Espressione Café Retro Espresso Machine

I almost didn't buy this machine because I was worried about some of the negative reveiws I've read about it from users. However, it was the only machine its price range that really caught our eye, so we went ahead and purchased it and have been using it for about six months. It is hands down the best machine I've ever owned. It has great features, and the espresso is the best espresso I've made at home, and better than most espresso I can buy in american coffee shops. A quick rundown of the great features.

1. It looks great. It heats up quickly, and it is very simple to use.

2. The size of the water resevoir is pretty generous. It holds enough water for about 24 shots. You can expect to get a little less if you are steaming a lot of milk, but if you are steaming at the recommended temperature, the machine is very water efficient, and you shouldn't see a dramatic drop. We use it every day to make at least two drinks (at leeast 4 shots), a lot more on the weekends, and we refill only about once a week, roughly. The design also makes it quite easy to refill, I've been in the middle of steaming or pulling a shot when I realized the reservoir was low, and refilled whiled pulling the shot. This is awfully convenient.

3. The machine comes with a disc you can put inside the porta filter to make a sort of fake crema by whipping the coffee, which is popular on upper-end machines these days. However, if you are using good coffee, and grind your beans fresh, and brew the coffee at the recommended temperature, the machine produces a wonderful genuine crema without the disc. I never get an espresso in a coffee house with a crema as good. (crema has more to do with the the quality of the coffee than the machine, but cheaper machines that pull the coffee way too hot never produce good cremas because of the crazy temperatures.)

4. The steam wand does a great job of genlty steaming and frothing without scalding the daylights out of your milk. I've heard a lot of complaints about the steamer, but in my experience it works perfectly, and easily.

5. It does come with an adaption for pods, if you're into pods (blech.)

6, I love that the machine has a temperature gague that allows you to control the temperature of your steam and coffee, and not just indicator lights. It allows you to have a lot more control over the quality of your espresso.

A few things that are so so, the included tamp is flimsy and useless, get yourself a nice heavy one. The drip tray does feel a little light and cheap compared to the rest of the machine, but it is perfectly functional. The Cup warmer isn't very successful at warming cups. But these are minor quibbles I have with it.

I'm sure if I were willing to pay 4 or 5 times as much, I'd get a better espresso, but for the price, I couldn't be happier with this machine. It beats any of the little starter machines you get, and makes better espresso than machines that cost twice the price, in my experience. I'm very happy with this machine.

I wanted to share with others what I wish I had known before I bought this machine. If I had known these things, I wouldn't have bought it. Unfortunately, there are a lot of fake reviews out there, which I read before buying, so beware!

1.There is only one boiler for both espresso and steam. Espresso and steam require two different temperatures. To get a latte, you have to switch between temperatures, and either way the delay to make the temperature switch is unacceptable. I make my espresso first, then switch to steam, wait two to three minutes, then make the froth. Repeat this for each latte you make.

2.The water reservoir is small and requires frequent refilling. However, I use a measuring cup with a spout, to refill the water without removing the reservoir. You just pull the tank out enough to pour the water in. Then push the tank back in.

3.The porta filter comes apart. There is a basket inside the porta filter that has three little bumps. The basket slides into the porta filter with the bumps lined up with notches, then you twist the basket so that it stays in the porta filter. The problem is that the twising motion of removing the porta filter from the espresso machine causes the basket to shift, and the result is that you often lose the basket when you go to bang out your grounds. The basket is very hot, so to retrieve it is an issue.

4.After making the first espresso, the porta filter remains filled with soupy grounds. It is very messy. If you're making a series of shots, this is a very big disadvantage. You have to carefully clean it. Usually involves rinsing under the sink. Then you have to heat the porta filter again for the next shot.

5.It is advertised that it has a "pull-out knock box ". It doesn't. It has a flimsy plastic drip tray with a metal face, and if you banged your grounds out on this, I'm sure you'd break it.

6.It drips a lot. There is a tray under the unit that pulls out for pouring out drippings. It comes out all at once, so it may spill if you have a lot of drippings in there. It drips after you've pulled a shot. It drips even more when you steam. I put a cup under the porta filter to catch drips. It can be a little tricky to align the drip tray when putting it back in, but not a big deal.

