Espressione 1387 Caffe Novecento Espresso/Cappuccino Machine, Chrome

First... I'm not an employee of Espressione...

I've read many reviews on this item, most of them, not very positive. I thought I would add my 2 cents as I have had this machine for a little over 2 months.

Let's start with day 1. Dead on Arrival. Bummer. Well, it was easy enough to return to the place I purchased (Sams). They sent me a new one within 3 days, and I was excited to get started. Before you buy this machine, make sure you make this checklist:

1. I have a decent conical burr grinder ( )

2. I am aware that I need to buy fresh beans to get real crema ( )

3. I have a decent tamper in the 58mm variety ( )

4. I am not a total espresso geek, but I have owned a cheap machine or two ( )

5. I never pay retail for espresso machines ( )

If you've checked most of these, feel free to continue, if you haven't, don't buy this machine. It's not for you. If you're an uber espresso geek, go buy your PID'd Rancilio Silvia or your Le Lit. You don't belong here. This machine has an aluminum boiler that has heat issues just like the rest of the lower grade machines do. It does hold heat better than most, but seriously, if you're in the $600 market, you shouldn't be looking at this machine. You can get this machine at "other" vendors in the $230 range. And for that price, there isn't a whole lot that's better. Maybe a Gaggia... but I'm sick of those pieces of plastic.

Physical Traits: It's pretty... Very pretty. It's also pretty solid and heavy at 24ish lbs. It is tall, and yes, you do have to hold on while attaching the portafilter. However, it's not as bad as previous reviewers have stated. The portafilter is almost as heavy as my Reneka Viva single group commercial machine at work. It has a very nice (and handy) temperature gauge on the top of the machine that is very useful.

Espresso:

Probably the best part of this said portafilter is that it has options for brewing espresso. If you have a decent grinder, you can remove the "crema enhancing" disks inside and use it's regular filter basket just like a higher end machine (a serious plus for me...). The pump has plenty of pressure to press fine ground espresso and make wonderful crema (as long as your beans are fresh). Some reviewers have stated the espresso is cold. Here's my typical process:

1. Fire up the machine into the standby position (heats boiler to just about 100 degrees C)

2. Once the temp is up, for the first shot of the day I do a quick blank shot to keep the portafilter warm.

3. I warm my cup up with warm water

4. Pull the shot. Enjoy.

I'm guessing people find the espresso cold is the massive portafilter is cold. Once it's warm, it stays warm. But honestly, I've had some pretty nice shots.

Steam:

Yup, it pretty much sucks in from the factory form. The machine makes plenty of steam for my latte's, but not without modification. The tip they give you for the wand is awwwwfuuuullll. Replace it with somethign... or trim it down. I used my Delonghi Ec155 tip on mine and it makes nice micro foam. But the original allows too much air into the mix. Foul bubbly milk... no thanks.

Yes, the wand is too close to the machine, but I have got used to it. It' not that big of an issue, and quite frankly I'm not that picky for $230 bucks shipped. If I were spending $700, I'd be furious.

Well I think that just about wraps it up. I really appreciate good espresso. Sure, there are plenty of better machines out there, but this one suits me just fine. Hope you enjoyed this review and that it is somewhat sobering.

I needed to add this review after I purchased this product and reread the reviews that helped me make the decision to buy. It is now obvious to me that these were paid reviews. A few of them appear in exact or similar wording on several websites.

This is a nice looking machine but out of the box we were disappointed with the quality of most of the parts. The drip tray is a very thin metal and even worse are the plastic levers and steam wand. It does come with a quality portafilter and we did really like the temp gauge on the top as well as the slick blue lights.

If you have a good grinder, the espresso this machine produces is decent with some crema, but the bigger problem is the steam wand. It only moves forward and back, and is very short you will either be holding the pitcher throughout steaming or you will need to stack something under your pitcher which is always likely to spill (and isn't all of this fiddling and rigging one of the reasons you wanted to upgrade in the first place?). And the production of steam is just poor. You can pay much less for many of the budget machines and they will serve you much better.

Bottom line, please do not buy this machine unless you can find it for less than $300 (I haven't seen it for less than $400 so I'm talking a closeout price here). We returned ours and purchased a Rancilio Silvia for $550 and it is a quality piece of machinery inside and out. If you are looking for a machine that is more practical (the Silvia has a learning curve), go with a Gaggia. This machine is lovely (from a few feet away) but not worth the money!

Buy Espressione 1387 Caffe Novecento Espresso/Cappuccino Machine, Chrome Now

It looks absolutely great, but that's not why you spend $400-500 for an espresso machine. This is my first machine at this level, so I'm not a complete expert, but I do know a good shot when I drink it. It took me some time to get used to it. The portafilter needs some serious muscle to tighten. I use the rail on top to provide leverage and it has actually gotten easier with time. The most important thing to know about the Novecento is that it has a powerful pump, so you have to use a fine grind and tamp REALLY hard. I bought a 58mm metal tamper Rattleware 58-Milimeter Round-Handled Tamper, Long and it made all the difference. The plastic one provided is almost useless. Properly ground and tamped, the espresso is excellent with plenty of crema. It takes a couple minutes to go from brewing temp up to steaming temp. The steam wand is close to the body and does not allow for a lot of room to maneuver the milk pitcher, but what can I say, it works! I just hold the pitcher there until it's ready under a minute. Overall, quite functional and as I said, beautiful.

Read Best Reviews of Espressione 1387 Caffe Novecento Espresso/Cappuccino Machine, Chrome Here

This machine looks like $1000 kitchen toy. If you learn or know how to use it properly you be satisfied with results. The best frothed milk and excellent espresso, I use Lavazza btw. This machine worth every dollar it cost. I owned Krups for few years, and its like night and day comparing to this one.

