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Product Description
Amazon.com Product Description
Enjoy a cup of espresso, cappuccino, or latte--hot, fresh, and flavorful--anytime of the day with this easy-to-use espresso maker. The countertop appliance delivers 15 bars of pressure for perfect results and can brew one to two cups from either ground espresso or a coffee pod. Use its stainless-steel steam nozzle and included stainless frothing cup to quickly turn an espresso into a cappuccino or latte. The machine's porta-filter holder with locking mechanism makes it easier to pump out wet grounds after each use, while its removable drip tray and cover provide added convenience. Other thoughtful details include a 53-ounce removable reservoir, a warming plate to heat cups, and an included tamping tool with measuring spoon. Housed in professional-grade stainless steel and embossed with the Cuisinart logo, the sleek-looking 1,000-watt espresso maker measures 8-1/5 by 11 by 12-5/9 inches and carries a three-year limited warranty.
Product Description
Imagine a cup of your favorite espresso, cappuccino or latte - hot, rich, fresh and flavorful- anytime you want it. The stainless steel Cuisinart Espresso Maker is the real thing and looks like the professional it is. Make espresso in your own kitchen, then use the stainless steam nozzle and frothing cup to turn it into cappuccino or latte. You can even heat the cups on the warming plate on top-just like the pros! 15 bars of pressure guarantee perfect results!
From the Manufacturer
The Cuisinart EM-100 Espresso Maker
The Cuisinart EM-100 espresso maker
Cuisinart lets you prepare gourmet quality espresso at home! With a system that allows you to pre-select serving size, 15 bars of pressure for maximum flavor and the option of using ground espresso or pods, you're in control. A separate steam function and stainless steel nozzle make it easy to froth milk for cappuccinos and smooth lattes. With a removable drip tray and cover, and a filter holder with a locking mechanism clean up is quick and easy.
The Quest for a Perfect Espresso
It is generally agreed that there are four basic elements critical to the perfect cup:
Element 1: WATER
When brewing espresso, make sure the water flows through the filter at the correct pace. The water flow can be adjusted by varying the pressure with which the coffee is taped in the filter or by altering the grind of coffee. If the speed of the water is slow the coffee will be over extracted and will be very dark and bitter, with a spotted and uneven creme (froth) on the top. If the speed of the water flow is too fast, the coffee will be under-extracted and the supreme flavor will not develop. The coffee will be diluted and there will be an inadequate amount of crème on the top.
Element 2: COFFEE
While the bulk of the liquid is water, all of the flavor should be from the coffee. To achieve the same great quality of coffee you receive at a cafe, you need to use the same quality beans. If you choose to grind your own beans, buy the beans fresh and whole, only about a two week supply at a time for maximum freshness. Once the coffee bean is broken, its flavor degrades very quickly. If it is not practical to buy smaller supplies, we recommend you separate larger amounts of beans and store them in airtight containers in a cool, dry area. They should not be kept for longer than 1 month as flavor will diminish. Do not refrigerate or freeze coffee beans.
Element 3: GRIND
The grind of the coffee is critical for proper flavor extraction. If using a pre-ground coffee, be sure to purchase an espresso grind that is specifically for espresso/cappuccino machines. If the grind is too fine, over extraction and bitterness will occur with a spotted and uneven crema on top. If the grind is too coarse, the water will pass through too rapidly and there will be an inadequate amount of crema on the top of the espresso.
Element 4: TAMPING THE COFFEE GROUNDS
If you choose to use ground espresso instead of pods, tamping the coffee is a very important part of the coffee making process. Use the scoop supplied to fill the filter basket, then using the tamping tool, tamp down the grounds with moderate pressure. Add more coffee and tamp again if necessary to bring coffee to level. Do not overfill the filter basket. The ground coffee should be tamped with moderate pressure. If the coffee is not tamped securely, there is a chance the water will flow through the coffee to rapidly and the coffee will be under-extracted. Note: if the coffee is tamped too firmly, the water will flow through the coffee too slowly and the coffee will be over-extracted.
The combination coffee scoop/tamping tool.
Features and Benefits
- Water reservoir lid
- Removable 53-ounce water reservoir
- Large cup warming plate
- 15-bar pump
- Heating light: Will illuminate indicating that espresso machine is adjusting the temperature of the heating system.
- Steam/Hot water knob: To use the hot water function, the Steam/Hot Water Knob must be turned the 'double drip' setting.
