Sensio 90017 Bella Professional 12-Cup Coffeemaker

In a Nut Shell Has12 cups capacity, 24 hour clock/timer, brew pause, programmable shut off, gold tone filter, heavy, and die-cast aluminum.

Comment Even tho I have a pretty collection of coffee makers, I wanted to try 'something different', so I opted for Sensio's Bella Professional line.

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* The Good -

1. Brews an Excellent pot of your favorite Java (kirkland's colombian supreme).

2. Brewing Time initially was Very Good compared to others, I have used before like the all-time favorite Krups line.

It's a Top Loader for both your Java and H2O and has the much sought after Radial Spray Head, which ensures an even coffee extraction. I strongly recommend using Filtered H2O

for all of your Brewing needs and using Reverse osmosis seems to be the best Option in "Hard-Waters" country, like here.

3. 1 year later, it's still working but the Tropics cause much deterioration and is taking it's toll.

* The Bad -

1. Expensive: Over 100 hundred Bucks + S/H Charges add up quickly.

2. Clock is very SMALL, totally worthless, as it does not have any Numerical Characters, like a regular clock, just 'subdued' lines, nice Blue glow though.

A much larger Round or rectangular 'clock & Coffee Function' window would have greatly improve it.

3. Using the Decanter to fill a Cup, results in Dripping coffee all over the counter, unless you Hold the decanter at a Perfect 20 to 25 degree Angle & Axis, which is difficult when it's Full.

This is mostly due to the way that the decanter's Flip-top is finished-cut at an angle. They should have looked at a mr coffee, Cuisinart or Krups.

4. The Pause n' Serve function is limited to 2 Quick cups only, otherwise, it will start to 'overflow' at the filter/basket, which can be a mess!

5. The Heating Decanter area gets grungy quickly from the spilled coffee and needs constant cleaning, as opposed to the Krups.

6. The Front Face Stainless has developed a 'smudged' appearance, not the Highly Polished finish that I expected, while this in itself does not affect the Function,

aesthetics are an important factor, for me.

7. It's sold and labeled as a 'Professional' coffeemaker, which it isn't and it's definitely NOT 'bella (beautiful) either!

* Update June 2010 I have downgraded this coffee maker to barely 1 Star. Here's why, the Decanter Warming plate has now degenerated to a Rusted, Crackled, Paint-less, Ugly Mess!

It also started to SLOW DOWN in it's percolating phase to the point where I have just replaced with a new mr coffee maker.

I expected more out of a 100+ dollar coffee maker.

This is the first time I have ever written a review about any small appliance purchased online. I am a long-time gourmet coffee nut, and have purchased many high-end coffeemaker brands over the years, including Krups, Braun, DeLonghi, and others. They all made great coffee and lasted a very long time. I purchased this Sensio 90017 Bella 'Professional' Coffeemaker in mid-2010 to replace a Krups that finally died after years of great service.

I suppose I was seduced by the great looks and supposed high-end features. But after this 'professional' coffeemaker broke down completely 7 months later, I contacted the Sensio 'Customer Service' department, located in Montreal, Canada. My unit simply would not brew at all, it just beeped continually. Be forewarned upfront that there is no service department anywhere to ship the coffeemaker to for repairs, so you are out of luck if it breaks down. And Sensio refuses to replace their coffeemakers should they break down during the one-year warranty period. This was very surprising.

I was also shocked to learn that the stated one-year warranty on this expensive coffee maker was not honored. Consumers beware: the company 'pro-rates' your warranty and will not repair or replace your coffeemaker if it dies within one year. Instead, they will refund you the pro-rated value left on the unit. For example, if you paid $100 for this coffeemaker and it broke down in 9 months time, you would receive 3 months (out of 12 months total warranty time) worth of the original value. Which equates to 25 percent, or $25 money back. I have never heard of such a policy in my life.

When I asked if I could have it repaired or replaced, they refused, as did the manager I spoke with. And here is what you have to do to get your pro-rated money amount back: cut the cord off the coffeemaker, type up a letter, attach a copy of your sales receipt, and SHIP IT ALL TO CANADA AT YOUR OWN EXPENSE!! Needless to say, for those of us who live in the USA it is not cheap to ship a package to Montreal. Do you think it is worth it for me to receive about $30 back when it costs a lot to ship the package and go through all this hassle?

