Krups XP2070 Programmable 10-Cup Coffeemaker/15-Bar Pump Espresso Machine

I was and still am deeply suspicious of these combo units, but this one has been a pleasant surprise. All of the basic functions work admirably and it does a wonderful job of frothing even low fat milk. The espresso maker is a little less forgiving of your tamping skills than other machines I've used, but when you get it right the crema is beautiful.

I have only had this for 3 months, so I can't vouch for longevity of the machine, but it seems to be sturdy and well made.

The problem I have is with the computer program that operates everything. It is perhaps the most non-intuitive, least user-friendly design I have ever come across on any home appliance. The functions themselves should be fairly straightforward -push a button -but require you to learn the secret code of whomever designed it.

Add to that the fact that the instructions are WRONG. I can handle them being written by a non-English speaker, I'm used to that. But they can at least be accurate. Helpful tip when frothing milk, after the steam has built up and the flashing light begins to glow continuously, DO NOT push the "steam" button again as the instructions indicate. Push the "Valid" button instead.

However, once you get the secret code down, this machine works well. Compared to other combo units I highly recommend.

My husband and I registered for this at Crate & Barrel and have been thrilled with it for 9 months now. I did immediately notice, however, that the carafe is made from very thin glass and was always scared I would break it. Other than that, the only problem I had with it was when pouring a cup of coffee, 9 times out of 10 it would leak over the sides and onto the counter if you didn't pour very slowly and sometimes even that didn't help. I just made a mental note that our next machine might be an upgrade from Krups or something like that, but still LOVED this machine. Imagine my horror when today, after our morning pot of coffee, it just completely stopped working! I unplugged it, changed outlets, nothing. The led display is just dead. The machine is dead. I've checked it every hour or so today. Nada. After doing some research online, I now see that is a common theme with this machine among people who've had it a while (the earliest I read of it happening was 5 months). I descaled it with vinegar every 3 months or so. Nothing in the manual addresses this situation. So, here I sit with a cup of Starbucks, writing this review. Starbucks just doesn't measure up anymore to having my fresh ground Kona coffee and espresso (not to mention lattes and cappuccinos!) each day....very disappointed.

UPDATE (7.11.08): We called, found we were within 3 days of waranty expiring, so sent it in to a local, authrized Krups repair shop..it came back in about a week, worked for 2 pots of coffee, then broke again. We called the shop and were told to send in again. This time it's worked (still working) for 3 weeks..now the black plastic lid above the filter area is warped and sticks/pops when you open it to put water/coffee inside. I should also mention that when they sent it back to us, they wrapped it with a plastic film and it apparently had moisture inside because now the machine has water stains all over it and looks pretty bad. I think we're giving this machine away when we move next month..did I say how it smokes and huffs/puffs when it's brewing (and it's descaled regulary)? It's too bad, because this machine looked great to start with and had such great potential!

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I bought the XP 2070 with the hopes of having better coffee and the espresso option. Within one week of purchase (one round of capuccinos), I am unable to turn on the espresso maker. I called customer service, and they asked me to ship the machine back and wait a month-and-a-half because "the warehouse has closed," even though this is the newest model. Very reluctantly, they threw in a few free coffee filters in the deal. I wish I had read other Amazon customer posts, that indicate that not even the CEO responds to customer service complaints.

They also said they had no information on troubleshooting the machine "because we just introduced it." It seems that any decent machine testing would check to see that you could turn on the machine. Please do not make the same mistake I did, especially with a holiday gift!

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This machine is absolute garbage. There are not enough pejoratives or expletives in the world for me to describe my feelings for this device with anything like the right level of detail.

The user interface is like trying to decode an alien artifact. The manual is terrible. The customer service and support is unbelievably bad. It is unreliable and expensive.

Get a different espresso machine, go to a coffeeshop, heck, boil coffee in a 55 gallon drum over a pile of oily rags any of these is a much more satisfactory way to get a coffee drink than using this (insert chain of imaginative diminutives) thing.

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I must echo the comments in previous reviews. This is a fine machine at first -does the job and does it well -but the instructions were very complicated, the pot is poorly designed & you end up pouring just as much coffee on the counter as you do in your cup, and after 4 months of use, mine just stopped working. I really thought this $300 machine would be the last coffee maker I would have to purchase for awhile considering my $50.00 "Mr Coffee" machine worked for 5 years and is now being used as my "backup" while I try to get a resolution with Krups. (Thank goodness I decided to hold onto it!!)

Think twice before sinking so much money into this product.

