I bought this machine for lattes at my office. I got a cartridge system because I thought it would be cleaner than grinding beans & disposing of the puck. I needed a machine that takes little space, and I wanted to drink Lavazza since that's what I use at home. The cost was also a reason for selecting the 850; I didn't want to spend a lot for it.I thought I got a defective 850 the first time I used it because the steam wand didn't produce steam long enough to heat the milk past 60 degrees. I contacted the Amazon seller but got no response. The manual that comes with the 850 wasn't helpful. I buy my Lavazza beans & cartridges from AromaCafeCulture.com & called them for help; they were out of stock for the 850 which is why I bought it at Amazon. They helped me get the 850 to work even tho I had not purchased it from them.
When you use the 850, you need to press the "on" button on the far left; it stays red to show the 850 is turned on. The middle button is the shot button & it lights up when it is ready. (You press & release the middle button. The 850 pushes water thru the cartridge until you press the button again. I use a Rattlewear shot pitcher to measure the espresso.) The button on the right is the steam button. To get steam, you press this button continuously until it lights. You then rotate a knob on the right of the machine to activate the steam wand BUT you need to press the lighted steam button the entire time you want to use the steam wand. If you don't keep your finger on that button, you'll get 45 seconds of steam. If you keep your finger on the button, the steam continues until you get the milk to 150 degrees & nice froth. The 850 will produce enough steam to heat & froth milk, but it takes longer than a machine at a coffee shop. Also, the amount of steam produced will vary while you steam & the light may turn off while you steam, but the 850 still steams while the light is off. Yes, it does not steam like Starbucks, but I also didn't spend $4000 on a machine either.
I can't judge the reliability of the 850 since I've had it for 2 weeks. It will pay for itself in 4 months.
I make vente lattes, so I use two cartridges for a serving. I get 2 oz of espresso per cartridge and steam 3/4 C of milk; this fills my Starbucks aluminum mug. Net cost is 20 cents with 8.8 cents for the cartridges. Not bad when compared to the coffee shops & they don't use Lavazza beans, so I'm also getting better tasting lattes while saving money.
The not so good news First, the pro model has a lot more features, the most important being that it shuts the flow of coffee down automatically, guaranteeing a more precise shot. Alas, blessed by a Champagne taste but living with beer budget, this unit was all I could afford.
The good news The unit is beautiful ( it is, after all, Italian) and it's not really difficult to use. Make sure you turn the thing on well in advance of your need for Java. It takes a bit of time to warm up. After the green "ready" light comes on, you unfasten the pod holder and insert your favorite capsule (pretty simple). Then you press the green button, watching carefully to make sure you don't over fill your espresso cup. (Too much water and you get what the Italians call "dish water".
When it's reached the level you want, you press the button to stop the flow. The smell, by the way, is wonderful. If you want some frothed milk, you have to press the third button (NOT THE THIRD BUTTON!) until it lights up. Bring a container with cold milk over by the wand (on the right) and twist the knob behind it.
Why only 4 stars I really like this unit and given the price, I think it represents good value. However, there a few little things that annoy me. The steam wand shoots out water when you first use it so you have to remember to clear the pipes into a container before frothing anything. Also, the instructions are pretty rudimentary. They never really tell you how much coffee you should be "pulling" I have been estimating but as an ex chemistry teacher, I would love to have better specs. Finally, unless you use Lavazza espresso paper cups (yes, they sell them), pulling a shot into a room temp espresso cup will result in a luke warm cup of coffee. You need to heat up the cup (use the steam wand or dunk the cups in hot water). Also, if you want to add a dribble of milk, the small shot will get pretty cold best to warm the milk first is my suggestion.
Not a rave and not a rant a decent machine that fits my 4 or 5 espresso a week habit.
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Just received this machine on 12-31-10. I know it has only been 2 days of using it but i love it. It pulls a good shot of espresso. It may not be great,but it is good. I had a Gaggia classic many years ago. That pulled a great shot if you did everything right. I'm getting lazy in my old age and want an easier way to make my espresso. i have always loved Lavazza ground espresso coffee. I even use it in my Bunn coffee maker. I almost went with the Nespresso D90,but i am happy i went with this instead,partly because i know that i will get great coffee from Lavazza. Oh yeah it also looks great on my countertop!Read Best Reviews of Lavazza Point Ep850 Aroma Point Espresso Machine Here
The cost of this machine is good compared to some of the other Lavazza machines.Still creates a quality shot of espresso, but the only disappointment is everything is so manual. great shot though!!Want Lavazza Point Ep850 Aroma Point Espresso Machine Discount?
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