42 of 44 people found the following review helpful:
Can't beat it for the money!
I must start with saying that this is my second XP4050 in one month, the first suffering from two problems. One problem was the same that others have mentioned here, when water stops coming out of the filter head and instead just dumps into the drip tray from an apparent overflow-type valve in the bottom of the machine. This only happened once, corrected itself, and...
28 of 32 people found the following review helpful:
Loud, rattling, rripping, But decent Espresso ...
I love my espresso and used a krups 15 bar pump machine for the last 7 years. Love that machine and so bought the latest Krups, xp4050.
ack.
On the plus side:
+ Makes a good cup of espresso. Not fantastic (not with a touch of that burnt taste that you get from boiler models), but a very drinkable cup. And that's what it's supposed to do...
This review is from: Krups XP4050 1200-Watt 15-Bar-Pump Programmable Espresso Machine (Kitchen)
I must start with saying that this is my second XP4050 in one month, the first suffering from two problems. One problem was the same that others have mentioned here, when water stops coming out of the filter head and instead just dumps into the drip tray from an apparent overflow-type valve in the bottom of the machine. This only happened once, corrected itself, and never happened again. The second problem was that I noticed a small amount of water occasionally leaking from the buttons on the front and the stainless portion on the front of the machine would also get VERY hot. I believe these were one problem, possibly the brewing portion leaking.
I contacted Amazon online and was shocked at the ease and speed of getting a replacement model. At no charge to me, including shipping, I had a brand new XP4050 within 3 days.
The new model works perfect. I am a somewhat new espresso afficienado, having been making my own at home for only about 2 years. This is my second machine, my first being a Krups Gusto that recently died. I decided on the XP4050 after a great deal of research and comparing features versus cost. The price I got this model through Amazon was literally half what I was looking at with other brands.
As far as use of the machine, it couldn't be easier. I use mostly pods but have tried grounds with equally easy and great tasting shots. The three different filter baskets for brewing are held in the handle firmly, which was an issue in my old Krups Gusto (I accidently threw away the single shot filter basket). The frother performs very well although I have not tried the attachment for pulling the milk from a separate container. As others have said, make sure you keep an eye on your drip tray, it does tend to fill quickly. I empty mine every 4-6 shots.
Overall, even considering my initial "problem" model, I am extremely happy with the XP4050. It's a great looking, inexpensive, easy to use machine that consistently puts out quality shots of espresso. I would recommend this model to either new beginners or someone looking to step up a little.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
This review is from: Krups XP4050 1200-Watt 15-Bar-Pump Programmable Espresso Machine (Kitchen)
Ahh great coffee at home
Firstly I am just a wee amateur when it comes to coffee. I hate instant coffee and wanted quality coffee at home that was easy to make.
I just purchased this machine last night; it's our first pump espresso machine. It took me a couple of goes, messing around with the machine to produce a good coffee, but I seem to be getting quicker and better with each additional coffee I make.
It's fairly simple to use. The pre-programmed 1 or 2 cup buttons take all the guess work out of the coffee creation - process. It is also very quick to fire up (become ready from power up to coffee creation) in comparison to some of my friends machines.
The auto- cappuccino (milk foamer) also works well, with surprisingly little mess or effort, but be sure to use very cold milk.
So far the machine seems to be very easy to clean after your perfect cup, no drips or mess which I have read about in other reviews.
I have not tried the ESE pods yet, but I am sure this eliminates any coffee ground mess.
I hope this helps, enjoy
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
This review is from: Krups XP4050 1200-Watt 15-Bar-Pump Programmable Espresso Machine (Kitchen)
I love my espresso and used a krups 15 bar pump machine for the last 7 years. Love that machine and so bought the latest Krups, xp4050.
ack.
On the plus side:
+ Makes a good cup of espresso. Not fantastic (not with a touch of that burnt taste that you get from boiler models), but a very drinkable cup. And that's what it's supposed to do!
+ I LOVE the auto milk frother. I just tuck the tube in a cup of milk and it draws out the milk and spits it into my cup all frothy and warm. Very nice (though a bit diluted with water from the frother, but I'm ok with that).