- Function knob: Three settings - steam, hot water, make coffee.
- Portafilter holder: Can be used with ground or pod espresso. Has two positions, lock and unlock, for ease of cleaning.
- Brew head: For easy fit of the portafilter holder.
- Commercial steam wand: Use to steam milk for cappuccinos and lattes.
- Removable drip tray: Removable drip tray with grate.
- Cleaning pins: Used to clean any excess milk that gets stuck inside the steam wand or any coffee particles that get stuck inside the filter basket.
- Stainless frothing pitcher: Used for steaming milk for cappuccinos and lattes.
- Measuring scoop/tamping tool: Use one side as a coffee scoop and the other to compact the coffee grounds in the filter basket prior to brewing.
- Filter baskets: Use the one cup filter for a single espresso and the two cup filter basket for the double espresso, and the pod filter basket for espresso pods.
Cup warming plate.
Multi-function knob.
Guide to the Perfect Espresso
- You may want to preheat the cups by filling them with hot water; this will help preserve the crema of the espresso. Set the cups aside.
- Select the appropriate filter basket and insert it in the portafilter handle.
- Using the measuring scoop place finely ground coffee in the filter basket holder. Use one scoop for one cup and two scoops for two cups, or place espresso pod into filter basket holder.
- Rest the portafilter handle with the filter basket in position on the countertop. Using the tamping tool, apply moderate packing pressure. Add more coffee and tamp again if necessary to bring coffee to level.
- Brush any excess grounds form around the edge of the filter basket.
- Secure the portafilter holder onto the brew head.
- Check to see if the espresso machine is ready for use. Remember that if the heating light is on, the espresso machine is still adjusting the temperature of the heating system. Turn the function knob clockwise to the picture of the cup espresso setting to start the pour and turn it back to the off position to stop.
- Check the espresso pour and serve immediately.
Milk steaming wand.
Guide to Milk Texturing
Milk texturing is the steaming of milk. The steam does two things: it heats the milk and mixes air with the milk to form a creamy texture. As with learning to make an espresso, perfecting the art of milk texturing takes time and practice. Easy to follow steps are outlined in the Instruction Booklet.
Using the Hot Water Function
When using the hot water function make sure that the steam/hot water knob is in the double drip hot water setting.
Place the cup or container under the steam/hot water nozzle and turn the function knob to the steam/hot water setting. Once you have dispensed the required amount, stop the hot water by turning the function knob to the off position. Remove the cup or container and swing the steam/hot water wand over the drip tray to catch any drips of water.
Customer Reviews
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
296 of 299 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great Machine - positives and negatives,
By N.H. "N.H." (Lakewood, CO) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Cuisinart EM-100 1000-Watt 15-Bar Espresso Maker, Stainless Steel (Kitchen)
I purchased this machine at a Kohl's for roughly $220. I think it's of an exceptional quality for the price.
Positives: #1 Well built (it's actually quite heavy) #2 easy to use, filters allow for a single or double shot to be made - also comes with a pod filter but I've never used it #3 large water reservoir that has allowed me to make 4 or 5 espressos and steam milk too #4 comes with a DVD that teaches you how to use it (much easier than reading the booklet) - this is especially helpeful if you're new at making your own drinks #5 easy to clean #6 has a warming plate on top (good if you need to make more than one double shot cups or two single shot cups #7 espresso has a good taste (although I think this has as much to do with the quality of the coffee you're using) The machine actually does produce a good amount of crema for the price you pay #8 Stainless steel frothing picture is just the right size for one latte or two cappucinos #9 15 bar pump allows for more than enough pressure and for great taste. #10 has a feature that allows you to get plain old hot water too if someone isn't interested in the espresso and wants tea/cocoa/whatever Negatives: #1 the steam nozzle is too long - you kind of have to tilt the pitcher to get the nozzle out - this isn't a problem so long as you know so you can use less milk or you can place the machine so the nozzle can be used on a non-countered space. The nozzle has a good range of movement so this does help counteract. #2 the distance between the portafilter (where the coffee comes out) and the drip tray is not very tall - I've found that I have to use a smaller cup to brew and then dump it into a larger cup if I'm going to make a latte and want to fit in a decent amount of frothed milk. #3 you have to be really careful to not overtamp your grounds or you'll end out with coffee everywhere - this machine is a little pickier than I expected (and pickier than the really cheap machine this replaced). But, with that said, the taste is 100x better. You can catch it if you overtamp too so long as you closely monitor and make sure the water is coming out of the portafilter at a decent rate. If you overtamp, barely anything drips out. After a while you figure out how much is too much. #4 - my biggest complaint, and this one is quite dangerous - There's not a great way of knowing that pressure has been released - this means that once your espresso is made and you're ready to clean out the coffee grounds you have to be really really careful or it'll explode the hot coffee grinds all over you and your kitchen. I've been seriously burned a couple of times. It might not be a problem if you're used to espresso machines (I wasn't when I first bought this one) or you learn to be super extra careful always.
