Showing posts with label coffee espresso machine maker. Show all posts
Showing posts with label coffee espresso machine maker. Show all posts

Sunday, August 17, 2014

Remanufactured Jura-Capresso 13187 Impressa E8 Automatic Coffee and Espresso Center, Black

Remanufactured Jura-Capresso 13187 Impressa E8 Automatic Coffee and Espresso Center, BlackI ordered this remanufactured machine thinking that I would buy a brand-new one after I determined that I would use a home espresso coffee maker often and this machine would break down. I use it daily and I love it! It's is so easy to use and the coffee tastes just like Starbuck's coffee,which I used to buy daily. It has saved me tons of $$$ and I would recommend the remanufactured machines. When I got mine it looked absolutely BRAND NEW. No scratches, dents, or dings anywhere on it and it works fabulously.

This compact attractive machine is an excellent choice for use at home or perhaps a small office environment. The E8 makes creating expresso drinks easy and mess-free. It provides full control over the size and strength of each cup or shot you make.

Pros of this machine:

The machine and milk steamer both heat up quickly.

The water and bean containers are large enough that they do not require constant filling.

The machine is automatic. Press a button or two and the machine grinds beans, produces coffee, then discards used beans and self-cleans.

There is an available addon which converts the E8 to a super-automatic. This attachment will store milk in a refrigerated container and then auto-froth milk for cappucinos etc.

The machine can use both whole beans or pre-ground coffee.

The cleaning cycles are easy to perform and overall the machine is not difficult to maintain.

Most importantly, this machine makes an excellent cup of coffee or expresso drink. Other reviewers said "good as Starbucks," I say "better than Starbucks" if you use the right coffee beans.

NOTE: The milk steaming wand that comes standard with this machine is all most people would need. It works well for creating a couple of lattes or cappucinos. The Dual Frother Plus might be worth buying if you do a lot of entertaining and need to make a lot of drinks in a hurry.

Cons of this machine:

After making coffee the machine disposes of used coffee grounds in small internal container. This container fills up fast and needs to be emptied often.

The Clearyl water filters can be hard to find (but they are optional and only need to be changed every few months).

Each time the machine cleans itself, water pours from the spouts and collects in a shallow tray. The tray fills up quickly and becomes a gross mess of coffee residue, water and even mold (if you don't clean it often enough). I recommend that you keep a plastic cup near the machine and use it capture the water as it comes out. If you prevent the water from collecting in the tray it makes keeping the machine clean much easier.

In summary, I have never once regretted buying this machine. I have had one for almost two years with no significant problems. My machine paid for itself in less that a year in what I saved not going to Starbucks and other cafes.

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I bought the remanufactured machine. I honestly cannot tell that it isn't new. There was nothing to indicate that it was a remanufactured unit.

The coffee the machine makes is creamy. Literally. I used to put a fair amount of sugar and milk in my drip coffee which always tasted bitter to me. I put just a dash of sugar and no milk in this coffee. It's that much better.

I'm using french roast beans and the mild setting to make an americano coffee. I haven't used the machine to make expresso. Not sure when I'll get around to that.

You do not have to clean this machine very often. I refill the water daily, clean out the grinds and tray about one a week and have not yet had to do the cleaning routine (suggested every 200 cups). This machine is very easy to use and doesn't require a lot of maintenance (like the weekly cleaning other machines require).

Overall, highly recommended and worth the money if you like to drink lots of coffee.

Read Best Reviews of Remanufactured Jura-Capresso 13187 Impressa E8 Automatic Coffee and Espresso Center, Black Here

I bought this machine for my husband for Christmas. He's hard to please when it comes to coffee and nothing less than Starbuck's will do. He absolutely loves this machine. It's easy to use, lets you choose your coffee strength and even cleans itself! It tells you when it's low on coffee beans or water. Now he can have his Starbuck's quality coffee at home.

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First, I want to point out that the seller (JL HUfford Coffee & Tea) was very slow and lacked communication. The item did not even ship until after 8 days of ordering it. When I tried to contact the seller they were very slow to respond.

As far as the unit itself goes, I am very pleased with the quality of coffee it makes. When using beans it works really well and is worth the money! However, if you plan on using pre-ground coffee you should know that it wastes a lot of coffee. Although the part you put the grounds into says 2 scoop max, it usually takes me 3-4 scoops just to get one decent sized cup of coffee! Maybe the machine has a defect and that is why it was initially refurbished, but if this is how it is supposed to work then it is pretty bad. However, with the great price I got on this since it is a refurb, I find it well worth the price. As long as you can ignore the issue with the pre-ground coffee, the machine is great.

