Customer Reviews

Krups 985-42 Il Caffe Duomo Coffee and Espresso Machine

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(16)

 

 

I've owned this coffeemaker for about 8 years now and it still works fantastically and makes great coffee. I'm very puzzled at the bad reviews I've read, since I've never once experienced the issues put forth. My machine and carafe have never leaked - not once. The steamer and Perfect Froth attachment makes a great froth, is easy to clean, and if you use the amounts of water demarcated on the carafe, it makes great espresso and there's plenty of time for steaming (in fact, I usually have more steam available than I need). I set aside my milk ahead of time, and never have an issue with having my espresso go cold before the milk's done. Putting all the pieces together really only takes a few minutes of practice if you've never done it before - I had, but I've had friends use this machine for their first time making espresso with no problems. I recommend buying a permanent gold filter for the coffee side, but I would recommend that for any machine (Krups makes one to fit this machine). You get more flavor out of your grounds, and the gold mesh doesn't hold onto oils. Basically, if you take a few minutes to learn to use the machine properly, which is not difficult, you'll have a dependable machine that will produce consistent results day after day.

As a former professional barista, I'd recommend this for home use. It'd be fabulous if we could all have an espresso bar at home with a water input, and could make four cups and steam milk at once, but that's not affordable or feasible for most people - this machine is.

I really am happy with my Krups coffee maker. Either I make expressos or capucchinos (actually I prefer lattes), my Krups has worked perfectly in the two months I've had it. Certainly was tricky to use the froth for foam, but if you read carefully the instructions you will get the hang of it (and of course, with some practice). I recognize I'm not a heavy coffee drinker and I don't expect either that the machine will work like I was in some fancy coffee shop. This is an easy-to-use home appliance to make a slightly better cup of coffee than the average coffee maker machines. If some people are too demanding and specific with their coffee needs and expectations, I suggest strongly not buying this appliance or any other for that matter, because they will always have complains that will be impossible to accomplish.

I have had my combo unit for 6 months and have used it constantly since purchase. I am not a true coffee geek. Therefore, my opinion of espresso's and the ability is that of a novice. With this said though I am actively searching for an affordable espresso machine, under $[...].

The good.

1) It was cheap. I picked up mine on clearance for about $[...].

2) The frothier, it works like a champ (once you figure it out)

3) Not too difficult to clean the frothier

4) It is dependable. The first 2 months I owned it; i got on an espresso/cappuccino/latte kick and made about 8 a day for family and friends. I am not kidding, at least 8 a day.

5) If you want to learn how to make espresso and cappuccinos then this will make you learn.

The Bad:

1) The coffee pot is a pain to use. Whenever you pour water into the unit, it spills. Whenever you pour coffee, it spills. It makes a mess no matter what. Maybe I am used to Mr. Coffee and the ability to pour coffee without it catching on the lip. (This is the most annoying thing and the main reason why I am getting rid of it)

2) The espresso side takes a little work to figure out the right amount of water to use to make an espresso to your liking.

3) Mineral build up in the espresso "boiler". If you have hard water, buy distilled water

4) In order to produce enough froth for 2 cups of cappuccino, you need to utilize the "steam" disk and run the espresso machine. Until you get good at this, the milk gets cold before the espresso is done or vice versa.

5) The plastic clip will break off easily.

6) NO AUTOMATIC power off on either the coffee or the espresso side of the device.

I've had this machine for about six years, and I remain impressed by the durability and quality of it. It's survived almost twenty moves, five of which were cross-country. The only thing that's not in like-new condition on the machine is the lid to the espresso carafe, as the small plastic tabs that provide tension to keep it on the carafe broke off.

Please note the title of my review, though. If you are expecting coffeehouse quality out of a machine, invest in another one. I had this one in college and law school and it is about to be replaced by a La Pavoni Europiccola simply because the taste on this machine isn't the grade I like. If you aren't drinking espresso daily, however, this machine is probably more than what you need. Be realistic- if you want coffehouse quality, you're going to have to invest in coffehouse-grade machines, none of which cost $100 for a dual-function unit.

