DeLonghi DCF2212T 12-Cup Glass Carafe Drip Coffee Maker, Black

Ordered this to replace a 2 year old version of the same model. Excellent coffeemaker. In addition to good coffee the unit is unique in that one can fill the water reservoir and coffee basket without having to pull the unit out from under an upper cabinet. Nearly all other coffeemakers have such large lids that it is impossible to open the water reservoir while the unit is under a cabinet. With this unit the coffee basket rotates out from the coffeemaker bringing the basket closer for filling both coffee and water.

We love the design and will purchase another one after this wears out.

It works , the problem so far is the plastic they used to view how much water is in the unit, it isn't clear plastic but rather opaque and the water level is difficult to see.

The clock/timer is way too slow to operate, I really dislike it.

I sent in the rebate offer and we'll see if send the $10.

Update:

(1)The basket is falling apart after one week.

Customer service doesn't stock the part so I used a glue gun for a temporary fix.

(2)A month later, no rebate check and still no basket.

(3)Still no rebate check and still no basket.

downgraded to 1 star for poor customer service.

This is my last DeLonghi product.

(4)Two months later still no basket and no rebate.

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I purchased this unit over a year ago and after a few months it began leaking. I called customer service and they said it might be the basket, although they said there was no "wide-spread" problem. The new basket worked for several more months but then the unit began leaking all over the counter again. When I called customer service they once again denied that this was a common problem. A search of the internet looking for delonghi DCF 212T problems will show that this is a very common problem. I was told if I cut off the cord and sent it in with $15 they would send me a new unit as a "good will" gesture. I will most likely pay the $15 to get a new unit but can not believe DeLonghi would produce such an inferior product and then repeatedly deny any responsibility. Shame on Them! I have bought my last DeLonghi product.

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I really like the front access for filling the water reservoir and the coffee filter. The aroma option indeed improves the flavor of the coffee, and the unit does make a better pot of brew than my old coffeemaker. But I have three complaints, and it seems they're simple, inexpensive features that would've earned this machine 4 or 5 stars.

First, the water level indicator ideally needs to be backlit. As a mediocre alternative, Delonghi could've used clear plastic so you could actually see the water level. As is, it's very difficult to see the level without shining a light directly on the indicator. Rather than going to the trouble, it's slightly easier to add a step to the process & fill the carafe with the quantity of water needed & pour it in the unit (otherwise, I'd pour directly from my Brita pitcher into the unit).

Second, the clock is unlit, which makes it almost worthless unless you're standing closer than 2 feet from the unit. My old 29.99 Mr. Coffee's clock was far superior. Shame.

Third, also related to the clock, setting the time or the automatic start timer is very cumbersome. Besides being hard to see the clock itself, to set the time, you have to hold the time set button as it ticks off each minute until reaching your desired time. So, for example, this morning I wanted the coffee to start brewing at 6:00, but tomorrow, I want it to begin at 5:45. I have to hold the button down until it scrolls for 23 3/4 hours! Again, my cheap old Mr. Coffee was far simpler with its "hour" and "minute" buttons.

When all is said & done, I like the machine because it makes good coffee...but with these simple additional features, I'd love it.

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I had some serious reservations about buying this coffee maker based on the previous reviews that I've read, so I decided to buy it directly from Amazon (for the return policy) and test it myself. Here's the results: The coffee gets plenty hot (160 degrees on Aroma mode & 165 degrees off Aroma mode), the coffee brews plenty quick off Aroma mode (11 minutes), but is slow on Aroma mode (25 minutes), and, lastly, I found absolutely no difference in the taste or kitchen "aroma" when I put the Aroma mode on.

In general, I would not recommend using the Aroma mode at all, not really sure why they have it cause its not very useful. However, the coffee maker works great, fits very nicely under my cabinet, is easy to fill, and has a great little price tag for the product that you get!

Happy Brewing!!

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Capresso 1050-Watt Pump Espresso and Cappuccino Machine, Black/Silver

I really love this espresso machine. I am no great coffee afficianado, but I was entering a time period when I foresaw the need for the regular intake of caffeine, and really only enjoy lattes, so I clearly needed an espresso machine that would also allow me to steam milk. I previously had the Mr.Coffee espresso machine that did have the steam wand, but I was moving and it was either a choice to pay to ship my Mr. Coffee or look into something new. I didn't love the Mr. Coffee, but I didn't have any huge complaints either. The opportunity came up for me to get a new machine for free (thanks to some promotional points I had with an organization that were soon to expire). This was the only espresso machine they had to "purchase" and the reviews I could find were generally positive, though not glowing. But, this machine definitely seemed like it would fit my needs and would be a better use of points than cubic zirconia earrings so, I bought it!

With that full disclosure out of the way, I must say I have grown to love this machine!! After just about 2 weeks of use, its probably gotten more use than my Mr. Coffee did over the 3 years or so that I had it.

Things that I love:

*EASE OF USE. This thing is CRAZY easy to use. I have even shown my mother (who is about 60 and not too tech savvy) how to steam her own lattes. I'm still having trouble with my husband who can never remember anything I tell him, but I am sure he will come around as well. The pieces fit together without much, if any, wrangling and finessing. It heats up and is ready very quickly. I just turn it on and by the time that I have assembled all my items for making my drink, its ready. Overall, just a joy to use.

*Versatility. Since I am not an innate coffee lover, I love that this machine can be used so well and so easily for other things as well. It makes hot water for tea with just a flip of a switch and it is hotter faster than if I were to use the microwave or electric kettle. It basically has replaced any of our old methods of heating water for tea. The ease with which it steams (and the rapidity with which it gets ready) makes making steamed milk drinks a snap. I've actually had more chai lattes than espresso since I've gotten this machine, and I love them!

*QUALITY. As I said before, I am not a great coffee afficionado and a decent cup to me may not be a decent cup to someone with a more discriminating palate. That said, I DO think the quality of the espresso that I pull with the Capresso is better than what I remember with the Mr. Coffee--and I lost my really good tamper in the move. So once I purchase a new one I think that the quality of the espresso from the Capreso will be even higher.

Things that I don't love:

*SIZE. If you have limited counterspace, this may not be for you. The Mr. Coffee was great with its very small footprint--could easily store out of the way or didn't take up much counterspace. While not huge, it's also not tiny. However, its multiple uses and the frequency with which I use it make leaving it out not such a huge drawback. (Also helps that I now have a bigger kitchen!)

So, overall, just wanted to put my 2 cents in that this was a very useful machine, which I am very pleased with and have already recommended it to friends. I don't know how it compares with the performance of comparable machines at its price, but on its own it is very satisfactory, and really I enjoy using it.

An additional FYI: I had also found this video review online when I was doing my search and it was very informative/insightful: .

Bought this machine in April 2011 for $150. We used on a daily basis, most days creating perfect jumbo cups of cappuccino. Some days the espresso was weaker than others...some days the milk was perfectly frothed, other days not so much. But hey, all espresso machines seem to have a mind of their own. After 3 months use the machine broke. The button to switch from Espresso to Steam stopped working. I think that we have the right to expect a longer life for a machine than 90 days! Amazon's return policy is 30 days.

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I love this machine, have been using every single day for a month to make lattes at home. Turn it on and let it warm up for 10-15 minutes to get a hotter brew, and also for the cup warmer to be of any use. For my first espresso machine I am completely happy, especially for the price. A little practice with the steam wand and I am getting consistent texture, temperature, and taste with my daily latte. I would definitely recommend for first time users who are trying to make the switch from your daily $4 latte, it will pay for itself!

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Okay, for a beginner this machine is good. It can pull a shot, but it will take longer, as it does not get to the 'ideal' temp. The cup warmer does not warm, but if you put anything plastic on it it will cause a lovely melty smell. The nozzle is not very good for steaming as it doesn't move well. It's entire build is a bit awkward, however access to the water tank is quite handy. *However* if you are looking for something that can make a modest macchiatto, this will work.

What it DOES NOT do:

Steam well enough to create microfoam (unless you are using skim milk, but that's not what we used in Spain, Italy, or even now, here in Germany skim stays well away from your coffee... it's the whip cream that kills the calories, not the milk)

Warm cups on the cup warmer (frankly why so many of these machines 'provide' this feature baffles me as the machines are not equipped with enough power to do so)

Pull a fast shot (the 'ideal' shot is typically listed as a 15-20 second shot, this won't do it, so don't even expect it to)

What it DOES do:

Steams milk to a good temp for hot cocoa

Steam water to make fast tea, or to reheat your tea

Produce a passable espresso shot (but it takes 30-40 seconds*)

What is a total pain about it:

getting anything other than an actual espresso cup under there is a pain. The portafilter is a little too low to allow for an espresso shot glass to go under it, let alone a coffee cup.

Cleaning it. You have to first unplug it, upend it on it's top (which is bad) and scrub at the extraction/drip area as removing grounds is really difficult, even with a hot washcloth and a scrub brush.

