Customer Reviews

Krups FND111 Allegro Espresso Maker

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

 

 

I was shopping around for lower priced machines and my boyfriend told me that Santa would get me one. This happened to be the machine I received for xmas of 2005 and so far it's still going strong. It is cheap black plastic but it's insanely easy to clean. We make cappuccinos every morning and so far the frothing has been just fine with no problems though at the beginning, we didn't really understand how to use it and there was a lot of splattered milk! The instructions aren't very clear on how to do this--you gotta make sure you insert the frother into the milk before you turn the knob to steam! This makes enough for 2 people to have one large 4 oz. espresso so if you have more people, you want to get a different machine. Cleaning the milk frother is easy, just wet a paper towel and vigorously go over the metal. I think this is the most important step to not having a clogged frother, which breaks on many cheaper machines. We've gone to our local independent coffee shop recently and discovered that our cappuccino tasted better. Plus, it's a lot cheaper, though I do like to get out of the house and support local business once in a while!! So far, I have no complaints except for the poorly written instruction manual so just read up on how to make espresso elsewheres!

Suited my needs for reasonable coffee and milk steamer for about 8 months. Cheapie knob for switching from coffee to steamer is a bugger. Steam is now leaking inside somewhere in steamer mode causing serious heating of the top of the unit, nasty noises, and fear of explosion. I descale it every month so I don't think I mistreated it. Did get daily use and was only $[...] but I think it should still last more than 8 months.

This is a great expresso maker. My wife recieved this at christmas and we have used it several times since opening it, and it works really well. Set up is easy, easy to clean, potent coffee. The price was good (on sale around 40 dollars, down from 65), and the quality of construction is good if not better when compared to comperable competators. Only fault is that this does not steam the milk with the expresso, but that is ok. Usually that means spending much more on a unit (into the 100's of dollars). This is fine for myself and my wife, because we both preferr cooler coffee. I hope you enjoy this as well. There is an attachment to steam separately though, so for those who like the steamed milk, you have it all in this small machine. Good machine

I was looking for an entry-level espresso maker that would not take up all of my time, money or kitchen counter. This machine rates highly on all accounts! The carafe is a great way to make 4 cups of espresso at once, the milk steamer is very easy to use and clean.

This machine makes good coffee (don't expect coffee as good as you get with the several-hundred dollar machines, though!) with very little overhead!

After seeing this, I went to a store to look at it. I can't find anything that makes it better than a cheap $29 model Krups also made. I used to own that one. It is a below-average machine. There are also some dangerous flaws in it. The machine never could make decent espresso. It runs the temperatures too high and scalds the coffee. The frother clogs very easily and is difficult to clean. Worse, the cap is cheap plastic. After about six months, it warps and is difficult to screw on. The threads on the cap are NOT metal so it could lose pressure. It is inconsistent: some days it made OK espresso, other days, it just produced a sandy dark brown "espresso" that just tasted burnt.
Finally, there is one dangerous flaw: for best results, you have to warm up the machine by running water through it once. Even after venting it (and the instruction book doesn't mention this!), you have to drip a little bit of water into it and a deadly puff of steam blasts out of the top. You have to do this before you put the water in once the machine is warmed up. BUT, the manual doesn't mention this. Can't believe they haven't been sued yet, but everyone carries this machine: Target, Wal-mart, Sears, etc.
In the end, it is not worth it. You have to pay more for a decent machine and the old saying you get what you pay for applies here. Don't drop below $99.

Many times, I have read the snooty hype about how a pump espresso machine is better than the steam type. So, I invested $300 in a good pump machine, and now it sits unused in my garage. The steam espresso comes out stronger and richer tasting and takes much less time and effort to make. Give me one of these cheapo machines over one of the fancy ones any day!

The problem with this particular model is that it's badly engineered. It can not hold the pressure to do a good job of steaming the milk. Worse, it often sprays coffee and grounds for several feet across my kitchen counter. Sometimes, it literally explodes under pressure and I have to run for cover and then spend ten minutes cleaning up the kitchen. I'm afraid it will kill me someday, so I just ordered a similar unit made by a different manufacturer. I recommend you stay away from this particular unit, even though I highly recommend this type of espresso maker in general.