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The most helpful favorable review
The most helpful critical review
139 of 141 people found the following review helpful:
Excellent value for the price
About a year ago I wanted an espresso machine that was easy to use, however I was unwilling to pay 1k or more for a fully automatic machine. The Capresso turned out to be an excellent value, providing ease of use with semi-automatic ground disposal and a reasonably sized water container. In fact, we have experienced only two problems with the Capresso since we bought...
Published on November 16, 2002 by Bill Rhodes
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44 of 48 people found the following review helpful:
Defective Frother
After taking all the reviews into account and my own previous experiece with expresso/capucinno makers of various designs I decided on the Ultima. The main reason is that it would be less of a mess for multiple cups. The expresso was excellent even with my mediocre Braun burr grinder. It produced a good crema and flavour. I am also impressed with how easy it was to...
Published on December 29, 2001
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139 of 141 people found the following review helpful:
Excellent value for the price, November 16, 2002
This review is from: Capresso 121.01 Ultima Semi-Automatic Coffee and Espresso/Cappuccino Machine (Kitchen)
About a year ago I wanted an espresso machine that was easy to use, however I was unwilling to pay 1k or more for a fully automatic machine. The Capresso turned out to be an excellent value, providing ease of use with semi-automatic ground disposal and a reasonably sized water container.In fact, we have experienced only two problems with the Capresso since we bought it: a torn o-ring and clogging. The o-ring tore because I did not clean the rotation mechanism for several months. The accumulated grounds eventually tore into the o-ring, breaking the pressure seal. However, when I called the Capresso help line to discuss our broken o-ring, the help desk agent immediately sent us two replacements in the mail with no questions asked. Total down time for the machine was a mere two days. The clogging was fixed with a complete cleaning, and if truth be told, it did say in the instruction booklet not to use very finely ground coffee. Our last espresso machine, besides breaking after two years, was so difficult to use and clean we only made espresso on special occasions. The Capresso is convenient enough that we use it all the time. In fact, we have used our Mr. Coffee only twice (note the broken o-ring comment above) since we bought the Capresso. After a year of use, I can still strongly recommend this product.
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107 of 112 people found the following review helpful:
Extremely fast&easy to use, excellent coffee, May 13, 2001
This review is from: Capresso 121.01 Ultima Semi-Automatic Coffee and Espresso/Cappuccino Machine (Kitchen)
I bought this machine after looking around for the perfect one for quite some time. This Espressomaker is unique because of a clever semiautomatic mechanism that doesn't require the usual, messy tampering and cleaning innate to traditional machines. This device comes at a fraction of the cost of the fully automated ones, but is almost as easy to use. The only little flaw I noted is that the frother will spill a relatively large amount of water (5cc or so) during the first couple of seconds before the full steam gets going. Usually no big deal, but if you froth a small amount of milk, you may want to "catch" these first cc's first. Otherwise, this machine is perfect. The pump is very strong 18bar, I think) and the crema is excellent. Baseline: If you want a traditional machine, go for a Gaggia or something similar; if you are a (lazy) millionaire, consider one of the fully automated machines ($1000-2000). Otherwise, there is currently no alternative to the "Ultima".
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64 of 66 people found the following review helpful:
The only cappuccino machine you'll ever want to see at 5am, May 15, 2001
This review is from: Capresso 121.01 Ultima Semi-Automatic Coffee and Espresso/Cappuccino Machine (Kitchen)
If the technical aspects of a cappuccino before the crack of dawn have you actually contemplating drip coffee again, check out this machine. You'll have to re-learn how to make a cappuccino, but once you get the hang of it, you can break speed records. For double caps, two scoops of pre-ground espresso go in the coffee spout. Turn the bizarre looking top a quarter turn, push down the lever and turn the pump on. You'll instantly get a perfect espresso with more crema than I was able to get with any kind of consistently from our many previous machines. And it takes less than a minute for the water to heat in the unit for making coffee or arming the frother with steam in this sturdy machine. The best part comes in the clean-up. When you're ready to make the next cup, turn the lever on top a 3/4 turn and it will simultaneously dump your old grounds in a hidden bin and stage itself automatically for the next cup. That's zero coffee grounds on the sink and the ability to crank out a cappuccino every two minutes.