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I bought this machine, even after the negative reviews here, because I got it for $169 (an offer I couldn't refuse). It turns out that the negative reviews are all a bunch of bunk. This machine makes a great shot of espresso and it looks really cool sitting on my kitchen counter! The only gripe I have about the machine is the muscle it takes to get the basket seated properly. I have some minor arthritis in my hands and it makes it rather difficult for me. But, what the heck, I'm getting some serious exercise for my wrists! I also expect it will loosen up after a while.

Now, if this machine lasts as long as my prior Sacco machine lasted, I'll be a very happy camper.

Gaggia 90800 Platinum Vogue Automatic Espresso Machine, Silver

This machine is aesthetically pleasing and pulls great espresso shots. With good quality beans I am able to make as good a latte as I can find in places like Peets with pleasing frothing and nice crema. But the machine is falling apart! After just 4 months the ball joint of the frothing wand is broken and to have it repaired I was told by the US distributor that I must send it back to NY (at my expense) and be without it for 3 weeks.

Bottom line the best machine imaginable if you are ok replacing it reliability and good customer service is not a concern to you. Maurigo

My Gaggia machine works perfectly now,but it wasn't easy to get good one.I had to replace 3 brand new machines because they were broken out of box.I had great support from amazon staff but Gaggia tech support(IMPORTIKA) WAS USELESS AND NOT FRIENDLY AT ALL.

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I agree. Nice looking machine with great tasting espresso but questionable durability. The worst part is that once you send it to New York, Importika the distributor/importer is unresponsive and unreliable. My machine arrived at Importika for service on March 23rd and I am still waiting for an ETA. Gaggia has always stood for the highest quality. I am afraid that this awesome machine may fail in the last mile: durability and service from its importer.

Read Best Reviews of Gaggia 90800 Platinum Vogue Automatic Espresso Machine, Silver Here

We've had this Gaggia for almost three years now (updated from our original review -still very happy with it). We use it every day to make probably 10 cups a day. This is one VERY nice machine and it has been completely dependable. Excellent espresso and coffee, and of course it pays for itself compared to buying by the cup. It has a fairly quiet grinder, and if you want to make coffee while kids are sleeping just put your hand over the single-dose hopper and the sound level drops by about 80%, making it really quiet. It takes about a minute to heat up from standby mode. After that, it produces espresso in 50 sec., regular coffee in 90 sec. We bought the milk island and it works, but isn't worth the effort: Cleaning it is a major hassle, and it's easier and faster just to foam the milk manually with the steam spout, which you can rinse off in a few seconds while the coffee is brewing. The steam spout has a sleeve so it isn't too hot to touch.

There is a much more expensive version of this machine that has more electronics -save your money and get this one. The coffee produced is exactly the same.

The Gaggia is incredibly versatile. You can use the presets, you can adjust the presents to suit you, you can program the machine to brew just the way you want for each type of coffee using "learning" mode, or you can just press the start button again to stop the brewing. You can adjust the amount of coffee. You can bypass the grinder and use single doses of ground coffee -for example to make a cup of decaf. You can make hot water for tea or steam for cappuccino using the steam/hot water spout.

The tank has a water filter that is optional to use and the machine has a descaling cycle that we don't need because we use only distilled water, which I highly recommend. (If you can afford this Gaggia, you can afford a distiller too!) It also has an automatic cleaning cycle for everything but the brew group, which itself is very easy to clean by rinsing it off.

The four minor but irritating downsides: (1) A stupid design flaw for such an expensive machine is that the "fill the water tank" message is useless. It OUGHT to display the message when there's not enough water to make the type of coffee you select. Instead, if there's not enough water, the machine doesn't warn you. It will go ahead and start the brewing, abort it in mid-cycle when the water runs out, and THEN display the message (which might as well say "you should have filled the water tank"). The result is wasted time and coffee beans. To prevent this from happening, each time before you make coffee, you have to pull the water container to see whether there is enough water. There's not even a visual water-level indicator. This got to be so annoying that I made my own water-level indicator by drilling a hole through the plastic exterior and into the bottom of the tank, inserting a transparent tube and silicone-gluing it in, and inserting the top (open) end of the tube into another drilled hole in the plastic just above the top of the tank. I marked low and high water levels. Problem solved! See photo. With that one irritating problem solved, the machine is just about perfect. The other downsides listed below are minor by comparison.

(2) There is no optional water-feed option similar to a refrigerator icemaker water line connection. The tank has to be refilled a LOT, in part because the coffee is so good that you tend to drink a lot of it. When I was solving problem #1, I added another plastic tube that runs from our water distiller, so that we can manually fill the tank when our homemade water-level indicator shows that the level is low. The photo shows that too.

(3) The single-dose unit is very picky; use just a tad more than the standard amount of coffee and it will reject the whole thing, abort the brewing, and dump the wet but unused ground coffee in the dump bin.

(3) Even if you use only distilled water, this machine insists on descaling its boiler every month or so, even when the water-hardness scale is set to minimum. There is no "0" or "distilled water" setting. So you have to let it run the descaling cycle, which takes about 10 min. and half a gallon of water, and it's happy.

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have used many super automatic machines and this makes by far the best espresso that I have ever had. The espresso comes out nice and slow and is dark and rich. The milk island makes a very creamy froth and is easy to clean but I normally use the steam wand, which also works great. The grinder is very quiet so I can use it and not wake up my wife (I get up early). I very highly recommend this beautiful machine!!!!!

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Keurig B130 DeskPro Brewing System

After reading all the reviews, I was unsure of which Kuerig to purchase. I received a single brew B60 for my anniversary and needed another one for the office.

Firstly, I have to admit that I am a die-hard Keurig fan. I've tried all the other brands from Bosch to yes, even Mr. Coffee. This is by far the best brand for single-brew coffee makers on the market.

Like the B60, this is definitely worth the investment. This price is much cheaper, and the functionality is about the same. The only downside is that it only offers one brew size option.