On the not such a plus side:
- Noisy! OMG! This thing rattles obnoxiously, much louder than the older platic Krups model I've been using. Sounds as if the stainless surfaces are not well mounted or... or... I dunno, but it's just stupidly loud and buzzy. Every time I run it my wife jumps back, 'it's broken, it's broken' Nope. Just seems to be how it works...
- Drippy! In two ways. First, the espresso seems never to end... I find that the factory "double cup" setting is almost twice the content that is traditional, not sure why it's set this way, but it is programmable, so I can change it. Either way, when I depress one of the buttons to stop the espresso (because I haven't reprogrammed the double seting yet to decrease amount), it continues dripping for a long long long time, very strange and very unlike my old machine, which dripped away, surely, but not for minutes on end... And this isn't a fault of manual control, either, I checked. Because when I hit the single cup button and let it run its programmed course, the dripping continues for so long that it more or less makes a double cup! Just, bizarre. Terrible flow control. Is it broken? Lord knows. But I just pull out my cup when it's got the correct amount (because I've been making espresso for so long I know how much a single or double should be), and stick a second cup beneath to receive all the drips. Rather defeats the notion of programmed flow control, though.
Secondly, huge amounts of water gather in the drip tray. Again, substantially more than the old model. I find that I have to change the drip tray every other time I used the machine (the old model would go weeks b/w drip tray changes). Again, odd.
In sum, I'm rather disappointed with this new model. While the espresso is acceptable and I love the auto-frother (go to Krups web site for a demo of that), the things seems very poorly engineered, with obnoxious rattling and buzzing, catastrophically bad flow control, and drippy mess underneath, wasting half of the water that you put into it.
This is not the kind of engineering I expect from Krups. I don't recommend this product and will likely not keep this one for all that long.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
This review is from: Krups XP4050 1200-Watt 15-Bar-Pump Programmable Espresso Machine (Kitchen)
Last month I decided to replace my aging, 6-year old Krups espresso machine. It had provided great service but, thanks to a less-than-rigorous regimen of descaling over the years, was getting long in the tooth. Its pumping action was weakening, and the steamer would occasionally get rambunctious. I was happy with Krups, so I replaced it with another, the XP 4050. Bad choice.
The XP 4050 just didn't work as it should. On some mornings, after the machine heats up, it goes into a frantic blinking mode when I try to pump. And it didn't pump...its four blue lights just blinked furiously at me.
The machine's manual did not describe this behavior, so I called the Krups consumer help line from the manual. (Incidentally, kudos to Krups on that help line. I got to a human pretty quickly.) I described the symptoms, and they emailed me a UPS label to send the machine in. Four weeks later, a replacement arrived.
It does the same thing.
Another criticism: The steamer nozzle is useless. It's like a four-year-old blowing bubbles into a cup of milk. My old machine had a healthy steaming nozzle that was a whiz at frothing. The XP 4040 is no match. Adding to the aggravation, the steamer attachment has a little air-induction tube that keeps falling out.
I'm sorry, Krups, you've gone astray. The machine's going back to Amazon.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
This review is from: Krups XP4050 1200-Watt 15-Bar-Pump Programmable Espresso Machine (Kitchen)
My husband purchased this espresso machine for me and I was thrilled at first. It worked well for just shy of 2 months, then broke. The water would no longer draw up into the filter it would only drain into the drip tray. We exchanged it for the exact same model and the new one was worse! We followed the instructions to prime it before the first use the night we received it and turned it off without making coffee. Luckily I smelled something funny before going to bed or else my house may have burned down! Internally the machine didn't turn off and it over-heated so badly that it scorched my counter and warped the plastic on the top and sides! The second machine never made a cup of coffee... We promptly returned that one as well and decided to purchase a different machine entirely! Please don't waste your money on this product!
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
This review is from: Krups XP4050 1200-Watt 15-Bar-Pump Programmable Espresso Machine (Kitchen)
I've owned a number of Krups products, including a 17 year old steam espresso maker, and over the years have been consistently very pleased with the design, quality and reliability of the Krups products. So I decided that it would be nice to have a new espresso maker, perhaps one that has more options and can brew more shots a bit faster.