Not only were the customer 'service' representatives very rude, it was obvious they did not care about their products or how consumers feel. I tried my best to get them to be reasonable, but they really don't seem to care about honoring the warranty. I was told there is absolutely nowhere to get the unit repaired, and that they no longer replace defective ones. Absurd.

While the unit worked, it made great coffee. And I would concur with other reviewers on the uselessness of the clock (it only illuminates while brewing and you can't make out the time). The other major annoyance for me was that the lid could not be removed from the glass carafe, making placing it in the dishwasher impossible. So much for the claim that the parts were dishwasher safe. And the carafe drips when pouring water into the unit or brewed coffee out into a cup.

If you want a coffeemaker at this price to last at least one year, and to buy from a company that actually cares about service, the warranty, and customers, then avoid Sensio at all costs. Also beware that this same model is now being sold under other brand names, such as the Food Network and a few famous chefs. You will recognize it by the looks and round blue clock with the nearly invisible hands. Sorry to have to complain, which I despise, but this company really does not care about its products.

Thankfully Amazon listened and refunded me my money. I was told they would contact Sensio about their warranty policy. Anyone have a recommendation on a sub-$100 coffeemaker that makes great tasting coffee and lasts?

Buy Sensio 90017 Bella Professional 12-Cup Coffeemaker Now

Thought after our wedding to get some of the most expensive appliances for our kitchen as we are just starting out. The coffee machine power quit after 12 months. I took it apart, have to literally damage the stainless face to access the switch. I heard they have a terrible warranty, so I thought try myself. No good. Into the landfill it goes. We had a junky coffee machine with an actual clock before and it was indestructable. What the hell? Pretty disappointed and out $120.

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We were looking for a new coffee maker that wouldn't dribble water condensation all over the counter top every time we opened the lid. Well, this one solved that problem, but the host of other issues does not make it worth the money. It is a handsome color for our kitchen and makes a very good cup of coffee. Other than that, it gets very low marks.

1. The first problem is the single entry/opening for adding both water and coffee grounds. I have seen this in other coffee makers and it is bad news. You always end up with coffee grounds in the water reservoir, and with this model it's virtually impossible to clean them out.

2. There is no water level window. You have to actually look into the reservoir and watch the water fill pretty awkward if you're a little short. Also, it has "steps" for the even numbers of cups for your water level. If, however, you want to make something in between, like 3 or 5 cups of coffee, it is total guesswork as to how much water to add. Most coffee makers have the same even-number set up, but since they have a window you can tell when you've hit the half-way point between two evens. Not so easy when you are peering in from above.

3. The coffee grounds basket has to be seated exactly right. I don't just mean line up the little notch on the rim of the basket; you also have to hold the handle of the basket up and while doing so, push the basket down into it's precise spot, and then drop the little handle. If you make an error with this step, the drip-stop function will be engaged, even though the carafe is in it's place. So the basket fills with water, but has no way to escape and you soon have an explosion of coffee and grounds all over your counter top. Once again, coffee grounds end up in the water reservoir, with no good way to clean them out. Even after we figured out this issue, and learned to properly seat the basket, we still miss once in a while and have a coffee catastrophe all over the kitchen.

4. The heating element is another problem. We've only had this maker a few months, and already the heating element looks 10 years old. You have to be sure to clean the heating element between each pot of coffee, and be sure to DRY your clean carafe before you place it on the heating element. Otherwise, any coffee or water seems to react with the heating element and the heat itself to ruin the finish on the element.

5. The programmable part is kind of a joke. It is indeed a programmable coffeemaker, and with much trial and error we have managed to get it to autostart coffee in the morning. The manual is rather vague about how to set the autostart do you put the left-side dial on BREW or ON? I called and asked a rep, who knew nothing about coffeemakers, and he determined that you put the right side dial on AUTO ON and the left side dial on BREW. This of course was wrong. Put the left side dial on ON. To just make coffee without programming it, you of course put the right side dial on PROGRAM and the left side dial on BREW. Yeah, that makes sense. NOT.

6. Another irritating feature of this maker is its auto-off which is not programmable. My old maker allowed me to program how long it could stay on, and since I like to putter around in the morning and sort of sip slowly through my cup, I usually set it for 4 hours. If I turned it off and wanted to heat it up later, I could just turn the maker back on and the heating element would do its job. But not the Bella. It automatically turns the heating element off after 2 hours. No ifs, ands or buts. If you still have a little coffee in the carafe you'd like to heat up, you are out of luck. If you turn the machine back on, it will sense whether there is water in the reservoir. If no water in the reservoir, it turns itself back off. And voila, cold coffee remains cold.

