Customer Reviews

Krups 92011-42 Artese Espresso, Cappuccino, and Latte Maker

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

 

 

I finally got fed up with running out for lattes every morning and the steam-driven machine that I had just didn't make a good shot of espresso, so when I saw the Krups Artese, a pump driven machine, I decided to risk [money] and see how it worked. In my opinion, it works like a charm. It makes a great single or double shot of espresso with a healthy head of crema. The water tank is handy for producing shot after shot and the steamer actually gets the milk really hot and produces a nice froth.
Advice to users -- 1) Skip the auto cappuccino accessory (which is supposed to draw milk from a container and steam/froth it automatically). It's clumsy. The steam nozzle works fine.
2) Turn the steam on before you put the nozzle in the milk to let excess water drip out of the nozzle. Turn it off before you take it out of the milk to avoid knocking down the froth
3) If the water isn't going through the grounds, try another brand of coffee or a different grind. I returned one machine thinking that the pump was broken, I couldn't get the water to push through the grounds. But it was the coffee, not the machine.

I use a store brand of coffee (President's Choice Decaf Espresso from Jewel) and it makes a smooth tasting shot without any bitterness at all. For [the money], this machine is an excellent value.

I got this machine about six months ago and loved it the first time I used it. As it turns out, I've had a lot of problems with the auto-cappuccino accessory and frothing the milk. I don't get the nice HOT, frothy, steamed milk. I get only warm milk with foam on top no matter what setting I am using. I've also tried the steam nozzle on the milk (which is supposed to be used for steaming items such as soup) and have had little success with that as well. I have tried the suggestions in the owner's manual for the problems I'm having with always getting warm milk instead of hot, steamed milk, but have had no success. Don't waste your money on this machine unless all you want is a great shot of espresso. In that department, this machine is wonderful. Otherwise, forget it. For the money, there has to be something better out there.

This is my third espresso maker, but my first Krups. I thought the two Briel machines I owned previously made good espresso until I tried this machine: good flavor and a nice head of crema on every cup--provided I set the controls correctly. That brings me to Krups' only weakness: the user's manual, which does not explain clearly enough how to set the various controls. Once I figured out the controls through trial and error, I started to really appreciate Krups' technology. And the best part is how this machine froths milk for cappuccino. Again, the controls have to be set correctly, but there's no need to stick a hot, sputtering nozzle just the right depth into a pitcher of milk--just fill the supplied canister with milk (2% works best), slide the frothing tube into the canister's top, put the pitcher, or even the cup of freshly brewed espresso, under the frothing nozzle and turn the switch. Out comes anything from hot milk to hot frothed milk. It the controls are set correctly.
By the way, be sure to follow the directions for cleaning the frother after each use--spoiled milk residue can really ruin a cappuccino!

I had the Krups 8 bar machine for about a year and a half, and never had a problem with steady use. Never even had to clean it (though I only used filtered water). But, I kept reading how you really should use a 15 bar machine, so I picked this one up about a month and a half ago. Is there a difference you can taste? ABSOLUTELY. I use regular store brand coffee, ground in the store machine, and this puppy makes one smooth cappuccino. I never could get the frother to work on its own, but the auto-frother works better, anyway.

I purchased my Krups 92011-42 Cappuccino maker in March,2003. It is great and works like a champ. Their warranty service was great, I shipped it out and had it back within 10 days, but it ony has a 1 year warranty. Unfortunately I found the quality of the plastic parts in this unit to be lacking. After the warranty expired, the ON switch has broken twice and finally was unrepairable. The automatic steamer option has broken twice and now I have just connected it permanently with a bunch of epoxy. With a $225 price tag, there should have been some more sturdy parts in this.

Rob's Bottom Line: good espresso (for the price); fans of foam will need something much better than this

I played with this machine for about two weeks, brewing 4 - 5 espressos and steaming 2 or 3 lattes per day. I toyed with several different beans, grinds, tamping pressure.

The espressos can be quite good, considering the price of the machine. I toyed with several coffees: fresh beans in blade grinder, pre-ground Italian espresso, ESE pouch system and fresh beans in a Gaggia MDF. I can get a decent espresso using a blade grinder, but the MDF is easier and much more consistent. The Krups does not produce star quality espresso but if you use good beans and a good grinder you can get something very drinkable.

