Reliable Information About Latte Cappuccino Machine
First… I’m not an employee of Espressione…
I’ve read many reviews on this item, most of them, not very positive. I thought I would add my 2 cents as I have had this machine for a little over 2 months.
Let’s start with day 1. Dead on Arrival. Bummer. Well, it was easy enough to return to the place I purchased (Sams). They sent me a new one within 3 days, and I was excited to get started. Before you buy this machine, make sure you make this checklist:
1. I have a decent conical burr grinder ( )
2. I am aware that I need to buy fresh beans to get real crema ( )
3. I have a decent tamper in the 58mm variety ( )
4. I am not a total espresso geek, but I have owned a cheap machine or two ( )
5. I never pay retail for espresso machines ( )
If you’ve checked most of these, feel free to continue, if you haven’t, don’t buy this machine. It’s not for you. If you’re an uber espresso geek, go buy your PID’d Rancilio Silvia or your Le Lit. You don’t belong here. This machine has an aluminum boiler that has heat issues just like the rest of the lower grade machines do. It does hold heat better than most, but seriously, if you’re in the $600 market, you shouldn’t be looking at this machine. You can get this machine at “other” vendors in the $230 range. And for that price, there isn’t a whole lot that’s better. Maybe a Gaggia… but I’m sick of those pieces of plastic.
Physical Traits: It’s pretty… Very pretty. It’s also pretty solid and heavy at 24ish lbs. It is tall, and yes, you do have to hold on while attaching the portafilter. However, it’s not as bad as previous reviewers have stated. The portafilter is almost as heavy as my Reneka Viva single group commercial machine at work. It has a very nice (and handy) temperature gauge on the top of the machine that is very useful.
Espresso:
Probably the best part of this said portafilter is that it has options for brewing espresso. If you have a decent grinder, you can remove the “crema enhancing” disks inside and use it’s regular filter basket just like a higher end machine (a serious plus for me…). The pump has plenty of pressure to press fine ground espresso and make wonderful crema (as long as your beans are fresh). Some reviewers have stated the espresso is cold. Here’s my typical process:
1. Fire up the machine into the standby position (heats boiler to just about 100 degrees C)
2. Once the temp is up, for the first shot of the day I do a quick blank shot to keep the portafilter warm.
3. I warm my cup up with warm water
4. Pull the shot. Enjoy.
I’m guessing people find the espresso cold is the massive portafilter is cold. Once it’s warm, it stays warm. But honestly, I’ve had some pretty nice shots.
Steam:
Yup, it pretty much sucks in from the factory form. The machine makes plenty of steam for my latte’s, but not without modification. The tip they give you for the wand is awwwwfuuuullll. Replace it with somethign… or trim it down. I used my Delonghi Ec155 tip on mine and it makes nice micro foam. But the original allows too much air into the mix. Foul bubbly milk… no thanks.
Yes, the wand is too close to the machine, but I have got used to it. It’ not that big of an issue, and quite frankly I’m not that picky for $230 bucks shipped. If I were spending $700, I’d be furious.
Well I think that just about wraps it up. I really appreciate good espresso. Sure, there are plenty of better machines out there, but this one suits me just fine. Hope you enjoyed this review and that it is somewhat sobering.
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How do I make my latte's milk thicker?
I just got my own cappuccino machine. The coffee tastes great! But I can't seem to make the latte cappuccino machine milk very thick like I see it in the stores. The "crema" of the espresso isn't very good either. But that doesn't matter to me as much as the milk. I am using whole milk. It could be the whining 1 year old keeping me from frothing it long enough? Any ideas?
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Cappuccino machines have come a long way since they were first introduced as simple stove-top pressure cookers around the turn of the 20th century. Nowadays, you can choose from pump-driven, semi-automatic, and completely automatic machines. You can also buy cappuccino machines that include milk frothing rods, coffee bean grinders, and computers. Many commercial cappuccino makers are even equipped with programs that command the machine to draw water and grind beans at various rates throughout the course of the day.
With so many different choices (and resultant prices), how can you choose a cappuccino machine that is right for you?
