First, my review is based soley on making cappuccino, as the only espresso I've made are the three pots you are instructed to make and throw away to "season" the pot before using. When I first opened the instruction booklet, I was overwhelmed by the diagrams and instructions. However, the English instructions are very clearly-written, and they are easy to follow if you just take them step-by-step. Once you've gone through the process of seasoning the pot, you will be quite comfortable with the parts and the process, and it will go quickly. There is also a good troubleshooting section.A few things to know before you purchase this pot. The instructions say not to use finely ground espresso. I asked my local café to grind their high-quality espresso beans on the more coarse espresso setting. The result tastes exactly like what we had on a recent trip to Italy.
Don't pat the coffee down in the coffee holder, and don't tilt the pot after you screw the top and bottom together. I did this once to make sure it was screwed on straight, and the milk didn't foam because the ground coffee shifted in the coffee reservoir. If you want foam, you must use whole milk. I used 1% the first time, since that was all I had when I received the pot. The result was a nice latte, but no foam. Also, the instructions say not to use vegetable-based milks (soy, almond, rice, etc.).
The instructions say not to use an induction cooktop. I have a glass top range, and I set the burner on #7. It takes 4-5 minutes total for cappuccino. The pot produces two smallish cappuccini. If you are drinking alone, and have a larger cup, you could certainly drink the entire amount yourself. In fact, I'm so pleased with this pot and the ability to make cappuccino easily at home (after spending the equivalent of $4 for one cappuccino in Italy), that I'm going to email the company and suggest that they make this pot in a 4-6 cup version.
Jan 28, 2013 Update: Since I wrote my original review, I've had mixed results with this pot. About the half the time, I end up with latte instead of cappuccino. I am following the instructions, and making sure the valve is clean after each use. Filling the coffee reservoir to the brim may be the cause this, so I've been trying to use a little less coffee. The English troubleshooting section of the instruction manual is titled, "When the pot is naughty." The title in the Italian section of the manual uses the Italian word for capricious. I would say that capiricious is accurate, since I can't figure out why I sometimes get foam and sometimes I don't. When I get foam, I am very impressed with how easy it is to make real cappuccino at home. When I don't get foam, I still enjoy a delicious latte, but it's somewhat disappointing. I've reduced my rating from 5 to 4 stars as a result.
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This coffee maker is easy to use and makes nice cappuccino. It's similar to a bialetti, but you put milk in the top and as the coffee steams, it froths the milk. I've had it about a month, and have found that you have to be careful to use the correct amount of water, coffee, and milk: it's overflowed a couple of times. But most of the time it works well and I'm very pleased with it.Read Best Reviews of Forever All In One Stovetop Cappuccino & Espresso Maker - "Miss Combi Duo" Here
I am not a Espresso expert but do know if my cappuccino tastes good or not. Although I do want to have a machine that gives me strong espresso with good crema and thick bodied milk froth, yet I am not ready to dish out the money on a 15-bar barista machine especially when a lot of these mid-range machines costing $500 or more don't last more than a year or two before requiring expensive repairs. This contraption of a moka pot sort of gives me an inexpensive way to start off on my path to a barista. I have tried out a couple of different coffees and grounds but am not totally satisfied with the results as yet (more to do with my inexperience with making an espresso than with the pot). Sometimes I do get a thin layer of crema in the pot but it disappears soon after pouring it in the cups. I am also not sure about how much ground coffee I need to place in the filter. With the given measure of water (which is hardly enough for 2 small espresso cups)I feel the coffee comes out too strong or bitter if I top up the filter with coffee (wihtout tamping ofcourse). Diluting with more milk or water once the espresso is made doesn't really work with Cappuccinos. I guess I need to play around with different coffee types and grounds to find my sweet spot. Can't blame the utensil much for that since it pretty much does what its supposed to do. It actually makes a great milk froth if I only use water for steam and the filter left empty without the coffee... but that defeats the whole point of making a capuccino with espresso in one go. Anyways I think the pot is better than regular moka pots as it does induce some steam pressure on the filter grinds for better extraction.Update: Improving the rating to 4 stars as I think I am now getting better results with a different grind and coffee. Using starbuks medium roast fine grind filled all the way to the brim of the filer, I am getting better crema and coffee is smoother too. I am frothing the milk seperately now using a small hand held milk frother. That way I can have more milk to reduce the strength (the pot only holds frothed milk enough for one cup) and keep the froth white in the cup as well. Going to try Lavazza Crema e Gusto Ground Coffee now to take it up a notch!!
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So Overall I am amazed on how good the Cappuccino is and the valve used to make it happen is better than the one used in the other better known brand with the cow symbol. The overall machine is really well made. The issue was that upon arrival and opening the first thing I noticed is that it appeared to be almost new and not a new coffee machine. I say almost due to the fact that I would have not notice that it was used if it wasn't for the dried coffee stains left on the side of the coffee maker. For what I can see it seems like someone used it probably one time try to clean it really fast and put it back in the box trying to make it look all new but since they didn't pay attention to detail had left proof of their mischievousness. I have decided not to return it since I am not a picky person I clean it and is all well. The seller was CashClock but they may not be the ones to blame since I had also ordered some filters for my humidifier from a different seller at the same time and they got send together by amazon fulfillment services, where at least they should have done some quality check (although I don't know how their mail system works)and notice that the box looked like it had been open before and do something about it. The only reason I mention all of these is that I would had been really angry if the same had happened with a more important item like my baby's new bottles or an expensive electronic device that looks like it was tampered. In other words something did not happen or something happen in between me placing my order and receiving it at home. But hopefully I am wrong, and just wanted to inform you all for your knowledge in case these helps at all. Surprisingly enough I do recommend the coffee maker since is an excellent device and works so far great. If all above mentioned had not happened I would had gave it a 5 stars.Save 56% Off
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