After looking at the various products and the reviews of the XP4050 here on Amazon I was somewhat concerned but nevertheless ordered this machine because it appeared to be about what I was seeking. The reviews gave me some pause but in the end I dismissed them, crediting Krups for past performance and assuming the reviewers were just incompetent or were not patient enough to learn to use the product properly. HAH! Boy was I wrong.
My first clue that there was something different about this item was the instruction manual. I am able to read several languages and was amused to see that the instructions in the various languages, while close, were not the same in each language. In fact there were recipes in some languages that were missing from the English version. What's THAT about?
Then when I tried making my first batch of espresso I found that, as others have complained, I made a mess trying to load the filter. The next disappointment was the brew... I followed the instructions to the letter (such as they are) and the result was a pretty poor example of espresso. The attachment for frothing/steaming the milk was not much better and also made a mess. I put the liquids together for a latté. Okay... I was impressed with the smoothness and the taste, but the espresso itself was just plain pathetic; weak, especially compared to the output of my old machine. So I gave it another try, this time with twice the coffee and tamping it down more and created another counter-top mess. This time the brew was stronger, still very smooth, but only about 2/3 the quantity. Consternation was setting in. Then I discovered that the drip tray was FULL of liquid!?! What the heck?
I tried every darn way I could manage to brew a decent latté over the next couple weeks. Alas, it was to no avail, each attempt was disappointing in some crucial aspect. I called Krups and the very nice people suggested that if I was actually doing everything correctly then the unit must be faulty and I should send it in. I knew that one of my attempts should have been somewhere close to the realm of doing it correctly so I doubt that there is anything faulty with my machine. I also suspect this since my complaints echoed those I had read.
What a failure this thing is! I am happily back to using my antique Krups unit that cost me $49, 17 years ago and the XP4050 is in route back. Each morning I produce a wonderful, adequately strong espresso and the steamed milk is perfectly frothed. I should have been happy with the old machine all along. I am so sorry I doubted the other reviewers.
UPDATE: After returning the XP4050, I continued to use my old Krups unit happily for another couple years. It finally died about a year ago. It would no longer heat the water. I can only guess at the number of cups it produced but there were probably 1000s.
I opted to replace it with a much more expensive machine and ordered a Rancilio SILVIA for almost $600. It seemed excessive at the time but once I got the technique down, I found the machine flawless and the espresso/lattés are exquisite. It doesn't get much better than that. Also it takes only slightly more counter space and very easy to clean and maintain. I actually appreciate the crappy experience with the XP4050 because it led me to buy a far better machine.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
This review is from: Krups XP4050 1200-Watt 15-Bar-Pump Programmable Espresso Machine (Kitchen)
I have owned the Krups XP4050 for over nine months now and have used it daily ever since it was purchased. I knew I was taking a risk when I bought the XP4050, as I had read the many negative reviews on Amazon. The primary reason why I took that risk was that I was able to get an extremely good deal - getting well over $100 off the typical retail price. I feel fortunate not to have experienced any of the serious issues some of the other users have had.
There is a learning curve to the XP4500. That's for sure! Here are the things that I have learned in the time that I have owned the machine:
1. The water tank must be seated properly. Period!!! If it's not, you will get the flashing blue lights as others have pointed-out. When inserting the water tank, it should firmly stop when fully seated. You will feel a slight detent when it's seated properly. If it feels "squishy" and the tank pushes back up slightly, pull it out and start over again. I have noticed that the tank inserts easier the more the XP4050 is used.
2. Clean the inside of the brewing head frequently. It doesn't need to be after every espresso, but it should be done at least when you've finished for the day. I usually use a paper towel to do this after I have run a cycle without the filter holder. I also occasionally use a brush to remove grinds that accumulate in the brewing head.