It is much smaller than the other models, probably scaled down 30% or so. The compact design is both convenient and more aesthetically appealing in my opinion.

It is really quick and takes about 15-20 seconds to heat up a cup of coffee. There are many k-cup coffee options available on Amazon and you can save a few dollars by subscribing to their monthly subscription. I live in NYC and I was used to buying my morning cup of joe from one of the thousand different starbucks near our building. Granted, it's not much money, but by the end of the year, you can save lots of money--especially if you share the brewer with your co-workers.

Clean up is super-easy and you don't have to worry at all about filters or grinding your own beans.

I love Keurig coffee makers and I have purchased 3. One for home, one for work and one for my son. I used to buy the tea k-cups, but I found I could just put any kind of tea bag in the place for the cup and the tea brews just fine.

Buy Keurig B130 DeskPro Brewing System Now

When I bought this for my office (cubicle), I really wanted to like this Keurig brewer.

I own a B60 which has provided me with great tasting coffee at home for the past 3 or 4 years. Except for it's water pump being a bit noisy (OK, it shakes the walls of my house), I have no complaints about the B60 or the Keurig single cup brewing concept, in fact, I love it.

Unfortunately, after using the B130 for two months, I have to admit that what other reviewers have said about the "rubber" or "plastic" smell and taste is true. I believe this is due to its design and, therefore, the bad taste will not disappear over time. The problem seems to be that the heating element is right next to the Kcup holder. So, while it is heating the water for the few minutes it takes after pouring the single cup's worth of water into the tank, it is also heating the *plastic* Kcup and Kcup holder. The odor and taste of the over heated Kcup makes it into the cup of coffee.

I have replaced the B130 in my office with a new Keurig B60 Special Edition Brewing System and I am now enjoying the same great tasting coffee that I enjoy at home. For those who have suggested it is the water or the coffee, I am using the exact same filtered water and the exact same Kcup (Caribou Coffee, Caribu Blend) in my new B60 as I was using in the B130. Would anyone like to buy a slightly used B130?

Read Best Reviews of Keurig B130 DeskPro Brewing System Here

This model is a "hospitality" version which is even smaller than what

Keuring offers at most retail/online models. Was lucky to find this

at Amazon takes up less counter space. This is perfect for one cup

at a time which is how our family rolls. We use different flavors of

K-Cups (Dunkin' Donuts is coming out with their own 8/5/11, yeah!).

This little appliance works swell! Glad I got it...

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If you don't read any other reviews in full, please read mine. There are some things to be aware of before buying the B130.

I don't own this model of Keurig, but I've used it at a hotel for a few days. I'm looking to buy a small brewer like this for my office, and came across the reviews here. There are many good reasons not to buy the B130, most of which are just a good lesson in doing research before buying:

On Amazon, it's called the "Keurig B130 DeskPro Brewing System". On Keurig's website it's called the "Keurig B130 In-Room Brewing System". Strange, huh? If you read the rest of the description from Keurig, this machine is clearly intended for use in the hospitality industry (e.g. in hotels), and not in the home.

When a company sells products for commercial/industrial use and products for home use, ALWAYS do your research before opting for the commercial/industrial items. As is the case with Keurig, companies usually have different warranties and customer service policies for each. Hence they may not honor the commercial warranty for an individual home or office user.

Some reviews complain that the B130 brews slowly. Yes, it does. That's evident from the fact that Keurig's site lists it as consuming 700W of power. (By contrast, the similarly-sized Keurig MINI Plus Brewing System for home use consumes 1425W of power). Why is this important? If you want to heat 8 oz. of water, it will take roughly twice as long to do it using 700W of power vs. 1425W, all other things being equal. That's a matter of physics and not of product design.

Why did they sacrifice speed for lower power consumption? It's not to save money, because using 1400W for 2 minutes costs exactly the same as using 700W for 4 minutes. Rather it's so that the brewer doesn't strain the electrical capacity available in a hotel room. That's a valid concern for hotels (the intended customers of this product), and not necessarily a concern for a home user.

Some reviews complain that the B130 is not compatible with the Keurig MY-KCUP (refillable cup for use with your own coffee I think they've re-branded it at some point). I haven't tried it myself, but it does make me wonder why anyone expected the MY-KCUP to be compatible. People don't usually go to hotels with their own coffee and K-Cup adapter hoping for the best. Again, this was designed for hospitality use, not for the home. Nowhere in the product description does it say it is compatible with the MY-KCUP.

Some reviews complain that this only brews an 8 oz. cup. Yes, it says that in the feature list on both Amazon and Keurig.com.

Some reviews complain that you cannot fit a travel mug into the B130. That's quite valid, because they do show a travel mug in use in one of the product pictures on Keurig.com. Though to my eye it looks like a particularly small travel mug.

In the product description the B130 is listed as being 11.1 inches tall. The K-Cup holder apparatus (or whatever it's called) can be viewed head-on in a picture on Keurig.com. An approximate measurement on the screen shows that the K-Cup holder accounts for just under half the height. So optimistically you can fit a 6" tall mug underneath it with the drip tray removed. (That's just a guess, of course).

So as for me, would I buy one? Yes.

When I used it at the hotel, I didn't get any of that burnt plastic taste that many reviewers have noted. I have a Platinum brewer at home, and the coffee from this little guy tasted just as good.

My office has a very poorly laid out electrical system. I need a lower-Wattage brewer or I'll be popping a circuit breaker regularly. What is a downside for many consumers is a plus for me.

I'm not too concerned about the lack of a redeemable warranty. This brewer is listed at $10 less than the cost of the Mini (the next-cheapest Keurig brewer). Because the B130 meets my needs better than the Mini, for me the warranty has an implied value of at least $10. That's roughly 12% the cost of the brewer, so I would have to think that the brewer has more than a 12% chance of failing within the warranty period of the Mini for the Mini to be a better deal. I don't think it has that high a failure rate, so I'm OK with the lack of warranty.