The drip tray itself isn't a pain, but how the steam collects then reforms/condenses back into water, then sputters out of a channel that is supposed to lead to the tray, but instead goes under it, and all over your counter.

In summation:

For this price range it is a moderate machine. If you are curious about making a passable cup of coffee, and are upgrading from a normal drip coffee pot, this machine will work. However, when this machine finally poops out on you, upgrade and don't feel bad if you 'only' get two years out of this machine. It's pretty much all plastic, and that automatically means it's going to degrade quickly.

*for those who are just starting out, the reason why the timing of the shot pull is important is because too long and you risk a scorched taste at worst or a cold cup at best.

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My wife and I used this to make very good cappuccino -a cup each, about four times a week for 14 months. Then, over the course of a week or so, the frothing wand lost 90% of its pressure and wasn't worth using anymore. We tried dismantling and cleaning, but that didn't help. I imagine there's a small crack in the boiler somewhere. I thought this machine would last for many years.

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Custom Grind Deluxe Coffee Grinder

The product looked very nice when I received it and then I used it. I used it three times and the motor bagan to smoke. I unplugged the machine and let it cool off and it would not work after that. I messed up and threw the box away after the coffee grinder worked so nicely the first time so I just pitched it in the trash.

Jura Impressa J9 One Touch TFT Coffee Machine

Pros:

+ Makes great coffee

+ Highly customizable for strength, size, temperature

+ Energy saving features

Cons:

Serious usability issues

Low height of spout

More plastic than there should be in a product this expensive

Please forgive the length of this review, but for a product that costs as much as this one does, I think you deserve as much information as you can get.

I have owned a Jura Impressa E8 for three years and have been very happy with it overall. The Impressa J9 is Jura's current top-of-the-line model and, at first glance, it looks the part. Gleaming silver body and chrome buttons and accents plus a color LCD screen make a positive first impression. This fades a bit when you notice that nearly all of what you see is plastic, including the chrome-plated spouts. Seriously, at this price point I expected stainless steel or chrome-plated brass here.

In front center, above the drip tray (whose chrome grille is pretty much the only visible metal) is the dual coffee spout. This slides up and down and the dual spouts pivot apart for filling two cups. (Note that coffee comes out both spouts at the same time regardless.) The height of the spout is adjustable between 2.5 and 4.25 inches, with the maximum distance between the spouts being 2.0 inches. I found myself wishing for a taller opening.

On the left side is another single spout which is used for milk and hot water. The standard spout serves as a mixer for milk, water/steam, and if you're making a latte or cappuccino, dispenses both the coffee and the milk, which is a nice touch. The height of this spout is adjustable between 4.0 and 5.75 inches. This spout has a dial that adjusts how much air/steam is mixed in with the milk, which enters the spout through a port on the left. Into this port you insert a piece of silicone tubing (supplied) which can be run into a milk container or connected to the supplied stainless steel insulated cup with siphon tube. This cup is said to be able to keep milk cold for up to 8 hours, though only when full. The port is covered with a red rubber plug when not in use.

Below the center spouts are two LEDs, with a single LED under the frothing spout. These initially illuminate white but change to yellow while a brew is in progress. They go out after a short while after the serving is complete.

There are four hinged doors on top of the unit. The door on the left side exposes the water carafe, which is tall and narrow. A handle swings up on the carafe to assist in removing, holding and replacing. An optional "Clearyl Blue" filter sits inside the carafe with an extender that snaps on to bring it up to full height. You cannot see the water level once the carafe is in place an issue made especially annoying as the "refill water" indicator doesn't come on until there is less than 8 ounces of water remaining, meaning that your last cup may not be full. The door on the right side covers a storage compartment which holds a spoon for pre-ground coffee, a hot water spout that can be swapped in for the milk frother, and the adjustment for the coffee grinder.

A small door in the center is where you would spoon in ground coffee if desired lifting that door triggers the pre-ground coffee cycle which is then started by pushing one of the buttons at the sides of the LCD panel within two minutes. A large door at the top rear surface exposes the bean hopper, which has an "aroma saver" inner lid and a plastic grille preventing you from getting your fingers near the grinder opening.

These doors on the top of the J9 are a problem for me. I have the J9 on a counter with cabinets above. The cabinets, and the moulding below them, are low enough that I can barely open any of the doors. I am able to, with some manipulation, get the water carafe out and access the storage bin, but the bean hopper is inaccessible unless I swing the whole unit around and out on the counter. Luckily I don't have to do that every day. The side doors on my old E8 were narrower and easier to deal with, though I still had to pull the E8 out a bit to refill the beans which, on that model, were on the right side. Of course, if you have the J9 on an open counter, with unimpeded access to the top, none of this will be a concern to you.

The drip tray has four components. The large tray itself has two electrical contacts on the end that tell the machine the tray is inserted. The chrome grille (with a plastic grille underneath) sits on this. A secondary tray sits on the large tray and a plastic grounds container sits on this secondary tray. I noticed that the grounds container was made of a softer plastic than the one on the E8 and grounds tend to stick to it more.

Above the center spout is the LCD display with three buttons on each side. This is your primary interface to the J9. In normal mode, it presents six choices: Espresso, Coffee, Cappuccino, Latte macchiato, Hot water and 1 portion milk. Pressing the button by one of these choices immediately starts dispensing the selected item. On the top front surface of the J9 is a large rotary dial with a central push button. This is used to select additional beverage choices and to make adjustments. Flanking this dial are the power button and a P button used for programming.

If you spin the dial, you are shown all the standard beverage choices plus these: Ristretto, 2 Ristretti, 2 Espressi, 2 Coffees. You push the central button to make your choice, though if you choose a standard offering; it just takes you back to the main screen. Otherwise, pushing the button immediately starts dispensing the beverage. The double-portion choices double the amount of water used, but don't double the amount of coffee ground, so don't think, for example, that you can brew two 8-oz cups of coffee and get something good. However, it would probably work well for two of the smaller products such as espresso.

(By the way, in case you don't know what a Ristretto is I didn't the J9 makes it out to be a very strong espresso. Originally it was a "fast pull" of the espresso machine's handle.)

No matter what choice you make, you can individually customize your cup, though the process of doing so I found awkward. On my old E8, I could select cup size before brewing and got mild, normal or strong by pushing the start button once, twice or thrice. On the J9, you use either the push buttons by the LCD or the dial to make adjustments, but your opportunity to do so is limited. For coffee and espresso, you can select one of five strengths only in the few seconds while the coffee is grinding. Then when the brewing starts, you can adjust the amount of water to be used in .5oz increments up to 8oz. For drinks that use milk, you instead select the number of seconds it will pump milk. For hot water you can select three temperatures; the manual says that "Extra Hot" corresponds to 203 degrees F, but I measured it at 170 in the cup.

You can, however, preset the customizations for each drink type using the programming menu and the "Expert Mode". These presets are used as defaults but can still be overridden while the beverage is being prepared.

When you first turn on the Impressa J9, the screen indicates that the water is heating and then it prompts you to press the dial's button to initiate a rinse of the coffee system. This rinse uses far less water than the E8 did. Then you can make your selections. When you power down, it rinses again.

Ok, that's a lot of words about the machine, but how good is the coffee it makes? Great! I found the coffee even more flavorful than what the E8 could prepare, and I had not even selected the strongest setting. The latte and cappuccino preparation was pretty good, though I found the milk foam to be no thicker than I ever managed to get from the E8. Earlier I got the Capresso frothPRO, which not only makes thicker, richer foam but is a heck of a lot easier to clean up afterward. However, if you're making a lot of milk drinks in a row, you'll appreciate the all-in-one convenience of the J9 just position your cup under the spout, push the button, and it does the rest.

Jura touts the energy-saving features of the J9, so I tested these. When the J9 is heating water, it draws 1300W, but I was amazed at how quickly it came up to temperature from a cold start, only about 15-20 seconds. When it is sitting ready to brew, it draws 3-5W. When powered off normally, Jura says that it draws 0.1W, but my "WattsUp" meter read zero, so it must have been even less than 0.1. There is also a rocker switch by where the power cord comes in (on the bottom right) that completely disconnects the power.

You can set an EnergySave mode. What this does is, once it has brewed, it does not keep the water at brewing temperature. This is indicated on the display. If you then want to brew a cup, you press a button and it takes 15-20 seconds to reheat, then you press the button again to start brewing. I watched my power meter when the EnergySave mode was disabled and didn't see the heater come on too often. Jura says that this can reduce energy consumption by up to 40%, but if you want your coffee NOW, you will probably choose to leave EnergySave disabled. You can also set an auto-turnoff time which will shut the machine down after a period of no use that can be selected from 15 minutes to 15 hours.