So, while the description calls it fully-programmable, it is not.

I would give this product only one star but it does make excellent coffee, so I gave it 2. There are surely other coffee makers out there that also make excellent coffee without all the hassle, and for less than $100.

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I didn't make coffee in this product, so I can't attest to that function. I expected it to be a little more substantial, but it looked and felt a little cheapish. I don't think it was horrible, just not what I was looking for. Actually, I was getting so sick of these kind of coffee makers, cold coffee, short life,etc, that on a whim I purshased a Farberware stainless steel percolater. It makes fabulous coffee and it is really hot and so flavorful. Everyone that comes over raves over the coffee. Best part. It was only about $48 on Amazon! You will have to grind your own coffee to the percolator grind in the store.

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Toastess DLFC381 Coffee Maker, Stainless Steel

I love that you can remove the water tank, makes it easier and less of a mess. The coffee comes out hot and fresh and there have been no leaks. I also appreciate the permanent coffee filter that it comes with. All in all a great buy.

Just got this the other day. Yes, it is dark gray color, and not black. The dark gray actually compliments the stainless steel accents very well. Enough of the cosmetics, how well does it brew coffee? Great! The removable water tank is neat, but I still just pour in filtered water from a pitcher. Although it comes with a screen filter, I prefer to use the paper filters and they fit the basket just fine. It brews quickly, and a full 12 cup pot from start to finish (IE adding coffee, water, etc) takes around 10 minutes. The carafe is nice in that you can pour your coffee without it spreading around the lid and spilling over like my Braun carafe used to do. The programming is super simple and the auto cycle works as it is supposed to. It cost half as much as my Braun cost, it makes 2 more cups of coffee, and it looks better. I am happy!

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I bought this particular model because it had a removable water container and was under $50.

It's not as solid/heavy as high-end coffee makers, but frankly, I like it. It's probably worth no more than about $35, but I was willing to pay another $15 for the removable container. It turns out I don't even remove the container, because the opening for pouring in water is so generous.

So I'm content with the coffee maker. Since I've had so many, across the price spectrum, I know that none of them last forever anymore. So I buy them under $50 and replace them when necessary.

I like this one for now. I've used it nearly 3 months now. So far, no problem. If a generous space for pouring water into is important to you, or removing the water container to clean it, this is the pot for you!

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I have been using my Delfino coffee maker for a week now. It replaced a Braun. They were about the same price. The removable water tank of the Delfino makes this coffee maker very convenient. But more important, the coffee tastes so much better. The maker itself is easy to clean, and the stainless steel casing of the housing makes it look neat and sharp. I like the gray plastic part of the housing because it keeps the maker from shouting out on the counter, like my white Braun and the black Black and Decker of old. I give this maker five stars.

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I still have this, but I use it as a spare pot.

I was not a big fan of this pot. The coffee

grounds came through into the coffee. I've

always used Cuisinart coffeemakers and I went

back to that brand.

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Philips Saeco HD8856/47 Exprelia Automatic Espresso Machine, Stainless Steel

Finally Philips did what I was expecting: Design a new fully automatic espresso machine at Saeco, the originator of these machines.

The Exprelia is perfect in every aspect. What first strikes me was the silence of operation. Very low noise at every step, grinding, steaming, brewing and cleaning. Compared to my old very noisy DeLonghi Magnifica, it is day and night. The Exprelia is not only fully automatic in making all kind of coffee beverages and particularly cappuccinos, but also in cleaning the milk carafe and everything else. The little screen will tell you what to do at all time. The settings are very easy to adjust and there are plenty of adjustments for all tastes. I was a little apprehensive in buying this machine and be the first to review it, but I trusted not only Philips but also Amazon, both are great company caring a lot for customer satisfaction. Thanks for reading and please excuse my English since my mother tongue is French.

I will update my review in a few weeks.