I don't plan on brewing my own coffee, so I don't need a MY-CUP (or similar).

8 oz. is good enough for me. (The Mini and the Elite go up to 10 oz.) Besides, have you ever looked at the coffee stream coming out of a K-Cup? Those last 2 oz. don't really contain much coffee.

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Melitta Cone Filter Manual Coffeemaker 6 Cup, 1-Count

Being a lifelong coffee fiend, I've tried literally EVERY type and brand of coffee-making device known to mankind over the last 30 years: standard electric drip coffee makers, percolators (not recommended to anyone with an appreciation for coffee and functioning tastes buds), French presses, vacuum pump units, microwave gizmos for which one needs an engineering degree to figure out, etc., but I keep coming back to this one.

It's definitely low tech, but it does what it's designed to do, e.g. make a terrific pot of coffee with minimal hassle. Other reviews have described the process of using this as being additionally cumbersome (given the need to boil water separately beforehand} but I don't personally find that to be the case. I keep a teakettle of filtered water on my stovetop, and when I'm ready to make coffee, I turn the burner on, and while the water is heating, I measure the coffee out, and then once the water is near boiling, simply pour over the grounds. The entire process takes about five to seven minutes, start to finish, about the same time as an electric drip unit would take.

The unit -which essentially works similarly to more stylish (but also considerably more expensive) Chemex coffemaker -has several advantages over other coffee making methods: because the water is manually boiled, one can control the temperature; because the unit is so low tech and has no buttons, switches, bells, whistles or moving parts, it can last for decades (unless one breaks the glass carafe which, being on the clumsy side, I'd done more than once -but then they're so inexpensive to replace that it's really not that big a deal; also, the carafes of electric drip units are equally fragile); if one has a gas stove, as I do, coffee can be made, even during a power failure.

Cleanup is simple: toss the filter full of used grounds in the trash, and after the coffee is consumed, rinse out the filter cone and the carafe. There's no reservoir to collect nasty sediments like an electric drip unit, no grungy screen and plunger to disassemble and scrub like a French press.

If a new coffee making technology is introduced, I will surely try it, but doubt I will find something else that is as inexpensive or reliable as the Melitta Manual coffee maker.

EASY OF USE

I've used the Mellita Coffee System for about 40 years. I find the system more convenient than coffee machines.

> If the power goes off, you can still make coffee if you have a gas stove or a camp stove.

> It is easy to brew exactly the amount of coffee you want, and exactly the strength that you want---including adjusting to new roast and grinds. You can even mix caffeinated and decaffeinated coffees if you wish.

> In a way, the Mellita system is more "sanitary". It is easy to forget a used filter in a coffee maker, maybe for weeks if you go on a vacation, and find a fungus garden in there. You can't ignore a used Melitta filter, because it is out in the open. If you forget a used Melitta filter, it and the coffee grinds just dry out. It is also much easier to wash the Melitta components---just a quick rinse under the tap is usually good enough. Caveat--some types of coffee are oiler than others---you may need to actually wash your cone and carafe if a quick rinse is not sufficient.

SIZE OPTIONS

The carafes for which the "6 cup" and "10 cup" systems can nominally hold 6 or 10 cups off coffee (filled to the brim), but that is really irrelevant. A more important consideration is cups vs mugs. How many people still drink "cups" of coffee? So, it is the "mug-capacity" (1 mug = 1 1/2 cups) of the filters and cones which really counts.

#2 filters/cones

Recomemnded: 1 cup

Practical Maximum: 1 mug

Theoretical Maximum: 2 cups

#4 filters/cones ("6 cup system")

Recommended: 1-2 mugs

Practical Maximum: 2 1/2 mugs

Theoretical Maximum: 4 mugs

#6 filters/cones ("10 cup system")

Recommended: 2-3 mugs

Practical Maximum: 4 mugs

Theoretical Maximum: 6 mugs

However, I don't follow my own recommendation: In the morning, I want coffee "now!" I often run out of patience trying to brew even 1 mug of coffee using #4 filter/cones. On the otherhand, the #6 filter/cones holds a whole mug of hot water in one quick pour, and drains about as fast as you can continue to pour the water in---so I find it very convenient for brewing 1 to 2 mugs of coffee at a time, and on rare occasions to easily brew 4 mugs (6 cups) of coffee. However, in this case, the hot water has little time to extract the flavor from the coffee. To compensate, I grind my coffee very finely. I could simply use more coffee, but that would be wasteful.

The #6 filters/cones ("10-cup system") is faster and more flexible, at a slightly higher cost for the filters. Melitta Cone Filter Coffeemaker 10 Cup, 1-Count If you are patient and your space is very limited, such as in a camper, boat, or in a college dorm, or if you really want only 1 or 2 mugs of coffee at a time, #4 filter/cones (the so-called "6 cup system") is a good choice.

GRINDS OF COFFEE

If you usually brew the "recommended" or fewer number of mugs of coffee, then very-finely ground coffee is recommended. If you usually brew the the "recommended" or more number of mugs at a time, then a medium grind coffee may work best. Most supermarket "fine grind" is actually a medium grind. If you brew more than the "practical maximum" a medium-coarse grind will work better. If you grind your own coffee in an electric grinder, "coarse" is only a second or two, medium-fine is perhaps 10 seconds, and very fine is perhaps 30 seconds, until the pitch of the sound changes, indicating that no more grinding is taking place.

REUSE

If you use very-fine grind, then discard the used filter when finished (because most of the flavor will be extracted, and the filter will be clogged up by the fine grinds). If you use a medium grind, then you can optionally reuse the grinds in the afternoon to make a second batch of coffee (which will be lower in caffiene). Coffee-freaks may object to reusing grinds, but it works just fine.

