Baratza Virtuoso Coffee Grinder 585

Since I have only had the Virtuoso for three months I will not discuss the long-term quality. Because I use it primarily for press pot, drip and small espresso batches I was not looking to get a solid consumer grinder, like the more expensive Rancilio Rocky or Mazzer Mini.

Previously I have owned a Starbucks Barista (the Solis verson, not the newer Saeco Titan verson) and the Capresso Infinity 560 Black. The Barista had a long and happy life, and after performing the hack (see coffeegeek.com), made great coffee and pretty good espresso. The Capresso was excellent for drip & press coffee, but only adequate for espresso. I would happily recommend each of these for people that just want a pretty solid cup of Joe, and do not mind it being slightly heated in the process. The Capresso was still running solidly, so do not infer it died early (it cheerfully grinds my wife's flax seeds very well now), I just wanted something better for my espresso shots.

After briefly considering the Gaggia MDF I looked at the Virtuoso, mainly for three, important, reasons.

First I was very happy with my Solis/Starbucks grinder, it lasted for over 10 years of heavy use. The hack allowed it to make good espresso. Baratza has been involved with selling the Solis products, and are the designers of the Maestro and Maestro Plus grinder (yes, thats right they are THEIR machines, not Solis). After talking to a few of the locally operated coffee shops, invaluable advice, I was able to learn more about the company.

Second, many of the negative reviews were early in the introduction of the product. What I appreciated, and what the shop owners told me about, is the serious approach to resolving any issues the product has and updating the product itself. Each issue has been addressed, burr design, machine rpm, cleanliness, fineness settings, etc. Important to me was that the later reviews, specially by some of the talking heads, were far better than the earlier versions of the Virtuoso.

Third the current version of the product, it is an affordable ($200 in some cases slightly less) grinder with a professional burr, over 40 settings (it can be easily hacked to allow for finer or coarser settingsomething I have not needed to do yet. That information is posted in the FAQ of the Baratza website), and lower rpm motor (very important if you do not wish to heat the ground beans, or use a heavy French Roast as I do). It is easy to clean with the supplied brush, but hand wash and rinse well, the washable parts. Absolutely do not wash the container in the dishwasher, unless you wish destroy the anti-static properties of the container, plus it isn't necessary.

After figuring out what settings work best for my three purposes, I am getting a coffee that is as good as I would get in even some of the better local establishments in Portland. My espresso is not quite as good, but then I do not have Mazzer's and a thousand dollar plus espresso machine. For my purposes the espresso is far better than I have made on my own in the past.

It may be only a perception, but it seems as though I am using fewer beans as I have in the past as well, important as coffee prices rise. This is a great grinder for its niche, one can get better, but you will have to pay more, and be seriously addicted to Barista quality espresso.

I have had this grinder since March 2006. It grinds magnificently and is extremely well built. It is by far the cleanest grinder (no spewed grinds everywhere) I have had, and I have had MANY. I recently had an issue were a small rock somehow got into the grinder and caused the gears to strip. One call to customer service and they mailed me a replacement no questions asked! Fantastic!!!

As for the negative review prior to thisFile it as uninformed. The grind catcher fits into the machine very snug, this is a good thing because it prevents the grinds from flying all over your countertop. The motor is very powerful (unless you try to grind rocks, see above) and grinds the beans with a low pitched growl. This is a terrific grinder with unparalleled customer support. I highy recommend this grinder.

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I have had this grinder for over a year. It provides a very uniform grind over a wide range of settings. Recently, I had to adjust the grind calibration settings back to original spec by removing the hood & adjusting one screw. Instructions are on the web site, no problem. The grinder grinds again as when new. Quibbles: 1. When turned to the maximum setting, the timer does not keep the grinder grinding long enough to produce enough coffee for a twelve cup maker. You have to turn the timer again for more coffee. 2. Like a number of burr grinders I have used, the beans occasionally hang up in the feeder so that the grinder is running but no beans are being ground. This is more likely to happen with large and/or "candy" finished dark roast beans. Cleaning helps but does not eliminate this problem. Turning the grind adjustment ring to the max while the grinder is running clears up the stoppage, but it is an annoying glitch. Still, produces great coffee.

