I am loving this machine. We use it 3-4 times per day and it is pretty easy to learn. Definitely different beans require perfecting the technique all over again. The fresher the beans the more I have trouble getting the grind just right I think because there is more oil in the beans. But it comes with dual wall baskets for the less masterful barista. I love the grinder and I love that all of the features of the machine, grind, amount, temperature, shot pull time, etc are all adjustable so you can make the machine make your ideal cup just the way you like it. This machine will pay for itself in a year or less as a result of decreasing visits to the coffee house. It makes espresso on par with my favorite local coffee shop, and waaaayy better than Starbucks. I have had no trouble with the machine and I've already made hundreds of shots with it.Read full review
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
I feel for the people who paid $600 for this machine. The design of the water inlet seal is inexcusably poor-- as it ages, the rubber shrinks and puckers, leaving a scalloped surface around the nose of the tank, which does not seal well at all. Failure to use a garter spring type seal in this critical spot is just plain dumb, or planned obsolescence. The water inlet seal is on indefinite back-order from the only USA supplier, Breville will NOT sell parts to an end user, and wants $250 flat-rate for service. The o-ring seals for steam connections also fail, but are readily available Silicone #007 size available all over the place. If you are willing to modify the machine to use an external water supply, replace some leaky o-rings, it's an excellent performer. Other thoughts: The grind amount setting is never accurate because unless the bean hopper is full, beans fail to find their way into the sides of the grinder without manual stirring. Not a big deal... The grinder can be operated momentarily by pushing in to turn on, in again to turn off. After fixing the seals, adding an external tank, I have no trouble pulling excellent shots in the mid-high range on the pressure gauge, (a VERY helpful touch to get your grind/tamp settings right.) Bottom line: I LOVE it as a ~$240 DIY project, (Includes the price of a huge Brita tank, plumbing fittings, tubing + replacement O-rings,) would be ANGRY if I paid $300-$600 for it.Read full review
Verified purchase: Yes
Great engineering and finish. Makes the very best coffee ever. Love the convenience of the built in grinder. I use "fine grind", "max quantity", hard compacting of grinds in filter, brew 2- cups and hit twice for the taste and quantity for my large coffee cup. Pressure gauge is in the range or 10:00 - 12:00. Instead of adding additional hot water, I add an extra "single" drip - that's a total of 5 cups ( 2,2,1 buttons) for my single large coffee. Use the same loaded filter for all the drips. Then I heat and foam Almond non-sweetened milk , add a very small amount of organic Honey from a local farm. Wow!! Greatest cup of coffee - ever. Also - water is RO water that is frozen and defrosted prior to adding to machine- that lowers the impurities from TDS 22ppm from my RO water maker to TDS 12ppm! Thats twist as pure. Freezing water expels impurities from the ice crystals. Beans are Trader Joe's French Roast Dark Roast Strong and Rich 26 oz package. I've also ordered organic Columbian green beans and will roast in my home roaster to see difference in flavor.Read full review
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
I'm new to the espresso making so this is coming from a newbie. I think the machine coming with burr grinder is a great combo. I've used it now for probably 15-20 times or so and getting a hang of it. I think it's very simple and easy to use machine. Comes with everything you need to start making your own espresso, other than the beans, lol. I only tried Illy beans thus far, I'm more of a Americano guy and for that purpose this machine is perfect. My wife prefers latte/cappucino and that I think I still need to perfect, as the results for not been great. Part of the problem could be that she only wants decaf so that might have something to do with it as well. Steaming milk seems like a breeze, no issue with the process but I think getting the milk to the higher/better temperature is something to be desired here, but it could be my own inexperience with it, maybe I need some sort of thermometer. Speaking of temps, I like my coffee hot, so even using the hot water dispenser that's part of the machine still does not feel very hot to me. I tried to increase the temps using the Program function but so far I think I still would want it a bit hotter. Overall great purchase but I assume more expensive units could dial in the temps better. For my own use this is fine however.Read full review
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