The coffee and milk systems get cleaned independently. The machine will remind you to run a brewing cleaning cycle every 200 cups or so. This is done using a Jura cleaning tablet that is inserted into the ground coffee funnel. The machine then soaks, sprays, and rinses the system and then flushes with water this takes about 20 minutes. When you do this, you must place a cup under each of the coffee and milk spouts. About 8 ounces of solution get discharged into each of these cups.

The milk frother is supposed to be cleaned after every use. The usual way of doing this is to add a small amount of cappuccino cleaner (an initial bottle is supplied) in 8oz of water and let the milk tube suck it up into the system. There's a cleaning option in the programming menu to do this. By default, it won't remind you to clean the frother, but you can enable that if you wish.

On my E8, I discovered that the stainless steel filter/strainer, inside the machine, would get gunked up with coffee grounds and oil over time. Eventually this would prevent coffee from flowing and what coffee you did get tasted bad. I know a lot of people griped about having to send their E8 back to Jura for "repair", but I think many of them could have fixed the problem themselves. The J9 seems a bit less prone to this problem as the clean cycle does a halfway-decent job of cleaning the filter, but I'm going to show you how you can help.

I have attached three photos to the product page. The first shows the view inside the opening when you have removed the drip tray. Notice the brown plastic flap with a slanted edge hanging from the top of the opening. This flap is hinged and spring-loaded. Up behind it is the brewing mechanism and the filter disc see the second photo. In this photo you can see the disc after just a few days of use. The third photo shows the same area after a cleaning cycle has been run much better, but not perfect.

What I recommend is: once every couple of weeks or so, take a damp paper towel. Reach into the opening, and with your fingers (and the towel), reach up behind the flap (you can pull it forward a bit don't force it) and wipe off the strainer and surrounding area. You may need someone with long fingers (or small hands) to do this. You won't be able to see what you are doing, but you will be able to feel the disc with its central screw. Cleaning this regularly will keep the quality of the coffee consistent and reduce the chance of problems down the road.

Some miscellaneous stuff you should know. The J9 comes with one filter plus a water hardness testing strip. If you choose to not use the filter, you are supposed to test the water hardness and set the value in the programming menu. This controls how often the machine will prompt you to run a descaling process. The descaling tablets must be purchased separately. If you use the filter, you don't need to descale, but do need to replace the filter every two months. Make sure you get the right kind Jura has two incompatible types of "Clearyl" filter. The one you want is Jura 67879 Clearyl Water Care Cartridge for ENA.

Also in the "Welcome Kit" are two cleaning tablets, a bottle of cappuccino cleaner and manuals in multiple languages. I highly recommend visiting Jura's web site and downloading the manual so you can go over it before purchase.

I hope you found this review helpful if you have additional questions, ask in the comments and I'll do my best. The J9 is expensive, to be sure, but if you buy it, you'll get a machine that makes fantastic coffee in multiple styles, and quickly. I do have some quibbles with the design as far as usability is concerned, notably the positioning and size of the top doors and the quick reflexes you'll need to make adjustments when brewing a cup. With proper care, it should last for years.

I have had a Capresso C3000 super automatic for many years that I was starting to have some minor problems with (small water leak, tray sensors corroding) and decided it was time to get a replacement. I work from home and tend to drink coffee most of the day so I'm looking for something that works reliably and for a very extend period of time. I started looking at the new super automatics from the Jura Capresso based on the longevity of the old C3000. I will admit, it's the TFT display that really caught my eye on this one. I started looking thinking that I'd end up with a Z series, but the TFT display was what veered me over to this one.

It comes pre-loaded with default recipes for latte macchiato, cappuccino, an espresso shot, a ristretto shot, coffee, coffees, hot water, and steamed milk. All of the recipes can be customized via "Expert Mode". You can adjust the strength (1 5 beans), volume in ounces or mL's), steamed milk amount (based on time in seconds). You can also adjust all of the parameters while making the drink without saving, which is great for guests. Basic operation is very simple and straightforward. The TFT display makes this super user friendly. Anyone can easily scroll thru using the wheel on top of the machine and pick whatever type of drink they want. Or, you can select most drinks directly from the TFT screen as well. For two shots or two cups of coffee, hit the button twice. You can also enter the recipe modification mode by holding the drink selection button as well. Grind adjustment is via a knob under the back right top cover. It also displays graphics of your drink while it's being made.

The coffee seems to be a bit stronger on this than on my old C3000, but I love the fact that you don't have to move the cup for lattes and cappuccinos. And, the insulated milk container (included) really does keep the milk cold all day.

I was a bit disappointed when I first got the machine and went looking for the "Auto On" function that turns on the machine at a set time to warm up. After I really started using the machine, I realized this was really not needed. It's typically heated up and ready to go by the time I get the milk container out of the fridge and connected.

Maintenance and Cleaning: If you use steamed milk, I highly suggest changing the setting to display the "Rinse Milk System" prompt to appear right after using. The default is 10 minutes, and you cannot select this rinse from the Maintenance menu. The quicker you rinse out the milk residue, the less likely you are to get clogs. The manual also suggests to use the Jura Cappuccino Cleaner daily. I tend to rinse often and do a breakdown cleaning of the milk system and frother about every other day.

The drip tray on the J9 TFT is very different that what I was used to on the C3000. It has 4 parts (bottom tray, top tray, grinds container, and grill) but the material seems much easier to clean that the drip tray on my C3000.

There is a bar graph style indicator in the Maintenance menu that shows you when cleaning and filter changes are due. I've always cleaned my old one as least once a month with a tablet and about once a week using a cleaning cycle with just water. This machine does use the new Clearyl Blue filters.

One other thing, the coffee only dispenser does not rise up high enough to use with any of the travel mugs that I have, but the milk frother/coffee dispenser side does.

Overall, very happy with my purchase so far. It has the Jura quality that I'm used to, makes great coffee, everything can be customized, easy to clean, and has a neat screen on the front :-)

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If you are reading this, you are likely both a gadget lover and a coffee enthusiast, or are considering the J9 as a gift for someone who fits that description. Having tested it for a month and a half, I am still finding surprisingly thoughtful aspects. For example, I found that holding down any button while coffee or milk is pouring prompts you to let it know when you have as much as you want. This is perfect for those odd size cups you can't estimate the volume of, or adding milk foam to the top of a cup of hot tea. It is this attention to detail that really defines the experience with this coffee machine.

Because others have given very good lengthy reviews, with even more available on Youtube, I will give my brief thoughts:

FLAVOR

As expected from the Jura brand, the flavor is excellent. More accurately, the flavor is finely tuned to the user, as the way it is brewed, including strength and grind, is very customizable. Regardless of how you like your coffee, the J9 will likely make it just right and consistently. I have used both very high end and standard beans, and was pleased with both, in the sense that the best flavor and consistency was brought out of both. Of course, the better bean gave the better coffee. Different coffee types are all produced equally well, with black coffee being something beyond the typical office brew and espresso having a beautiful crema and serious punch. A filter is integrated to give better water quality as well, though it can be left out if you want to avoid the cost of replacing it.

INTERFACE

The screen, which seems to add a hefty sum to the price, could be considered a gimmick. For some reason, they brag that it is TFT in the product name, though that is not an impressive screen technology. However, having a screen and buttons (no touch interface) allows for simple and intuitive customization. You can set every parameter of each coffee type quickly and without ever looking at the manual. This makes customization something everyone can have fun with, rather than a daunting task for the professional. If you purchase this unit, I recommend playing with the settings and creating your ideal coffees rather than sticking with the presets. It is a primary reason to own a fancy coffee machine. Some changes can also be made on the fly, such as the above mentioned ability to change the volume of coffee and milk.

CLEANING

The machine includes some consumables for the cleaning, of which extra will need to be purchased (or DIYed) as needed. Other than this issue, cleaning is a breeze. The machine lets you know when it needs to run self-cleaning modes, if you don't do it first, and they are automated. The coffee grounds are ejected as cute pellets and can be thrown away more regularly. The tray will not let itself overflow, because it has sensors to let you know it is time to empty it.

DESIGN

This is my only real sticking point with the machine. For something in this price range, it is sub par. Other than the front plate and tray lid, it is largely made of plastic. The silver color is painted on and easily scratched off, revealing the black plastic underneath. It is strange that they did not at least use silver plastic to avoid scratches showing. Those scratches might occur while trying to open the top flaps, since the unit is a bit too tall to fit under a standard kitchen cabinet. The spouts on the front are chrome plated and feel cheap. Also, the chrome plated wheel on the top for menu navigation does not have smooth movement and feels very plasticky.

Other than the strange design compromises, the J9 is a really wonderful coffee machine. I can not imagine anyone being disappointed with it in that regard.

Read Best Reviews of Jura Impressa J9 One Touch TFT Coffee Machine Here

This coffee maker exceeds all my expectations. It's quick to program the drinks to your specifications. Machine is easy to use and even easier to clean. It is worth every penny.