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I use my Virtuoso for drip brewing and for French Press. It quickly chews my coffee beans precisely the way both devices demand; fine for drip and medium to lightly course for French Press. Great coffee flavor all starts with your grinder. Works just ducky. Very pleased!

If you are looking for a quality, durable grinder for fine-side grind for drip, vacuum pot, open pot, or pour-over coffee it is perfect. If you need a uniform course grind for your French press/Press pot you have just struck gold. My Technivorm loves it. And so does my coarser-grind loving Frieling French Press.

I am writing a book on the best goods out there, under the radar. The Virtuoso will be recommended as THE coffee bean grinder for Everything but Espresso, the title of a must-buy book by Scott Rao. For espresso you might need a finer grind than the Virtuosos provides, UNLESS you adjust the burrs finer per Baratza Customer Service's simple instructions.

Sweet Maria's Coffee in the West and Terroir Coffee in the East, excellent sources for anything coffee, both purveyors of green coffee beans for home roasting, along with roasted beans and coffee machines for all methods of brewing, tell me that the Virtuoso is the perfect match for Technivorm and BonaVita drip brewers (two of only four drip coffee brewers to be Certified by the Specialty Coffee Association of America). This grinder would also be the perfect match for Behmor's new, innovative BraZen drip brewer.

The Virtuoso is the most often recommended grinder for French Press, especially this 585 model with the Precisco burr set. I agree. So, here is my review:

PROS:

1) SIMPLE TO OPERATE: The capacious bean hopper is steep-walled so no beans hang up; the lid ensures the beans do not hop out of the hopper, very hip. To grind, at a zippy speed of one gram per second, one can use the pulse button on the front.

Use the clever,optional, portafilter holder to receive the grinds for espresso. Usually I use the timer knob on the side to the mark I need for my 24 grams of beans. I am machine-challenged at 5:30 AM so grinding MUST be simple, and it is, but I will admit to being so morning-rummy that I once tossed my grounds into my mug instead of my brewer.

2) DURABLE: mine is running perfectly after four years of daily use, sometimes twice a day. I mean not ONE single problem--nada, zip. Shame on me, I am very lax about cleaning my grinder, yet it keeps on chewing those beans to perfection. After some time passes, if I sniff the Virtuoso and detect the sharp rancid nose of stale coffee oils I then do something about it...same as with any grinder you buy.

3) HANDSOME STYLING: The Virtuoso looks good, looks no-nonsense. It looks like quality, and is; built with solid chunks of heavy-looking, actually heavy, brushed metal.

4) HEAVY WEIGHT: makes it secure and relatively vibration absorbing...it does not travel across the counter...it just sits there grinding away.

5) QUIET: not too noisy, as grinders can be. But just enough sound to awaken the slacker(s) upstairs in bed prior to smelling the coffee...hear the grinder and salivate.

6) EASY TO CLEAN: I run a couple of cycles of "Minute Rice" through it (coffee flavored rice is really great! NOT. Just kidding). I know, I know, Baratza will not like to hear that I am abusing their equipment. Cleans it right up. Oh, you can buy grinder cleaners too, of course, like Grindz...good stuff.

7) THE GROUNDS BIN: doubles as a container when I weigh my beans for grinding. Just sit it on your scale, click it on, self-tares to 0 grams, dose with beans, dump the beans in the Virtuoso hopper, place grind bin in the grinder, then grind. It's that simple. Rinse well, or wash WITHOUT perfumed dish liquid, and NEVER wash it in the dishwasher (ruins the anti-static coating).

Dosing: 24g of beans per 400ml water for American Standard coffee, 26g per 400ml water for European Standard coffee, which equals the ratio recommended by the SCAA: 8.25g beans per 150ml water. Go with the SCAA dose, usually, depending upon the single-origin coffee beans used, roast level, and freshness).

