Customer Reviews

Krups XP1500 Coffee and Espresso Combination Machine, Black

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(19)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(13)
1 star:		(34)

 

 

I am a self-confessed coffee junkie. With or w/o the caffeine (pregnancy and such) I love the taste; and the taste of the coffee that I've brewed with this machine was great. Loved it, loved it, loved it. The machine was easy to use and looked pretty darn cool sitting there on my counter. The only issue that i have is that the espresso side seems to need some encouragement. The knobs need to be fiddled with a bit in order to get the espresso to start dripping (even after 10 minutes during a holiday party full of thirsty coffee drinkers). Thought that was just b/c my machine was so new, but it's been doing that ever since the first use. Still, it's not terribly difficult, and the coffee is oh-so-yummy!

We love this machine. We have limited space and need to have both a coffee maker and a cappucino maker in that space. We have had none of the difficulties that others mention. But we did take the black plastic sleeve off of the frother and that has made a huge difference. With it on we got bubbles. Now we get great froth. And if we pack the espresso well we get an excellent crema. It is a $100 machine that makes both coffee and espresso. It is not going to be like a $1000 Starbucks machine. We set our expectations appropriately and were delighted.

My wife doesn't drink coffee, so it is appropriate to say "I" received the XP1500 as a wedding gift. Like others, the SECOND TIME I made espresso, the handle cracked on the espresso grounds holder from the normal pressure of turning it into place. Customer service assured me that they could do nothing unless I had the receipt. This was two years ago, and the machine was a brand new item, so there should have been no question to the age of the machine for warranty purposes, but I had no receipt since it was a wedding gift. They wouldn't even pay the shipping for a new holder. In short, they wouldn't budge, and if I wanted a new grounds holder, I would have to pay full cost to do so. So I kept it, being very careful over the last couple of years to not turn it too hard. Today, it broke further, rendering it useless. To be fair, I have tried to make espresso and cappucino many times, but I have never been able to get a truly good cup from this machine.
Other problems: the frother is too low. You need to angle the milk cup too much to be useful. A half cup of cold milk will turn into a counter full of frothed milk when it's done.
You're better off researching all products and choosing one that is made with better materials, has better reveiws for the quality of the resultant coffee, and going with a company that has BETTER CUSTOMER SUPPORT. There's a reason that "customers who purchased this product also purchased..." "...REPLACEMENT ITEMS!!!"

We replaced a Krup coffee/espresso combo which we purchased about 12 years ago. What a wonderful machine! Unfortunately, this model was no longer available. The model #985 was the recommended replacement. However, it doesn't even come close.

1) The basket for the coffee filter is too small in diameter for the filter, causeing grounds to fall into the brew. The basket also leaks, giving you a countertop lake to start your morning.

2) The espresso is okay provided you don't want a cappuccino. The froth attachment is so low and it is difficult to get the milk pitcher under the spigot. The milk froths very quickly, and your container is overflowing with foam while the milk is still cold. It's okay only if you froth enough milk for 1, maybe 2 shots, but if you need milk for the full pot (4 shots), you'll need to froth milk one-half at a time.

The pot is will soon be available for sale at our local Goodwill.

My previous espresso machines were Krups and Starbucks Barista. Having good experience with my previous Krups, I thought this machine would be as good. NOT. No crema. Steam wand is weird, doesn't froth well. The machine feels cheap. I'm going to take it back.

I have had this machine for 9 months. The knob never worked all settings only the top or bottom. The case cracked on the espresso side, the black handle broke off the glass carafe on the expresso side. The steam no longer works that just happened. I hate this machine and would never buy another KRUPS product, what a piece of JUNKKKK.

I'm new to making espresso and lattes, so lots of trial and error was required. Out of the box, the machine performed well and true to other feedback, the frother worked extremely well. The steam control knob was required to throttle steam flow to achieve micro-froth. After using every day for 2 months, it now takes 20 minutes to make a latte and there is barely enough steam to froth. If you're serious about making espresso, pay a little more and get a more robust unit.

I have previously owned a separate Krups Espresso machine and it made great espresso. This one doesn't. The problem is the amount of coffee you have to put in to make an espresso they say 2-4 cups but if you make two you cant compact the coffee unless your making for four so no crema ever :(. Filter coffee is fine and has a nice cut off feature when you take away the pot whilst coffee is being made. The build is not great and don't get the feeling its going to last that long...

Normally the machine is good. However, the one I purchased leaked badly. It had to be sent back for repair, and Krups does not pay for the shipping. It has not yet returned, so whether or not it has been repaired properly is not known.

After only using it for 2 months, something went wrong with the steam wand. It will not pass any steam. The espresso and coffee maker still works. I am extremely disappointed that this broke is such a short period of time.