Customer Reviews

Krups XP 4000 Espresso Machine, Black

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(15)

 

 

Well, I don't usually review products...cause some people who do are either way too passionate about their foam, or their kitchen or their whatever....and I don't care to be lumped into the whole lot.

Anyway, I just got the machine. I'm a darn tough person to please, and I'm fairly pleased. No hassles really. Made good n' hot lattes etc. no problem frothing milk etc. My only hangup is that there is no little lever or something to hold down the filter when cleaning the coffee out of it. I used to hold my old one down with my thumb and hit it against something to jar out the used coffee grounds.

The unit is really heavy, which tells me there is something inside...not just a $100 piece of plastic. Compared to my old Krups pump model, it is much more solid, heats everything more quickly and is easier to use than expected.

Let's face it. Anyone taking time to go through the hassle to actually make cappucinos at home is too spoiled for their own good anyway. I'm just thankful to be able to whip up a fantastic espresso or latte or whatever with this machine.

Now someone who really, really knows everything there is to know about crema and the oxygen content of "perfect" foam and whatnot...can write a review more helpful than mine. Enjoy.

I picked up the machine this weekend after thumbing my nose at espresso machines for years. What I never realized is that I had been trying steam machines and the coffee the came out of them was HORRENDOUS.

I've been using a stove top model prior to buying the Krups XP4000. I brought it back with me from Italy but the aluminum quickly broke down and the taste was extremely variable and certainly nothing like what I could in an italian coffee bar.

After doing my reserach I realized that a pump machine was the way to go! Yes, they are noisey, but at this price point, I'm not sure you're going to find whisper quiet anywhere! I've seen home machines that go up to $2,000!

Anyway, I'm using grounds that I brought back from Sicily with me and it's absolutely delicious. Because of the vibration from the pump, though, I would recommend that you brew into a larger cup and then pour into smaller (warmed) cups. Otherwise you have to hold the cups in place to stop them the vibrations from moving them away from the spout.

I do find that following the manufacturer's suggestion of warming the parts first DOES make a difference in the coffee. The coffee I get out of it is better than any espresso I've ever had in the US at chain coffee places.

Always use FRESH coffee and pack the grounds tightly. I would avoid those pods. Enjoy!

As a footnote, I checked out a DeLonghi model that was $50 cheaper and bragged about 18 bars of pressure, but it was very cheaply made and not durable at all. This machine feels solid.

Let's face it, if you want a professional machine, you are going to pay for it. This is a pretty good compromise. Overall this machine works consistantly well with both ground espresso and ESE pods. The coffee that comes out is as good (and some people have even said better) than what you get in most coffee shops. The unit heats quickly.

There are a couple of REALLY annoying design issues though:
1) The filters have a double bottom design (I imagine to induce crema) with one tiny pinhole where the espresso passes through. The problem: These get plugged up after about a month of use, even with regular washing... I am still searching for a good solution.
2) The drip tray is awkward to empty and has to be emptied regularly... don't put this unit somewhere that can't get wet.
3) The milk frother is so/so... takes a long time and WARNING: can detach when you turn on the steam if you have not completely attached it to the tube, or if you touch the tip to the bottom of your milk pitcher.

If you can live with those problems, it is probably still a lot more convenient than going out every time you want a coffee.

As an espresso fanatic, I've owned espresso machines for more than 20 years. This is by far the best one I've found to date. Unlike some other machines I purchased recently, this machine produces great espresso quickly (less than 30 sec.), consistently and reliably, regardless of the fineness of the grind and the tamping pressure. Rich, black espresso with thick crema is the consistent result (assuming you're using top quality freshly roasted dark roast coffee). The machine also accepts pods, but the wimpy pod dose is a joke (about half the size of the smaller regular grind dose). I'm sure the pods are OK for some people, but real espresso is made with the double shot filter. The filter holder is massive -- it must weight 3 or 4 pounds -- and is a joy to use. It doesn't clog up right away like some other machines. One reviewer mentioned that the filter holder lacks a lever to hold the filter screen in place when dislodging the grounds... that's because the filter disc is held in with a spring retaining clip! No effort is required to keep the filter screen in place, it stays there no matter how hard you knock out the used coffee grounds! I wonder if that reviewer even realizes this. I recommend this machine highly.

