dr. tech Commercial Automatic Expresso Coffee Machine

I decided to write this review because there are few online reviews about this machine. I purchased this machine brand new on another shopping website (not the aution one) for $300 with free shipping. I have been researching automatic espresso machines for several months and ideally I would have purchased a saeco or delonghi or gaggia. However, money is an object and I could not justify spending $1000-$3000 on a coffee machine. Also, this is my first espresso machine and I am not certain of the longevity of any of them (most discussions state 5-7 years is the norm). I even considered refurbished or used but even these were $600 and up.

This machine is a compromise. It allows you to enter the world of superautomatics for a fraction of the cost. Let me say that for $300, I will be content if the machine functions for two years. Money well spent. So far it's only been a few days and I will try to update this a few months down the road.

Firstly, the machine arrived well packed; good amount of foam and bubble wrap. The only accessory is a scoop for preground coffee and a rubber straw for frothing milk. No video. No elaborate manual. The manual is in English....however not grammatically correct English. The instructions are basic; mostly diagrams. I would advise searching online for manuals or videos on other machines for more in depth directions. It seems most of these machines function similarly. This is what I did so the lack of detailed instruction didn't bother me.

After unpacking, installing the drip tray and straw, filling the coffee bean and water reservoirs, I powered up. The machine walks you through some warm up and cleaning steps. It flushes itself with water. There is a menu function where you can set water temp (it's an icon of a thermometer that goes up and down; don't know precise temp). I would recommend setting this to highest point. You can also select how long you want the machine to stay on before turning itself off....30, 60, 90, or 120 min. There is no clock on this machine so you can not program it to turn on and off. I just turn it on when I first wake up and it's ready in probably 10 minutes. You can turn off the beeps...this is important as this machine will constantly beep when there is an issue until you fix it, ie, needs water, drip tray removed, side door open, etc, etc. If you turn off the beeps you will still get the message on the display. There's also a descale option (the machine will prompt you when it's time) and you can adjust how much coffee gets ground per cycle (this is accomplished by holding the menu button for five secs at the very end of the brew cycle). The menu also has the date the machine was manufactured and total cups brewed. You can set your water hardness level (if you know it). There is a knob inside of the coffee bean hopper to adjust fineness of grind...it's settings are 1, 2, and 3.

This is a fairly tall machine so counter to cabinet clearance might be an issue for some. Also you will have to pull the machine out to fill the reservoirs and to get the brewing unit. It has some recessed handles on the bottom which makes it easy to move. The brewing unit is accessed by a side door. There you will also find the dredge container. The whole machine appears plastic (except for the boiler I assume). The indicator that the dredge container is full comes on when the container is only about 1/3 full, so be prepared to empty it often. I can't give you specs but I will say that the bean hopper can hold about 8oz of beans and the water holds enough for about six single shots. You will also need to emply the drip tray daily, as there is always water dumped into it by the machine with each shot.

So, the first two shots you make you will need to dump. I guess the machine has to adjust. The machine is fairly loud, I've never owned one so I can't compare to others but it is as loud as a coffee grinder. After that, I got beautiful espressos. The taste is as good as that chain store. Obviously not perfect. It seems the grounds could be tamped a bit more. The double shot button simply makes two single shots back to back.

The front of the machine is super simple. There are individual buttons for a single shot, double shot, steam, hot water (which comes out of the steam wand), menu, and OK/exit. There is a nifty straw that you can attach to the frother and then insert other end into a container of milk. It will conveniently froth milk into your waiting cup. It stops after frothing some predetermined amount (I don't think you can alter the amount but you can push ok button to stop the water or steam or milk at any time.). There is a little knob on the steam wand that allows you to choose steam or frothed milk. There is another button for the bypass doser...this is when you want to use preground coffee. You push the button, fill the included scoop, and dump this into the little hatch up top. You can only do single shots this way. There is a passive warmer which doesn't get warm enough to warm the cups. I would recommend warming your cups first...you can fill them with hot water from the wand or put them in microwave with water for 30 sec.). This just helps ensure you have hot espresso. The espresso is hot...I didn't test the temp but hotter than my machiattos from that chain store. The espresso tastes wonderful....coming from a non-expert.

So that's about it. It is so far a decent machine for the price. I can have espresso whenever I want at the push of a button. Keep in mind there is NO WARRANTY so there's some risk. The online store I purchased from has a 45 day return policy...that's it. Like I said, I will try to update this review in a few months.

Similar to the other reviewer who liked the machine, I was surprised at the quality of the coffee after I got the machine adjusted to the strongest setting and the finest grind. The on screen controls are great as you can change the volume or strength of the coffee after you have started to make a cup. I agree that the grinds do not tamp as well as the $2000 Saeco Royal Professional that I also own, but for the money it is quite a bargain. All the controls are easy to use and should not require a manual if you can operate any modern day electronics. The water reservoir is small and so is the spent coffee bin, but it is not unreasonable that you would want to keep the machine clean more often and use clean water more often. I have had this machine for almost a year and use it as a secondary machine for my office. I have made 600 cups of espresso and talk coffee's and have been very happy with the taste and quality. First time shoppers should be pleasantly surprised because of the low price. I just wish that Amazon had a supplier as I am currently shopping for another one for a present.

Buy dr. tech Commercial Automatic Expresso Coffee Machine Now

It may have been a bad machine, but the coffee produced was poor. The expresso cakes were wet and mushy, should be dry and well formed.

Read Best Reviews of dr. tech Commercial Automatic Expresso Coffee Machine Here