UPDATE few months after:

Our summer home needed so much fixing that I had not too much time to play with my computer. Regarding the follow-up about my Exprelia I am sorry to say that it started to malfunction after 4 weeks and it broke my hearth to have to send it back. I cannot explain why suddenly the coffee grinds were going at the wrong place. The grinds, instead of falling into the brew group were filling up inside the machine to then appear in the opening to be used to pour ground coffee in order to use a different kind of coffee. I did not realize this right away. My cappuccinos were very weak and hardly tasted coffee. The grinds were continuing to accumulate inside the machine till one morning the machine was so full of unused coffee grinds that they came out like a little volcano out of the top of the machine. I tried to clean up the mess but the grinds were so impacted that it was impossible to take them out. I got a refund and till I decided what machine to get I started to drink my wife horrible coffee which we called in France "Sock juice". Finally after a long analysis of all machines on the market I bought a Gaggia Academia. . To my surprise I noticed that this new machine has a lot of similarities with the Exprelia and I found out latter that Gaggia has been bought by Saeco and Saeco by Phillips. So they are all within the same family of automatic coffee machine. I will soon write a review about my Gaggia Academia.

I purchased this machine for my husband's birthday. BOY...it is unbelievable what this machine does! It grinds coffee beans, tamps them and ejects the used grounds into a bin. It goes into a stand-by mode after 60 minutes of no use, at which time, it uses a small amount of water to clean itself. It is a good idea to keep a cup under the dispenser to catch this. Even if you don't do that, it has a nice large tray which will catch the water, although it is much easier to dump the water from a cup, rinse it and place it under the dispenser than it is to clean the tray. The machine has a nice digital display, which tells you exactly what the machine is doing, when it needs more water, when the grounds bin & water tray inside the machine need emptying, when it is time to descale or clean the machine, etc.

It does take some time to figure everything out, especially removing the insides, cleaning them and lubricating them. If you do not put the tamper back the right way, you can tell because the flow of coffee is down to dripping and there tends to be coffee grounds outside of the bin. Also, the grounds inside the bin will be liquified, rather than a nice, solid wheel of used grounds.

The ONLY downfall to this machine is that it does not hold a significant amount of water, so you have to keep refilling the water bin frequently compared to the 80oz.+ water bin on the Keurig & Breville K-cup machines (which we own also).

You can also used pre-ground coffee if you like in this machine. There is a little door on top of the machine to put the pre-grounded coffee into. This is the same door you put the cleaning tablets in. Another great thing about this maker is that it doesn't take a ton of water to clean like the Keurigs. All it used is about a 1/2 to 3/4 cup of water! The cleaning tablets are rather inexpensive, but the descaling solution is pricey. It recommends descaling every 1-2 months. We use bottled drinking water in our coffee makers, including this one, but you still get the sediment and need for descaling.

The maker comes with extra tubing for the milk frother. The openings at the ends of the tubing are different, to give you different types of frothing. I thought these were extra tubes at first. But after reading completely through the owner's manual, found out what they are really for. We have not tried anything that requires the milk, like the cappuccino. I'm sure it works great, as everything else does!

This thing is so automatic, that all you need do is press a button & you can get Starbuck quality expresso, cappuccino or coffee. The machine even does just plain hot water. There are so many things you can do with this, that the possibilities seem endless.

At first, I was very frustrated with the machine, but in a very short time, I became quite accustomed to its sounds and function.

If you are a serious coffee drinker and would like true expresso, cappuccino or latte', and have some money to throw around, this is truly the machine for you! I am so glad I purchased this for my husband & he sure likes it a lot.

Sorry about the long review, but it is impossible to write a short one on such an elaborate machine.

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Pasquini Livia 90 Semi Automatic Espresso Machine

Just one quick note: The photo above (at the time I wrote this review) is of the automatic model and not the semi-automatic model. This review is for the semi-auto model. For those who don't know, the auto model allows you to push a button and the machine will start and stop the flow of water on its own (single or double). Semi-auto means you need to turn the flow of water on and off yourself. There are also super-auto machines that grind and tamp the beans as well.

The Review: This is a serious coffee machine. It's "commercial quality" so it's heavy (almost 50lbs) and very well built. It takes up some counter space (mostly depth) but it looks elegant and is easy to keep clean. The portafilter (handle with basket for coffee) is very sturdy and fits snugly. It has a useful ready gauge and simple buttons (as noted above) for on-off and start-stop.

Now the important stuff: It makes great coffee consistently. I moved up to this machine from a Braun pump espresso machine. This one has better pressure and temperature. I used to brag about my Braun machine because it was inexpensive and made consistently good esperesso. The first shots I pulled from this machine made me realize that I didn't realize what I was missing. If you know how to make espresso, this machine lets you pull easy, consistent, and quality shots.