The machine works great (well for a beginner anyhow, I'm not a pro:) - I'm happy with it so far...a little long to steam but worth the wait. My 2 constant problems were shortages on both shipments (I returned the first due to shortages and not working properly). I absolutely love my machine but I am still to this date having problems getting my replacement piece (with Krups not Amazon). Since everything works and its one of the filters missing I decided to keep the machine and wait it out for the part. In short great machine if you get all of the parts.

that was when i first recieved the second unit:

well....cut to a few uses later and the machine does not work properly! tons of water when the steam comes out and barely heats the milk. i thought i'd wait it out becuase it seemed to have worked in the beginning but not so now and I still haven't been able to get a filter!
i highly recommend that you do not buy this machine! nothing but problems. I have returned the unit and am waiting for my new machine to come in - no its not a Krupps! I'd be hard pressed to ever by a Krupps product again - due to constant shortages, lack of caring customer support and a machine that has failed in two units.

I will try to keep this review short ads to the point although I love this machine so much it will be hard to do. Let me start out by saying that I have had a $1100.00 a year Starbucks habit for many many years. It would have ended long ago but I spent 3 yeas as a product rep for Krups and later Braun demonstrating these machines in the Los Angeles area. This experience thought me that the machines made for home use were sadly inferior to commercial units. Hence I continued to shell out more and more for my favorite drinks at Starbucks, sometimes twice a day. It was not till I read about this machines improvements over past models that I decided I could finally buy one. My wallet and my taste buds are glad I did.

Good espresso is all about the pressure needed to make the crema (that thick layer of creamy goodness on top of an espresso shot.) Up to 15 bars of pressure are needed to get this layer of flavor and this machine delivers. This espresso maker with it's thermo block deliver pressure plus! I have never seen such rich and flavorful shots of espresso. They are bittersweet with perfect color and flavor. Really it is not possible for me to describe how good they are but let me say I have stopped going out for coffee.

Now I am an espresso drinker and do not do the milk based drinks. My partner mostly drinks lattes that I usually end up making so I can tell you that this beautiful machine dose a great job at frothing milk. Perfectly hot and perfect about of air. We did buy the Krups forting cup that seems to make it do an even better job. It takes seconds to go from making espresso to steam for milk amazing!

In all we are a house of serious coffee drinkers who went for years spending a lot on so so coffee instead of buying an inferior home machine. Now the wait is over for us and we have never had better coffee. You will not regret buying this espresso maker I guarantee you.

We have been enjoying a cup of Capuccino every single morning for at least 9 years. Our old model broke and needed to be replaced. We chose the Krups XP 4000 based on it's 15 bar pump setting and because our previous very old machines were from Krups and we were happy with them.

What a dissapointment! Yes, it works, but the pump is very LOUD. The biggest problem is that the Brew Head seal needs to be replaced frequently (part 620342).
We got our machine in May 2006 and make 2 cups each morning. We are at our 3rd (!) seal; that's a seal replacement roughly every couple months. One needs a very short srewdriver to do this. I would never buy this machine again, wish I never had and regret I didn't return it when I still could.

******Update August 6 *******
THE REVIEWER THAT SAID THAT THE XP4000 IS DISCONTINUED IS A LIAR. I JUST WENT TO THE KRUPS WEBSITE AND IT IS AVAILABLE. ALL THIS NEGATIVE REVIEW OF A GOOD PRODUCT THAT I HAVE BEEN USING FOR NEARLY 2 MONTHS WITH NO PROBLEM AT ALL MAKES ME WONDER IF THE NEGATIVE REVIEWERS WORK FOR STARBUCKS OR A COMPETING ESPRESSO MAKER COMPANY. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS PRODUCT!

