Krups XP9000 Super-Automatic Espresso Machine and Coffee Center, Charcoal Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)The machine made decent coffee for about 2 years. After a certain period Krups espresso machines require mandatory service and will stop working. I sent my working machine to Krups which had technically nothing wrong with it to service center in Downers Grove, Illinois. I was charged $220 for the service. The machine arrived not working. After contacting Krups again I found out that that the service center is now out of business. I sent it again to a another service center in California where I was told my machine still needs cleaning and is actually broken. That's another $268. Peter at the Krups customer support rudely brushed me off and said that it's not their problem. I expected a quality machine and service from Krups. I was wrong.

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Enjoy cafe-quality coffee drinks right at home with this super-automatic coffee and espresso center. It automatically grinds, tamps, brews, and disposes of spent grounds for exceptionally convenient operation. The unit features automatic controls and an oversized digital display, as well as a central steam nozzle for perfect cappuccino and lattes at the push of a button, without having to move the cup and without a separate milk container. A lever on the top of the machine allows for bringing the steam nozzle down and back up, making it easy to adjust the height of the coffee dispenser. The unit also provides hot water for tea and hot chocolate. Programming capabilities include espresso/strong espresso, coffee/strong coffee, cappuccino/latte, and steam/hot water. An easily accessible side panel can be used for customized programming, including coffee strength, cup size, water temperature, and steam time.
The machine's 15-bar compact monoblock high-pressure pump leads cold water into the Thermoblock System where it instantaneously warms to the optimal temperature of 198 degrees F. In addition, the unit's integrated conical-burr grinder holds up to 28 ounces of whole beans and offers four fineness settings. Other highlights include a heating element with two thermostats, a bypass for pre-ground coffee, a removable brewing unit, an empty bean sensor, a removable 88-ounce water tank, a cup-warming plate, and an integrated drip tray with automatic sensor to indicate when the water tray needs to be emptied. Housed in attractive stainless steel, the 1450-watt espresso machine measures 18-3/4 by 11-1/2 by 14-3/4 inches and carries a one-year limited warranty.

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Breville BES820XL Die-Cast 15-Bar Programmable Espresso Machine Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)LOVE this machine! I do not claim to be an espresso junkie or aficionado, but I am addicted to lattes and my morning habit was getting to be expensive so we bought this machine for Christmas. It's AWESOME! One of my main criteria, besides great espresso, was a frothing wand that would really do the job, and this one does. It texturizes the milk beautifully and creates delicious, creamy froth for my lattes and cappuccinos. We're still working to get the right grind and tamp combination, but I love that you can also use pods in the machine, which is fantastic for decaf! We drink regular espresso in the morning or afternoon, but every once in a while I want a cappuccino at night but it's not worth keeping the decaf beans or emptying my grinder to replace with decaf so we keep decaf pods on hand for those rare evening cravings. Perfectly convenient! You have to be willing to experiment to get the right tamp/grind combination or your espresso won't taste too yummy, but if you have some patience and try various combinations it really pays off. And I love the hot water wand - heats very quickly and great for hot tea! Super easy to use, pretty easy to clean and maintain, and entirely worth the cost!
Notable stuff:
- heats up quickly
- advertises that the top of the machine serves as a warming station for your espresso cups, but it doesn't get nearly warm enough to actually warm the cups (warm by filling with hot water from the hot water dispenser instead)
- does not require the use of distilled or filtered water (in fact, the instructions say NOT to use distilled water) - just use tap water and decalcify with vinegar occasionally
- the drip tray is nice and large-was able to make 6 lattes, including rinsing in between each one, and drip tray still wasn't full
- water reserve is very large and holds plenty of water
- "programmable" just means that you can program how large your single shot is and how large your double shot is so that once it's programmed, you just have to push a button to make a shot of espresso - eliminates the guess work that results in inconsistent shots
- the pod attachment only works for single shots, as far as I can tell there are no double pods on the market and even if there were, I don't think they would fit in the pod attachment