FORMULA

Regardless of the grind, you have to use the same formula for the TOTAL amount of coffee actually made, i.e., 1 to 2 tablespoons of ground coffee per mug, depending on your taste, brand, etc.

FILTERS

Presumably, brown filters are easier on the environment---and on you, less chemicals having been used to manufacture them. Unfortunately, #6 filters are hard to find in most grocery stores, but easy to purchase via Amazon. Melitta Cone Coffee Filters, Natural Brown, No. 6, 40-Count Filters (Pack of 12) Melitta Cone Coffee Filters, Natural Brown, No. 2, 100-Count Filters (Pack of 6)Melitta Cone Coffee Filters, White, No. 6, 40-Count Filters (Pack of 12) In an emergency, you can use #4 filters in a #6 cone, but you'll regret it (having been spoiled by the convenience of #6 filters).

RECOMMENDATIONS ON MAKING GOOD COFFEE

>>Use fresh unchlorinated water if possible. Do not use "softened", "sparkling", or "mineral" water. If you let an open pitcher of water sit on a counter for a few hours (or overnight), most of the chlorine will evaporate. The best way to get pure water is a reverse-osmosis system. Bring the water to a quick boil, but don't leave it boiling too long--that will flush out the dissolved oxygen, leaving the coffee tasting flat.

>>There is a huge difference between brands and roasts. Experiment and enjoy. However, even more important is freshness---which is the greatest challenge. How can you know if the coffee is fresh? The easiest way is to signup with a service such as Gavelia, Boca Java, or Coffee Bean Direct--whose only business is providing you with freshly roasted (and freshly-ground if you wish) coffee.

>>Particularly if you do not use a "coffee service", its best to buy whole beans and grind them just before brewing. A $15 grinder Krups 203-42 Fast Touch Coffee Grinder, Black is as good as a $200 grinder. It takes only a few seconds to grind a batch of coffee while waiting for the water to boil.

>>For newbees, "French" or "dark roast" coffee is rich and bitter, and usually brewed "stong". Light roasts are more complex, but some are acidic, and are usually brewed and drank more like tea. Light roast Indonesian coffee is particularly complex. Caveat, "complex" does not necessarily mean flavorful---some dark roasts are wonderful, but it is probably harder to find a good dark roast. The Coffee Bean Direct Assorted Whole Bean Coffee Sampler, 9-Pound Box available from Amazon is a good way to explore the varieties of coffee.

>>The filter cone and carafe should be rinsed off after every use, otherwise your coffee can be contaminated with stale oils. A weekly wash in the dishwasher won't hurt.

>>Elsewhere, you'll read endless nonsense about the exact water temperature, how fast or how slow to pour the water, the value of porcelain vs plastic cones, preheating the cones with hot water, how finely ground the coffee should be, etc. It's all nonsense (except possibly to engineers who design coffeemakers). 99% of what matters is the quality of the ingredients: water and coffee. You want fresh oxygenated chlorine-free salt-free water, and good quality recently-roasted and recently-ground coffee.

SAFETY

It is easy to forget the glass carafe on a hot stove. I broke at least 6 carafes before I purchased a whistling teakettle. Revere 2-1/3-Quart Whistling Tea Kettle NEVER use the carafe to boil water or reheat coffee. The flood of water might crack a ceramic stovetop, or put out a the flame of a gas stove---both causing catastrophic problems. Use your microwave to reheat (1 mug of coffee = 30-45 seconds); it's faster and safer.

It is important to take care to pour the boiling water into the filter, not between the filter and the filter cone. It is any easy accident to make. To minimize such accidents, fold over the "joined" edges of the filters so that the filter opens wider. If you are a particular klutz, a quick rinse with a little cold water before you add the ground coffee can "glue" the filter to the cone.

SUGAR IN YOUR COFFEE?

Purist insist that coffee should always be drank black. While I tentatively agree, I can't. My taste-buds are overly sensitive to bitterness. However, I have found that pure Stevia Pure Stevia Extract Powder by Kal 3.5 oz is a good replacement for sugar for me. Oddly, it isn't as sweet as sugar, but is just as effective in cutting the bitterness, which is what I really need. Truvia and other brands in packets or described as "spoonable" contain bulking agents which effect the flavor and leave a yucky residue, and are comparatively expensive. KAL Pure Stevia contains no bulking agents and is very economical.

SALT IN YOUR COFFEE?

It's a naval tradition. I've found that a few grains of sea-salt in a cup of light-roast coffee can be pleasant, but not so compelling that I make a habit of it. However, a little salt is more noticeable (in a good way) in ice coffee.

MILK IN YOUR COFFEE?

If the purpose is just to cut the acidity, then you need to try a different coffee or brewing method. If the purpose is to cut the bitterness, you might want to try stevia instead. If you simply like milk in your coffee---I say, indulge yourself with a little real (not fake) half-and-half, or even heavy cream. I usually drink my coffee black with a little stevia, but for a rare desert cup, real sugar and real cream are essential.

GENERAL SHOPPING RECOMMENDATION

After major grocery shopping expeditions, sit down at your computer with your reciept, and check if you can buy any of the non-perishables through Amazon. When you find items (even if more expensive than you just paid), put the item on your Amazon wish list, and add a note to the wish list of the price you just paid. Check your wish list frequently, and when you see an item you need at a bargain price, buy it.

Buy Melitta Cone Filter Manual Coffeemaker 6 Cup, 1-Count Now

When you have the money and want a fancy manual drip maker, you can look at Chemex or Bodum. But, if you want good coffee at a good price, this is it. In our day coffee came in a 16 oz can and we drank whatever was cheapest. Now kids know the difference between Robusta and Arabica and go to a local roaster on the day their regional favorite is being roasted. Fancy Auto-Drip machines don't heat the water hot enough, build up calcium, and don't immerse all the grind correctly. French pots let silt and bitter elements of the coffee through. This method takes some time and effort, but if you like good coffee, its worth it. This coffee maker goes for about the price as a bag of good coffee.