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31 of 31 people found the following review helpful:
Exceeded our expectations by a large margin, October 22, 2003
By A Customer
This review is from: Capresso 121.01 Ultima Semi-Automatic Coffee and Espresso/Cappuccino Machine (Kitchen)
My wife and I are extremely pleased with this machine from Capresso. It makes excellent espressos, cappuccinos, and lattes, boils water for tea faster than any microwave, and is generally a breeze to operate and maintain. The speed of the unit is quite amazing; I can froth milk and prepare a large cappucino in less time than it takes to make my toast in the morning. And if you just want a really great cup of "American-style" coffe, this machine will do that too -- topped off with a substantial layer of "crema" and no bitter-tasting oils. Warning: After using this machine for a few weeks, you'll never be able to drink drip or percolated coffee again.The overall design and construction of the unit is first-rate for a consumer product. If Hewlett-Packard decided to start making cappucino machines in addition to their printers, I imagine they would be of similar quality and design to Capresso's. I have two minor quibbles with the steamer/frother tube -- it's a bit short for frothing in a deep container but this also means the overall height of the machine is less, and I'm okay with that trade off, since the machine fits comfortably under most overhead kitchen cabinets. The insulating grip on the tube is quite small, however, and since it must be slid up and down to change from frothing to steaming, it's easy to 'sting' a finger or two -- though I've yet to actually burn myself. As other reviewers have noted, I also wish there was an interlock on the pump switch to disable it if the tamping lever is not depressed. It's very easy to forget this step for the first week or two of ownership, especially in the morning... This is no longer a problem for my wife or I, but it does mean that guests need supervision if they want to try the machine (and they will) -- otherwise they'll blissfully stand there with an expectant look on their face as they pump water into the grounds discard bin (which unfortunately looks like it has a smaller capacity than the water supply tank -- I hope never to find out for sure). The water tank is extremely well-designed; remove the cover, grab the handle, lift the tank out, refill, and replace. I've yet to spill a drop of water. Daily cleanup involves removing the upper carousel and hand cleaning/rinsing in the sink (forget to do this for a day or two and you'll notice a deterioration in the quality of the coffee). The bottom front of the unit slides forward to expose the grounds bin and the overflow sump -- these need emptying every few days, depending on usage (a red-light comes on when the bin needs emptying). I've used Customer Service to order some of Capresso's coffee and an extra frother tube and was quite satisifed with the service -- everything shipped within 48 hours. The coffee was very smooth, but a bit pricey.
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39 of 41 people found the following review helpful:
yum!, June 9, 2006
This review is from: Capresso 121.01 Ultima Semi-Automatic Coffee and Espresso/Cappuccino Machine (Kitchen)
Wow, so this machine makes GREAT cappuccinos! Just a few points from a non expert who loves to have her morning cappuccino:
1. The coffee/espresso is really good! There is a good crema layer and it comes out very strong (not too strong) in my opinion. I haven't alwys found it to be 100% consistent, but, nonetheless, over 95% of the time it has been great.
2. The unit is kinda.... ugly! I'm sorry, but this is the truth. It's not like soemthing you would display in a very nice kitchen - it's a bit cheap looking. It doesn't even look like a traditional espresso machine. Also, what is up with the blue strip on the tray? That really makes it look cheap. Nonetheless, because I am so plesed with this product, I am willing to overlook this flaw.
3. When they said semi-automatic, I thought I would have to do a lot of work. Not true! This is the EASIEST espresso/cappuccino to make - even over my sister's semi-automatic that she paid a lot more money for (not to mention the espresso/cappuccinos taste the same, except hers is much better looking!) All you have to do is rotate the handle on top, put in coffee, rotate it 90 degrees counterclockwise, push the knob down and turn on the espresso switch. When done, you turn the knob 270 degrees and it dumps the coffee. VOILA! No coffee cleanup today or tomorrow... or for a while (this is my FAVORITE part).