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Make any rainy day better by brewing crema-rich espresso drinks from the comfort of home with this programmable espresso machine. Designed to satisfy both novice brewers and experienced baristas, the unit offers manual operation as well as an intelligent programmable function that can be personalized with a favorite espresso setting. Its custom-set programming function extracts the perfect volume of coffee at the touch of a button--choose from Auto Shot, Custom Shot, or Manual Shot. Prior to extraction, the machine's 15-bar Italian-made Triple-Prime pump with a thermoblock heating system delivers three bursts of hot water into the filter head. This increased pressure expands the ground coffee or espresso pod and helps eliminate air pockets, which allows the unit to extract more crema for a rich, smooth-tasting coffee. In addition, the unit's electronic temperature-control system accurately maintains the optimal brewing temperature of the water to ensure the best possible extraction. A pressure gauge on the front of the unit measures the pressure that water gets forced through the coffee in the filter holder. The gauge needle pointing above or below the Optimum Zone indicates over- or under-extracted espresso. The gauge needle positioned in the recommended Optimum Zone during pouring indicates espresso will be produced at the ideal pressure and will have a generous layer of golden crema.
When it's time to produce steam for frothing milk, the espresso machine increases the water temperature and provides a swivel-action steam wand with a stainless-steel frothing attachment, plus a froth enhancer and a stainless-steel frothing pitcher for barista-style results. After frothing, its Auto-Purge function returns the water temperature to the optimal level for brewing. To save on energy the machine will enter Power Save mode if not used for one hour, and will automatically turn off if not used for three hours. Power Save mode uses 45-percent less power than Stand By mode. Other thoughtful details include a 75-ounce water tank, 4-1/2-inch head elevation to accommodate full-size mugs, a 1-liter slide-out drip tray, a dedicated hot-water wand with a 360-degree ball joint, and an extra-large cup-warming plate. Accessories include one- and two-cup dual-wall stainless-steel filters, an espresso-pod filter, a tamping tool/measuring spoon, a cleaning tool, and a user manual with recipes. Housed in die-cast stainless steel, the espresso machine measures 10 by 10-1/2 by 12-1/4 inches and carries a one-year limited warranty.

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DeLonghi BCO130T Combination Coffee/Espresso Machine Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)2/15/07 - Received coffee maker with minor outside box damage but eveything seemed intact. Made several pots of very good coffee and espresso but after 4 days the main switch and digital readout went crazy and the water heating element for the coffee side refused to turn off. I had to unplug the unit fearing a fire. I am returning the unit to Delonghi. I will review the new unit after I have had it for a while.
4/2/07 - I recieved the new unit in good condition and set it up with some trepidation (see earlier review). All the functions work fine and the coffee/espresso maker has been chugging along fine. It has made more than 50 pots of very good coffe and about 30 pots of espresso that even my Cuban colleagues enjoy. Based on my experience with the new unit so far, I would increase my rating to 4 stars, however Amazon will only allow one review per person.
7/15/08 When I first started using this product, I must admit that I was impressed. It packed a lot of funtionality in a reasonably priced product. I have now had this machine a little over a year and I can no longer use the coffee side of the machine because it leaks water all over my counter. Since it was out of warranty, I disassembled the machine to find out what was leaking. There was a fitting at the top of the machine where the water was pumped from the reservoir to the sprayer. I could not take that fitting apart because all of the screws were rusted completely. They just fell apart when I tried to unscrew them. I would think that a company such as this could afford to spend a few extra cents per machine to put in stainless steel screws! Is this another example of planned obsolescence? Based on this experience, I would downgrade my rating to one star.
12/18/09 Well now a little over a year after the coffee side went belly up, the expresso side has now bitten the dust as well. Into the trash bin it goes. Wow! for $150 you would think you should get more than two years use out of a coffee machine. DeLonghi... Never again!!! Definately downgraded to one star, if that.

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The DeLonghi Combination Espresso/Coffee machine is an all-in-one machine that can brew coffee and espresso simultaneously. This machine can also prepare a great cappuccino, latte or hot chocolate for the perfect drink. The patented instant froth dispenser lets you add froth right in the same cup as your coffee or cappuccino.This machine features programmable digital timer that allows you to set the machine to turn on at a later time and even sets to the exact minute. The Vario system and Accuflavor selector dials allow you to choose the strength of espresso and coffee just the way you like it. The 10 cup Carafe allows you to make enough cups of coffee to keep everyone satisfied and the Drip Interrupt feature lets you have a cup before the pot is done brewing.

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Espressione 1329 Cafe Roma Deluxe Espresso Machine with Built-in Grinder, Anthracite Grey Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)It was easy to set up and get going. I love the bean grinder. The doser is great too. You just have to keep and eye on it, it's small. It makes great espresso the first time. It has a disc to help with that. You can remove it and tamp hard the old fasion way. For the price range it's a good buy. I have 3 different types of coffee makers now. This is my favorite. I use it to make American's each morning instead of brewing a pot in the conventional machine

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Make cafe-quality coffee drinks from the comfort of home with this easy-to-use espresso machine. The unit features a built-in grinder for producing coarse to espresso-fine grinds from whole coffee beans, plus its brass filter holder works with ground coffee. To ensure a professional brew, the appliance comes equipped with a boiler-temperature thermometer, a 15-bar boiler system pump, a coffee tamper, and an anti-drip valve with a self primer. The unit's powerful Maxi Cappuccino milk-frothing device helps produce perfect cappuccinos and lattes, and its hot-water function allows for quickly making instant soup, tea, or hot cocoa. Thoughtfully designed, the machine offers helpful indicator lights, a high-pressure safety valve, adjustable automatic shut-off, and a large 5-cup removable water tank with a visible water level for convenient filling. Other highlights include simple push-button controls, an interchangeable single or double dispenser, a cup warmer, and a removable drip tray for easy cleanup. The 1150-watt espresso machine measures 13 by 14 by 14-1/2 inches.

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