UPDATE! I gave my review another star since the capsules are now available locally at Bed, Bath and Beyond. Being able to conveniently buy capsules is important to me.If you are short on counter space in your kitchen and you want both a single serve coffeemaker and an espresso machine, this unit is something you may want to consider. It takes up about the same amount of space as a Keurig machine, if you are familiar with those.
Set-up was easy, insert the screen in the water tank, give everything a good rinse, pour in some water up to the fill line 40 ounces(I prefer using filtered water), plug it in and follow the simple directions in either the manual or the quick start guide.
Once the machine has primed itself, you are ready to choose your brew. Pull the handle back all the way, drop in the pod with the top facing the front of the machine, snap the handle back down, and choose your size by pressing one of the 3 selections:
Top button: 1.5 ounces for espresso
Middle button: 3 ounces for a long espresso
Bottom button: 8 ounces for coffee, 9 ounces for tea
The next time you brew another cup, when you lift the handle backwards, that disposes of the previously brewed capsule into the storage bin behind the drip tray. This should be dumped into the trash as part of your daily maintenance, in addition to always making sure you have adequate water in the tank (you don't want to burn-up your pump). Also rinse the storage bin out with hot water after you dump the capsules, it gets a little skanky in there if you don't!
All the coffee flavors I've tried are very aromatic, rich and flavorful. The espresso capsules all produce a nice crema on top. Even though hot chocolate is sometimes listed as available in a capsule, I don't think those are out yet (as of 11/1/12). I'm not a tea drinker, but I did try the Tropical Passion and it was good.
I'm concerned about availability of coffee capsules, but I've ordered more capsules from Amazon. They are available on their Subscribe and Save program, at least I get free shipping that way, but the capsules at this time run 62 cents each.
UPDATE November 2011 these capsules are now being sold at my local Bed, Bath & Beyond, even more flavors than are offered here at Amazon.
NOTE: Every 2 to 3 months the de-scaling warning light comes on, this is what I use it takes about 45 minutes from start to finish: Urnex Dezcal Home Activated Descaler, For Home Coffee & Espresso Equipt., 4 1 oz Packets.
If you want a frother, they also have a separate one available, it's great.
CBTL LM-145P Milk Frother, White
The Kaldi makes superb espresso brews. So far we have tried the Carnevale and Premium Decaf Espresso. These 2 are both excellent. Brews a the standard Expresso shot or a tall espresso which is about 5 ounces. Both brews leave a nice layer of crema that lasts to the last sip. However, I also tried the French Roast as being one of the dark/bold selections; this one missed the note by being 'lite' for a dark brew; it does have a very nice smooth flavor, but it just misses the dark punch of a bold selection. I would place the french roast as a medium roast. We just came from Bed Bath and Beyond and purchased a package of the Starbucks Verona which was my favorite T-Disc on the Tassimo; well, even the Verona is on the lighter side; tastes good, but lite!
It has a small profile that does not take much counter space and has a very modern stylish look. it is not very noisy like the Keurigs and takes just a couple of minutes to finish the brew.
The items that could be improved: The water tank could've been made a little bigger to hold more water; if you are just brewing espressos, perfect size, but if you brew coffees the water tank is small. Secondly, the used pods fall into a reservoir which is not very hygienic, since the pod is full of water it will drip outside the pod and into the reservoir, which if it is left like that for a day or more, it will rot and smell bad. There is no way to put a tall cup under the nozzle, so you have to use low profile or espresso cups. However, as an added bonus you can use the new Starbucks 'Verismo' pods on this just fine as the pods are the exact same size; not sure who copied who but if you are a Starbucks fan this is a very good extra bonus.
I also own 2 Bosch Tassimo T20 1 Cups Espresso Machine and Bosch TAS1000UC Tassimo Single-Serve Coffee Brewer, Anthracite brew bots that make excellent espressos and coffees; and while I am happy with this device I think the Tassimo with the Bar Code technology is what puts it into another superior level. However, the CBTL pods are available at BBB, Target and obviously here at Amazon, so that is what made it atrractive as an alternative to the Tassimo T-Discs which suffer for good distribution.
Follow up after 10 days:
I noticed that brewing regular coffee, the temperature of the coffee was not hot enough; I contacted CBTL Sunday, left a message and they promptly returned my call next day (not from Asia). They sent me instructions how to program the temperature settings which are not very clear in the manual.
I am using the CBTL for espressos, as they are very very yummy; but regular coffee (at least the French Roast) is pretty lite to my taste buds; so I am using the Tassimo for regular coffee.
Instructions for setting the temperature from CBTL:
"Programming the Coffee Temperature
Your CBTL System uses one main heating element for all the drink options (espresso, coffee and tea). Should you find that you would like to increase the temperature of the water that is being dispensed, you can do so be following the below steps. Please note that this will only raise the temperature approximately 6 Degrees Fahrenheit.