4. A few annoying things Whoever it was that says when you froth milk, there is first a spurt of water is correct. However, when you have frothed an entire cup of milk, you can't tell the water was added. Also, when pushing the know down to make espresso, sometimes it has been a crap shoot and no espresso came out. I had to repress the knob down and try again.
All in all, I give this a B+ because it is ugly and a bit cheap looking. However, if I rated it on taste, it would be an A. If I rated it considering that I got a great price on it and relative to other units and prices, A+!
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37 of 39 people found the following review helpful:
I am an engineer and I am a very picky guy too but ..., January 22, 2006
This review is from: Capresso 121.01 Ultima Semi-Automatic Coffee and Espresso/Cappuccino Machine (Kitchen)
... the Capresso Ultima is just a wonderful espresso machine regardless of the price/performance ratio. It is very well engineered. You can tell the refinement of the design simply by looking at the layout of the compartments, the water tank with a clever fold-in handle that is very well balanced while you are adding water, the perfect tamping mechanism, the layout and feel of pressing the buttons and rotating the lever arm, and the matte surface finish. All accolades about this machine from previous reviewers are true so I won't be repeating them here.
Some reviewers have pointed out, however, that (1) the espresso and/or the milk is not hot enough to their liking; and (2) the frother spills large amount of water. These claims are just not true.
The espresso that comes out of my machine is just so hot that it burns my tongue, not to mention the perfect crema that comes out with it. I actually tried to stick my finger (like a naughty boy) inside the espresso glass and it burns my finger like boiling water. The "secret" is to push the pump button right after the thermostat light (yellow) goes off. It's really no secret because that's what the manual receommends.
Also, the steamer/frother is capable of heating up a cup of milk that is so hot that practically you can't drink it right away. Note that the steamer/frother has got an automatic 80sec cut-off. Everytime the milk is really hot after this 80sec of steaming/frothing (not to mention how nice and thick the froth becomes - I usually froth half a cup of cold 2% milk and the froth is like 2/5 cup thick - YES. CLOSE TO HALF A CUP OF FROTH within 80sec of frothing). For those who really want to burn their tongue, they could always repeat this steaming/frothing for another 80sec (again read the manual to see how). I tried this and it always ends up boiling the milk (implying that it has reached 100C or over). Frankly, I don't know who would like to drink practically boiling coffee. It just takes the taste away.
For the water spill problem from the frother, I actually experienced once. But quickly I found out that it's due to the fact that I didn't screw the frothing tip tight enough so the steam leaks into the metal slieve and as soon as it gets to the rubber holder on top, the steam condenses and becomes water spill. From then on, I screw it finger tight and it does not spill any more.
What more can I say? For those who are in the market to buy an excellent espresso machine at a good price, stop searching right now. This is THE ONE.
After you got the machine, Get excited, Read the manual, Practice a few times, Enjoy the coffee, and Stop complaining!
Cheers!
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44 of 48 people found the following review helpful:
Defective Frother, December 29, 2001
By A Customer
This review is from: Capresso 121.01 Ultima Semi-Automatic Coffee and Espresso/Cappuccino Machine (Kitchen)
After taking all the reviews into account and my own previous experiece with expresso/capucinno makers of various designs I decided on the Ultima. The main reason is that it would be less of a mess for multiple cups.The expresso was excellent even with my mediocre Braun burr grinder. It produced a good crema and flavour. I am also impressed with how easy it was to clean. The hot water dispenser worked fine but NOT the frother. The frother refused to work. I did several cycles of clean out/start up procedures and still no froth. At this point I am returning the machine since I could not get anyone on the service line.
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23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
SO MUCH MORE than expected!, June 25, 2001
By A Customer
This review is from: Capresso 121.01 Ultima Semi-Automatic Coffee and Espresso/Cappuccino Machine (Kitchen)
Well we have had our Capresso 121.01 for one week now and it is absolutely the easiest espresso machine we have ever used. We entertain often and were in need of a machine that could crank out caps for our guests quickly. That is most definately what we got in the Capresso 121.01! No mess or clean up, no dripping, accomodates any size cup. The frother makes your milk so creamy you might think it is whip cream! There is no part of this machine that could be improved upon in our opinion. We had a Briel Portofino which we thought was nice, now we know how awful it was compared to this beauty! We have used a Krupps, and the Starbucks best seller. None come close to this machine. It actually makes a cappuccino with froth in under a minute, then on to the next batch in less than 30 seconds.