Cleaning is very easy you just slide a tray out and dump it in the trash. As others have suggested here, it is a good idea to let the draining be done into a cup that you dump instead of into the tray. This makes it much easier to clean when you just need to dump the grounds in the trash.

UPDATE: I would now give this item 5 stars if it would let me... The grains issue was actually not with the machine at all. We were under the impression that you put a scoop or two in there and it should make coffee for a few cups. But the way it actually seems to work is you put the amount of coffee you want it to use for ONE cup of coffee. So if you put two scoops in, it is going to make a really strong cup of coffee because it will use all the grounds. If you only put one scoop it will still make one cup of coffee.

Sunday, November 24, 2013

Pasquini Livia 90 Semi Automatic Espresso Machine

Pasquini Livia 90 Semi Automatic Espresso MachineJust 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.

Buy Pasquini Livia 90 Semi Automatic Espresso Machine Now

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!

Read Best Reviews of Pasquini Livia 90 Semi Automatic Espresso Machine Here

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.

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

West Bend 58002 12-42 Cup Automatic Party Perk Coffee Urn

West Bend 58002 12-42 Cup Automatic Party Perk Coffee UrnI am pretty particular about coffee. I like to gind my own beans and have never used a perc coffee pot in the past. But we were having a huge family gathering and I needed a lot of coffee.

I ordered this Party Perk machine and when it came in I almost returned it because it seemed so flimsy, but I figured I'd give it a chance.

I'm glad I did. All the information I read on the Internet about coffee said that perc'd coffee is not very good because the water is boiled and constantly recirculated through the grounds and this does not equate to how to achieve the best tasting coffee.

Well, while this was not the BEST coffee I have ever had, the coffee was none-the-less very good. I used Berkley and Jensen ground coffee (available at BJ's Wholesale club)and I could not have been more pleased with the results from this Party Perk. I used a little more than 2-1/2 cups of ground coffee for the full 42 cups and the information I read about expecting the pot to brew the coffee at one cup per minute seemed pretty accurate.

There were a lot of compliments on how good the coffee tasted. It did not taste burned, even after being kept warmed in the pot for a few hours.

I cannot comment on the durability of the machine as I haven't had it that long. My parents saw this pot and remarked that they had the same one for many many years before they gave it away and never had the first bit of trouble with it.

We got this coffee maker to replace our thirty year old 20 cup maker. After 2 months of constant use, it's still going strong. Unlike most people, we use this as our main coffee maker. It take us about 2 days to empty it. My husband fills his thermos when going to work and I still have coffee left over for the day.

The coffee maker makes a decent cup of coffee. Our only problem was we had 4 large cans of coffee in the cupboard that we could no longer use. We wound up wrapping them for Christmas presents. This coffee maker uses a courser ground coffee than the ADC makers. Luckily our grocery store has whole beans that you can grind to your specs.

My husband says he only wishes that it would come with a timer. I mentioned to him that this is normally used at a social function. We solved the problem with a timer that plugs into the outlet that we plug the maker into.

Eventually when this one goes out, we'll buy another one like this. The size and style fits well on our counter under the cupboard. It takes about 40-45 mins for a full pot to brew.

Buy West Bend 58002 12-42 Cup Automatic Party Perk Coffee Urn Now

We've been using this model for years, mostly because it's cheap. A bit flimsy in construction, strainer allows too many grounds to settle in bottom. Good enough for the price; we'll buy another one.

Read Best Reviews of West Bend 58002 12-42 Cup Automatic Party Perk Coffee Urn Here

The Delonghi was beautiful but only worked one time. Piece of junk.

This party perk is not as pretty, very basic but it works and keeps coffee fresh a long time. I made coffee for my superbowl party at 10am and it was still yummy at 9pm.

Fast delivery with prime membership-amazon, keep it up

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I needed two coffee urns for a large gathering and found two that seemed to fit my needs the West Bend and the Hamilton Beach 40515 42-Cup Coffee Urn, Silver. I decided to purchase one of each.

The Hamilton Beach blows the West Bend out of the water. It is much larger and better built.

Though they both are advertised as 42-cup, the Hamilton has a 10.5 liter capacity, while the West Bend only has a 7 liter capacity. That's 3.5 liters more (1.5x larger) than the West Bend that's a huge difference!

And finally, the West Bend just feels really cheap and flimsy. The Hamilton feels much more sturdy.

Hamilton wins this one hands down.

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