Capresso EC50 Stainless Steel Pump Espresso and Cappuccino Machine

I think this is likely the best espresso maker you can get for under $100. I just bought it about a month ago, so I can't speak to durability, but following fairly simple instructions for use, I have consistently made fantastic espresso with this machine and provides enough pressure to produce a very good crema as well. I have only used the steamer wand twice but it's worked well. Some Pro's and Con's

Pro's: I love this machine and highly recommend it for anyone who wants good espresso but doesn't / can't spend the many hundreds of dollars to get a real fancy one. Though, from an espresso quality standpoint, I don't notice any difference between this one and a starbucks, caribou, or local coffee house espresso quality (I'm not an expert but do drink 2 3 shots per day). It heats up fairly quick and the water reservoir holds a sufficient amount of water. The crema this machine produces is incredible. There is always a nice layer of it on top. Once the water is warm, you can toggle from making the coffee to steam without waiting.

Con's: The only real negative I have is that after making an espresso, the filter that holds the espresso grounds doesn't run all the water through, and rather than being a sort of hockey puck like formation of old beans, it's more like a soup. This to me isn't a big deal because the espresso is good but I've spilled this on the kitchen counter once and it was fairly messy. Only other con's I can think of is the amount of space between the tray and where the coffee comes out is fairly limited...you can't fit a big tall coffee cup in there.

One other thing to be aware of which I think is common amongst these machines is that to ensure max. temperature, you are supposed to run just water thru the machine each time b4 making the espresso. It says this heats up all component parts and adds 10 13 degrees to the actual espresso. I generally do this but have tried it without and it's still good, just not quite as hot.

This review is based on not having made a cup of espresso due to a problem I had with the machine.

The problem:

When attempting to flush out the machine for initial use, I was unable to get a clean run of water without a film of motor oil. The instructions tell you to run a cup or two of water through; I ran about two gallons of water through the machine, and it still came out smelling of the motor oil. The portafilter would feel greasy. So I'm shipping it back to Amazon. I'm hoping this was a bad one. I might order it again if I don't find a different one.

Barring that, I think I would have liked the machine very much. It appears to have a good thermoblock; it heats up to brewing temperature in about 15 seconds (although you should still run hot water through system once to warm all of the parts prior to brewing.) The pressure seemed good and the portafilter seemed sturdy enough even though it's more plasticky than I would prefer. There's only one filter so, you would need to measure and tamp for 1 or 2 cups in the same filter.

The machine is the smallest pump machine I've ever seen. It's about an inch or two narrower than most machines. Great for small kitchens. The stainless steel are thin panels covering the front and sides; it's really a lightweight plastic machine. But it still looks decent.

The front dial doesn't seem sturdy enough. I don't think it will last as long as my prior machine, which was 17 years.

The frothing wand produces a good amount of steam at high pressure. The plastic frothing cover doesn't produce small bubbles well, so I surface frothed without the plastic attachment, and that worked fine. Anyone can do it with some practice, but you can't start the frothing and walk away.

The water tank holds a good amount of water, but is very thin the inside is slightly more than an inch thick. I couldn't get my small hand inside to clean it, nor could I get any cleaning brush in it either. I would use a stick and a handi-wipe to clean it. Also the water tank cover hinges in a strange way which could easily break if you accidentally smack it with a pitcher of water, so be careful.

Features and convenience: ****1/2*

Value: *****

Durability: ***

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I received this machine for Christmas and loved it out of the box. It made good espresso...for a little over 2 months. From the moment I used the machine, the front knob was difficult to turn a required more effort than I thought it should. After only two months, the front knob has stopped working all together. I use the machine to make espresso every morning and occasionally steamed milk, so the wear was nothing unusual.

Prosfits neatly in the space under cabinets, there is a water well in the back to prevent constant refilling, it heats and is ready for use quickly

Conspoor construction, you can only use shot glasses (a regular coffee cup won't fit), the water isn't forced all the way through the coffee so clean up is a bit messy

In this price range, I would say this machine is fair. I'm hoping the customer service process is pain-free.

Updatewhile the customer service process to return the machine was easy, after only 2 months the replacement machine did the exact same thing! They will be replacing it again, but ugh.

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Purchased this as a Christmas gift. I don't believe a day has gone by yet that they haven't used it. I received rave comments every day for at least the first week.

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Bought it for my GF as a gift and she is totally and completely over the moon with it. I can do no wrong for at least 8 months.

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1 and 2 Cup Moka Replacement Gasket

the dimensions shown were larger than the real item by 10 mm, making the gaskets too small ,not what i expected....

It is not a seller problem. I have an old stove top coffee maker and I needed a new gasket. The coffee maker has no brand and I am pretty sure the dimensions are not the standard ones.The gasket I received was a little too small for my unknown coffee maker and I miscalculated the dimensions. My bad!

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