8) STRONG BEAST: built like a tank, solid body with chunk metal where it's need most, and a big muthuh of a cord. Heavy Duty. No toy grinder here...perfect for a mid-level pro-sumer espresso machine.

9) THE PRICE IS EXCELLENT FOR THE QUALITY: this is no toy grinder, not all plastic either, just some. It's for us grown-ups. Its $199 price balanced against the price of a good French Press, vac. pot, or pour over (Avg. $40-$75) startles the owners of such brewing gear, but they soon discover that those whirly-blade bean-whackers produce dust-and-boulders, so they eventually bite the bullet and pay their dues after they wise-up. Or, compromise and choose the Baratza Encore ($129).

But I must say, this Virtuoso at $199 is a significant quality improvement over the Encore. For espresso, move up to the remarkable Baratza Virtuoso Preciso with additional conical burr teeth, and far more adjustments, at $299. Even better is the Baratza Vario at $449, with enough enough lights and electronics on the face to compete with Darth Vader's belt, and takes bean grinding where no grinder has gone before...perfect for your mid-priced prosumer espresso machine.

Or, check out Baratza's worthy competition: Gaggia MM or MDF or the Rancilio Rocky doserless. Or go insane with a dearly priced Mazzer Mini espresso grinder.

But I must add that the Vario is now overrunning the Rancilio and Mazzer offerings by a landslide. Why? Equally outstanding performance at an affordable price, coupled with unbelievably good customer service here in the States.

If you ever have questions or need repairs or replacement parts, the legendary Baratza Customer Service folks are willing to guide you if you prefer to DIY, which is fairly easy to do, so say other reviewers, and I believe them. Saves lots of time, keeps your grinder at home, and saves on shipping costs. Welcome to the Baratza Barista Club, people.

10) EXCELLENT BURR SET. This the same Precisco burr set used with the Preciso grinder itself. It grinds almost professionally from espresso, through press, to drip. Mark Prince of coffeegeek tested the preciso's burr performance and said that it produces the least amount of fines of ANY Baratza grinder, even the Vario! The consistency and evenness of its grind is simply amazing.

This is good news for drip coffee, especially if, you use gold filters instead of paper ones for the same reasons French is fines sensitive, and it is headlines for French press aficianados because it is the fines that pass through the plunger's metal mesh filter, becoming that silt at the bottom of the cup. This burr set will dramatically reduce that. See Mark Prince's coffeegeek test and review of the Preciso grinder on the opinions section, and at the bottom of the article is a link to his excellent white paper and scientific tests of all Baratza grinders.

11) WRAPPING IT UP: The Baratza Virtuoso is excellent for "Everything but Espresso," the title of a good book on non-espresso coffee by Scott Rao. Highly recommended for vac pot, open pot, filter drip, immersion, pour over, drip coffee, and French press/Press pot.

If you use any of the above brew methods the Virtuoso is the sweet spot. Its fan base is just huge in the Specialty Coffee world. And it will last for years, just replace the burr set every few years. Yeah, I like it, yeah I love it. So will you. (I get carried away, so please pardon the fanboy pom poms here).

For espresso, the Virtuoso 585 is a good entry level machine for entry-level espresso machines if you hack the burr set adjustment according to Baratza's Customer Service instructions. of its upgraded Preciso burr set that produces an extremely low percentage of fines, it is the best grbecause inder you can buy for French press/press pot. Accordingly, those new burrs make it a high end drip, pour-over, vac pot, and Chemex grinder.

It should be mentioned that this 585 model is now discontinued because ALL new preciso models will come with Preciso burr sets! For espresso, you want the Preciso itself with its extra grind adjustment ring to fine tune, and dial in for superior shots, but you should look at the Vario, and Vario W before deciding...see coffeegeek's incomparable take on Baratza models.