Another great feature of this machine is the continuous steam and hot (very hot!) water outlet. If you've ever had trouble steaming milk on machine you'll be impressed and maybe even surprised at how well this works. The machine also recovers well and quickly after you pull shots or use the steam wand.

The tanks is removable and holds a lot of water. It's easy to fill in place as well. You can leave this machine on all day if you like (it's designed to work that way) and you might want to if you're like me and drink too much coffee. The reason is that it can take a little while to warm up if it's been off for a while. That's probably the only thing I'm not fond of with this machine. First thing in the morning it can take a while to warm up (5-10 mins). This makes sense given the size and build of the machine. It simply takes time to warm up to the proper brewing temperature. However, I had gotten used to a machine that only takes a couple of minutes. So, my new morning routine includes going down to turn on the machine and coming down after my shower for my great coffee!

If you've never had a pump machine before, you may need some practice, but I think this is a good machine to learn on (due to its consistency). Just remember to follow the instructions (especially not to overfill the filter) and adjust either the grind of your coffee or the pressure of your tamping to get the desired results.

I hope this is helpful to you if you're considering this machine. I'd say it does well or better to other machines in this price range. It's a definite step up in quality and build from the machine's you'll find in the $500-1000 price range. It's a complete improvement in machine and coffee from pretty much any machine under $500.

One last comment, Pasquini has been excellent and very responsive to questions. I'm very pleased to see them here on Amazon.

Good luck with your quest for great coffee...I found it with this machine!

I bought the Livia 90 semi-automatic in 2003 and I was always pleased with the consistent results. Very good espresso with crema and excellent cappuccinos, not to mention the ability to brew a tea in less than 5 seconds. The machine is very sturdy and beautifully constructed with stainless steel and a 1.5 liter brass boiler chamber. The machine takes 7 minutes to warm up because it's all metal with only the porta-filter handle, the switches, and a couple of knobs made of plastic. For the first couple of years I used the machine with ground coffee, but then I switched to pods because it's less messy and I consistently get the crema every time I use the machine. Also this gave me the chance to try out several brands of coffee ( I believe I tried more than twenty varieties by buying pod samplers available on the web). I'm now mostly settled on Illy medium roast ESE pods, Starbucks, and Lucaffe Colombia pods.

After three years since I had the machine I had a problem with the steam water valve: at least once a day it wouldn't stop heating the machine after reaching the correct pressure, causing the safety valve to release the excess pressure with a very loud noise. I had to return the machine to Pasquini where they replaced the valve and rewired the machine to work properly. After that the machine always worked perfectly and I now turn on the machine early in the morning and I turn it off after dinner at night every day.

You need to take care of the maintenance of the machine, starting with cleaning the machine regularly ( I use the PuliCaff powder once a week) in order to get rid of the coffee oils that deposit in the group head and filters, as well as replacing the undercup gasket and the various O-rings at least once a year, or else the rubber will harden and water will leak from the porta-filter. The maintenance intervals vary with the machine usage: I brew about 6 to 8 coffees every day and I found out that cleaning the machine once a week and changing the gaskets once a year is a good compromise.

After seven years of use the machine still works great and looks like new. I love the espressos I can make with this machine, but now the problem is that I cannot drink regular brewed coffee anymore when I go out to a restaurant that doesn't serve espresso coffee.

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I have waited a year before writing a review because I think that is a reasonable amount of time to wait to give the review credibility. I have to say my husband and I love love love this machine. It looks fabulous and makes the best coffee. It's easy to clean, quick to recover in between coffees so you can make lots of coffees one after the other. Milk steamer is easy to use and great to make the kids hot chocolate. Also the hot water dispenser is great 'cos I love to make tea as well. The water tank is very large and we don't have to fill it often but even then it's easy to do we fill it in place with a couple of big plastic jugs. It's great we love it and don't have single complaint. We got it for each other last Christmas '07 and have a lot more friends now! I don't hesitate in recommending it to you and one final thing it really takes no time to warm up whats five minutes to wait for great coffee! The line at Starbucks would take longer and your coffee will taste a lot better!

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I've had mine for about 10 years now with daily+ use. It only required one replacement part when I got it (used) and has functioned generally flawlessly for all this time. I'm an espresso connoisseur, roast my own beans and seek perfection from this machine. A great burr grinder is essential for this machine. Overall, it does a very good job, but is admittedly finicky. FRESH ROAST, grind, tamp and extraction must all be done very well or shot quality goes funky. Some gripes are the 4-hole standard steamer tip is BAD. It can be replaced with a 2-hole (Google this issue for recommendations) that will slow down the process a bit, make less mess in a small pitcher and permit great microfoam. Oh yeah, try a few different varieties of minimum 2% milk (whole is best!) from your supermarket some foam MUCH better than others.