It is a real pleasure to write a review for the Krups XP 4000 Espresso machine. My reason for buying this one is that I have become spoiled by the ease of use of my Keurig single serve coffee maker and wanted the same convenience of using pre-measured pods in an espresso machine. The XP 4000 allows you to use "E.S.E." or Easy Serving Espresso pods. It comes with the pod holder right in the package so there is nothing else to buy except the pods. The nice thing about ESE pods is that they are standardized; meaning that if the package of espresso pods has E.S.E. stamped on it you know it will work in your machine. This is something that single serving coffee machines have not been able to do. Of course you can also use your own custom ground espresso in the XP 4000 by using the included single and double cup filter baskets. I just happen to love the convenience of popping in a pod and tossing it away when finished with nothing to clean up. As for the machine itself the first thing I noticed when I took it out of the box is that it is very heavy and solidly built. The selector knob feels very solid and definitively locks into each position. I had been thinking about a low price Hamilton Beach model that accepts ESE pods but the reviews on it said that it was pretty flimsy so I am very glad I chose the Krups XP 4000. It was easy to set up and I filled the reservoir and ran the suggested two tanks of water through it to flush out the internals. Then I snapped the E.S.E. pod holder into the porta-filter handle and inserted a Starbucks espresso pod and was quickly brewing my first shot of espresso from my new machine. I must say that contrary to some reviews I read the espresso comes out quite hot; the perfect temperature I would say. The starbucks espresso tasted excellent slightly caramelly and bitter-sweet with plenty of Crema! I did do two simple things that I've learned from experience using single serve pod coffee makers. By following the pre-use flush instructions the machine and all components were quite pre-heated and I would always recommend running several ounces of water through the machine without espresso first to warm it up. Secondly when I put the pod in the holder, I poured a little water on it to wet the grounds. This does two things; it prepares the grounds to release their oils and flavor for a fuller bodied shot with lots of Crema and it also swells the pod slightly to ensure a tight fit in the holder and prevent water from leaking around the pod. This morning I did just that, ran a few ounces of water through to warm it up and this time I used Illy pods. It was a real treat. The shot looked like a freshly drawn glass of Guinness draft with all of the rich foamy Crema and was just superb! Some people have commented on the pump noise but having used my pump driven Keurig coffee maker and others for several years now I am used to hearing a pump run and the Krups pump is no louder than any of the others I have used. I didn't notice any appreciable vibration either. I haven't used the frothing function because I like my lattes over ice in the hot summer months but it looks well designed. I'll give it a try and add to my review at some point in the future. In conclusion, I am very pleased with this purchase and I am sure that you will be too. Even if you have $500.00 to $700.00 burning a hole in your pocket (as I sure didn't) I'm not sure you will get that much better of a machine. It is a real bargain at $148.00 and Amazon offers free shipping and a $25.00 discount as a promotion.

*****UPDATE July 26, 2006******

Had to update my review. First of all the reviewer that said the machine leaks internally is wrong. The water reservoir outlet has an "O" ring seal that fits very tightly. I've used mine for over 2 weeks with not one drop of water inside the machine as they wrongly state. I would suggest to "gently" push the reservoir down until you feel the seal engaging.

Also the machine makes just fine frothed milk. Go to the Krups website and view the videos on how to use the frothing attachment. I have never seen a Barista put a pitcher of milk under the nozzle before turning on the steam. Put an empty pitcher or glass under the nozzle after the light has gone out and turn on the steam. You WILL get some water initially. Steam condenses. Remember grade school science? Until the nozzle warms up to steam temperature the steam will condense. This only takes 3 seconds and you will get nice dry steam. Then put the pitcher under. I frothed milk to 140 degrees in under one minute. Also I think most people use way too much milk. Even with the double basket, a double shot of espresso is only supposed to be 4 ounces so you should only be trying to froth 4 to 6 ounces of milk at a time at the most. I personally prefer the taste of good espresso and routinely have to ask for my cappuccinno "very dry" when going out for a coffee drink. I think most places (starbucks especially) consider a cappuccinno to be a latte and a latte to be coffee flavored warm milk. Just my personal preferences. I stand by my first review. It's a solid machine for the money and a good buy. Also check out some of the ESE pods available. You can even get pure Kona or Jamaica Blue Mountain pods delivered right to your door. The fact that this is a reasonable priced ESE pod adaptable brewer makes it worth the price alone. Enjoy!

About five days ago I purchased a Krups XP4000. The problem I am having is that the piece that attaches to the steam nozzle, (cappuccino accessory), becomes detached during use and blasts hot liquid and steam for a two or three foot radius. This has happened about a half dozen times, including the very first time I used it. Initially, I thought it may have not been attached properly, however it has happened about a half dozen times since. I have been extremely careful not too touch the nozzle to the sides or bottom of the frothing cup, and also to be sure the accessory is clean and attached properly. Needless to say this could be a serious issue for a user or bystander. Krups was unresponsive to the issue. I have reported this product to the Consumer Product Safety Commission and have returned my purchase.

I returned the XP4000 to Amazon.com, I was very disappointed about how much time it required supervision to produce each cup of coffee. Nothing about the 4000 is automatic and it will drip until the reservoir is empty or you turn it off. I have made espresso comercially with successful results, I found the 4000 very frustrating. I am happy with the XP4050 which I ordered after returning the XP4000. If you have $200 more to spend try the Saeco espresso makers, the flavor is better, and it's what Starbuck's sells with their label on it! I am happy with the XP4050 for the money.
P. Taylor
Lake Stevens, Wash.