7.The tamper is a flimsy plastic thing. When I bought it I pictured a metal one with weight for tamping.

8.It is hard to get the steam bucket (not included) up under the steam wand. It is not flexible, though it does rotate. It is awkward.

In summary, I would not have bought it if I knew all these things, but I live with it now that I have it. I wouldn't return it. It is very good looking, makes decent espresso, and is tolerable for occasional use. I use it about once a week.

Buy Espressione Café Retro Espresso Machine Now

First of all, this is a very attractive machine sitting on the counter, but that is pretty much all. The water container holds just barely enough to brew four shots before it needs to be refilled. Speaking of which, refilling is a pain because the container is in the back of the machine, so I actually had to pull the machine out to the edge of the counter to get to it. With this one, you need as much water as you can possibly get, because it drips water everywhere. The first pull of the steam handle will give you about 2 oz. of water along with your steam, just what I DO NOT want in my milk. In the mean time, the brew head will happily drip another 2+ oz. while you're steaming away. Finally, there is the brew it's self. Inconsistent doesn't even begin to describe it. You never know what you're going to get out of that brew head, but you can bet you'll end up with a soupy mess of grounds after. Let's see, what else... the drip tray is difficult to remove without sloshing a mess of stuff on the counter, the cup warmer is useless, the machine is VERY noisey, and just a piece of junk in general. No, this machine is definately not a keeper.

So, before returning it, I did give Espressione a shot at making it right. I sent an email to the warranty address, as well as copying several others within the Espressione group. 13 days later I got tired of waiting for a response and called. Apparently there is 1 tech in the US to work on this thing, and he is VERY busy. Wonder why! So, I told the lady that I was pretty displeased with the machine, and their warranty service. She responded that she understood, and another brand might be better suited for me. Hmmmm... at least she is honest.

Read Best Reviews of Espressione Café Retro Espresso Machine Here

Espressione 1385O Cafe Retro Espresso Machine, Red

Summary, (to quote 50's Poison Ivy) you can look, but don't touch

I received this as a birthday present two years ago. It is beauty to look at, and at it first it worked well. However, within a year I began having problems, same as other reviewers. I had to replace the filter holder because it fell apart after 15 months ($30, not a huge deal). I had the same problem with frequent refills, a lot of mess, and the older it got, the more things began to drip and fall apart.

It no longer brews espresso. The pump is probably broken, not worth repairing, and not a Do It YourSelf. If I had unlimited counter space, I might leave it out to use as a steamer, but it is messy, and takes almost 3 minutes to get up to 150 degrees F. I have replaced it with a new machine (Breville Venezia), about the same price, looks beautiful, more features, and we'll see how well it works after the 1-year warranty is over.

Want Espressione Café Retro Espresso Machine Discount?

The exact same Cafe Retro model used to be available under several brand names, it is currently only available from Espressione in an updated version. I bought the Villaware version in 10/2007 (VillaWare V41006 Moderno Prima 1000-Watt 15-Bar-Pump Espresso Maker). Since then I have made over 5,000 lattes with the machine (over $15,000 worth of Starbucks). My machine was made in Italy. I have had almost 4.5 years of trouble free usage. However some of the exterior surfaces under the base of the machine and the bottom of the compartment holding the side-loading water tank have become rusty due to humidity from steam while frothing and damp surfaces left after cleaning up.

Since I have had no problems for almost 4.5 years and I only paid $170 for it on sale (including shipping), I give the old Retro model 5 stars.

Recent Quality Control Problems

However all reviews for Cafe Retro machines purchased since 2010 are really terrible. The newer product line seems to have "lemon" machines with various reliability problems. Because of the recent bad reviews, make sure the seller has a good free-shipping and refund policy (the refund policy should include free return-shipping as well).

As an entry-level machine it is worth the risk only if it is available on sale for under $200 (sometimes at Target or Amazon).