Unfortunately, the steam/frothing capacity of the Krups machine is far below what I want. I am looking for foam! Maybe not all-star café style microbead foam, but a good quantity of foam that has some substance. The Krups can steam enough milk for two lattes, though it takes a while to do so. It cannot produce much foam - not nearly enough for a good cappuccino. The steam power is not there.

If you are looking for a decent (but not mind-blowing) espresso for a reasonable price you might want to try this machine. While there is the capacity to steam some milk, I suggest you try something else if you want a good quantity of foam.

I have had the Artese 3 for about 2 years now and while it has limitations, with a few tips it can produce a really good result.
Heat the basket first by soaking in boiling water to bring up to temperature.
If you are doing multiple coffees, make sure you do all the shots first before setting the higher steaming temperature as this will be too hot for the next shot and will ruin it (also takes a long time to cool down).
I have had reasonable success with the auto-cappucino function. Make sure you clean all the components of the auto-cap regularly in detergent to get the best results.
Also it is important to have the hose in the correct way. One end of the hose has a notch in it, this must go into the milk container. If it is at the other end the milk will not froth properly.
I always buy the best coffee, already ground, in small quantities, and stored in the fridge in an airtight container. It produces a wonderful shot with a thick crema every time.
It is certainly not the rolls royce of machines but pretty good value for money and I am continually complemented on the quality of coffees I make.

As I read the other reviews, I was surprised because I owned one KRUPS Artese since the beginning of December 2004. Important to mention about my own experience about cappuccino. It was my first espresso/cappuccino maker machine! After a couple of month of internship in a company where we can have unlimited cappuccino (the boss bought one machine from a bistro, so you can imagine the cappuccino quality and it's the receptionist who make them each afternoon, so he has enough experience to make good ones), I become an amator of cappuccino, so I've decided to buy my own machine for Christmas time! This machine can be compared to bistro machine, except that you have to do all the stuff manually (stop the machine when you have enough coffee or enough froth, etc.). By the way, there is a similar model that is automatic if you have money to spend. I've practiced enough during these 2 months to tell you that the automatic cappuccino makes nice froth but not hot at all! My little trick: make your espresso (60 ml), then use your automatic cappuccino to fill your cup (150 ml) and finally put the steam nozzle to the bottom (where the coffe is) to reheat it. Stop as soon as you can feel the heat from your cup. Don't heat to much! I think that all stuff should be used with care and attention, especially the screw (for the steam nozzle and the auto cappuccino accessory) and the water container because they are made with plastic. Other advices: the first cappucino in the batch will always be no hot enough compared to the others. So, use the steam nozzle to heat it more than the other cups. Key of success of a good cappuccino: good coffee (use a burr coffe grinder for better quality, but not essential), water at the right temperature and enough pressure (15 bar is enough). You can invest on some accessories if you have enough money and appreciate good quality: a steaming pot, a thermometer (milk at 160 degree Celsius is perfect), a coffee burr grinder, a tamper to tamp your ground coffee in your filter and an Aerolatte (milk frother) if you think your KRUPS machine doesn't give enough froth. Don't forget to wash all the accessories each time you finish your cappuccinos if you want to keep the same quality each time. Good luck!
WuFei

After only two months of problem-free use, the frother went into overdrive - hot liquid spraying everywhere (dangerous!), no froth, and a strong "burnt" milk smell.

So, I packed the item up in its original box, arranged a collection day, and waited in - it was finally collected on the 7th attempt !

8 weeks later, I receive a unit - poorly packed, not in its original packaging, and ... CRACKED !

Collection was arranged again as "a priority" ... collected on the third attempt this time!

After a further 6 week wait I received a brand new boxed machine ... with exactly the same overheating problem !!!

I GIVE UP !!!!

My advice - spend twice as much on a Gaggia !!!

I've had this machine for almost a year and a half. Up until recently, it performed adequately, except the espresso never was really hot enough. While waiting for the frothing mechanism to heat up, I would nuke the espresso for about 30 seconds to bring up the temperature level. However, I'm sure this destroyed the quality of the espresso somewhat. Several months ago, the little cheap plastic nut that attached the frothing arm to the machine cracked in two. I tried using Crazy Glue to put it back together. The bond would only last a couple of times until the heat from the mechanism probably just melted the bond, causing the nut to fail and the wand to blow out from the machine. I contacted Krups to buy a replacement part. It is over a month and I am still on "backorder" with NO idea when the part may come in. I am going to get a new machine, and it WON'T have the Krups name on it!