All the features you would want in an espresso machine. Convenient integrated burr grinder that is adjustable for grind size and volume. Need a cup of hot water?...no problem. The machine can automatically dispense that exact volume as well. Easy to clean and maintain. The owners manual is well written and thoroughly covers all aspects of operations and the many features that are user selectable. You can spend a lot more and not get much better until you approach the mega dollar Italian models.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
Best espresso this side of PARIS. It does take some time to learn that you need to PACK the holder with a lot of force; then use the scraper in order to get mid-range pressure. And, use a bean with a lot of oils if you like real espresso. Here's a recommendation. Peets Coffee, Major Dickason's Blend, Whole Bean (AMAZON) READ THE MANUAL. Learn how the automatic grinder works; set level dial; push once to start and once to stop. Set level so 1st fill does not overflow; tap, pack and repeat. Slightly rotating packer helps. Use TRIM tool or your risk no water; target 1/2 range on the pressure gage. It takes heavy pressure to make this happen. Grind setting 3 is best for me. PS. Some Youtube videos show using the steamer without prep'ing it first; BAD idea. Follow instructions and purge water from the steam cycle before you start frothing milk or you just add a lot of water to the froth! For Cafe American, just run your double expresso cycle twice (better than adding hot water and you get a perfect 50% dilution). I drink this in the mornings; better on an empty stomach. Real espresso should be for after a meal, IMO; just like FRANCE.Read full review
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
I’ve been making and drinking espresso from a wide variety of machines. Most of which have been made for high volume output in a cafe setting. This spoiled me and got me used to being able to pull shots and steam at the same time. That being said, the only downside to this machine is it’s inability to multitask. The manual is very detailed and could teach someone who has never laid and eye on an espresso machine how to make professional grade drinks. It also has great tips that even some experienced baristas could benefit from. The option to completely customize the whole experience is amazing. The hopper is air tight so you don’t have to worry about your beans going stale so quickly. The drain tray holds a very large amount of water before it warns you it needs to be emptied. I’ve learned you should turn the machine off before emptying the tray because of its auto purging feature though. It’s smaller than a toaster oven so it doesn’t take up too much counter space. Overall a great machine. Read full review
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
I do not have a long history with a long list of espresso machines, and this is the first higher end machine I bought. It's not the easiest to use, a little daunting at first; you might think you need a cup of coffee to figure it out, but once you get it, it works well and simply, and you can tweak it to your own preferences in grind and volume. It makes great espresso and cappuccino.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
As an avid espresso and a high-quality coffee addict , I was excited to see this espresso maker met all expectations and beyond. The coffee grinder is quite and does a great job grinding to various degrees of coarse-to- fine coffee. this immediately releases the aroma of the beans, making it ready to extract. the high extraction pressure allows for a creamy strong and robust espresso. The steamer is easy to use and clean, and does a great job. The programming feature is great, it allows you to define how hot you want your coffee, and how much is " double shot" Vs "single shot", and more Downsides : not many or crucial issues. 1. the amount of coffee ground dispensed- the knob designated for this seems to be not as accurate as expected, despite dialing " smaller amount" it still gives you the same. this though can be overcome by manually stopping the grinding process as soon as the amount is satisfactory. 2. the tray, which is very well designed, gets filled faster than you may imagine, it announces " Empty me" relatively soon. but it is well designed and fun to clean and put together back again. Overall, I am very happy with this machine, it is beautiful, well designed, feels like high quality, and does an excellent job. highly recommended.Read full review
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
The machines requires some initial setup but after that you will have a perfect expresso every morning. In my opinion the Espresso is much better than the regular capsule machines like Nespresso etc. The other advantage is the price per cup, much less than the capsule machines. You just need to buy your coffee beans ( or make your own blend ) to create your perfect expresso. This model has several details and ingenious features you just can't find in others models.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
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