First, you should determine which drinks you are making most often. If you typically make just espresso, then a simple, manual machine will probably suffice. However, if you desire the full gamut of beverages, including espresso, cappuccino, latte, and hot chocolate, a semi-automatic or automatic cappuccino machine is a better choice. For households or workplaces where people might consume several different types of coffee beverages latte cappuccino machine per day, buying a cappuccino machine with additional gadgets, such as a coffee bean grinder, is also a good idea.
Many individuals are not sure about the different classes of cappuccino machines. In general, cappuccino machines fall into three main categories: manual, semi-automatic, and fully automatic. The manual machine typically has the water driven by an electric pump. The operator must add the water, the coffee grinds, and then control the boiler until the water is hot enough to push through the grinds. If milk is used, then a froth rod must be placed into the milk to heat it up and produce foam. After the drink is made, the machine must be partially disassembled and cleaned.
With a semi-automatic cappuccino machine, you press buttons to have the water push through the coffee grinds, as well as to have the coffee beans ground. The process of making cappuccino is greatly simplified, even though the beans (or the grounds) and water must be refilled manually. Likewise, the milk must still be heated and frothed manually. A semi-automatic cappuccino machine may or may not include a self-cleaning program.
A fully automatic cappuccino machine performs almost all the steps of the beverage making process. The water system is integrated into the machine via plumbing, and the beans are automatically ground. A built-in double boiler allows the machine to produce espresso and heat milk at the same time. Once the beverage has been made, the spent coffee grounds are simply ejected out and into the trash.
Of course, as you move up from a manual to a semi-automatic to an automatic cappuccino machine, cost also increases. Therefore, you should assess how much time is saved by paying more money for a cappuccino machine with automation and added features. It is also important not to skimp on quality when purchasing a cappuccino machine, since a good quality machine can last for a decade or more. To this end, online review sites are a great way to learn more about different cappuccino machines. You may also wish to post your own experiences with a given cappuccino machine brand in order to help others with their purchasing decisions.
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Our machine broke four times within the first few months with careful use. Customer service is rude (Mr. Rodriguez, Colleen,…) and refuses to send replacement while the machine is being repaired yet again. If you’re not prepared to go two week stretches without coffeemaker, then do NOT buy this machine.
My wife & I have had several coffee/espresso makers over 30 years. We were coffee drinkers before it became popular here in the greater Seattle area. However, this is the most I have ever spent on a coffee/espresso maker. We have had this espresso machine now since January 2010, today is June 1, 2010. A period of time with everyday use is the best judge of any product. This product takes very little skill to make a great cup of coffee, easy to use, easy to clean. After the first week, we placed our drip coffee maker in storage. We thought at first we would use both drip/espresso coffee makers. Forget it! Ditch the drip machine! This machine makes as good or better espresso than what we can buy from our local coffee stand. I have made cofffee/espresso for friends & relatives and they like the coffee way better than drip. We never spent over $100 on a machine until we bought this, but if you like coffee it is well worth the expense for the latte’s this machine produces. Use a fine grind for best results.
If you make regular stops for coffee (we never have) you could pay for this in 5 months. That is; 5 coffee stops a week X 20 average a month X $3 a cup = $60. Cost to buy $299 divided by 60 = 5 months. For a single stop for 1 person a day, so double the benifit for 2 people makes the break even point in 2 1/2 months.
I highly recomend this great product.
ive had this machine for 3 years… the first one i got had a defective frother and they sent me a new machine.. then it worked pretty well until the frother died on me again and it was no longer covered under warranty. so i had to buy a stand alone frother. then recently the turning mechanism broke on me.. it just popped right off and its about 100 dollars to fix.. im replacing it with a nespresso machine.
but during the time the espresso machine was working it tasted great.
This machine is a clunky, poorly built, waste of money. I’ve owned it for about a year and a half and am desperately in search of a new machine. The “semi automatic” tamper works only about half the time. The other times it allows the fresh brew to dump into the waste box. The gear on the top rusts after about 6 months or so, causing constant scraping and cleaning to be required. Additionally, the frothing arm is WAY too short to work in a reasonable size frothing cup, and it only heats (to 160 deg.) one cup (8 oz.) of milk at a time; and only AFTER you brew coffee – so forget about making hot chocolate.
