I'm writing this from the perspective of a coffee drink lover, not an espresso lover. If you're an espresso purist, this is probably not the review you're looking for.
I like lattes and cappuccinos. In my attempts at making them, I didn't much like the scalded flavor my old steam machine introduced into the drinks. It was time to step up to a pump machine, which was the easy decision. Much harder was deciding on a brand and model from the wide range of choices to consider.
Honestly, it just didn't seem like a person should have to spend $1,000 or even $500 to score a pump machine that would produce killer coffee drinks. I wanted a machine that was easy to use, easy to clean, and designed and constructed to last, given a usage pattern of about 8 - 12 times a week. Appearance wasn't much of a factor; we don't have a designer kitchen. We do cherish counter space though, so I didn't want a huge monstrosity or something heavier than a boat anchor, thus being a real pain to move or store.
Enter the Cafe Prestige. As of this writing, I've used it about 50 times, and I'm convinced I've chosen a true winner here. While my first couple of uses weren't spectacular, it didn't take long to get into a very comfortable rhythm with the machine. Now, I'm producing coffee drinks of a consistent quality that eliminates all temptation for me to make a trip to the local barista, leaving them a small investment in exchange for a fix. Friends and family, who've sampled the results, agree.
Things I like about this machine:
1. Construction - sturdy. Heavy, but not excessively so. I store it on a top shelf in our pantry when not in use.
2. Ease of use. The generous water reservoir is simple to fill; I just top it off while it's mounted. The two position switch gives you either espresso or steam; no hassle. The portafilter and basket are E-Z to get on and off. Nice orientation on the steam wand.
3. Cleaning is a snap
4. Very reasonable noise level
5. Speed - quick to whip up a drink, followed by another. I've done 4 back-to-back.
5. Fantastic steam power. The wand and attachment can produce amazing, luscious foam.
6. It's forgiving
The last point - forgiving - is a big one. Not being a purist, I don't have a high dollar grinder. I don't faithfully store and use my beans for maximum freshness. I don't pre-warm the utensils, other than steaming my coffee mug and microwaving the milk. Yet, I get delicious results time and again from the Cafe Prestige.
What I don't like:
1. The plastic tamper. I bought a metal one to use; if this matters to you, check out my review of the one I purchased.
2. At times when steaming is first switched on, a couple of spurts of water emerge from the wand before steaming action begins. I lay a cloth underneath to catch those.
3. It feels to me that the steam wand and its swivel are a bit fragile. When I clean it, I take a cloth and pinch the top of the wand hose to keep it steady and prevent stress on the swivel point.
As you can see, no showstoppers here. The only open item for me at this point is whether the Cafe Prestige has the longevity I want; time will tell regarding that. Meanwhile, if you're in the market for a pump machine mainly to use for producing coffee drinks, you should take a serious look at this one. Price-wise, performance-wise, it feels like an incredible bargain.
UPDATE: July 2009
After 6 months of steady use, I can vouch for my Cafe Prestige having paid for itself twice over. Here are a few additional observations.
Though I use a burr grinder, I have an extremely ancient model, an old Waring. That said, I do grind my beans about as fine as possible and tamp them very firmly into the basket. I use a range of different beans, depending on my mood, but I've made it a point to buy them from coffee shops instead of the grocery store. With the consistency of the Cafe Prestige, I've felt at times that some of my grocery store bean purchases were stale or 'off' in flavor, and, consequently, I pitched them. Fresh beans definitely make a difference.
Logic has it that you should clean your maker thoroughly and frequently; some would suggest multiple times a week. For me, I rinse and wipe down the portafilter, basket, steam wand, steam attachment, flow screen, and portafilter gasket after each use. I can go about a week before cleaning the drip tray; any longer leads to interesting life forms sprouting. Lastly, I've set a 3 month schedule for flushing the maker. For this, I've found Cleancaf works wonders, which you can pick up online or at a local coffee store. It's fantastic stuff. BTW, all my cleaning is by hand, not in the dishwasher. There's only a little to do, so it doesn't take much time.
My preference is for using only distilled water. It seems to help ensure consistency in your brews. Also, it tends not to deposit as much scale in the maker, which eases cleaning. Don't forget to occasionally empty and clean the plastic water reservoir as I've found even distilled water can pick up stray flavors when it sits for a while.
Finally, I can't say that I've had any explosions with my Cafe Prestige, but I did have a traumatic event that might count as such. With regular use, the portafilter seems to become a bit loose in its twist mount. When I first started using the maker, I could let it dispense a double shot without me touching it. Then, one day, the pump pressure caused the portafilter to unscrew and fall off, which sent steam and espresso spraying, explosive-like. Since then, I make sure I keep one hand on the portafilter handle when the espresso is flowing, and I've had no other incidents or problems. I certainly don't consider this a critical flaw or a reason not to purchase the Cafe Prestige.
Strongly recommended... still.
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Customer Review: Stainless Steel Durability
Groovin' guy
Reviews with images
Some cosmetic issues, nice espresso shots, okay frothing wand
(updated June 18, 2016)4 StartsAfter adjusting the grind size finer and buying the right milk (Clover milk), the crema, froth and taste greatly improved. The knob is getting a bit tight, but other than that, I am fairly satisfied with this machine.3.5 Stars.When the machine came, the "Ariete" label was already off. I bought this espresso maker partly because of the sleek look it has, and now there is only some gel in the place where the label should have been. In addition, I left a milk stain on top of the cup warmer without cleaning it off immediately after making the drink. When I tried to clean it 10 minutes later, the stain did not come off (probably because the machine heat was on, thus cooking the milk to a point where it's stuck there forever). One more thing on the cosmetics: the top of the drip tray gets scratched pretty easily, and the only metal that it gets into touch with is the portafilter on my drying rack.I can make decent shots of espresso with machine. Initially my shots were a bit watery, but after shortening the extraction time as well as tamping with more pressure, the shots came out nicely with good crema. As for the frothing wand, I use it without the frothing helper. The 90 degree angle of the wand makes it a little hard to tilt the pitcher in a more operable angle. This machine has only one heating unit, so you cannot make espresso shots and froth at the same time.I ALWAYS clean the machine after use: the frothing wand (immediately), the brewing head, the drip tray (metal cover and plastic body) and the cup warmer.I also found a more complete manual for this machine. Just Google "Sunbeam Café Crema™ 15 BAR pump espresso machine" for EM 4800C. The only discrepancy I found from the booklets provided in the Lello machine is that the Lello booklet suggests priming the machine while it's still cold, while the Sunbeam manual suggests to prime the machine AFTER it gets warm. I followed the Lello instruction for this step. Also, the Lello machine comes with a single grey cleaning unit, whereas the Sunbeam manual has a grey unit and a black unit. Since this grey unit is not mentioned anywhere in the reference doc. of the Lello machine, it's a free add-on.Overall this machine is good for it's price point, but I hope that more care is taken when handling/packaging it.
Top reviews from other countries
Lex
very little steam and coffee was not hot.
Reviewed in Canada on February 25, 2015