Update: Thank goodness for Amazon. Jura has no customer service. One week after purchase the machine started having trouble making espresso. I tried all their troubleshooting methods; increasing the grind, cleaning, and descaling. By week two, the machine could only steam milk. I called Jura and left multiple messages. I also emailed them. After no response I submitted a return to Amazon. They took back this expensive paperweight, paid for shipping, and gave me a full refund. Again I say, thank goodness for Amazon. I still haven't heard a word from Jura. Bottom line: this machine is a lemon

All instructions were followed exactly according to the manual. Defective machines happen, but ignoring them loses customers.

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UPDATED: Frother issues

After a year of making 4 or 10 cappuccinos and 4 or 5 lattes a day, our frother was so dysfunctional, we were cleaning it between uses which seemed a little silly. I called customer service on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, left my phone number and was CALLED BACK a few hours later.

The tech we talked to said I should not be using organic milk for froth because of the pasteurization. He said the machine does not work as well with fat Free milk either -so I had been givign the machine a double whammy. He also said not to switch to soy milk. (ICK.) I have no idea if this is true or not, yet. However, did I mention they called me back on the SATURDAY after Thanksgiving? That is superior customer service.

ORIGINAL REVIEW:

Jura Impressa J9 One Touch is an elegant, gorgeous machine. It is all sleek, silver lines. It's a beautiful design. I love the way the tray sort of floats in front of it. It makes every coffee drink perfectly. No longer does the poor user have to stand there and remember whether to froth or warm or foam the milk or whether the milk or espresso goes first... The complexity and the abilities of this machine are amazing.

This machine took about thirty minutes to look over and open all of the doors, to read the directions, and to load up with espresso beans and milk. Before you get to the directions, you wade through what seems like 100 warning items telling you what not to do. Don't do any of those things. There are a lot of possible mistakes. The directions were absolutely clear, with descriptive photographs of relevant parts. It is all pretty self-explanatory, even if you have never used a super or fully-automatic machine before:

1. Read the directions.

2. Wash the milk container and lid by hand.

3. Put together the two-part filter with the bigger part on the bottom. It will snap into the bottom of the water tank and the tall thin part connects to the top of the filter, first, and then should connect to the top of the water tank pretty easily. It used to be trickier on the older machines.)

4. Fill the water tank. Replace. It snaps in easily.

5. Put beans in the back compartment.

6. Fill the milk cup with milk and choose the appropriate hose.

7. Plug in. Turn on power switch. Put cup under spout. Press on button.

Once the machine heats up it will want to be rinsed. Once you rinse it by pushing the button, the screen will offer you cappuccino, espresso, coffee, latte macchiato. There are more options. It's like heaven for coffee.

There is a PDF file with instructions for use on the Jura website. It's pretty easy to find. The online guide seems to be simpler and more direct although it does refer you to the enclosed guide for warnings.

We use a variety of different espresso beans for our espressos, from Lavazza Super Crema Espresso Whole Bean Coffee, 2.2-Pound Bag and Lavazza Tierra! 100% Arabica Whole Bean Espresso Coffee, 2.2-Pound Bag, for every day espressos, to illy Caffe Normale Whole Bean Coffee (Medium Roast), 8.8-Ounce Tins (Pack of 2) on weekends. I also order espresso beans from a small roaster in Wisconsin, called Ancora. I would advise you to be very careful in using flavored coffees like those that come out of catalogues of Green and Free Trade beans -as those were the only beans that gave my first machine fits until it had to be sent in for repair, tune-up, cleaning, and blade sharpening. At the time, Jura customer service offered us a trade up for a bigger machine, which we leapt at. Customer Service has always been perfect, even telling us how to repair minor problems to get rid of strange sounds, which they can identify over the phone if they feel like it. They are generous with advice.

The primary flaws of the older machines include the noise not unlike a power saw in your kitchen and the strength of the drink. In Jura's defense about the sound, they used to send a CD to play so you could hear the normal sound and know that the machine was not broken. In order to make a standard espresso, I turned the dial to 3.5 ounces while it was grinding enough beans for a strong cup and then dialed it back to 2 ounces of water while it was espressoing. You don't have to do that on this machine.

The other problem was how much trouble it was to froth the milk for a cappuccino or a latte. Putting milk in the frothing pitcher and then turning on the steam generally caused, well, me at least, to get a face-full of hot and cold milk.

We have had two Jura super automatic espresso machines in the past ten years. It is the best, fastest, easiest, and least expensive cup of espresso.

We started looking for a super-automatic espresso maker when my husband noticed my debits, on the house debit card (foolish me), for espressos on my way to work every morning. My husband was looking for a solution for my $5 every morning double-espresso stop at any numbers of coffee shops on my way to work. $5 x 20= $100. We amortized our first $1200 machine well before the first year, including my three summer months off, because I often went out at midmorning for a walk and a latte. I probably still went out half of the time but I used that funny green paper stuff to pay for it.

I recommend this machine completely and without reservation.

February 17, 2012 Customer service update: 900+ cups of espresso later, this machine developed a glitch. After the first or second cup, every morning, it insists that the grounds need to be emptied, even though there are only one or two pucks at most in it. I called customer service and was instructed to leave my number because the call wait time was over 7 minutes. They called me back about an hour later and the tech told me to unplug the machine and leave it off for at least thirty minutes to allow it to reset.

I did that three days in a row and we get the same message.

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Frieling Polished Stainless French Press, 17-Ounce

I bought this smaller Frieling press because I wanted something just big enough to make one fresh, not over brewed cup of coffee or tea for both my girlfriend and I. It does the job very nicely. There is no plastic involved in its construction. Its all durable stainless steel. The double wall construction does a decent job keeping the water hot while brewing. The mesh does a good job of keeping loose tea and coffee grounds out of what I'm brewing. When you get yours, just make sure you visually check on how well the mesh seals against the inside of the pot. The first one I bought was defective in that way and I sent it right back.

I bought this for my wife, who likes to read the papers in bed with a HOT cup of coffee on weekends. After using glass French press pots for a while I didn't have much faith that the coffee would really stay drinkable for long but now I'm a believer.

First of all, this pot is beautiful to look at, the picture does not capture the modern design. It is also solid, especially the press mechanism (which typically breaks on cheaper presses). The mesh seems to be smaller than on other ones as well, so you get a strong cup of coffee without the grounds.

It's perfect for a couple of cups of really good, hot coffee in the morning, well made and pretty well worth the cost.

Buy Frieling Polished Stainless French Press, 17-Ounce Now

I don't know how many press pots I have gone through since I discovered that they are the ONLY way to make a really good cup of home-brewed coffee, but I wish I had found this brand sooner. Not only is it virtually indestructible, but it is also beautiful--imagine yourself drinking coffee with Lotte Lenya in Berlin or with Carla Bruni in Paris. I have never had coffee poured from a press pot as hot (just prewarm the Frieling with hot H2O while you grind your beans). The sreening device performs masterly--unlike some others there's no need to pour the coffee through a tea stainer to catch those escaped grinds. Well worth the price, the 4 cup makes one perfect large American-size mug of hot, never bitter coffee--what a perfect way to start the day! I also purchased the largest Frieling and it is equally as beautiful and lovely to use.

Read Best Reviews of Frieling Polished Stainless French Press, 17-Ounce Here

What is there to say about a bomb-proof piece of stainless? It's purty? And it is.....nice and shiny. Obviously, no "thermal" device will maintain an ingredient's high temperature for very long. And it doesn't. I didn't expect it to. BUT it's a big improvement over glass! That being said, it works very well for what it's designed for. I like it.

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Bought this for someone else, but I use it all the time. 4 cups is overstated, more like 2 cups. Works well at keeping the grounds away from the coffee and is well insulated. Don't think you can make drinkable coffee with this and have it remain warm for hours, though. Comes apart easily for cleanup. I only wish that it came with an extra replacement screen or two.

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Coffee Maker Color: White

this gonna be the first and the last time i buy any think from this company. at first, the coffee maker and the box were broken.second, when i told them about the setuation, they told me to send it back ,but i have to pay the shipment to send it back. that mean i have to pay almost ten dollars to the post office to get my fifteen dollars. also they try custmers bad, so i advice people do not buy any staff from this name.

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Porlex Mini Stainless Steel Coffee Grinder

Just recently, I learned about the health benefits of having two cups of coffee a day. I wanted to turn my coffee drinking into a meditative process and focus on healing. For many reasons, I decided that I would drink coffee made with a French Press. When I began my research into coffee grinders, I quickly discovered an entire world. I found Eletric Burr Grinders starting at about $40.00 and up. I really wanted to hand grind my beans so I continued my research. I quickly discovered two reasonably priced hand grinders and was ready to buy either the Hario Skerton or Kyocera Ceramic Burr Hand Grinder (About $40). I then did a google search and found out the both the Hario Skerton and Kyocera were excellent for grinding coffee beans very fine (for expresso) but were not as good for Coarse Grinding ( Recommended for French Press). After some additional research I found the Porlex and discovered an excellent hand Coffee Grinder. The outside oontainer is very well made, the grinding is consistent and only takes a few minutes to grind enough beans for one or two cups of coffee. If you are grinding beans for more than two (12 ounce cups of Coffee) you might find this is not the best grinder.