Besides taste, another issue is the frothing mechanism on this, which is quite functional but has a fairly significant learning curve. A reviewer below complained that there was not enough steam to froth the requisite amount of milk, for example. This is not true- there is more than enough steam- but you have to stand over the machine and learn when it's ready to go. In my experience, this is largely by sound and feel. Once you get the hang of it, it's fine, but don't expect to pick it up the first time you use it, or if it's a machine you use only sporadically.

Bottom line: If you're looking for an affordable, attractive machine that makes low to mid-grade espresso, cleans easily, and has a small footprint, this is the one.

I've had this coffee maker for several months and have found that the heat, wear and tear of daily use takes its toll on the coffee maker. The filter compartment warped after several uses and the auto-stop drip mechanism's spring wore down quickly. Now I am no longer able to remove the coffee pot to pour a cup while brewing. The frother on the espresso side is weak, and the espresso is OK.

My first try at making a cappuchino was actually pretty good. However, when I went to make coffee with it, the water I poured in the water chamber leaked out onto the kitchen counter!
I took it back to the store and exchanged it for another one, brough it home, and it ALSO had the same problem. There appears to be a hole in the bottem of the water chamber at the spot where the plastic was injection molded--a manufacturing defect.

For this much money and this brand name I'd expect a better quality product. Now I need to decide if I should just get my money back or go for strike 3.

Decent machine b/c it lasted 4 years of regular use. Now that I know a little more however, go with a pump and boiler type machine. This one never seemed to get the water hot enough to extract the quality flavour I really enjoy...

We received this Krups model as a wedding gift two years ago. When we first opened it, we had to replace it with a new one because the warmer plate for the coffee side was badly scratched. Since the replacement of the whole unit we've had to order six, THAT'S SIX (6), replacement parts and they are not cheap at all (Krups overcharges you on the cost of shipping! A frother replacement part cost us 7.95 for ship and handling on top of the replacement cost!!!! Actual shipping was 1.35 in a padded envelope!!!!) We've had to replace the carafe twice. The lid won't stay on the carafe while pooring due to the pieces that hold it on, keep breaking off. One of the plastic hinges, of the lid on top of the whole unit, broke off during regular opening and closing. The rubber on the frother split and the whole frother had to be replaced. The stop and pour feature was not working correctly and we had to replace that part as well. The final thing to break was the plastic flap on the expresso holder. At an average of 15.00 a replacement part plus shipping we could have purchased a new machine by now. We do use the expresso side once everyday, but we take very good care of the unit. We even hand wash it to save it from getting extra damage or wear from the dishwasher. The coffe maker side swing open door, is faulty too and doesn't close completely. This causes leaks if you are not being careful to make sure it is closed all the way. Also the regular coffee carafe leaks when pouring coffee or water from it.
I would stay away from this one, the plastic is very faulty. The plastic pieces just do not hold up well to heat. NOT the quality I would expect from Krups or for the price. This unit is probably good if you just want something pretty to sit on your counter top and for occasional use. If you want to use a double unit such as this on a daily basis, I would bump up to a higher model with less plastic. No model or brand recommendations to tell you to try. We've just started looking for another one! Enjoy!

This coffee machine has caused more frustration that it is worth. It brews coffee unfathomably slow, you must pour the coffee with the utmost of care into your cup to avoid covering the countertop with coffee (not always an easy task when it is 5 am and you are caffeine deprived). The freshly brewed coffee is never very hot, the pour and serve mechanism stopped working six months after purchase, it never makes a full pot of coffee because 1/3 of the water seems to steam out the top, and finally the filter cup is poorly shaped so you usually end up with coffee grinds in your cup. Yum! And the expresso side of things is not much better. The expresso comes out less than lukewarm. This machine is also big, bulky and ugly. I had a better experience with my old Mr. Coffee machine ... than this over-rated behemoth.

I purchased this machine just over a year ago (January 2003) and have never had any problems with it. It is a huge space saver on the kitchen counter, compared to having separate espresso and coffee machines. The frother does require cleaning after use, this is to be expected from any frother. My only wish is that it had been shipped with a frother cup and a tamper, as these things are useful accessories for the machine which I ended up purchasing separately.