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I got a deal on this machine by agreeing to buy a years worth of Illy coffe. Since illy is my favorite coffee and they offer vacuum cans of pods it was a no brainer. The coffee actually lasted more like 2 years but I still buy Illy pods for those times when grinding is a chore. I'd recommend you check out the current Illy deal if you are looking for an espresso machine. I'd tell what I paid but it would bum everyone out.

The Livia 90 is so not a toy. Also it is not a factory machine that grinds and tamps and does everything for you. I suspect those machines by their nature are less reliable but anyway I like to handle my food and drink when I prepare it.

The espresso is perfect every time with just the right temp, flavor and crema whether I am using a pod or not. The boiler is large enough to make half a dozen different drinks and steam milk for all of them. This is a tried and true two portafilter machine with one portafilter. Also it dispenses boiling water for tea or Fench press coffee or you can make tea with pods. I love having boiling water on demand in the kitchen. I have never had it perform in any way other than optimally.

La Pavoni PC-16 Professional Espresso Machine, Chrome

I have owned this machine (8-cup) for over ten years and everyday when I make my morning cappuccino I love it more. You can spend more for a machine that measures the coffee, tamps it, pulls the water through and steams the milk for you, but you can tip the kids behind the counter at Starbucks and they'll do the same thing. Making espresso should be a little art and a little science and this machine an impeccable balance of the two. If you aren't the kind of person who takes joy in mixing the perfect martini, making a risotto that whispers with flavor, or whipping a meringue to impossibly tall peaks, this probably isn't the machine for you.

The La Pavoni is for the person who will find tremendous joy in going to the lengths required to make a perfect cappuccino by hand everyday. (And don't bother using anything less than Illy Cafe coffee in it.)

I bought my La Pavoni in the summer of 1983 after high school. It was heavily used during college (especially finals week) and has made me superb espresso continually. This morning I made a spiced chai using it. I've been amazed with the quality of the unit. I unfortunately bought a model that had a brass and copper film that looked spectacular for about 8 months then began to peel off. It's now not terribly attractive but still pumps out amazing Java.

I estimate I've saved over $25,000 on espresso drinks while maintaining a level of quality beyond what one can get at Starbucks and similar cafés. Being from Seattle, there are now (finally) cafés and baristas locally that are passionate (neurotic) about making excellent espresso and I can match them. I'm very happy with my Pavoni.

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I have had this machine for a number of years, the upside is great coffee, downside are:

1. Finish poor, rust soon appears in the crome, the only saving grace is that it is mostly occurs under the drip tray out of sight.

2. It is too easy even after bleeding the pressure, to pop one of the seals when changing the coffee.

3. Descaling can be a real pain.

In short, when it works, great, but this isn't a low maintance product, a bit like old Italian sports cars

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After 15 years of near daily use, I thought it was time for me to relay my experiences and opinion on the La Pavoni PC-16.

This review is for the pre millenium model. The current production model does have slight differences with the group being slightly larger

I was a bartender and barista for about 3 years in a high volume cafe and bar, and believe that this gives me a reasonable level of proficiency in making espresso and espresso based drinks.

The La Pavoni PC-16 is a manual lever group and operates in a manner that is much different from automatic and semiautomatic machines. This must be appreciated and understood by the potential buyer, or it may cause dissapointment.

The concept of preinfusion is why a lever machine can produce a truly outstanding shot of espresso. This is where water wets the grounds prior to the applying of pressure, and this is what makes a lever group superior to other mechanisms in my estimation. The ability to preinfuse the grounds manually can drastically change the result of the shot. For example, the lever is slowly raised to a count of 5, and only then does the lever get lowered. Since this is a manual machine, this means that you alone are raising and lowering the lever, there are no pumps or springs to do the work for you. As the lever is raised, you will hear the water entering the group. This is when your count begins.

The amount of time that is taken to do the preinfusion step is what can drastically alter the result of the shot given that the grind, group temperature and tamp is identical.

Now I will decribe the various details that go in to the requirements for producing a quality shot from the PC-16.