The grinding is quick, quiet, and the resulting coffee is beyond excellent. I am very happy that I found this Hand Coffee Grinder and that is has enriched my coffee drinking experience.

Enjoy,

David

Works OK for fine grind, but not for coarse -produces inconsistent grind. Very well made. Small -fits inside the plunger of my AeroPress, which helps to keep it all in the AeroPress's pouch. Very comfortable to hold. Holds only one serving (about 2-3 measuring spoons), which takes about 160 cranks. Not bad at all, no need to keep opening and looking if you are done: you feel very well when there is no more resistence to cranking.

Buy Porlex Mini Stainless Steel Coffee Grinder Now

I bought this to relieve my office-mates of the noise pollution created by an electric grinder. It is much smaller than I expected (about 4 inches tall and an inch and a half wide). The stainless steel casing and top makes for a very sturdy feel. It has enough room for about 3-4 tablespoons of coffee beans in the top (probably enough for two 10oz cups of coffee). For one cup, I put about one and a half tablespoons in there and it takes about 50 seconds of medium intensity grinding to finish). The grinding process itself is fairly easy no real workout here, just some low-level resistance. The adjustment screw clicks as you tighten or loosen it so it is easy to calculate how tight you want it for certain purposes I stick to 8 clicks from the tightest position for my single-serve drip coffee maker.

Read Best Reviews of Porlex Mini Stainless Steel Coffee Grinder Here

UPDATE: The handle design is horrible, after 6 months of daily use the handle doesn't stay on the grinder and flies off every single damn morning, and eats a star shaped chunk from your hand, is it really a mental stretch to design a removable handle that has a set screw??!!! you know, so you don't keep ripping skin into your coffee as the handle comes off mid turn??!! Would not purchase again. grinding and watching the handle fly, scraping your knuckles along the way, replacing the handle, grinding some more and watching the handle fly is NOT the kind of morning anyone wants to deal with.

Worst handle design ever.

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This is the best portable grinder out there, the people that say they cannot use them must be trying to grind using their feet.

To the buyer that says you need constant downward pressure, what are you grinding? Coffee or diamonds?

It just needs to be turned, I have used mine for while now and have seen zero problems, I make 2 3 cups a day using it.

Easy to carry, easy to throw in a case to travel, Ceramic grinder that should last forever with care.

It really is only for one person though, does not make quite enough for 2, but thats fine for me.

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ILSA 122-3, Stainless Steel Stove-Top Espresso Maker, 3- cup

We bought this stove-top espresso maker to replace our previous one/ We were happy to replace the previous espresso maker with this stainless steel model.

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Hamilton Beach Single Serve Scoop Coffee Maker

I've been a long time user of personal brewers two pod/cup type machines one well known, one lesser known. My problem with them both is that using your own coffee (I have my non pod favorite!) produces a mess and/or very weak coffee. They simply don't hold the right coffee/water ratio to produce what I would consider an excellent cup of coffee.

I recently spied this machine and immediately liked that it was non proprietary, read the former reviews, looked at the price tag and was skeptical how good could it be for under $60 when its rival starts at $100? I finally brought one home and I'm sold! Using the "bold" setting it made even a decaf coffee nice and strong and it reminded me of the results that I get with my French Press full bodied, rich & flavorful.

I like that the basket for the coffee is nice and deep and easy to fill. The water resevoir is easily filled. It holds an ample 14 oz. of water you get out what you put in so playing with the measurement and grind of your favorite coffee takes some perfecting. The brewer starts immediately, the light goes out signaling it is finished brewing. It is a tad faster than the mini version of the more popular single cupper. The coffee comes out hot. I haven't seen any issues with leaking, spraying, etc. Hamilton Beach was also thinking when the made the drip tray so that it flips over and fills the space to a smaller cup size.

I'd add some cons but really there isn't anything that I dislike about this machine.

I just purchased this yesterday, so I can't vouch for its longevity, but we have made several quick cups of coffee and tea using this and it works great.

Let me say that I am a caffeine addict. I prefer my coffee bold, am picky about my freshly roasted beans and prefer the taste of french press-made coffee. However, I am also not a morning person, and having to make a large cup of coffe in the morning while trying to get busy kids and a busy mom ready for school/work is quite a chore. Also, being the only coffee drinker in the house (my husband and oldest son like tea), my only option after drinking the first cup was to dump out the rest or refridgerate it and microwave it later neither were options I was thrilled about.

I didn't want to pay the price of one of the larger Keurigs; nor did I have the counter space for that. We have a large Keurig at my office and, while I certainly appreciate being able to brew a fresh cup of coffee whenever I want, it's a noisy machine, it has to be constantly plugged in to maintain its heating elements, and the coffee pods leave something to be desired.

I checked out the smaller, less-expensive Keurigs in the stores, but they felt very flimsy and I had read reviews about them breaking down frequently.

My HB One-Scoop feels sturdy, doesn't take up much counter space, was reasonably priced and, best of all, makes a great cup of coffee. It took a few tries for me to determine how fine to grind my beans and how much of it to use, but after that, it's been a breeze: You take your cup, fill it with water and pour that into the reservoir on top. Then, you take the scoop (which doubles as a filter), scoop out the amount of ground coffee you want, slap that scoop into a filter cup that is already sitting in the well, close the lid and press either the "regular" or "bold" button. The coffee drips quietly into your cup. Also, clean up literally takes seconds All you need to do is rinse out the scoop filter and filter cup in hot water.

You don't have to plug this unit in until you're ready to use it, and an adjustable shelf allow you to use a smaller mug or a larger travel-sized mug.

This comes with two scoops, so you can make more than one cup of coffee if you have company and not have to stick a wet scoop into your ground coffee. We have also used it just for hot water for tea and it works equally well with a rinsed out filter scoop and filter cup.

In addition, the scoop and water reservoir also has measurement lines for an 8 oz. and 14 oz. cup of coffee, although I do use extra coffee to get the strength I like.

I love being able to use my favorite coffees and not get stuck buying expensive, weak-flavored pods. I'm so glad I got this.

Buy Hamilton Beach Single Serve Scoop Coffee Maker Now

I am a coffee connoisseur. I have tried every machine from the Senseo to the Bunn Home Cafe (very expensive coffee brewer) to the French Press. I am tired of the "pod" machines because you just cannot get a good cup of coffee, even when you make your own pods. Therefore, I researched numerous coffee brewers and was contemplating getting a Keurig when I spotted this coffee brewer during a TV commercial. My first thought was that this is the ideal concept -scooping your own coffee -no pods or K-cups. I purchased this brewer and was determined not to like it because it wasn't an "expensive" brewer. While it does have several inconveniences, like having to refill the water reservoir each time you want a cup of coffee, bottom line is it makes the best cup of coffee for a single serve coffee maker that I've ever tasted! It is a simple machine, but ideal for those who just want a delicious cup of coffee each time you turn it on. Another plus, the water gets very hot, unlike other machines I've used where the water comes out luke warm.

Read Best Reviews of Hamilton Beach Single Serve Scoop Coffee Maker Here

Single-serve coffee makers: you name it, I've owned it. Keurig, Tassimo, and Dolce Gusto: all of them are fun at first, but once the novelty wears off they're nothing but proprietary machines serving up very spendy (and small) cups of coffee and contributing constantly to land fills. :(

I bought a "My K-Cup" for my Keurig, one way to cut down on the expense (and the garbage) but it gets to be kind of a pain to rinse and fill and cap that little thing each time. With Tassimo and Dolce Gusto, you're really stuck. There's no way to make your own T-Discs or Dolce-Gusto capsules.

I had a nice espresso machine, and purchased ESE pods, which took care of a lot of the mess that espresso machines tend to create. But once again, those really add up, and if all you want is just a good cuppa joe, then you also need a kettle (or electric kettle) to boil hot water to make an Americano.

Used a French press for quite a while, too...I still wasted coffee, though. And warmed up second cups in the microwave.

And then--VOILA! I found this machine! I had never heard of it until I stumbled upon it at our local Fred Meyer. It was on sale and I impulse-bought it on the spot.

This thing is just great. It's really simple, so I wonder why no one ever thought of it before? There's no noisy pump contraption (to break down later); it's really just a regular old automatic drip coffee maker, but on a small scale, brewing one cup (8-14oz) at a time. Having the part that holds the grinds also be the scoop to scoop up the coffee is just brilliant. The little hook on the side to hang up an extra scoop: genius. One cup at a time. Nice and hot, everyone gets it the way they like it, no more leftover coffee sitting on the burner turning nasty, only to be tossed down the drain later. No carafe to clean (and de-scale and eventually break). I drink my coffee in the morning; my DH works third shift and drinks his in the evening: one regular cup, and then a big travel cup to go, and this machine does both sizes (and anything in-between) perfectly.