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26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:
Gives you flexibility over how you make your espresso, December 25, 2005
This review is from: Capresso 121.01 Ultima Semi-Automatic Coffee and Espresso/Cappuccino Machine (Kitchen)
This machine should get an award for its innovative design and styling. The manual and other reviews describe how it works. I'd just like to say that while it seems complicated, the device is actually really easy to use. It's one of those things where if someone demonstrated it, you'd "get it" in 5 seconds. In actual use it takes about 1 minute to load it up and make your espresso, assuming it's been turned on and warmed up. I think the manual is unusually good at explaining everything you need to know.
The Ultima makes better tasting espresso than other brands of machines I've used. I think Capresso is seriously focused on coffee and their products are optimized for best results. For example, they concentrate on making sure the water is hot enough and you'll notice that their pressure pump is 18 bar versus 15 bar for most other brands of home espresso machines. It really makes a difference that you can taste, and it's why home espresso frequently doesn't seem to be as good as the one you get at the specialty espresso cafes that use professional machines.
Some reviews talk about difficulty getting the grind right, espresso being weak, etc. I think this is an issue with all manual espresso machines. You need to tweak the fineness of the grind for the kind of beans you usually use. Also, as with all espresso machines, there is a certain amount of mess that's inevitable. The Ultima allows you to defer the mess cleanup until the weekend while allowing you to brew-and-go during the weekday mornings. This is the benefit over single-use machines where you need to clean it up between each cup.
The real benefit of the Ultima over expensive automatic machines or those that use pods is that you have control over your espresso. In particular, I like to vary my cups from 100% caff, to a mix of caff and de-caff, to 100% decaff, depending on the time of day and how much zip I need. You can make each cup different depending on the mix of the ground coffee you put into the spout. This helps when some of your guests want caffeinated and some want decaff. You can do singles or doubles or in between, and vary the strength by varying the fineness of how you grind the beans in your grinder, or how long you allow the brew to take. By letting the brew go longer, you can fill a coffee cup with a coffee-strength brew that's the best cup of coffee you'll ever taste. Several times when a guest asked for coffee (as opposed to an espresso drink) I made it using the Ultima and when the unsuspecting guest took a sip, there followed a pause, a surprised look and the comment "this is REALLY good."
On the downside, the Ultima has a lot of moving parts (many made of plastic), gaskets and channels for the coffee or the brew to go through, so its durability may be suspect. Mine died after about 2 years of constant use, however, with the combination of its convenience, flexibility and price, I might buy another one anyway.
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20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
Superb!, February 1, 2005
This review is from: Capresso 121.01 Ultima Semi-Automatic Coffee and Espresso/Cappuccino Machine (Kitchen)
I've been using the Ultima for 18 months, and it's always a pleasure. Its ingenious design makes it very quick to use, and it requires only a tiny fraction of the clean-up time of other machines. I've tried several other espresso machine brands (including more expensive models) and none comes close to the fun and pleasure of owning this machine.
It heats the water almost instantly (some machines take 30 minutes). Foaming milk, soy, Rice Dream, etc., is ultra easy. By varying the type of coffee, it's grind, the amount of water that you use, and so on, you can easily make coffee to any taste.
Clean-up is incredibly simple. A red light comes on about once or twice a week to tell you to empty old coffee grounds. About once a month it's good to remove the top of the machine (just press one button and lift), and then rinse it in running warm water. (My wife and I use the finest-ground espresso coffee. Contra to a report by another reviewer... the machine has never clogged, nor overflowed.)
Because of its ingenious design you will need to read the instructions (actually, it also has a very good video tape that comes with it). This machine is therefore not for the "I don't read instructions" type of person. However, it you don't mind learning a new way to make coffee, then you're in for a very pleasant surprise.
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