Alternative Recommendations:

Otherwise, for an entry-level machine I would recommend a consistently more reliable machine that gets decent reviews and is functionally equivalent such as the Saeco 00354 Aroma Espresso Machine, Stainless Steel that sells for under $300 (sometimes on sale for under $240 if you search the web). It is not as stylish, does not have a temperature gauge, has a smaller 4oz boiler (though it is stainless steel), and has a smaller diameter portafilter but most beginning home baristas find it an acceptable beginners machine.

If you are willing to step up to to the task of becoming an adept barista, I recommend the $220 Gaggia Color Semi-Automatic Espresso Maker Red which is a 3-switch model (see bellow on the benefits of temperature-surfing on a 3-switch machine) that has excellent internal professional components in a cost-saving plastic body. It has a 1-lb professional 58mm chrome plated brass portafilter (with both pressurized and non-pressurized filters) and full size brass brew-head with an 8oz steel boiler. The only suggestion is that the default amateurish panarello steam wand be replaced with the "Gaggia Latte Art Pannarello Wand" so that you have complete manual control of milk frothing (usually available for $15 on the web). Please note the Gaggia machine requires use of a good home espresso grinder (e.g. Baratza Encore Conical Burr Coffee Grinder) in order to get an appropriate coffee grind that has adequate taste and crema. It is a temperamental machine that requires very exact brewing parameters to get an excellent espresso shot. Be prepared for extensive experimentation in grind, tamp, and temperature-surfing guess work (it has no temperature gauge) before you can get an acceptable espresso shot.

Incorrect Product Description:

I think the product description is incorrect for the 2011 model when it states the boiler is "24oz"! I think the 2011 model is really using a "24cc" boiler which is equivalent to about 8oz. The small aluminum head-group boiler in my 2007 model only holds 20cc (6oz) of water. An increase of 2oz boiler size in the newer model would explain the additional 50watts of power required.

Common sense shows there is not enough room in the top dome compartment for a huge 24 oz. boiler. For comparison, the 28oz. water tank takes up the entire vertical column.

Durability & Serviceability:

It is recommended to descale the machine three or four times a year even if you use filtered water. Descale much more often if you do not use filtered water.

Parts and repair service is available from www.electra-craft.com but manuals for home repair are not available.

As happens in all espresso machines, the steam valve will eventually begin to leak because the internal O-ring gaskets wear down or crack and need to be replaced. My machine's steam valve has just begun to internally leak drops of water when fully opened and now takes ~180 degrees to fully close instead of 130 degrees. Professional repair of the steam valve (including shipping) will cost almost as much as I originally paid for the machine.

I can live with the leaky steam valve situation a little longer since it doesn't affect the ability to froth milk and the occasional few drops of leaking water do not cause an electrical hazard. The exterior rust is an eyesore if you look carefully but interior compartments and components are still pristine though I expect the leaky steam valve will eventually cause rust damage to the interior walls.

Replacing vs. Upgrading:

Rather than repairing the machine, I would consider replacing it with the newer model despite the recent bad reviews (see above) if I find it on sale for under $200.

If my machine does become unusable and this model is still not on sale, I will upgrade to a more professional boiler model with integrated PID such as "Crossland Coffee CC1" (usually available for under $700). The PID and separate steam boiler will guarantee exact temperature control and I will no longer have perform unreliable temperature-surfing.

Machine Details:

If your machine is not a "lemon" and you are a good amateur barista, you will have no problem making good espresso shots with the default pressurized filter basket after the initial cleaning and flushing of the new machine. It may require initially flushing the new machine with 3 or 4 tanks of water to remove any lingering chemical after-taste.

The 3-switch design of the older model allows for very hands-on manual control of the brewing process, not many machines allow this much control of the individual brewing steps (see newer 2-switch configuration bellow). It is a solid heavy machine with commercial quality toggle switches and pump. The boiler is a small aluminum boiler (~8oz in the newer model, see above). The steam valve is a professional 1/3-turn valve (the steam valve leaver is facing you and horizontal when fully opened and rotates up-and-back ~130 degrees to fully close). The internal plumbing is food-grade silicon tubing, copper tubing is only used to connect the steam valve to the boiler. The plastic pannarello style frothing wand is amateurish but easy to use. The ground coffee portafilter is poor quality when compared to other machines in the $400 range but is sufficiently functional. The ESE pod filter is of much higher quality and what I would have expected at this price range.