It's a slender machine with a small footprint so it takes up very little space on my already-too-crowded counter, it contributes absolutely no garbage (not even paper filters), it is super-easy to clean, it is stainless steel and black and very modern and attractive, and you can use ANY kind of coffee you like, and make it any size you like, and any strength you like, and it is EASY!

You just can't go wrong with this machine. I love it. :D

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I did not buy this on Amazon but bought it at a brick and mortar after reading scores of poor reviews for every other type of single serve coffee maker made. I had given up on getting a strong cup of coffee from a "speed" brewer. After buying this machine I came home and read its reviews and again saw claims of weak coffee. My first 3 cups confirmed my fears. BUT my fourth cup I packed down the grounds with the back of a spoon and the cup was FANTASTIC. It was easily comparable to an actual cup from Dunkin'. This machine is well worth the investment at half the cost of any k-cup machine and the drawback of a weak cup is remedied with a very simple solution.

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Magic Chef Espresso Cappuccino Machine

This is a good quality espresso machine. My only complaint is that the seller wrapped the original flimsy product box with brown paper and shipped it. By the time it arrived, the side of the box was caved in and I thought the item was certainly broken. Fortunately, it wasn't broken, but since I bought this as a Christmas gift, I found it pretty embarrassing to give this with the box in that condition. Simply enclosing it in a shipping box would have prevented this issue.

DeLonghi ESAM3300 Magnifica Super-Automatic Espresso/Coffee Machine

I have the EAM3200, which is the previous model version. The differences are slight but noticeable to the newer. These machines are the best in class for price and performance, produce a great espresso, and are maintainable in ways that other manufacturers models are not. The coffee from the Delonghi is just as good as from Jura and even some manual models such as Expobar and Rancillo. It is very close to what you find in Italy not quite, but for the price it is worth it. Great crema, hot temperature, rich flavor. And the best part is you can pull out the brew mechanism and clean it VERY key. This will ensure sound operation and function for many years.

In order to keep this machine is fine working order, you need to do a bit of upkeep each week and use the right beans.

1. Only use non-oily, 100% Arabica beans. If you use oily beans it will clog frequently and attract rancid flavors. It will also shorten the life of the machine. I use Illy, but any espresso will do (I actually get the Illy dark roast it has more flavor when brewing a larger "americano" cup).

2. Clean the brew mechanism once a week. Just snap it out and run it under hot water.

3. Use spring water instead of tap water. This will keep any weird flavors from your tap entering the coffee. It may build up minerals, but...

4. De-calcify the machine when it asks for it don't wait.

I, for one, would rather have manual controls over coffee amount, strength, etc. You are not losing out on anything by not having digital controls other than not being able to have the machine automatically on and ready to go when you first wake up. As for the other models ability to do milk-based drinks at the touch of a button how often do you really want a cappuccino? If it is every day, then get the 3500. If you are like me and need real coffee in the morning, then get this model. The milk canister can only sit in the fridge for so long. If you are planning to serve cappuccino at dinner parties, then you are committing Italian heresy cappuccino is only served in the morning.

CONS

1. The cup warmer does not work very well, but get double walled cups and the temperature of the product will not be an issue.

2. You can't have it turn on automatically at a certain time. But it only takes a few minutes to get up to temperature.

3. It is NOISY.

My espresso settings coffee amount at 10 o'clock, strength at 3 o'clock, single cup dispense. Super double espresso in an espresso cup. I may have 2 of these on a saturday.

My wife's "americano" settings coffee amount at 3 o'clock, strength at 3 o'clock, double cup dispense. Full cup of rich coffee in a normal cup.

Bean grind at 5.

Now, after six years...

The machine does develop leaks... I ordered a couple of sizes of silicone O-rings and spring clips from McMaster-Carr and go in a couple of times a year to replace them. I should find a size that works better. We also had to replace the original gear-driven grinder when it wore out completely. The newer design belt driven grinder is SO MUCH quieter!! It's worth repairing this machine is it gets older. It still makes amazing espresso and coffee.

This is an update after three years of using our Magnifica.

We bought our Magnifica after using a similar machine while visiting friends in Germany. We have been using it for over 3 years now, and are still quite happy with it. My wife and I both drink a lot of coffee -tall Americanos most of the day. I am a full time telecommuter, so I will average 3-5 a day in winter, 2-4 in summer. We also love being able to fill a couple of 16 oz. insulated cups before leaving on a road trip. I would say this machine probably gets more use than the manufacturer intended.

The unit has been fairly trouble free. We have noticed a few occasions when water leaked from the tank where it connected to the machine, leaving a puddle on the counter. After a cleaning and more carefully aligning the tank, it ceased being a problem. We have run the de-liming process when the machine asked for it. So far no other problems. I would strongly recommend a complete, thorough cleaning inside and out every month or two, though. Use a brush and a vacuum.

The cup warmer seemed like a great idea; in reality it doesn't do much. I was going to disconnect it to save electricity, but as it turns out it's just a metal plate over the hot water tank -it doesn't use any additional electricity. They just made a feature (cup warmer) out of an area where plastic would have probably warped and cracked by now.

It doesn't get any quieter with age. Once you push the button you can pretty much forget any ideas you had about conversation until your coffee is done (I am always sure to offer a cup to the in-laws when they visit). I finally removed the covers and added some Dynamat left over from my truck stereo installation to the areas that seemed to be vibrating; that helped a little but it's still pretty raucous.

I'm sure the guys who grind, tamp, press and adjust the pumps on the chrome semi-autos will turn up their noses at a machine like this, but it's such a huge step up from the typical drip coffee maker (and ground Folger's). If you're a coffee lover you really do owe it to yourself to try a machine like this. The price tag made the purchase a tough decision -still 5x what we paid for the best drip machine we'd ever had -but we're glad every day that we took the plunge.

Below is my original review, written a couple of months after we got it:

*****************

I wish I could give it a 4.5. As others have noted, it is a bit on the noisy side. We went from a Bunn drip machine (best drip coffee maker by far) to this after being blown away by the one our hosts had in Germany. It's been worth every penny. Speaking of pennies, a 20% off coupon at Bed Bath & Beyond is the ticket for low price and a VERY good return policy.

We have used Starbucks and Pears beans, and will continue to try others probably. Cleaning is a snap, my only real gripes are the water reservoir obviously designed with coffee-sipping Europeans in mind, not us coffee-DRINKING Americans. Still, we haven't used the Bunn since we plugged in the Magnifica.

Likes:

Superb coffee!! Great crema, better than coffee houses

Easily adjusted cup size & coffee strength

FAST warm-up

Easy to clean

Everything works perfectly

Dislikes:

A little noisy.

No automatic timer (not a big deal, since it warms up fast)

Cup warmer not of much use, and no way to shut it off

Buy DeLonghi ESAM3300 Magnifica Super-Automatic Espresso/Coffee Machine Now

[This review applies to the Magnifica 3200, this is the same as the 3300 with slight cosmetic differences.]

I bought this machine in 2006 after an almost-endless trawl through the internet reading owners' reviews after all, we are talking about the search for the perfect espresso here!

The coffee quality is indeed great. The only misgivings I would have about using it are that the knobs have no user markings, which means that if there are several people in the house using the machine, it is impossible to select the previously-selected individual settings. Also, the time before the machine performs an auto-switchoff is fixed at about three hours. I couldn't find the power comsumption in the user manual when in "idle" mode, but I think it must be substantial since it keeps the boiler/cup-preheater hot during this time. Not that the preheater is any use I warm my cups by first wetting them and then putting them in the microwave for 30 seconds.

More seriously, I have had the machine for three years and in this time it has broken down four times the first time after six weeks, the second time after about 18 months, the third time after about 30 months, and again most recently last week. The first two times, the machine was fixed under guarantee, without any quibbles. I think the problem is that the environment these machines have to work under is probably the most severe to be found in the home: high-pressure boiling water, grinding, and the transport of the coffee grains within the machine. Maybe the build quality of the cheaper machines is such that they cannot cope?

While waiting this last time round for it to be picked up and repaired, I decided to open it up to check its build quality (I'm an engineer). De Longhi has used thin plastic wherever possible. The coffee transfer path is not well isolated from the rest of the machine as a result coffee powder had dropped into the moving motorised assembly at the back of the machine (I think this was the reason why the machine ultimately had failed).

Others here have commented on the machine's coffee-making ability. I agree, it makes great coffee. It's a pity that, in my experience at least, it was let down by poor engineering.

