FrancisFrancis! X5

by Francis!Francis!

Product Features

• Pump-driven Supercrema brewing system with 18 bars of dynamic pressure
• Chrome-plated brass brewing handles maintain ideal temperature
• 48-ounce water tank with rear access; battery-powered clock on the front
• Includes both ESE pods and ground coffee handles
• Measures 10-1/4 by 8-1/4 by 11-1/4 inches

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 14.7 x 14 x 12.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 23 pounds
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• Shipping Advisory: This item must be shipped separately from other items in your order. Additional shipping charges will not apply.
• ASIN: B0000AFX4R
• Item model number: X5-Orange
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #244,610 in Kitchen & Dining (See Top 100 in Kitchen & Dining)

Product Description

Color: Orange

Amazon.com Review

FrancisFrancis! espresso machines aren't just a design dream aesthetically. They're also engineered to do much of the barista work for you, removing intimidation and trial-by-fire from the home espresso game. This fabulous-looking all-metal X5 model features a brass boiler and the Supercrema brewing system, pump-driven with 8-9 bars of dynamic pressure. The chrome-plated brass brewing handle maintains ideal temperatures for coffee, while the steam/hot water wand swivels for tidy storage. One of the friendliest aspects of the X5 is its ability to brew espresso with either pre-measured ESE (Easy Serving Espresso) coffee pods or with loose grounds from your favorite bean vendor. Two interchangeable handle baskets are included, one for each method. Three filters also come with the machine for pulling ristretto, regular, or lungo shots.

Measuring 10-1/4 by 8-1/4 by 11-1/4 inches, the X5 is a relatively compact machine, built with flat sides to save space on tight countertops. Keep in mind that it weighs 16 pounds, so you'll want to make a permanent spot for it, and that the 48-ounce water tank is accessed from the back, so you'll need room to work behind it. The sleek little battery-powered clock on the front of the machine pops out for setting and battery replacement. FrancisFrancis! includes a detailed instruction and tip guide, as well as a starter container of Illy Café espresso. --Emily Bedard

Product Description

The latest all metal model from Francis!Francis! Designed by Luca Trazzi.Featuring a brass boiler and a chrome plated brass brewing handle. Comes with both an ESC pod and ground coffee handle.

See all Product Description

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good espresso, not so good machine, June 12, 2006

By 

amelia "amelia" (midwest) - See all my reviews

This review is from: FrancisFrancis! X5 Espresso Machine, Orange (Kitchen)

This machine makes a good cup of espresso, particularly from the Illy ground coffee (not the pods, in my opinion). But I have had inconsistent performance from the machine itself. It is temperamental, and after about five months of average use, it began to take 40 seconds to make a cup of espresso instead of 20-25, as it did in the beginning. The non ESE handle also got a little warped (no clue why; I did not drop it). And, and this is perhaps a big one, that cheap crappy clock on the front that looks so cool fell out. Kept falling out. There is nothing that secures that clock in there, and it is horribly made. I really wish they had left that thing out.

So it was under warranty and I sent it back to Francis Francis. 3 weeks later, I got it back and it doesn't appear that they changed ANYTHING about my machine. The work order claims they fixed gaskets, but I don't see a difference. They didn't even unpack the handles that they requested I send (they were still taped as I had taped them), and even though I wrote (and phoned in) a detailed description of the things I needed fixed (the clock; the warped handle; and whatever was causing the machine to take so long), they did not replace the handle OR the clock.

I called FF and they initially claimed that they DID fix these things. I insisted they did not. Then they told me that the clock and handle were "on backorder." I have been waiting over a month for them to go off of backorder, but I do not quite understand how such a widely-produced machine could have basic parts on backorder. I have been trying to reach them by phone for the last three days, and their message consistently says "due to unusual high call volume, we cannot answer your call. Please leave a message and we will get back to you." No one gets back to me.

Horrible customer service. Some very major problems with the machine itself. Nice design, decent coffee, good frothing. I probably would choose a different brand if I were to purchase again.

Update: FF did, eventually, send me my new handle and clock. The clock they sent was ALSO broken (sigh), so I just gave up on that issue. I taped the old one in there, so there wasn't a huge hole in the front of the machine. Performance, 2 years after purchase, is about the same as it was a couple months after: inconsistent, but I can still get a great cup of espresso. I just wish it were consistent.

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars This machine will break and you will not be able to get it fixed!, April 27, 2007

By 

M. Malloy (Brooklyn, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Francis!Francis! X5 Espresso Machine, Dark Blue (Kitchen)

I bought this machine not even two years ago through the Illy a Casa program for my husband's 40th birthday. For about a year and a half, it worked well (and looked great too, except for the clock, which popped off and broke almost immediately). My husband loved it and I congratulated myself on getting him such a great gift. But one day the boiler overheated and that was it for the machine. When I tried to contact Francis Francis, I was only able to reach Illy. The machine was out of warranty, so it cost $10 for them to ship a box to me to have it FedEx'd to the service center. Before sending it in, I tried to find out how much I would be charged for the repair, but Illy could not provide an estimate; they did say it could be as much as $150. Not only that, they couldn't give me a number for Francis Francis customer service at all. So after just two years I am stuck with a very expensive and very broken machine. : (

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 15 minutes out of the box, and I've got excellent espresso., January 7, 2005

By 

M. G. Pollock (Redmond, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: FrancisFrancis! X5 Espresso Machine, Orange (Kitchen)

I am extremely pleased with this machine thus far. It came with the illy E.S.E. pods, as well as illy ground espresso and a different filter kit to use with ground coffee. I found the instructions easy to understand; set-up was very easy and quick. I had never made a cup of espresso in my life, and within 15 minutes I had a cup of espresso normal and had even steamed some milk to make a fabulous latte. I have the red machine, and it looks so sharp on my kitchen counter. The machine feels very solid, very well-made, and is designed to look good and work well (how Italian!). I read up a lot on this machine at wholelattelove.com, before choosing this particular one. Slate.com also gave it an excellent review.

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