KRUPS XP1500 Coffee Maker and Espresso Machine Combination, Black

If you want to make espresso like you'll pay $2.00/shot at a coffee house, this machine isn't for you. If you want a coffee pot/espresso combo in the $100 range, you will get the best value with this combo. I can make a very good latte with it, and a fairly decent shot of espresso -and very good coffee. The negative reviews I've read seem to be from two types: 1) Those who really need to spend more to get a beautiful golden crema-topped shot of espresso. I understand, but it can't be had for this price. 2) Those who don't know how to use it properly.

For a latte, you'll need to have finely ground espresso, a stainless steel frothing pitcher, and cold milk (2% or non-fat work best). Remove the rubber end to the frothing nozzle -I never use it, and that may be one of the problems other reviewers have. Follow the instructions in the manual to fill your water reservoir and your espresso filter. Fill your frothing pitcher no more than halfway with milk. Turn the dial on the left to the "cup" setting, and as soon as your first drop of espresso falls, switch the dial to the frothing setting, and start frothing your milk. Keep the nozzle low in the pitcher, just heating -not frothing. Hold the pitcher in your hand and keep heating the milk until the pitcher is just about too hot to hold -(or you could buy a thermometer, but this works just as well, and for the price-conscious does the trick), then move the pitcher lower, letting the nozzle just skimming along the top of the milk. This will start your foam growing, and it will not take long before your pitcher is about to overflow. At that point, switch the dial back to the "cup" setting, and your espresso shot will fall. When all is done, pour your shot of espresso in a cup, add the milk, top with the foam, and add a little cocoa powder or cinnamon or your choice -and maybe even a drop or two of vanilla extract. You're good to go. A delicious latte, at an extremely low price.

(I explained the above because the instructions in the manual are not that good, and I don't have the time to build a how-to video. I hope it was helpful.)

I am a self-confessed coffee junkie. With or w/o the caffeine (pregnancy and such) I love the taste; and the taste of the coffee that I've brewed with this machine was great. Loved it, loved it, loved it. The machine was easy to use and looked pretty darn cool sitting there on my counter. The only issue that i have is that the espresso side seems to need some encouragement. The knobs need to be fiddled with a bit in order to get the espresso to start dripping (even after 10 minutes during a holiday party full of thirsty coffee drinkers). Thought that was just b/c my machine was so new, but it's been doing that ever since the first use. Still, it's not terribly difficult, and the coffee is oh-so-yummy!

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We love this machine. We have limited space and need to have both a coffee maker and a cappucino maker in that space. We have had none of the difficulties that others mention. But we did take the black plastic sleeve off of the frother and that has made a huge difference. With it on we got bubbles. Now we get great froth. And if we pack the espresso well we get an excellent crema. It is a $100 machine that makes both coffee and espresso. It is not going to be like a $1000 Starbucks machine. We set our expectations appropriately and were delighted.

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My wife doesn't drink coffee, so it is appropriate to say "I" received the XP1500 as a wedding gift. Like others, the SECOND TIME I made espresso, the handle cracked on the espresso grounds holder from the normal pressure of turning it into place. Customer service assured me that they could do nothing unless I had the receipt. This was two years ago, and the machine was a brand new item, so there should have been no question to the age of the machine for warranty purposes, but I had no receipt since it was a wedding gift. They wouldn't even pay the shipping for a new holder. In short, they wouldn't budge, and if I wanted a new grounds holder, I would have to pay full cost to do so. So I kept it, being very careful over the last couple of years to not turn it too hard. Today, it broke further, rendering it useless. To be fair, I have tried to make espresso and cappucino many times, but I have never been able to get a truly good cup from this machine.

Other problems: the frother is too low. You need to angle the milk cup too much to be useful. A half cup of cold milk will turn into a counter full of frothed milk when it's done.

You're better off researching all products and choosing one that is made with better materials, has better reveiws for the quality of the resultant coffee, and going with a company that has BETTER CUSTOMER SUPPORT. There's a reason that "customers who purchased this product also purchased..." "...REPLACEMENT ITEMS!!!"

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We've had this machine for over four years now. In that time, it quite literally is used seven days a week except when on vacation. Usually it's two cappuccinos a day, then pots of coffee on Saturday and Sunday. We were recently have a trouble with the coffee maker side slowing down considerably, and with some research found that it needed to be internally descaled (works like new again once we descaled itYay!). I went on Amazon to find the Krups Descaler packets, and was very surprised to see the less than stellar reviews here for this machine.

Potential cons: This model may be simple with its lack of electronic displays and settings, but my husband likes it that way as he worries about electronic failure keeping him in the way of making cappuccinos (he is my live-in barista). You can only use one side at a time, either coffee or espresso. The steam arm could use more flexibility in its positioning. Also, if you use the steamer with the plastic housing cover, it doesn't keep a tight seal in the fact that if you take it off, you will see some traces of the milk you just frothed on the metal arm (you can take the plastic housing off permanently if you prefer).

Ok here are the great things: it is very hardy and durable. It makes GREAT cappuccinos as coffee!! I highly recommend and would buy again in a heartbeat.

I am going to repeat something that I think may have to do with a lot of the negative reviews: you have to CLEAN the MACHINE REGULARLY. It mentions this in great detail in the owners manual (also available online at Krups.com if you lost yours like we did ours). That means you should be wiping down the steamer after each use, soaking the steam arm without the housing once a week or so depending on use, and using the descaler every year or so (we waited four years to actually do this, as we never had a problem before and our water is treated). Also, every couple of weeks or so we take our kitchen dish brush and brush the top portion of the unit where the water comes out from and connects to the pot or espresso basket. Just like your barista at Starbucks would do, you have to do. If you notice that your steamer arm isn't working, chances are you did not clean it. Don't panic, most likely your machine is NOT brokenjust take a tall glass of water, let the steam arm sit in it for several hours, take your kitchen brush and clean it down thoroughly, let the steamer run through a full espresso pot of water, and everything should be ok again.

Happy trails on your path to coffee bliss!

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