Customer Reviews

DeLonghi BAR41 Retro Espresso/Cappuccino Maker

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

 

 

This machine has been great. While I've only owned 1 previous espresso machine, a Krups (which should be called Kraps), and I am not an espresso expert, I can say I've really enjoyed this new machine. It is not quite as small as the picture makes it seem. It was a little sturdier, and heavier than what I thought I would be getting. The advertisements talk about it having a unique frothing emulsion chamber. This was misleading to me because I thought the emulsion chamber would be like an instant frothing dispenser, and it is not. It is a frothing wand with a slide off part, making it easy for cleaning. I will say that the frothing does work great. As I said before, I previously owned a Krups, so I didn't even know what crema was, but now I do. I also enjoy the fact that when the process is complete I have a "HOT" cup of espresso, which of course I was not used to. It has a removeable water tank you fill up and it produces plenty of steam. I can't say enough about how great this machine looks too ! It also has a built in tamp which is hard to see in the adverstised pictures. I have used ground coffee beans from a hand crank grinder and it has produced great tasting espresso. Start-up time is a snap. You can turn it on pre-warm let build up pressure, go start running bath water, and come back and make a great cup to relax with. Also, when you open the lid at the top it has slots to store a filter and coffee scoop. This machine also comes with a filter for pods, but they must be the EES type.

I'll start by saying I hate coffee -- I've never really liked the taste. However, during a six month stint in Italy this summer, I managed to get hooked on Italian espresso. Properly made, it's not too bitter, creamy, and served extremely hot. Add one tsp of sugar, and it's the quick pick-me-up treat.

Everywhere I went after Italy, I couldn't stand the coffee, and couldn't wait to get back to Italy again for real coffee.

Coming home, I wanted to keep having this coffee, so I brought a tonne of Italian coffee home with me (more on this in a bit), and bought this DeLonghi that some friends in Italy had said wasn't too bad.

It is worth saying that these machines are only as good as the coffee you put in them, and for Italian espresso, you really do need some good italian coffee. I brought home some Lavazza and some Illy. The Lavazza is far superior, and always makes a better cup of coffee. You can actually find Lavazza espresso coffee in most north american cities, at Italian specialty shops.

This machine is extremely easy to use -- it takes a few minutes to warm up, although the longer you let it sit, the hotter the cup. Turn it on, and a few seconds later, you've got creamy espresso. The instructions are very clear on how much coffee to use, how hard to tamp it, and how to make it all work. Cleaning is easy, and it's pretty much got everything you'd need.

Only complaint is that I wish the espresso was slightly hotter -- from a professional machine, I usually have to wait a few secs for it to cool down, whereas with the DeLonghi, I usually start drinking right away.

However, I'm very happy with it, and find it an excellent value. The coffee is pretty much as close to Italian coffee as I can get here, and keeps me happy and alert :-)

This is my third DeLonghi espresso machine over a period of about ten years. I work at home, so my espresso machines get a workout. I've had this one for about a week now, and have been totally satisfied thus far.

This makes the best espresso and lattés of any machine I have owned. It also looks great on the counter, though its footprint is a bit large if you only plan to use the machine occasionally.

The "emulsion frothing chamber" has nothing to do with the milk steamer (see the complaint in an earlier review); it is a device within the filter basket that helps produce an incredibly thick "crema" on every espresso shot. It's amazing, and definitely adds to the "wow" factor if you're serving espresso to guests.

I read some reviews that complained about the water reservoir developing a leak. This doesn't have to be a problem; it's much easier anyway to simply leave the reservoir in place all of the time and use a jug to refill it.

The instruction manual is a bit anal retentive (and not very well translated). The oddest warning it contains is to let the machine preheat for at least 30 minutes(!) before brewing (this is NOT an option when I'm making my first coffee in the morning). True, the water becomes marginally hotter after the machine has warmed up for a while, but the machine brews a perfectly respectable espresso as soon as the "ready" light goes on (about 3-4 minutes).

The machine also makes a great "café Americano." Just use one scoop of espresso, and run about 8 oz of water through instead of just filling a demitasse.

One last note: what's up with the "pods"? Have we become so helpless and/or lazy that we're willing to pay three times as much for coffee in order not to have to scoop ground coffee into a filter basket? I mean, how hard is that? The "pod holder" that came with my unit (and added a few bucks to the price, no doubt) went straight into the back of a drawer, never to be seen again.

This is a pretty great machine. It makes really great latte's if you use Espresso pods. We use our machine about 2/3 times a day.

The machine is a little too lightweight. You have to hold the machine down when putting the portafilter in to avoid lifting the machine off the counter.

It's a little too short for larger sized mugs. Nowadays, people are buying larger mugs (16 oz) for lattes & such. This BARELY fits a 10/12 oz mug. The only way we can get our 16 oz mugs to fit is to remove the drip tray. This works well but is kind of a pain.

Many POD companies are beginning to sell "double-pods" since most people drink doubles. This machine comes with a single-pod portafilter. Since we always drink doubles, we have to smash our double-pods in the regular portafilter. It would be nice if it came with a double-pod portafilter.

I would still recommend this product. It does a great job despite the complaints I listed above. :) For the money, this espresso machine is a great buy.

Starbuck's was getting unreasonably expensive ($12-$20 a week). I received this DeLonghi as a gift and I am so happy. At first I did not think it would be possible for me to create café quality espresso/cappuccino, I soon learned I was wrong. The drinks that I can create in my own kitchen are spectacular...Better than Starbuck's... shhhhhhh. I would recommend that you have all of the right tools before you begin. Not only do I enjoy drinking the cappuccinos, I also enjoy the whole process of the preparation for the drinks. The aroma, the taste....Mmmmmmm. The machine is very easy to clean. I definitely recommend this DeLonghi BAR41 Retro Espresso/Cappuccino Maker, read the directions and soon you will be a pro...you will love waking up to a nice cup of espresso to get you started. Knowing that you do not have to wait in line and you will not be charged a small fortune for a little coffee will make you smile too :)

I bought this as a gift for my husband. He wanted an espresso maker that wouldn't be a pain in the neck to operate. This one is perfect! It has a large water tank, so it doesn't run out of steam before he finishes frothing the milk and he doesn't have to refil it constantly. It takes pods or ground beans with ease and the espresso was perfect the first time and every time. There were many different brands and prices available, but after having read many reviews, I chose the DeLonghi because of the ease of use and the large water tank. A perfect gift!

Makes OK espresso. One thing I'm worried about - it only heats enough hot water for about 1/2 an espresso cup before the "OK" light goes out. Is this normal, or did I get a dud machine? I haven't tried it with two cups yet, but I guess it'll just fill a quarter of each one. This doesn't seem right to me.

I was so excited to have my first "real" espresso machine and unfortunatley I still will be looking. I followed the directions excatly and after an hour of trying everything in the instructions and trouble shooting guide, no coffee came out. Then there was a pop, a puff of smoke and the thing was toast. Dead on the first try. You would think that for $150, it would work at least once and there would be some QC. I will go back to my old Kraps, that works at least once in a while.