I have tried to make this machine work well and ‘tweak’ how I make coffee to have minimal hassle, but this machine is flatly too poorly designed to work well constantly. Don’t waste your money.
I really liked this machine in the beginning. It made excellent cappuccino and I thought it was really worth the money. Then after couple of weeks, the steamer stopped working. It still made expresso but no steam. So I had to heat the milk separately in the microwave. (pain). No froth. I received a replacement, but the 2nd machine also had the same problem. The steamer did not work after the 2nd use. I’ve read other reviews on this item before purchasing and several of them stated that I need to study the manual and really follow directions to a science. I did that! So, perhaps it is true that you get what you paid for and this machine was cheap and for a good reason. Now I will be researching more expensive machines.
Very easy to use. Can make a lot of espresso at once (up to 8 oz), which is a big plus. Within two days I was making Starbucks quality beverages (IMO). I really like the machine and I’m glad I bought it.
Don’t buy a tamper. It comes with one and you really don’t have to tamp it. Makes espresso and capuccino anytime. We’ll see how long it will last.
My Starbucks Barista espresso machine finally broke after 10 years of heavy use. I purchased the Capresso machine after reading the postive reviews. The machine was finicky and took a while to get used to, but after a day or two I was able to make a nice latte so I was happy. The crema on the espresso wasn’t as nice as what I used to get from the Starbucks machine, but for 1/2 the price it was OK. But then in week 4 or so, the lever that you move to go from frothing to espresso stopped moving. I tried everything: restarting the machine, unplugging, emptying and refilling the water, etc. but nothing worked. Sadly I’ve had to return the machine and am on the search for a new one.
This espresso machine works as promised and more. Very easy to use and simple ellegant design. What really sets it apart besides great esspresso is the integrated milk frother. The incremental cost is well worth the $$$ even if you only occasionally make lattes. There are 2 types of lattes that can be made. The first makes it like a cafe with hot milk and a little foam. The other is cappacino style with great foam. The coffee is excellent and at ~.45 per cup is significanlty less expensive than cafe prices. Order your capsules right away because you will go through the starter supply in 3-5 days. They arrived as promised in 2 days to a rural part of Oregon.
Love it. Easy to use. Yes, the capsules are pricey, but if you are using this for the latte/cappuccino treat, it is perfect. My favorite part is the no-fail milk frother. I can’t get any easier.
I purchased my Nespresso D120-US-BK-NE espreso maker and milk frother based on a recommendation by a good friend and I have not been disappointed. The entire process takes less than 2 minutes and produces a great beverage. The milk frother requires no steam and turns out a perfect result every time. The Nespresso capsules come in a variety of coffee flavors and strengths and are very easy to reorder.
Bottom line; it’s the best latte machine I have ever had.
We are sold on this machine and have 2 of them. Love our cappucino in the mornings and an ice coffee in the afternoons. Machine works extremely well. The milk frother is a great addition. It is easy to use and produces high quality coffee/espresso. The selection of up to 16 types of coffee/espresso allows for experimentation. it is easy to purchase the pods either on line or in a Nespresso store. The service by the Nespresso Club has been excellent. When we had a minor issue, it was resolved very quickly and to our complete satisfaction. I highly recommend this machine.
I am extremely happy with this little espresso machine! I read tons of the reviews before purchasing this, and have some responses that I would’ve appreciated before I bought this machine.
Knob- I haven’t found this to be hard to turn at all, unless you have wet hands or something like that.
Frother- the “frothing attachment” just makes milk ridiculously bubbly. After taking it off, all the difficulty I had trying to froth milk was gone. For a beginner like me, it is good to know how easy it is!
Leaking- the machine hasn’t leaked at all for me. It drips if you have excess pressure built up that you don’t release.