12) REPLACEMENT PARTS ARE RATHER INEXPENSIVE, TECH ASSISTANCE IS SUPERB, AND WEBSITE REPAIR TUTORIALS WITH PHOTOS ARE USER-FRIENDLY. This is what Baratza is known for...they really do care if you are a happy owner of their products. No other grinder maker can come in with such super grinders at such a low price, then stand behind them 100. Rah! Rah!

CONS:

1) THE TIMER KNOB SOMETIMES FALLS OFF: it happens maybe one every month or so, but in like 5 seconds it is back in place. Solution? I use a dab of rubber cement on the timer knob shaft to keep the knob where it belongs, but easy to remove if I ever need to access the interior which requires removing the timer knob.

On the Baratza website, troubleshooting section, they will show you how to fix the problem with tape and a mega paper clip...look likes it will work fine. No biggie for me, folks.

SUMMARY: do I love my Virtuoso? In proportion to the trouble I took writing all this blah blah for you. Hell yeah!

MY BLOG: For those of you shopping for the best products available, please see my new blog at Blogspot.com, where I also post my five star Amazon reviews as it addresses only the best products:"

ONLY THE BEST: Prosumer and Consumer Product Reviews

Prosumer products: High performance, high durability products designed for professional, commercial, or industrial use where the emphasis is on function and not appearance, yet are also be available to the public. Consumer products: Lower performance, lower durability products designed for the public where the emphasis is on appearance and not function in the mass market. Let us find Only The Best products in each category. My reviews are based on hands-on, objective testing--Carl V. May

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Very difficult for me to understand the negative reviews! It makes me wonder if Baratza has released different products under the same name... I've had mine for two weeks and it's worked very well for me. It doesn't do espresso as well as the Mazzer Minis that I keep at my coffeehouse, but it delivers! But then, I would never use my Mazzer for drip. If you want a grinder that can handle espresso AND drip AND french press, this one is an excellent choice. I had the Capresso Infinity and I never managed to get a good shot out of it. I'm very satisfied. It's built well too, easy to clean. I grow fonder of it every day.

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Medelco Personal Coffee Maker

This product is simple and produces coffee I like. No more wasting paper filters for me, or drinking nasty coffee from the company coffee pot.

I used to use a French press to make my coffee at work for that little pick-me-up. That tastes good to me, but the French press is a hassle to clean, and the glass vessel I have is very delicate-I worry it will shatter next time I wash it. There's another reason I want to get away from the French Press: I want to buy pre-ground coffee (I'm just a casual coffee drinker, not a connoisseur) and the French press allows too much of the coffee grounds and sludge into my cup when using anything finer than coarsely ground coffee. I figured I would try this product, and get a similarly tasting cup of coffee without the sludge in my cup. Well, I'm happy with the results.

The filter prevents most of the "dust" from the store-bought pre-ground coffee from getting into my cup of coffee. Well, it allows more dust to get through than a paper filter, but it performs much better than the swissgold® KF 300 One-Cup Coffee Filter I bought from Amazon.

I should probably note that I'm generous with the amount of coffee grounds I use to brew coffee. It tastes better that way.

So some time ago I posted on a few coffee sites, looking for a mesh, single-cup coffee brewer. I had a funnel that held a paper filter, but I kind of missed the fines at the bottom of the cup you get when you use mesh. So I ordered this thing. It comes with a diffusor which I promptly threw into a drawer and began dumping hot water directly on the grounds. It worked great. Yes, it does get a bit clogged with finely ground coffee, but eventually the water goes through...I wasn't in that big of a hurry and, if I was, stirring or swirling sped things up.

Then, one day, I found the diffusor again and decided to try it. It had a very interesting effect; it kept the fines up in the coffee rather than allowing them to get to the mesh. This had two effects. It sped up the coffee, and it kept that pinch yummy of "turkish sludge" from the bottom of the cup, which most people would also find to be a positive. So now I use the diffusor...sometimes.