The grind is what is the most difficult part to correctly apply when dealing with this machine. As perfect of a consistency is absolutley necessary with a fluffy grind, no clumping will be tolerated. You will need to judge this on your own, but a slightly finer than average espresso grind is what it takes to get thick crema with minimal blonding during extraction. I still wind up with the occasional sink shot because of this machines absolute sensitivity to grind quality.

I use a light tamp, about 10 pounds of pressure, leaving approximately 1/4" space from the top. Pay extra attention to acheiving a level surface. The Elektra Microcasa A Leva portafilter basket allows more coffee to be used than the PC-16's with far better results. Refer to Orhanespressos slap shot method.

Get a good tamper with 90 degree corners and a flat bottom. I use a custom fabricated stainless steel one, but there are many available online. Unit to unit variation means a standard 49mm tamper may not work.

Water quality. I prefer reverse osmosis versus other methods of filtration including various mineral waters. Experience has shown that r.o. has given the thickest crema and most complex notes. Distilled resulted in a slimy shot with various mineral waters giving a range of quality from good to poor.

It is best to avoid descaling, since it always affects machine performance negatively. Rather use water that is already softened.

Compared to a commercial machine, the PC-16 makes a much more intense shot with more clearly defined flavor. This can be a double edged sword, depending on what it is that you are looking for.

This machine gets hot quickly, and have found that more than 2 shots isnt possible without turning the machine off for a while. Do not flush or run any water through the group before pulling a shot. This will only raise the group temperature. I have discovered a pretty simple way of dealing with the excessive and destructive heat by placing clean and dry

portafilter baskets in the freezer and taking them out a minute before filling them with coffee.

With practice(a lot of practice), you can get perfect microfoam. Again this is very difficult and nothing like a commercial machine. When you first start, you can get a reasonable facsimile to the point of being able to do simple latte art.

There is no anti suction valve, the steam wand will draw milk back into the water tank. Pour out water and refill before turning on machine.

And lastly, make sure that everything is maintained. Generally just a matter of changing the gaskets every 2-4 years depending on use. Keep the machine off when not in use. If you arent comfortable working with tools, find a local tech that works with espresso machines. You can usually find one in most cities. Always respect the machine.

The La Pavoni PC-16 can represent a steep learning curve, but like me, you can be rewarded with outstanding espresso and enjoy the process.

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How can anyone who owns one of these machines not fall in love with them?

Yes, they are temperamental. If you screw up any part of the process, the Pavoni tells you by dispensing a lousy cup of espresso. Wrong tamp pressure, poor beans, incorrect grind (don't even think of using a blade), impure water, wrong pull and you get a bad shot. That's called HONESTY. But master all the above, and you get espresso ecstasy, pull after pull. There are plenty of guidelines available online, from CoffeeGeek to YouTube, to help you achieve your La Pavoni degree, and when you do, you'll not only be rewarded with ambrosia each morning, but you'll have developed a real skill, one that is Old School. And looking back, it's really not that difficult to learn. Use good water, quality fresh beans, and a good burr grinder (Rocky!), and you're rounding third base. Then it's just minor experimentation with the right grind, tamp and pull pressure to guide you home. All this and museum quality art on your counter-top to boot! I've got the gorgeous brass Romantica version with the dome top, and it really is a stunner.

Anyone out there who knows the difference between a flat and phillips head driver can repair this machine, INDEFINITELY. Although La Pavoni provides little help in the maintenance dept, online there is a wealth of info available to help you replace gaskets and the like. The Pavoni is built like a vault and simple to maintain, once you delve inside and see how it's built.

I still can't figure out why there are folks out there who don't like the auto-aerator. It couldn't be simpler to operate (dip tube in milk, open steam valve, admire perfect micro froth coming out every time). The standard wand works ok, but I replaced the 3 hole nipple with a single hole version much improved. But I still use the auto-aerator primarily.

By the way, the note below about using ice cubes on the group head to cool down the unit for subsequent pulls is GREAT advice. Wish I'd thought of that years ago!