Read Best Reviews of Melitta Cone Filter Manual Coffeemaker 6 Cup, 1-Count Here

No muss no fuss no noise in the time it takes to boil the water I can have a perfect great tasting cup of cofee! Nothing to break down easy to clean.

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just follow the directions.

it's not too small like a 4-cup or too big...like a 10 or 12-cup maker.

just right.

if you don't know how to use it or have anything thing in your experience to compare with it, don't bother to review it!

RECOMMENDED!

Factory-Reconditioned Breville XXESP8XL Café Roma Espresso Maker

I purchased this machine in July of 2008. The reason I decided to write a review at this time is because I am considering purchasing another one for my parent's 60th Anniversary and noticed all of the negative reviews.

I lived in Spain for three years in the late 70s and learned to enjoy espresso drinks while I was there. When I returned to the USA I purchased a very inexpensive machine which I used off and on over the years. I say off and on because it did not produce very good espresso and I would exile to the basement. Every few years however I would haul it back up expecting, I guess, that it had learned it's lesson while it was in 'time out'! I eventually decided to spend a little more money and try a better machine. I found the refurbished Breville Cafe Roma at Amazon for $95 with free shipping (even at $149 it is a steal.) I had a little trouble at first because it operated differently than my old one, but all I had to do was send an email with my question to Breville customer service and they would call me back and walk me though any difficulty I was having. In the intervening months I have become quite expert in the nuances of this machine. During the winter I make a latte with mounds of foam so tight you'd think it was whipped cream. In the hot summer months I make two-oz. of espresso and put it in the freezer overnight. THe next morning I put it in the blender with 6 oz. of skim milk and 1 tsp of vanilla sugar and hit the 'frozen drink' button. I get a smooth, frothy cold mocha drink that feels and tastes totally decadent but isn't. I can't start my day without one of these treats and they are both far superior to anything I have bought at several different upscale coffee houses.

As to the cups and frothing pitcher: my sister bought a new Breville Cafe Roma which did come with the additional items and she never uses them. The pitcher is too small (10-oz.) if you like lots of foam. I purchased a very nice Rattleware 20-oz. pitcher from Amazon and it is the perfect size. Neither my sister nor I drink espresso straight, but if I did I would not want stainless steel cups because they put my teeth on edge (no I don't bite them.) I much prefer glass or ceramic which can be purchased in beautiful colors and designs.

Bottom line: if you want good espresso and are either short on funds or filthy rich but don't need a high-end machine sitting on your counter to impress your friends and relatives, get a Breville Cafe Roma and be patient while you are learning how to become an expert barista in your own home then impress your friends and relatives with the delights you make with this machine.

I've only had this product for 2 weeks now so can't comment on it's reliability as a refub., but I have used it at least twice a day without issue. Needed a new espresso machine since my old KRUPS pump machine finally gave out after about five years. It's definitely a beautiful looking machine and if you follow the directions about heating and priming, you will make yourself a very good cup of espresso! It is solidly built with some heft to it and the pump system puts out good pressure for pulls and frothing. The heating plate on top does take awhile to heat up and warm cups, but it does finally get very warm. Also on this older model the frothing wand does not swivel front and back like the newer model, but I have no problems with it being stationary as it is. Alas this refurb. does not come with the stainless cup and saucer pair as described (hence 1 less star), but the great price more than makes up for it. I'm totally satisfied with this product so far....

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First of all is the price I paid for a machine of this caliber! Second is its easy to use and clean. I've tried a plastic Hamilton Beach pump style espresso machine for $54 bucks and returned it the next day. I took a chance on this one and I like it too much, can't stop using it. It is much larger than expected but it looks fantastic. No more expensive coffee shops for me.

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I'm all for purchasing refurbished items. But this item seems to have missed the refurbishing tech. Appears more used, then refurbished.

My espresso machine arrived today. It has a few scratch marks on the stainless. Top & one side. As well as, a small black pitted mark on the front chrome panel. But the unit does work.

However, the ad states. a set of stainless steel cups, and frothing jug are included. NO cups, NO jug.

I called Amazons help number. The CSR was kind enough to give me the number to Breville/HWI. I called, and was only able to leave a voice message. I then tried to send an e-mail to Breville/HWI. At the listed e-mail address on the instruction manual. askus@brevilleusa.com I tried this twice. Both times my e-mails were returned. Stating fatal error for this e-mail address.

Anyway, Will see what happens. This is one refurbished item. That just may get returned. I will repost the outcome.

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Such a deal!! I can't believe this espresso machine is on sale for around $100!!

I've owned a Gaggia espresso machine that cost over $300 and the Breville Roma is substantially better for one-third the price. First, it's all metal and built like a battleship. It heats up quickly and makes great espresso with plenty of crema. Make sure you get the right grind (the grounds should have the consistency of sand) and tamp the grounds into the portafilter with a bit of pressure. It's really simple.

We have this in our office and we are pulling at least eight shots a day. Even if it wears out in three months, it will have paid for itself several times over. No more afternoon runs to BigBucks coffee down the street.

For everybody complaining about not getting any cups--GET OVER IT! I went to IKEA and got a pair of insulated stainless steel espresso cups for $5.99.

Also, our machine appears to be brand new. It has no signs of wear and worked great right out of the box.

Primula 4 Cup Classic Coffee Press, Chrome

The definition of 4 cups is simply wrong. I know companies like Bodum Presses define a cup as 4 oz but this company for some unknown reason defines a cup as 3 oz. Bottom line is this is a 14 oz container which will hold 12oz of liquid + coffee grinds so it will make only a single 12oz mug of coffee and not a drop more. If that is what you are after then read on.