1. Switch the appliance off and raise the lever
2. Keeping the short espresso and the brewed coffee buttons pressed down, turn on the machine
3. The multifunction alarm light will stay on with a fixed red light
4. Press the long espresso button to highlight the short espresso button. This will raise the temperature approximately 1.5 degrees Fahrenheit
5. Press the long espresso button to highlight the long espresso button. This will raise the temperature approximately another 1.5 degrees Fahrenheit
6. Press the long espresso button to highlight the brewed coffee button. This will raise the temperature approximately another 1.5 degrees Fahrenheit
7. The turn the machine off and on. "
6 month update: This brewer continues to be 2nd best to my Tassimo; I just can't stand that the coffee is not hot enough even at the highest setting and have to reprogram it often; other wise is just warm. Secondly, the extra dripping of coffee that continues even minutes after the cup has been brewed makes cleaning a lot more often if not daily; since the pods also fall into the same place, they also keep dripping inside the reservoir. The high note of the device is the quality of the Espressos; they are superb and the small foot print of the brewer.
Buy CBTL Kaldi S04 Single Cup Brewer Now
I owned a NESPRESSO maker (model C101) for six months because my wife being French swore by them. Never owning a pod based coffe maker, it made wonderful espresso for the time it was in our possession. I had fair expectations for what it could do given it was such a small compact machine but I always found the espresso (even the strongest pod) a little weak. Also, I found the pods difficult to locate and often I would purchase in bulk from ebay to get a deal for a pod that was often coming in around 90 cents a piece. But since I had nothing to compare it to I didn't venture out to locate greener pastures.I had little to complain about UNTIL i went into a coffee bean location to purchase something before work (to be frank I don't enjoy their in store coffee and was there due to limited options). They had a demo CBTL KALDI S04 for customers to sample SO instead of ordering a coffee I decided I would try the machine first and if it was miserable then I would purchase my typical americano from the cashier.
Well I can only tell you I was STUNNED. The coffee was strong, the creme thick and the double shot setting was plentiful (at least a third more than the Nespresso machine) and was just as good as any thing I would have purchased.
I can only generalize but most American's, and clearly I enjoy a stiffer and stronger cup and this machine provides you with such a coffee both in espresso form and coffee form.
Additionally the pods themselves are very convenient and are about 40 cents a piece and can be found in store and bulk buying isn't required and if you order 40 dollars a more a month from the subscription service they offer free shipping.
DON'T order the teas for this machine. To be honest, the machine doesn't understand the idea of steeping. You can't pressure brew tea. I've tried chai and Moroccan mint and they're tepid and tasteless.
I've tried all strengths of the espresso pods and they're all excellent. The coffee pods which are not espresso are good but are not as exception as the espresso and all brew hot but not scalding nor luke warm. I do recommend using a small metal cup or a small thick walled porcelain cup. A large cup dissipates the heat much faster, something I found happened with both the machines.
The only down side is the lever is sometimes very difficult to pull but that is the only down side.
And to clarify I use my at least 4 times a day.
Read Best Reviews of CBTL Kaldi S04 Single Cup Brewer Here
I am very impressed with the CBTL machine and coffee capsules. I had a Tassimo for many years that I liked (as well as other coffee and espresso makers before that) and I am elated that I found such a great replacement! The Tassimo was good but since their move between Braun and Bosch, and the rise of Keurig, I don't think Tassimo will be around much longer.I was seriously looking at Keurig, which others in my family own. I was also looking at Nespresso. In the end, CBTL is the way to go. The price is great. The Kaldi model produces amazing coffee and espresso. It is simple to use and is very clean and elegant. The Nespresso options were way too expensive and only do espresso. I tried Nespresso samples in stores and CBTL is just as good if not better. I also think CBTL does a better job with espresso than Keurig. Keurig makes a good cup of regular coffee, but if you want really good coffee AND espresso, definitely go with CBTL. K-cups and CBTL capsules cost about the same, but I give end product quality points to CBTL.
I'd also recommend CBTL's milk frother. I've made lattes, mochas, chai teas and steamers--all of them taste like the expensive coffee shop versions for a fraction of the cost. I can't say enough good things about the CBTL products. I hope they start making Keurig nervous!
Want CBTL Kaldi S04 Single Cup Brewer Discount?
I've had this unit for about 6 months now and LOVE it. It doesn't take up too much space, is very easy to operate and clean. The flavors of the drinks are all pretty good, with the Italian espresso being my favorite. The Kaldi even makes crema with both the espressos and the coffees, so you know you're getting a good brew.The unit is loud, though, so I have to wait until my preschool aged kids wake up in the morning before I brew my coffee as I don't want them to wake up until necessary.
Although I love this machine and wouldn't trade it for any of the other Single cup brewers out there, I docked one star because during the 6 months I've had this item, I've gone through about 15-20 pods that didn't work. Keep in mind that I use about 2 a day. I put them in properly, but for some reason, the machine would get stuck after poking a hole in one of the ends of the pods, so I'd have to toss it. When I put in a new pod right after, it works fine, so I'm not sure if it's a defective pod or if something's going on with the machine.
Other than that, it's perfect and amazing! The barista at the CBTL store I purchased this from even said that the Kaldi probably brews better coffee than when you can get at CBTL because each cup is a fresh, clean brew.
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