which takes under a minute. Clean-up just involves wiping down the steamer/frother nozzle, which is made extremely easy by its ability to squirt very hot water. In short, I have my medium skim latte for a fraction of the Starbucks cost.

I've had the machine for about a month now after prompt delivery from Amazon and I have had no problems with it. Once, though, I powered up the machine in the morning and it gave me an error code (#8, I believe), but all I had to do to correct it was to unplug the machine and restart it. Other than that, I've had no other problems or malfunctions of any sort. I use LavAzza European-style espresso beans to avoid the sticky bean problem mentioned in other reviews.

Is it decadent? Yeah, a little. You could spend less on a Saeco super-auto, but I saw a low-end Vienna Deluxe in a Bed, Bath, & Beyond store (I was with my wife - I don't go to those sort of stores unless I'm forced to) and it has a real cheap "plastic-y" feel to it. I was unimpressed. The Capresso is solid machine. The bottom line is sometimes everyone deserves a little decadence.

Just had the C1300 for a month and it works great. I use Illy Caffe' coffee (both regular and decaf) and the cappuccinos are out of this world. No more trips to Starbucks, Coffee Tea or Pete's Coffee. You will be spoiled.

THIS would be the one thing that would keep me alive. I could trade in the radio for rustling leaves and ocean waves and put Gilligan peddling on a bamboo bike to quench my laté fix every two hours! If you are thinking about purchasing a super-automatic I think that there is one thing that you will find in common regardless of the brand or model - having a machine like this raises your coffee consumption level. The coffee, laté, café, cappuccino, americano, espresso, cortado or whatever you prefer to make is that good!

I debated a lot before purchasing this machine, and am now looking to purchase another super-automatic as I need a 220V model. [...] This model blends functionality, aesthetics, and ease of use better than other models that I have seen. The beans are easily filled into a covered hopper on the right side of the machine and the water goes into a handily removable container on the other side of the machine. Capacity for the beans and water are both good - a little more than other Saeco machines I have seen. The LCD display and silver face give the machine a high-tech look, but the machine can be easily operated by reading a small, pocket-sized (3 page) "easy start guide" that is included with the machine. Cleaning and filter changes are simple and extra tablets and filters can be ordered very easily from Jura-Capresso's website. I had the machine for 5 months, using it daily for about 8 cups of coffee on average (the steaming feature works well but is not something that I used often) and did not have any problems. I did have one scare with the machine when I turned it off in the middle of a brewing cycle, but I was able to continue brewing by powering the machine off and back on again several times.

My only recommendations for improvement on this model are to add a removable boiler (like DeLonghi has on their machines) as I imagine scaling could cause problems over time, regardless of cleaning, and perhaps make the spout raise even higher (regular-sized coffee cups do not fit well under the spout, a common theme with super-automatics). Overall I highly recommend those debating this purchase to take the plunge - a wonderful amenity for any home!

I was at a relatives house for Thanksgiving. They had one of these machine's and made the comment that they spent more money at Starbuck's in a year than the cost of this machine.
I was instantly hooked. I had to have one. This machine makes the best cup of coffee you'll ever have in the time it took you to set up your coffee pot, you're already drinking great coffee.
Make a phenominal cup of cappucino in less time than it takes to dig for your change at Starbuck's.
The possibilities are endless.