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I got tired of electric coffee makers. Either they break down due to early demise or the coffee just doesn't taste good. Some of them the first cup is good but after a 30 (or more) minute stay warm it is like black mud. I usually like one cup, maybe later another so no waste with Medelco. To my surprise I found this little gadget and it really is my answer to good coffee. The only 'problem' have is I like a large 18oz coffee mug and this is made to fit over smaller regular sized cups. I have a Starbucks clear double wall cup that works great for brewing, can see how much I'm making, the personal coffee maker fits on top perfectly. Then pour brewed coffee into the mug. No paper filters to buy. Anyway, I had no idea this was available, and this does answer my needs as now theres less clutter on my kitchen counter and a fresh cup of coffee anytime I want!

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I bought this for making coffee in a temporary location, but found it didn't really work out too well. It's great for tea though. I have a lot of loose-leaf tea and using this little device is one of the fastest and simplest ways of making a single cup of tea when you aren't using a tea bag. I use it often for that purpose.

But coffee grounds don't seem to get along with this coffee maker very well. The device gets clogged up with coffee and the water doesn't pass through properly.

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This little Portable coffee maker is AWSOME, you just need coffee and hot water. It sits on top of a 1 cup coffee mug; it consist of:

1) a ring/circle disc, that detachesused to help the coffee maker sit on top of a mug,

2) the coffee makerlike a cup with the gold filter at the bottom of that cup-this part is where you place your coffee grounds,

3) another cup like object that sits on top and inside filter, part No#2 (with Coffee grounds that goes inside part No#2)this part/section of the coffee maker is where you pour your hot water in, this part is not a filter, but it has many holes for the water to seep through, pouring hot water, to brew your coffee in part No#2, This part also helps regulate the amount of hot water that goes down,

4) the last part is just a cover for the top, to cover part No#3just a round disc thing that does not snap or screw on, it also helps keep the heat in, to keep your coffee nice and hot as you wait for the hot water to finish going down, brewing your hot coffee, This part is loose so that your hot water goes down smoothly. ( In this last part, it is not securely fastened for a reason, because if it was, then it would be harder for the hot water to go down, delaying the coffee brewing process.)

The filter is really really good, if though it could be used in a car as an oil filter. LOL!!! This is a really good filter, it holds back the oils created by the coffee, there was no coffee grounds what-so-ever in my mug after pouring hot water to make my coffee. When I make my coffee, during the pouring of hot water, the filter/cup/portable coffee maker, holds the water while the filter is doing it's thing to make you your hot coffee. After filling the coffee maker with hot water to almost the tip, it is just enough for a cup of coffee. (1 cup)

I am writing this review finally after many uses, and I've had this for about six months, I am very satisfied with this product, it delivers. There seems to be no cons I can think of, only product suggestions for the future. I made Bustellos coffee with this coffee maker, and I love it.

Without this coffee maker, I wouldn't have wrote this review, because I am drinking the coffee that I just made, with this Medelco Portable Coffee Maker. I am drinking my Bustellos coffee... sooo Good!!! :D I've used other coffee beans and it is Excellent with this Coffee Maker. ;)

I only wished that they can make a bigger size version so I can fill my 16oz leak proof coffee mug.

And if they could make an upgraded Portable version, to have everything snap together, because the cover is loose and does not snap to fasten. I think they could make some upgrades to have compartments to store more coffee grounds, and some sugar as well. These are some of my suggestions and feedback for this product. I am sure other campers, survivalists, the men and women overseas/abroad, military, and such will find this product most useful, you just need "HOT water", "Coffee grounds of choice", sugar, cream, a mug, zip lock bag or tub-a-ware... etc... Cleaning it, I have to scoop or tap the coffee maker to empty the used old coffee grounds, and just rinse with water, making sure you also rinse the oils from the coffee off too, no need to use the steel wool....

Bustellos espresso... Mmmmmmm. ;)

Enjoy...

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Lavazza Aroma Point Capsules, for Espresso Point

I have just received my box of Lavazza Espresso Point Aroma Point Espresso pods from Aroma Cafe Culture Inc. They were produced in Italy on February 11, 2009. Aren't these coffee pods too old already?