If you understand all of the manual barista tricks such as pre-infusion and temperature surfing, the temperature gauge will become essential. Steam is sufficient for frothing 12oz of milk at a time. The only draw back is that the water tank barely holds enough for 3 double lattes (including frothing) but you can refill the water tank while the boiler is still on (the pump must of course be off). The steam cycle time is less than two minutes after espresso extraction.

It does not have a 3-way solenoid water valve (no automatic filter basket back-flush), no automatic filter pre-infusion, and no automatic boiler priming.

As in all non-PID machines, the internal automatic brew temperature can vary by about 15 degrees Fahrenheit between boiler automatic shut OFF and ON while extracting espresso and so the temperature gauge is a great help in manual "temperature surfing". My 2007 model has a total of 3 switches. There is a dedicated 2-possition toggle switch to turn the pump ON/OFF and a separate switch to turn ON/OFF the higher boiler temperature for frothing. This allowed turning the frothing temperature switch ON/OFF while the pump was ON extracting espresso so that you could manually micro-adjust the boiler brewing temperature within the default 15 degree brewing range.

The newer model has only a total of 2 switches and I think manual micro-adjustment of brewing temperature is no longer possible. The pump and frothing temperature switches are now merged into one 3-position toggle switch that either turns ON the pump, turns ON the higher boiler temperature for frothing, or turns OFF both of these functions.

It only comes with a pressurized double-walled 58mm filter basket (58mm is a standard professional portafilter size). Though I don't advise using it, a non-pressurized single-walled filter basket can be purchased from www.electra-craft.com (part name "Espressione: filter basket np").

Most ESE pod adapted espresso machines have a small hot water brew screen and consequently they never make good crema using a non-pressurized filter basket. The Retro's hot water brew screen is only 1/2 the diameter of a standard professional group-head screen. Hot water is only directly provided to the central core half of the 58mm filter basket, however this is ideal for ESE pods because they have a smaller 44mm diameter.

The small brew screen makes it almost impossible to get good crema from a non-pressurized filter basket no matter what coffee grind or tamp pressure you use. The best you can hope for using a non-pressurized filter basket is a thin surface layer of crema.

The pump provides ample extraction pressure even for finely ground coffee, of course the extraction flow will be correspondingly slower the finer the grind or tighter the tamp. All pump-based espresso machines are internally calibrated to maintain a maximum of 9bars of extraction pressure at the brew-head. An internal valve will release excess water pressure back into the water tank when the pressure exceeds 9bars. A pump rated at 15bar or higher is more than enough for the job. If the coffee is ground too fine (e.g. ultra-fine Turkish) and tightly tamped the espresso extraction will choke because 9bars will not be enough pressure to force the water though the filter.

Brewing Tips:

If you brew the espresso first and then froth the milk, you avoid having to temperature surf to cool the boiler back-down to ~205 Fahrenheit for brewing after frothing. And despite the lack of back-flush, if you leave the portafilter locked in place after brewing, the high frothing temperature will evaporate much of the remaining water in the filter and you will have a dry coffee puck when you are done frothing. This will also drop the internal filter pressure and help prevent coffee grinds exploding all over the kitchen when you unlock the portafilter after frothing. Of course since the frothing steam partially empties the boiler, you should run the pump a few seconds after you remove the portafilter in order to manually re-prime the boiler with water and avoid a dry boiler burn-out the next time you brew.

Even though the pressurized filter basket will make good crema with store-ground coffee, it is worth getting a good home grinder that has a good scale of grind selections and can consistently grind to a fine clumpy powder (e.g. Coffee Grinder Baratza Encore). If you have the appropriate fine grind of good espresso beans and tamp with proper pressure (~30lbs), not only will you get good thick crema using the pressurized filter basket, you can partially compensate for the brew under-extraction that is caused by the small brew screen and get a richer tasting espresso. A good double-shot (2 oz) espresso extraction should take about 28 seconds.

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