93 of 96 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Easy, Yummy, Great Design,
By Spiralina (San Francisco, CA USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Cuisinart EM-100 1000-Watt 15-Bar Espresso Maker, Stainless Steel (Kitchen)
We had a Krups combo coffee pot/espresso machine and after several espresso calamities in a row, I gave up and got this Cuisinart. So far it has been great! It seems that there used to be only basic espresso makers or extremely expensive ones on the market, with nothing in between. But the Cuisinart satisfies the coffee connoisseur on a budget by making truly wonderful espresso and more.
One of my frustrations with our last model was the "perfect froth" tip, which was disastrous to say the least. I just need a basic steam wand and I can take it from there, and the Cuisinart fits the bill - it steamed and frothed my milk easily and quickly. Just be careful to use less milk than you might think, because the volume doubles in no time. I'll probably switch to a larger pitcher than the one that comes with the Cuisinart, though it's fine to start out. A couple tips to get started: the instructions say the heating light should come on right away, but it didn't for me until I switched the small knob to the droplet icon (as opposed to the middle neutral position). I figured this out by watching the video, which I recommend as the instruction manual is pretty bare. It's also good to see how much pressure one should use to tamp the grounds. The only negative thing I can say is that the warming tray doesn't seem to get very warm, but I do like being able to store my cups on top anyway (more space in the cabinets now, plus a certain café aesthetic is always nice), so I don't mind. Positives are that it's fast, it's quiet, everything is sturdy and well designed (and clicks or locks solidly in place so you know things are seated correctly), and the espresso is truly café quality - an enormous difference from the more basic espresso machines on the market. UPDATE: Since this review I have had some experiences with clogging. Cuisinart customer service was totally unhelpful, but here's what I do to remedy the situation: 1. As soon as you notice espresso isn't coming out, turn off the machine, take off the basket (you may have to wait for the pressure to subside), rinse it out well, and fill the machine with water. 2. Scrub the underside of the metal grid that the filter basket attaches to with a damp cloth. 3. Reattach just the basket with no filter. Heat water and run that through to get any clogs in the upper part of the machine. I fill up a milk pitcher. Then turn the big black dial to neutral, add the empty filter to the basket, and repeat. As long as water starts running through that ok it should be all right. I hope it works for you!
124 of 132 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Great Coffee, but Have a Backup Plan Too!,
This review is from: Cuisinart EM-100 1000-Watt 15-Bar Espresso Maker, Stainless Steel (Kitchen)
I like my coffee. In fact, I freely admit to being a coffee addict. And before I say anything else, let me say that this machine makes great coffee. With the right beans and a bit of practice, you can beat the taste of any coffee shop with this.
That said, I am glad, I still have my french press, because sometimes this machine decides to be difficult. It usually starts if you tamp your coffee too hard. The coffee maker is then unable to pass water through and ceases up completely. Make sure you watch what you are doing, so you can stop it from trying if necessary. Now, the real problem with this is, that you will have a very hard time removing the basket, as long as there is still pressure inside. It takes somewhere between 5-10 minutes at least, before the pressure has gone down enough, that you can pry the basket off (watch for exploding coffeegrounds, if you didn't wait long enough). To make matters worse, the machine seems to have a hard time recovering after an incident such as this. It seems to get even pickier, with what it will accept, and it will be easier to resort to the backup plan, and let the espresso machine recover. I would rate the EM-100 a 5/5, if it weren't for this problem. I hardly apply any strength, when I tamp my coffee, and I still run into trouble from time to time. In fact, the first one I had got so picky, that I took it back to the store and exchanged it. To minimize my risk, I take great care to clean every bit of the coffee maker after each use. If you can live with this issue, the coffee that comes out of this machine really is to die for.
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