Bee House Ceramic Coffee Dripper - Small - Drip Cone Brewer

The title of this review nearly says it all. This is a very low tech way to make absolutely terrific, smooth tasting fresh coffee.

I am just amazed and very pleased at the results.

The actual dripper is made of thick ceramic, so is quite durable.

And for a small-house dweller like me, with little kitchen counter space, it is particularly practical because it stores in the cabinet and takes up no more space

than a coffee cup.

One tip---unless regularly brewing for several people, get the small size, which will allow you to exert better control over the pouring/brewing process.

In any case, forget about those pricey Keurig-style brewers and wake up and smell the Bee House Dripper-made coffee!

I don't always write reviews, but I had to rebut the reviewer who awarded this product two-stars based on a glance she had at it while at a shop. I use the #2 Bee House Ceramic brewer pretty much every day at work. It's heavy for its size, it's handle is sturdy and offers plenty of leverage for lifting it from the cup. The filters I buy (from Trader Joe's) fit in it without any hassle. It is easy to clean. It's also drawn a number of compliments from co-workers who make their own drip coffee from plastic drip cone brewers. Finally, the gap between the base and the cone makes it easy to tell how close the coffee is to the rim of the mug--though, once you get the hang of knowing how much water to use this feature doesn't matter quite as much. This is a very good little device, and it deserves the consideration of anyone wanting to buy a drip cone brewer.

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I love my Bee House Coffee drip....could not do without! The only downside is possible breakage as it is ceramic.

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Coffee makers harbor mold and make a mediocre brew. Plastic cones give you a cup of BPA with your coffee. But now, at long last, there are ceramic alternatives to those ubiquitous plastic coffee cones. This version from Bee House is superb. I've been using one for two years; my husband has a second one. We make coffee easily and quickly every morning with these. The coffee is delicious and fresh and smooth, one cup at a time. Use this ceramic cone instead, with paper filters, and you'll be set.

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This would be the perfect size for a single cup of coffee--if only small filters matched it. Unfortunately the ubiquitous #2 filter is too big. Yes, you can make it work but it sticks way out and wants to pop out, so that's pretty clunky. I have never seen a #1 filter.

#2 filters fit the large size of this perfectly, so buy that instead of the small. I like this filter a lot except that one of its best features makes it easy to break, which has now happened to me. The Bee House allows you to look through and see how much coffee is in your cup which is very convenient when you pour so you don't have to lift it to see how much more water to pour. However, this creates four narrow parts of the base. Sure enough one day mine fell over and it broke in that spot. Krazy Glue held it together for three weeks more but now it broke again.

I want to buy this one (in the large) again but know that I will break it again sooner or later because of that weakness in the base. So I may switch brands to one that won't allow me to see how much more to pour just so I don't have to put down $20 every time I'm a little careless. So because of that I would give the large 3.5 stars.

50 Nespresso Capsules Capriccio Coffee New

Nespresso makes GREAT coffee and GREAT machines. I switched over to a Nespresso machine 7 years ago and have never looked back. I save a small fortune every year by making my lattes at home.

That being said, the Nespresso capsule offers posted here are from a third party who is putting a large additional margin on their price.

You can order the same products online from Nespresso for approx $0.55 each (half the price here).

I have not yet received my order when it said it would be here. It is overdue. First time this has happened.

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It was a gift for our friends. They love it.

How do I know? I have one just like it.

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DeLonghi EN680.M Nespresso Lattissima Single-Serve Espresso Maker, Metal