3. Yes, the machine has a "rubbery" smell when it is new. It will go away after a while of usage.
4. Do not use the "auto cappuccino accessory." While the auto cappuccino accessory usually does an OK job if you want a latte, it suffers from three drawbacks: A) Results wildly vary. B) Milk does not get hot enough. C) There is only enough foam produced to top off a latte. It does not produce enough foam for a real cappuccino.
5. For a decent cappuccino, purchase a frothing pitcher and use the "perfect froth accessory." Oddly, the instructions for the XP4050 on the Krups website does not mention the perfect froth accessory, so I do not know if it was not included in the older units, or if it is no longer included in the newer units. Hopefully, it is still included. If you don't have it, you really need to get it if you want to make a decent cap. More importantly, you need to learn how to use it. This took me a long time to figure out because there are no decent instructions on how to use the attachment. Really, I should record a video on how to do this, but for now, I'll try to get the idea across here:
A) Remove the small stainless tube from the perfect froth accessory (PFA).
B) Attach the PFA to the steam nozzle so that the black rubber protrusion (that holds the small tube) points away from the machine.
C) Fill 1/3 to 1/2 of your frothing pitcher with cold milk (depending on how many caps you want to make).
D) Start steam process on the machine (I assume that users already know how to do this).
E) Once steam (not water) is coming out of the PFA, raise the frothing pitcher up to the bottom protrusion of the PFA so that the top of the milk is just barely over the hole in the protrusion. If the placement is correct, you will see the milk being sucked in to the hole along with a little air. If the hole is too high, you will get large air bubbles. If hole is too low, the quantity of foam will be significantly reduced. The foam will build upon itself if you are doing this correctly. Continue to create the foam until the milk has been heated to your liking.
Hope these tips help. Good luck with your XP4050.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
This review is from: Krups XP4050 1200-Watt 15-Bar-Pump Programmable Espresso Machine (Kitchen)
I purchased this a week ago and highly recommend this espresso machine. Easy to use and clean, but most important - the espresso (I use Starbuck's and have them grind it for me)is fantastic and has a crema just like you get in Italy! The milk steamer/foamer is too much trouble for me and I just heat milk and do a cafe con leche - easier and less cleaning.
Great machine.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
This review is from: Krups XP4050 1200-Watt 15-Bar-Pump Programmable Espresso Machine (Kitchen)
I am a coffee snob but I am pretty easy to be satisfied and normally not a big critic... I read all the bad reviews on the KRUPS espresso mashines prior to buying it but desided to buy it anyway.
Do not do what I did!
Let me tell you, this machine drove me nuts even though it made really great espresso. Too bad it lasted exactly two weeks and the replacement was the same - high pressure pump broke again. Aside from the broken pump, within two weeks of owing it I had other constant malfunctions that were described by other reviews, and that required my calls to KRUPS CS and troubleshooting drills.
The explanation from the KRUPS customer service on the broken pressure pump was "... you might have used bad beans..." BTW, I am using La Crema beans by LAVAZZA - pretty much the best beans for espresso machine out there... CS also said that I was not supposed to "tap the coffee down into the filter" - even though their instructions specifically tell you to do so and they provide a special tool for it - a rounded scoop/tapper. Crazy, huh?
They told me that "the new" instructions that are not printed and distributed yet are to mention it in the future... Who the hell cares or knows it if you already own this machine? How helpful is that?
Do not buy or you will face a hassle of dealing with a broken one...
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
This review is from: Krups XP4050 1200-Watt 15-Bar-Pump Programmable Espresso Machine (Kitchen)
We returned the Krups XP4050 after several attempts to use it. We faithfully followed the directions, priming it three times just using water and we even called the help line. We ended up with hot water spraying everywhere as though the pump wasn't able to force the water up through the machine. It made a lot of noise. When we finally did try it with actual coffee, it was no better. The steamer did not heat the milk, half the water still ended up in the collection space below the carafe, and the steam spewed out all over us. Perhaps we needed lessons but, being that my husband is Italian and a professor of mathematics, we thought we should be able to purchase a product, read the instructions and make it work. We have returned to our little stove top espresso maker used in almost every home in Italy and wonder why we ever thought of spending this kind of money on a yuppie espresso machine in the first place.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