Read Best Reviews of DeLonghi ESAM3300 Magnifica Super-Automatic Espresso/Coffee Machine Here

I purchased the Delonghi Magnifica Automatic Espresso Coffee Machine from Amazon in November 2006. It just died one month ago, out of warranty of course. When I called Delonghi to inquire as to how I could get it repaired, they informed me that they have only two places in the US that fix them. One on the east coast, and one on the west coast. So you have to ship it at your expense and insured to the appliance repair shop. I shipped mine the same day it broke to the east coast location; it went to Cross-Bay Appliance in Howard Beach, NY. It took them an entire month to look at the machine and they have a very casual, unconcerned approach. They will say, "I'll try" to look at it for weeks until you start to get a little heated in your tone, then they will take a look at it. Well, after waiting the entire month, they looked at it only to tell me it will cost almost as much as it would to purchase a new one to repair it. I asked them to ship it back and not to bother adding the cost to insure it since, now, it's nothing but piece of junk. Well, they insist on charging over twice as much as it would cost to resend it back to me.

Delonghi apparently does not care in the least about your out of warranty repair needs. Even if you have a small problem, you better give your beloved espresso machine a long kiss goodbye because you won't see if for a while. In my case, it's junk. I've heard of others having mechanical failures with these machines, but if they are out of warranty, which is only one year, you are screwed. I searched and searched for a appliance repair shop locally, there is NO ONE who knows about these machines but Delonghi knows and they will send you to this operation which does not have to try to get business, could care less about the customers and you can tell they know the drill. I'm tempted to let them keep it, but then realized that probably many people do that and they end up probably refurbishing them and then selling them, which I will not allow.

So, as much as I loved the machine, I would never purchase another one from Delonghi simply because there is no way to reasonably get it repaired in a decent amount of time and for a fair cost. So, your machine, once something goes wrong with it, will end up in the garage until you or someone else you know decides to go to the Espresso Machine Repair School for broke down Delonghi Machines.

I was shocked that this was my ONLY option, and the repair shop Delonghi sent me to has unprofessional and callous morons running it. They know you either pay what they ask for or pay whatever they want to ship it back regardless of the actual cost to ship it back to you, which further aggravates you because you have no choice. It's abusive. I will be filing a BBB complaint for this repair shop and giving Delonghi two thumbs down. Your purchase will be short lived. I'm looking into the Pasquini Espresso machine now, but I will find out what process I will have to go through if it needs any type of repairs in the future--post-warranty. These machines are not cheap. At first I loved Delonghi, but now that I know I'm buying their products only to put them in the garbage later because of outrageous repair costs and inconvenience by the morons Delonghi sends you too, I will never buy another one.

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I ordered this machine for my mother for Christmas. What convinced me to go with the DeLonghi were the overwhelming number of outstanding reviews on Amazon. I will say that for three and one-half weeks, the machine made outstanding coffee. It then broke. The lights would blink on and off over and over and the machine would no longer brew. When my mother called customer care they suggested a possible solution. When that didn't work they said it would need to be sent back for repairs. She asked about a replacement. They told her 'no', that it would have to be repaired. She then asked about an extension on the warranty for the time it was in their shop. They again said 'No'. Having no other option, she sent it back (after waiting two weeks for the shipping box and label to arrive). That was THREE months ago. She has called customer care. They referred her to the appliance repair shop. She attempted to contact the appliance repair shop NEVER receiving an answer. She again called customer care and was told that the shop is in Seattle, WA (we are in Virginia) and that they are only open Monday-Wednesday from 9-5 and Thursday from 9-1. They have no answering machine. You must call during working hours and be lucky enough to get someone on the phone. She found this out last Thursday. She now has to wait until Monday at 11 am to make another attempt.

We estimated that we probably had 40 cups of espresso before the machine broke. When I purchased it it was $799 (say an even 800 for sake of easy math). That means each cup cost us about $20 (not including the cost of the beans). The coffee was good, but it didn't pump out $20 cups. The company may believe that the quality of the machine is 'good enough' for the $800 price point, that a few lemons here and there are to be expected for that price point. Investing $800 in an espresso machine (in anything) is significant and not something I took lightly. It is an expression of trust. I don't mind the fact that we received a lemon, I do mind that the company does not seem to care or respect our investment in them. Beyond the money, it has cost my mother time and frustration. I am embarrassed that our family's gift to her (on my direction and recommendation) has been little more than a source of stress for her.

When (or if at least seemingly) she gets the machine back from being repaired she is seriously considering just returning it to Amazon, even though we cannot get a refund due to the time that has passed.

Like I said, I read ALL the reviews on this before I selected in this particular machine good and bad. I have never before run into a more appropriate application of the saying 'Let the buyer beware!'. If you are still thinking about investing in this Delonghi, we might have a deal for you! That is, if we ever get it back.

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Lavazza BLUE Espresso Intenso Capsules

This is a great espresso with a nice crema. All Lavazza Blue products have been fantastic. Please note that this only works in the Lavazza Blue machines. It is a different size than the K-cups.

Cuisinart PRC-12 Classic 12-Cup Stainless-Steel Percolator, Black/Stainless

I do not understand what has happened in the coffee maker industry. It seems as if every coffee appliance I buy fails. This one is no exception. I bought this one only because most of the reviews praised it. Now I am sure that the reviews are phony and must be posted by the manufacturer. There is no control over the time of percolation which for whatever reason has been designed to be too short. The coffee comes out weak especially if you try to make less than 12 cups, the water just doesn't make it through the strainer for less cups??? The manual suggests using 20 spoons for 12 cups of strong coffee. At this rate I will essentially be using double the coffee grinds to make the same amount of coffee as I did with a much older Faberware I had and the coffee is still weak. The new faberwares are just as bad as everything else manufactured these days. The reviews and the item description also touts that this coffee percolator has a glass knob. This is an outright lie, it is plastic!!!! I was initially pleased with the design although I feel it is made with a lighter guage metal than it should be. I would gladly pay double for this product if it worked. Don't buy it, it is another coffee maker dud!!!!!

I had written a glowing review for the PRC-12 Percolator because it produced a great cup of coffee and heavenly aroma. Now, months later, this product resides in a local landfill and I won't buy another Cusinart product ever again.

It made great coffee right up to the day I found coffee all over the counter. The leak was tracked to the plastic bulb which broke off when I gave it a gentle twist. I contacted Cusinart Customer Service, emailed a copy of my Amazon receipt and was told they would be happy to provide a replacement lid w/bulb as soon as I could give them the serial number which I was told is on a sticker underneath the pot. Naturally, on my unit, the serial number sticker was missing. What was worse, when looking for the serial number, I found that the base had cracked and warped from the heat of brewing coffee. One more call to Cusinart Customer Service and they once again told me they would be happy to provide a replacement as soon as I provided the serial number which in this case was non-existant. Without that precious serial number Cusinart wouldn't lift a finger to help. The Amazon receipt was a worthless piece of paper when it came to dealing with Cusinart.

Due to poor Customer service at Custinart, I've decided to continue to buy from Amazon but I will no longer buy any Cusinart products.

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Here's my take on the whole coffee thing. If you are a coffee guru, then you are going to go through all the trouble it seems to take to make the perfect cup, and this review is a mute point, or you are going to go to Starbucks and pay for the perfect cup. Most people who make coffee at home and in the morning (time permitting) are like me.

Here's my ideal coffee scenario:

I believe that buying my favorite high quality whole beans (Kenya AA), grinding them myself (coarsely, so they don't fall through the metal filter), and using the method I believe is best (the nostalgic percolator), is the perfect way to brew. It's my own preference: 1/3 nostalgia, 1/3 good beans, 1/3 convenience. They say that percolating coffee is burning beans. I and many other would disagree. I wake up grind my beans fill them and some cold tap water into the percolator. I wait 10 minutes while listening to that wonderful sound and smelling that great aroma!!! PERFECT!

For the GURUS, this may seem like heresy, but for me its the best of all worlds.

This model has, so far been great, 4 stars. The "glass knob" is plastic, whatever! Liars!. I've been brewing at the 6 cup line (water and beans) for 5 months at 4 to 5 times a week. Still hot and still consistent. It brews the same every time. This consistency over time is what I think will make or break this product. If it cools down a bit I will clean it. If it gets worse then I will be less than satisfied. If it fails before five years then I will be less than satisfied. It takes about 5 to 10 minutes to make MY AMOUNT of coffee and how black I like it. I cannot set the heat or the brew time (it's all automatic), but the coffee comes out very hot (not burned) and very dark. The only thing I can control is the amount of both water and coffee. I have learned what amounts I like. Other times may vary because of the amount of water and coffee used.

Don't go by what the instructions say go by what is best for you. The amount of coffee you get and the amount it says is one cup WILL BE DIFFERENT. Who cares. Make it the way you like it. This will take time to learn, but it will be best in the end. Every brand percolator is different, to bad you can't have a trial test before buying.

So far so good...

UPDATE...............UPDATE...................UPDATE 7/12/2010

Sometimes I like to go back and read my old reviews. To get a sense of things, and see to see if I still feel the same way about the purchases I've made. Or if the purchase turned out to be a lemon. Or just add something I missed or found new and interesting. Or edit a mistake. Whatever.