Cheap parts- don’t manhandle the thing and you will be fine! If you jerk on the brew basket when putting it on, it will break. The carafe is glass; don’t drop it. Yes, some parts are plastic. It wouldn’t be a good idea to step on them or anything. The carafe lid isn’t tight, but it doesn’t fall off or anything.
Coffee/grind- buy good coffee, grind it for espresso. I went to my local coffee shop, bought espresso beans and asked them to grind it for me. Perfect. No problems.
The only criticism I have for this machine is the serving size. You must make at least two servings. As best I can tell, one “serving” on this machine is about equivalent to two shots of espresso. You can’t simply make less, because if you do there won’t be enough steam built up to be able to froth the milk. In fact, I usually have to add extra water to make sure I have enough steam.
Read the instruction manual and you will have no issues.
VERY GOOD MACHINE, VERY GOOD DELIVERY TIME, GOOD COFEE TASTE, AS ALL Y BOUGTH IN AMAZON. THIS IS MADE FOR A WONDERFULL BRAND IN APPLIANCES, I COULD’T HOPE LESS….
The seller had the product sent by UPS and there was a track number. The item was lost by UPS. The seller reimbursed me even though he was not always as responsive as I would have liked, but in the end i got my money back and I went to a retail store to buy my espresso machine because I got tired of waiting for over a month to get it. This experience makes me rethink my buying online. I had a good experience with Amazon and Ebay until recently when I have not received items I paid for at least three times this month. I got my money back every time , but the items I ordered where time sensitive. My buying habits will change as of now.
I was looking at all types of expensive expresso makers ($250 – $800) with the foamer for lattes. I was so confused, that I decided to order this Mr. Coffee product and it works great. – $39! It is simple, quiet and you can even do the milk alone for hot chocolates.
Every morning my wife and I brew beans ground from her family’s coffee farm in Honduras. All we really want is a small machine that brews really hot coffee. We had a small Krups expresso machine, purchased in the 90’s, which worked great for many years. It had a metal tank, brewed quickly, and didn’t leak. When that machine got tired, we figured Krups had treated us well, so we got the Krups replacement model (Krups XP1020). Somewhere in the intervening years, Krups must have fired their engineers and outsourced design and manufacturing to create what the industry euphemistically calls an “entry-level model.” The new Krups had a plastic tank, took up more space with useless stylistic flourishes, didn’t brew as hot as the previous model, and leaked pressure around the gasket. We suffered its tyranny unbelievably for two years until we called it quits and ordered this DeLonghi from Amazon. For brewing home-ground coffee hot and quick, the DeLonghi cannot be beat. The Amazon price was great too (fully painless with the forgotten $25 Christmas gift certificate pinned to the cork board). The metal tank and overall design, switch, etc. just seem better than the the discarded Krups. Note, we don’t froth our coffee, so I cannot comment on the short frothing stem, which seems to bother some reviewers. However, in all regards that matter to us, the Delonghi works great. After two weeks use, I recommend it.
LOVE THIS MACHINE!!!!!!!!! I used to be a Starbucks latte drinker and my venti would cost 4.89 plus 1.00 tip. I used to do this 1-2x daily!!! I am not a huge fan of coffee perse, so I always was into the super sweet concoctions with lots of espresso. My husband was also good for 2-3 starbucks dbl shots/day. We figured we were spending easily 110.00/week (almost 500.00/month!!!). Now I buy the starbucks syrup and beans and make all of our drinks from home.
)He makes his own every morning. The frothing wand works well and Ive had no problems. Im actually shocked at some of the reviews and am going to blame individual machine malfunction or operator error.
This little, inexpensive machine is AWESOME. So easy to use, sturdy, and quick. I have used machines before but my husband (who cant use a manual can opener, to be noted) only took two tries to master it. VERY USER FRIENDLY
Im writing this review because Im online ordering one for a friend. GREAT BUY!!!
This machine will pay for itself in 8 drinks and save you money while you enjoy it!!
This machine is very sturdy, works quickly and makes just as good espresso as our previous foreign-made (and more expensive) machine. We don’t do milk drinks, just black espresso, so I can’t comment on the steamer attachment.