Cuisinart PerfecTemp Coffee Maker

I was skeptical, but I like my coffee hot, so I decided to give the DCC2900 a try. It won me over the first time I used it. It makes terrific coffee, but what I really love about it is that it makes really hot coffee and keeps the coffee really hot and fresh for hours. My husband gets up 3-4 hours earlier than I do. He sets the coffee maker to brew when he wakes up. It is still really hot and tastes great when I get up. Also, it could not be easier to program. I have had Krups thermal carafe coffee makers for the past 15 years, but this Cuisinart out-performs the Krups on every scale, especially keeping the coffee hot. I like that it is short enough to sit on my counter under my upper cabinets. The only drawback is that the squat carafe is shaped in such a way that you have to turn the pot over to pour the last two cups. I assume it was designed that way to keep the coffee hot and to keep the unit short enough to park in an appliance "garage." I got used to the shape of the carafe and don't consider it a big deal.

I was drawn in by the promise of really hot coffee. The temperature is about the same as my last Cuisinart (the DTC-975DKN) OK, not stellar.

I am extremely disappointed with the terrible engineering of the carafe. Did no one at Cuisinart actually test this thing and notice how difficult it is to get the last 1/2 cup of coffee out of the carafe? The top is flat which does not allow the coffee to freely flow to the spout. It also does not seem to keep the coffee as hot as our previous carafe.

The coffee grounds are loaded into the top of the machine. I prefer a swing out basket as it is too easy, with top loaders, to drop grounds into the water tank and clog the machine.

The water level indicator is difficult to read because it is located at the right rear of the machine.

Disappointing purchase. This will be returned.

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We have had this unit for a few days now, This was a replacement for an older Cuisinart Thermal Carafe Coffeemaker. While the display and functions are greatly improved, The process of putting in water is incredibly more difficult. There used to be a water level gauge inside the water compartment for you to see the level as you pour, now you have to stop pouring and look at a water gauge window on the back outside corner of the unit. The Carafe has a longer spout which projects the water when pouring out a bit further making it very difficult to pour in the small openings of the water compartment. ( you invariably hit a bridge that supports the coffee filter which divides the water compartment into 2 small halves, splashing water all over the place). Getting the last bit of water out of the thermal carafe is again extremely difficult you need to tilt it way past the vertical , the lid to the water compartment only opens 90 degree and you can't do this without making a mess pouring the last couple of ozs out.

The low down, pretty much you are wiping up a good deal of water in the coffee prep phase

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After one week of use, I report good news.

I measured the temperature of the water as it was coming down the coffee basket and I was able to get a 195 degree reading. Recommended temperature: 195-205.

The dials are much improvement over the previous model I owned (Cuisinart DTC-975BKN). Also, the dials are on top which reduces the chance of any spillage getting into them. It is very easy to program.

The carafe has also seen improvement over the previous model. The lid is foolproof and fits on tight. The opening is bigger than previous model and makes it much easier to wash with a brush.

All in all, I give this machine a five star.

Update: 6/11/2012

After one month of use I decided to give this coffee machine a 1 star due to the seriousness of the defects involved.

Reason:

(1) I discovered a puddle of coffee under the machine this morning.

(2) The carafe sprinkles some of the coffee away from the mug which lands on the counter, a defect in the pouring mechanism.

(3) After I brewed a pot this morning using the bold setting, the exterior of the pot was so hot which is not supposed to happen in thermal carafes. Even the bottom plate was hot. I can't explain how that happened.

(4) Pouring water in the reservoir is a challenge.

(5) Opening the top access lid is tricky. Basically you have to push the carafe up while pressing on the top latch.

June 21, 2012

I have just discovered something weird about this coffee maker: It has a hot plate that stays on during the duration of the brewing process. The reason for that is to get the chill out of the thermal carafe. My comment is: thermal carafes don't need to be heated from the outside. Doing so indicates that the carafe is not insulated well. And if it is insulated well, heat can't possibly go inward. So the engineer who came up with this idea is obviously on crack.

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THE CARAFE IS MADE OF DOUBLE WALLED STAINLESS. THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE TOP IS SOME TYPE OF PLASTIC THAT IS FITTED TO THE S/S WITH A RUBBER SEAL BETWEEN THE TWO PIECES. TO GET THE LAST CUP OF COFFEE OUT OF THIS POT YOU MUST TURN IT ALMOST UPSIDE DOWN. THE RUBBER SEAL IS NOT WATERTIGHT AND THE COFFEE GETS IN THE POT BETWEEN THE DOUBLE WALLS. YOU CAN'T GET INSIDE TO CLEAN IT AND OVER TIME IT COULD BECOME A REAL CESSPOOL, AND THEN THIS MESS COULD LEAK OUT WHEN YOU GETTING YOUR LAST CUP OF COFFEE!

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