Aside from the glass beaker, the materials are on the cheap side compared to a Bodum, but a Bodum will cost about 2x as much for the same size making this a 'relatively' good value for the price.

Bottom line, good relative value as price is low and materials are acceptably cheap and know this will in no way make 4 cups of coffee. I was deceived by the 4 cup description but fortunately 12 ounces was exactly what I needed so it works for me.

For those new to the French Press thing know that many people, myself included, consider this the absolute best way to make coffee. One of the differences is that the coffee oils are not absorbed by a paper filter adding to the taste but it is more than that. Making a great cup of French/Pot Press coffee is simple but really requires knowing what you are doing and that takes practice. 1) It all starts with the beans know that the subtle nuances of flavor are very apparent with this brewing method so it is easy to taste the difference in the beans it's not like Coke vs Pepsi the difference can be extreme between beans. I tested many different types of beans over months to find the ones that I enjoyed most. One of my favorites is Starbucks French Roast which tastes totally different than Peaks French Roast which I don't care for but that is about personal taste, not quality of products. I also prefer Starbucks Sumatra more than Peats but again, just personal preference. Differences are huge to my palette. 2) Beans for this method must be coarse, medium grind is for drip while fine grind is for expresso, and ultra fine is for Turkish. The wrong size bean will change the flavor very noticeably. 3) Ideally it is best to grind your beans just before brewing for the best freshest taste so you will need a Burr grinder, NOT a blade grinder which will not let you control grind size 4) Next is water, you want to use only clean, filtered water same with all brewing methods. Tap water, at least from my kitchen is horrible. 5) Boil the water in a kettle and then let it cool for at least 10-20 seconds. Too hot will burn the coffee and give it a bitter taste. I usually pour some of the boiled water in my mug first as that will warm up the mug while the coffee is brewing, so when your coffee is ready it will stay warm. 6) Steep time. Start with about 4 minutes that what works for me. Too long and bitterness will creep in. Too short and it will taste diluted. Remember you are using a coarse grind so less surface are which is why steep times are longer. Finer grinds extract quicker so brew time and grind size are very much related. 7) Experiment with all the above variables until you find what works for you. Varying any of the above will change the taste. Making the perfect cup of coffee is both an art and a science 8) Enjoy. You may find that with many type of beans that the flavor will change with each sip since as it cools the flavor changes. Anyway, that's my trick!!!

This does the job fine and the price was right. It makes about 13 oz. of coffee. All these presses are described as making x number of "cups" which are presumed to be 4 oz. cups for some incomprehensible reason. However, once you account for the space the grounds take up and a little air space at the top, the capacity is even less than that. Therefore, a 4-cup press is needed to make a largish mug. The 3-cup press I tried first yielded only 10 oz.

Buy Primula 4 Cup Classic Coffee Press, Chrome Now

I have been using a French Press for a few years now and it makes as espresso style of coffee which measures smaller than an American cup of coffee. I like my coffee strong and a small container like this makes it just right for my one cup, you can't beat a french press for a wonderful cup of coffee, you adjust the amount of coffee to how strong you like it and if you add milk or not. It's helpful to look up directions for this online before buying, you can better judge if it's for you and how big a pot to get. You get coffee grounds in your drink if you don't grind the coffee course enough or the filter is not kept straightened out allowing grounds to escape the filter. I'm looking for another one since I have worn my first one out after 5 + years.

Read Best Reviews of Primula 4 Cup Classic Coffee Press, Chrome Here

Use it everyday, the mesh filter is nice and fine so hardly no grounds come through, as long as you grind your beans using french press mode.

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We bought this for my brother-in-law for Christmas and he uses it all the time! It's the perfect size for one mug of coffee. It says it's 4 cups, but I'm pretty sure that describes the entire volume. You have to account for the space the coffee grounds take up. Like I said, perfect for a single serving in a standard mug!

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Saeco Focus Automatic Espresso Machine

This review applies to the steel version as well, except for the aesthetics.

The design and layout of this machine has been well-thought out by Saeco. I had a difficult time choosing between the steel and the black version, and ultimately chose the latter because I preferred the contrast of the black and chrome (and it matches my decor better).

The set-up of the machine is a bit confusing because there is a small insert paper with instructions that slightly conflicts with the full manual. Perhaps the translation from the original Italian is not entirely accurate. The insert indicated that the supplied intenza water filter must be installed but this is optional and is not supplied with the machine. So don't waste your time looking for it. Once it is up & running, familiarizing oneself with the meaning of the icons on the LCD is important.

Thankfully, Saeco designed the machine with access to the water tank in the front. The spent grounds compartment is also in the front and the beans go in the top. This is important for a compact machine as the potential buyer probably has size restrictions. Some superautos, like the Jura Ena 3/5 have the water tank attach to the back and the Gaggia Platinum I considered has side access.

The draw of a superauto is the ability to go from bean to cup with one machine at the push of a button. In this regard, the Syntia performs very well. The bean hopper and water reservoir are small, but if you want any compact machine then this obviously is necessary to retain a small footprint.

The espresso the machine produces is quite nice. I choose the strongest setting (3 bean icon) for a dark espresso. I also prefer to produce a double (click twice) rather than a long coffee for a cappuccino so it is not watered down. The machine grinds & brews twice in quick succession when double clicking.

I would prefer a more solid feeling (seems to be part steel & part plastic at the top) however it does a surprisingly good job at foaming milk for cappuccino. The foam I've produced is slightly too stiff & aery but I think it is more a technique issue at this point. Hopefully with practice I'll get just the right consistency between airy & dense. It is also excellent for steaming hot chocolate, Italian style. Just toss in your preferred hot chocolate mix with some added chocolate and a little milk and steam it until all is melted. Go bitter and serve it with some sugar on the side to taste.