I loved this machine from the first time I saw and tried it. However, I started having problems on day 2 the milk wouldn't froth and it came out in spurts with a lot of water, not even filling 1/8 of the glass with milk. I took it back to Williams Sonoma and they cheerfully replaced it. It happened again to this new machine and, once again, I took it back for a replacement. (I had been in touch with Nespresso at all the junctures along the way and they replaced the milk jug and top twice.) When it happened on the third machine, I called the local Williams-Sonoma and asked if there was someone who could check out my machine. I am in the Danbury, CT area and Bill, at the local Williams-Sonoma, told me to leave it with him while I shopped and he would check it out. When I returned he told me it was frothing perfectly and then showed me how he set it up. It seems that I had not been pushing the jug connection tight enough. It has to click in. The lights had always been on and so I believed that the jug was connected correctly, but I was wrong. Not until I saw it being done and felt the connection, did I understand what I was doing wrong. Without being tightly connected it doesn't work correctly. Now I push until I hear a click and/or push it in a second time holding the back of the machine as I push, and have been making perfect lattes. I recommend this machine highly but think the documentation should be rewritten with this little bit of information in bold letters. I have seen many reviews of this machine from people who have had the same problem and hope that they found the solution as this machine is wonderful.

Since I spent a fair amount on this machine just like the title of the review says, I have really tried to convince myself I like it and kept telling myself i'm not using it correctly and/or i'm being too picky but then i read other reviews that say the same thing and i finally just admitted "I spent a bundle on a vacation I didn't really like". The problem for me is the heat or the lack thereof. And, I'm not even an aficionado of espresso or cappuccino...give me a reasonably decent/potent strong hot one and i'm happy. This machine just doesn't and i've tried all the tricks (modifying the amount of milk, doubling the espresso, major froth, minor froth, using the steamer once before making the coffee, attaching re-attaching, etc. etc.). To me it tastes watery and lukewarm almost all the time. And I have to agree with those others, the cup warmer is pretty useless but even if it wasn't I want the drink to be hot itself, not through the external 'warmth' of the cup re-heating coffee. The espresso tastes good by itself generally but still isn't as good as some of the other Nespresso machines i've used at hotels. Wish I could return it. As the others say, the design is sleek; the cleaning is comparatively easy and minimal.

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This machine was magical for two weeks...and then something in the milk frother broke or got clogged. After numerous calls to nespresso (advice included buying a different brand of milk), Delonghi, and the local Delonghi repair place, we ended up returning it. I understand that Nespresso customer service is supposed to be very helpful, but since this machine is made by Delonghi, they were unable to provide any technical assistance or replacement parts.

While it was working, my only complaint was that the milk did not get hot enough (the cup heater is useless, but if you run hot water into the cups, that helps).

Two stars; one for each week of delicious coffee we drank.

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It's not a bad machine. The coffee when it works tastes great. Nespresso service is excellent, coffee arrives usually next day.

But, getting hot milk out of if has been a challenge, particularly if you live in part of the country that gets hot (if it's hot the milk is likely to be chilled). The best cups I get with 2% milk are generally if the milk has been out of the fridge for at least 1/2 hour, but this usually means that you need to wash the milk container to stop it getting grungy.

You can also run the cleaner button on the milk dispenser to heat up the pipes and heat a cup up with warm water before use.

I'm had mine for 6 months and mine is now not frothing the milk, the output of the milk dispenser has been reduced by 50 percent so it looks like there is a blockage, so I don't know how to fix that.

Sad really because this has the potential to be a really great product. As is, it's meh.

Want DeLonghi EN680.M Nespresso Lattissima Single-Serve Espresso Maker, Metal Discount?

The partnership between Nespresso and Delonghi is a great one. With this machine, you can create coffee drinks just like the ones you get in Europe--intense flavor, smaller portions--and Nespresso provides a wide variety of coffee strengths to fit any taste. The temperature of the beverages are the same temperature you'll get in Europe, which is just a little less hot than what we are accustomed to in the U.S.--that's okay by me! You may need to buy smaller coffee cups to fit the machine--easy to find at Walmart, Target, etc. Make sure you engage the milk container properly and keep it clean and you won't have any problems getting a good flow of hot milk into your cappuccino or latte--follow the manufacturer's directions by using cold skim milk, or up to 2%, and you'll get a good froth. If you are making a lungo and want cream or milk, warm the cream or milk in the microwave for 20 30 seconds--no different than the way it's done in Europe. This is a wonderful, reliable machine that provides an Italian coffee experience--I highly recommend it!

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