A lot of people are giving this perco. a low rating. By the way, mine still works perfectly fine after 2+ years. Still **** (Stupid plastic knob!).

You are cleaning it after every use, aren't you? If you don't like cleaning it, it will eventually go bad sooner than you think. So go back to a plastic drip machine if 100% convenience is what you want.

You are unplugging it after all of the coffee has been poured, aren't you? If you don't it will probably mess up the heating element. That's my guess.

I've noticed that when I first started using it, I would miss-align the spout tube with the heating dome located on the base. I've done this occasionally. All I got was hot, brown water. So make sure you align the spout tube properly.

I'm starting to not like the curved black base. Because, when I fill it up with water from the tap I sometimes bang it on the sink. It feels like I'm gonna knock it off if I'm not careful.

It still brews fine, maybe a little cooler then at first; but its still H. O. T. HOT.

I've noticed that darker brews (french roasts) give the best results, although bean-quality is probably more important than roast.

KEEP IT CLEAN BY WIPING IT OUT AFTER EVERY USE USING DRY PAPER TOWELS!!! IT WILL LAST FOREVER.

That's it.....

Read Best Reviews of Cuisinart PRC-12 Classic 12-Cup Stainless-Steel Percolator, Black/Stainless Here

I bought this to replace my ancient aluminum stovetop percolator, which did make great tasting coffee but the aluminum/alzeimer concerns worried me, plus the thing was stained and almost burnt through from heavy use. Anyway, I did a fair amount of research and this Cuisinart seemed like the best electric percolator available. I thought an electric would be easier to clean (they aren't). The main point I didn't consider is that you can't control the percolating time on these things. That's pretty much the whole point of percolating coffee; If you want stronger coffee you want to be able to percolate it for a longer time. An electric percolator shuts off automatically after it's short pre-timed brewing cycle. I tried a variety of beans and ground settings (and added more coffee to the basket to compensate), but it was still weak. The end result here is watery coffee, just slightly better then what you get from a drip machine. What's the point? I will admit that this percolator is well designed, pours nicely, has a heavy gauge basket and keeps the coffee very hot. That classic percolated taste just isn't there. If you love the rich taste of percolated coffee like I do (it's the best!), you really need a stove top model. I'm getting a Bialetti!

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After making great coffee for 5 months the Cuisinart Percolator's coffee started getting very weak. Needless to say my rating went from 5 stars to 1. I need to find a Percolator that will last!

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AeroPress Coffee and Espresso Maker with zippered nylon tote bag and an Extra 350 Micro Filters (70

This is a great coffee maker especially for someone like me who wants to make only 1 mug at a time. I've tried all different kinds of coffee makers, but they don't seem to be optimized for making a single ~8 oz mug of coffee. I always ended up brewing multiple cups of coffee and throwing the extra away to get the one good cup I wanted.

I got this aeropress for Christmas 2006 and it is great. I followed the initial instructions, but preferred my coffee a bit different. So, I experimented with grind, water temperature, amount of coffee/water, etc., until I found the right combination for *my* personal preference. I use this to make a cup of coffee, not espresso (that is, I add water to the result to get "regular" coffee), so I can't comment on the quality of espresso taste. I have noticed that coffee beans/grind from different sources have their own "sweet spots" for best grind and coffee/water quantity to get the taste I prefer. So, now that I know how I like to brew a couple different types, I try to stick with those so that I don't have to go through the experimenting stage needed if I try a completely new coffee bean/grind. That works for me. This coffee tastes great. :)

Oh, I should mention that I have also used french press coffee makers. I really like the taste of french press coffee, but got sick of the grinds and/or sediment that always ends up in the bottom of the coffee and made the bottom of the cup taste gross. True to its advertising, the aeropress doesn't seem to leave grinds or sediment. I sip my cup kind of slowly and end up zapping it in the microwave to heat it up again several times. The coffee does not get bitter from sitting in my mug because there is not coffee grind sediment soaking at the bottom. That is a huge plus for me!

A few folks mentioned that the plunger can be hard to press. I have to agree. I've had 2 shoulder surgeries and it does take some extra effort to manage to push the plunger straight down. I can still do it, although I only have 2 scoops of coffee grind in at a time. I think it would be extremely difficult to press with too much coffee in it.

All this time of daily use, including travel, and there are no problems, no parts wearing out from stress, no cracks in the plastic. It still looks like new.

I donated my drip coffee machine, french press and espresso machine to Goodwill. :)

PS I noticed the aeropress is available via third party vendor and Amazon. I can't comment on the vendor, as I put it on my wishlist for Xmas and got it as a gift. I noticed there are separate reviews for each device/vendor, so will post my review under each.

I may try a video review of this later because I think this is hands down one of the greatest ways to make a single cup of coffee.

I bought this because I was tired of the coffee at the office giving me heartburn and generally making me want to immolate myself every time I drank another cup.

There are some things about the AeroPress that blow my mind.

1) The coffee is outstanding; better than MoreBucks and definitely a lot more affordable and convenient.

2) Cleanup is very easy

3) You feel like a cubicle alchemist which is always a good thing.

4) You can customize you level of flavor/density very easily.

The process for me is pretty cool. Check it out.

(I bring in espresso ground coffee from home but you can use regular grind if you like a lighter brew)

1) Fill my cup with hot water from the filter (or whatever; can't say I recommend regular tap water as you want it about 170 degrees)

2) Put a filter on the endcap and add a scoop of coffee

3) Put the AeroPress on my second cup (or I suppose if you like you could bring the whole contraption over to your water source and skip the 1st step)

4) Pour water in and mix; some coffee will begin draining right away depending on how fine a grind you're using.

5) Attach the press and press down slowly

6) Over a trashcan remove the endcap and press out the 'puck'

Enjoy the coffee. If it's too strong, add more hot water for "Americana Style". No cleanup is really needed. No kidding. Just pure, concentrated awesome.

It's better coffee than a French Press and way, way, WAY easier to clean.

Can you tell I'm excited. Aerobie. The flying disk people. Crazy, but it's true.

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Ok...I read all the reviews and was expecting a good cup of coffee. But, this thing makes a GREAT cup of coffee! Smooth, rich and not a trace of bitterness.

As a long time Keurig user, I was very used to having a decent cup of coffee in under a minute (if it was always left turned on and filled with water). The Aero Press does takes longer, having to use the microwave to heat the water.

Then, I purchased an electric kettle to make the process easier. Oh man, what difference! I can make a double espresso in under 2 minutes, which includes heating the water (that kettle is FAST), assembling the Aero Press and pressing the coffee through! If I want a regular cup of coffee, I just add more boiling water to the espresso (which is great as it gets nice and hot now).

My expensive Keurig brewer has now been decommissioned.

My suggestion: Buy the Aero Press, and get a cheap electric kettle to save some time.

Great product!

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As you can tell from the other reviews, the aeropress is awesome! My video covers some of the features and process in making a cup.

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I started home roasting coffee about a year ago and was looking for a way to make coffee when I'm away from the house. There are several things that make a good cup of coffee: good beans, a good even grind, proper extraction time, and proper water temperature. What's nice about the Aeropress is that you can control all of these to produce an excellent cup. All of these factors contribute to the final cup of coffee. This product won't make bad coffee taste good, but it will help you make the most of what you have.

The included directions instruct you to use water that is a bit colder than a typical coffee infusion at 170F. Traditional pour-over methods usually are around 200F. I've tried both temperatures and find it easier to use at 200F because water comes to a boil at around 203F where I live and I don't have to wait for it to cool. There are plenty of web tutorials with pictures and video of how to use this product.

Despite the product description, it does not make a true espresso as other reviews have mentioned. It does make a concentrated dose of coffee and you can add water to make it closer to what typical drip coffee produces. In terms of taste, I find that usually a trace amount of sediment gets through usually, but not nearly as much as done with a French press. The paper filter sits at the bottom and I find that rinsing it before adding the grounds helps reduce paper taste and reduces the amount of grounds that gets through. It looks a bit like lab equipment, but does a great job at what it does. It is made with a thick plastic and is not not flimsy. Mine came with a nylon tote bag which I thought was neat, but it is in my opinion too large.

I am a grad student and this makes it easy to make a cup of coffee while out studying. It is easy to clean and is small and light enough to throw in my backpack for when I want coffee and don't want to pay several dollars at a coffee shop. I wouldn't recommend the Aeropress for serving a large group of people as it only makes at most 16-24oz of coffee at a time depending on how much water you add to it. It is good for single serving use and is very convenient. I also find that since it makes a concentrated coffee, it is great for making iced coffee at home. It should be noted that this uses a non-traditional paper filter size and may be difficult to find in a traditional brick and mortar store. I've heard some people just cut them out themselves from larger filters. I'm a bit lazy and just ordered extras. Hope this helps.