Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
great looking machine, great tasting espresso, August 3, 2006
I almost didn't buy this machine because I was worried about some of the negative reveiws I've read about it from users. However, it was the only machine its price range that really caught our eye, so we went ahead and purchased it and have been using it for about six months. It is hands down the best machine I've ever owned. It has great features, and the espresso is the best espresso I've made at home, and better than most espresso I can buy in american coffee shops. A quick rundown of the great features.
1. It looks great. It heats up quickly, and it is very simple to use.
2. The size of the water resevoir is pretty generous. It holds enough water for about 24 shots. You can expect to get a little less if you are steaming a lot of milk, but if you are steaming at the recommended temperature, the machine is very water efficient, and you shouldn't see a dramatic drop. We use it every day to make at least two drinks (at leeast 4 shots), a lot more on the weekends, and we refill only about once a week, roughly. The design also makes it quite easy to refill, I've been in the middle of steaming or pulling a shot when I realized the reservoir was low, and refilled whiled pulling the shot. This is awfully convenient.
3. The machine comes with a disc you can put inside the porta filter to make a sort of fake crema by whipping the coffee, which is popular on upper-end machines these days. However, if you are using good coffee, and grind your beans fresh, and brew the coffee at the recommended temperature, the machine produces a wonderful genuine crema without the disc. I never get an espresso in a coffee house with a crema as good. (crema has more to do with the the quality of the coffee than the machine, but cheaper machines that pull the coffee way too hot never produce good cremas because of the crazy temperatures.)
4. The steam wand does a great job of genlty steaming and frothing without scalding the daylights out of your milk. I've heard a lot of complaints about the steamer, but in my experience it works perfectly, and easily.
5. It does come with an adaption for pods, if you're into pods (blech.)
6, I love that the machine has a temperature gague that allows you to control the temperature of your steam and coffee, and not just indicator lights. It allows you to have a lot more control over the quality of your espresso.
A few things that are so so, the included tamp is flimsy and useless, get yourself a nice heavy one. The drip tray does feel a little light and cheap compared to the rest of the machine, but it is perfectly functional. The Cup warmer isn't very successful at warming cups. But these are minor quibbles I have with it.
I'm sure if I were willing to pay 4 or 5 times as much, I'd get a better espresso, but for the price, I couldn't be happier with this machine. It beats any of the little starter machines you get, and makes better espresso than machines that cost twice the price, in my experience. I'm very happy with this machine.
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24 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Nice Looks - Poor Functionality, July 8, 2006
I wanted to share with others what I wish I had known before I bought this machine. If I had known these things, I wouldn't have bought it. Unfortunately, there are a lot of fake reviews out there, which I read before buying, so beware!
1.There is only one boiler for both espresso and steam. Espresso and steam require two different temperatures. To get a latte, you have to switch between temperatures, and either way the delay to make the temperature switch is unacceptable. I make my espresso first, then switch to steam, wait two to three minutes, then make the froth. Repeat this for each latte you make.
2.The water reservoir is small and requires frequent refilling. However, I use a measuring cup with a spout, to refill the water without removing the reservoir. You just pull the tank out enough to pour the water in. Then push the tank back in.
3.The porta filter comes apart. There is a basket inside the porta filter that has three little bumps. The basket slides into the porta filter with the bumps lined up with notches, then you twist the basket so that it stays in the porta filter. The problem is that the twising motion of removing the porta filter from the espresso machine causes the basket to shift, and the result is that you often lose the basket when you go to bang out your grounds. The basket is very hot, so to retrieve it is an issue.
4.After making the first espresso, the porta filter remains filled with soupy grounds. It is very messy. If you're making a series of shots, this is a very big disadvantage. You have to carefully clean it. Usually involves rinsing under the sink. Then you have to heat the porta filter again for the next shot.
5.It is advertised that it has a "pull-out knock box ". It doesn't. It has a flimsy plastic drip tray with a metal face, and if you banged your grounds out on this, I'm sure you'd break it.
6.It drips a lot. There is a tray under the unit that pulls out for pouring out drippings. It comes out all at once, so it may spill if you have a lot of drippings in there. It drips after you've pulled a shot. It drips even more when you steam. I put a cup under the porta filter to catch drips. It can be a little tricky to align the drip tray when putting it back in, but not a big deal.
7.The tamper is a flimsy plastic thing. When I bought it I pictured a metal one with weight for tamping.
8.It is hard to get the steam bucket (not included) up under the steam wand. It is not flexible, though it does rotate. It is awkward.
In summary, I would not have bought it if I knew all these things, but I live with it now that I have it. I wouldn't return it. It is very good looking, makes decent espresso, and is tolerable for occasional use. I use it about once a week.
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11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Don't waste your money on this one, February 15, 2006
First of all, this is a very attractive machine sitting on the counter, but that is pretty much all. The water container holds just barely enough to brew four shots before it needs to be refilled. Speaking of which, refilling is a pain because the container is in the back of the machine, so I actually had to pull the machine out to the edge of the counter to get to it. With this one, you need as much water as you can possibly get, because it drips water everywhere. The first pull of the steam handle will give you about 2 oz. of water along with your steam, just what I DO NOT want in my milk. In the mean time, the brew head will happily drip another 2+ oz. while you're steaming away. Finally, there is the brew it's self. Inconsistent doesn't even begin to describe it. You never know what you're going to get out of that brew head, but you can bet you'll end up with a soupy mess of grounds after. Let's see, what else... the drip tray is difficult to remove without sloshing a mess of stuff on the counter, the cup warmer is useless, the machine is VERY noisey, and just a piece of junk in general. No, this machine is definately not a keeper.
So, before returning it, I did give Espressione a shot at making it right. I sent an email to the warranty address, as well as copying several others within the Espressione group. 13 days later I got tired of waiting for a response and called. Apparently there is 1 tech in the US to work on this thing, and he is VERY busy. Wonder why! So, I told the lady that I was pretty displeased with the machine, and their warranty service. She responded that she understood, and another brand might be better suited for me. Hmmmm... at least she is honest.
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