Clean-up is a breeze. The tray pops out easily. The top comes off via a magnet and you can rinse it in the sink. The water & spent grounds reservoirs pop out from the front easily for rinsing. Wiping down the machine is not a problem.

Overall, I've been very pleased with this small machine. It is very easy for anyone to use and you can get great results without much effort.

There are those purists who swear that a super automatic can't produce the same results as a manual machine or even a semi-automatic and then there are those who just enjoy tinkering around with their espresso machines. This might not be the best choice for those people but if you are pressed for time or just want a decent cup of espresso or a quick latte or cappuccino without all the fiddling, the Saeco Syntia Focus more than fills the bill. I've owned a semi-automatic for years and while I can usually produce a decent shot with it, I've never truly become proficient; they can be finicky little devils. The coffee I've gotten from the Saeco is rich in crema and aroma and is at least as good, if not better. It's also a good deal faster with much less work.

The stainless steel Rapid Steam (single) boiler heats up quickly so there's minimal waiting and a very short interval between steaming milk and making coffee. Although the machine is a super-auto, there are some choices that are programmable so you can customize your cup. You can adjust the settings on the grinder if you prefer the grind to be coarser or finer and you can bypass the grinder entirely and use pre-ground coffee if you wish. You can select the strength of your brew from mild to medium to strong. It also allows you to adjust the amount of brewed coffee produced when you press the espresso or the long coffee buttons.

The Focus comes equipped with a Pannarello wand for frothing the milk for cappuccinos. Although some people don't care for them, the Pannarello is reputed to be more user-friendly than a conventional steam wand. Just make sure to run water through it after each use and regularly remove the tip and rinse it under running water. I drink more espressos than anything else but I've been experimenting with the Pannarello and find it easy to use. If you've never used one, with just a little practice you'll be able to produce an acceptable microfoam without spraying milk all over your kitchen.

The Syntia Focus is relatively compact, so it doesn't take up too much valuable counter space. The actual measurements are 10"W x 16.5"D x 12.5"H although they are slightly different in the product description. Maintenance is simple and straightforward. Pretty much everything that you need to access on a regular basis--the water reservoir, the coffee grounds drawer, the bean hopper and the brew group are positioned at or toward the front so the machine doesn't need to be moved for cleaning or replenishing. Saeco recommends that you remove and clean the brew group at least once a week and descale the machine every 3 months. None of this is particularly onerous and is a small price to pay in order to keep it functioning in good condition.

I've really come to appreciate the speed and ease of this small machine and to relish the delicious coffee that it produces on demand.

********************

05/23/2013

Since the machine is almost two years old, I thought it appropriate to update the review.

I still use it every day, making a minimum of two and often many more, cups of espresso and the occasional latte and cappuccino. It has never failed me nor come up short of my expectations.

The maintenance routine is as I expected. It takes but a few minutes each day to complete the routine tasks of washing and filling the water receptacle, emptying the spent grounds and cleaning out the drip tray. Once a week, I clean the brew group and every 500 brews or so, I lubricate it as instructed. Every few months (depending on usage) a light comes on to indicate that the Saeco needs descaling. It takes a few minutes but it's a simple procedure and the manual walks you through it. For a precision machine to function as well as it does day in and day out, I'm more than happy to do my part to keep it going smoothly.

I loved the Saeco Focus when I received it and if anything, I'm more enamored of it now than ever.

Buy Saeco Focus Automatic Espresso Machine Now

Using a semi-automatic espresso machine (Francis Francis X5), I'm well aware of the craft of grinding the right grind, metering the right dose, tamping with the correct pressure, and using a stop watch and measured shots to fine tune technique. That approach made great coffee, when I invested the time in the process. Sadly that wasn't always what I wanted to do the first thing in the morning. ESE pods sped things up, but really seemed pricey, as does any of the K-Cup systems. Do we have a solution?

Yes!

Do you have to grind coffee--no

Do you have to meter the dose--no

Do you have to tamp the grounds--no

Do you have to stand around and time pulls--no

You really just set it and forget it. Throw some beans up top, add water on the left, and press a button. Afterward, you empty the drip tray and ground canister on occasion. That rocks! Cappuccino and lattes do require manual frothing/steaming, but that's rather easy to do, and the ample boiler makes that a breeze.

Really my only complaints are that the water canister is a bit small (the ability to connect to a water line would rock), the controls, while simple, are far from intuitive, and the machine required a tweak to make a good solid puck (thus affording great espresso). These are rather petty complaints, but at $1000, that's what you get. Bear in mind, the $1000 investment does allow you to use whole beans (preferably top quality ones without too much oil) rather than ridiculously pricey pods of K-Cups. It won't pay for itself anytime soon, but I somehow feel less wasteful. Go figure.

Anyway, this machine makes great espresso without the fuss. That's what a superautomatic machine is all about.

Read Best Reviews of Saeco Focus Automatic Espresso Machine Here

I have own the machine just for a couple of days now. Easy setup following the written instructions. The machine does need to pour a few shots before in actually pour a resonable coffee. Even at the maximum strongest setting the expresso shot is still fairly weak to my taste. However, once I adjusted the length of the shot (how much water is used with 1 dose of expresso) I got strong enough coffee but not the strongest. There is one more adjustment to improve this further that is I can adjust how fine the coffee is grounded. The machine is sleek and easy to use. So far, I am happy with the buy although I hope I could make stronger coffee still.

Nov 13th A quick update to say that using the finest grind and strongest coffee strength, I was able to pour a strong double expresso. Delicious. Must remember to empty the bottom tray regularly or it overflows with water.

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So, consider, that I'm a coffee addict. And a gadget addict. I started with the cheap Krups espresso, graduated through pod machines Senseo, Keurig, Nespresso then settled on the Breville expensive machine. By chance, I happened on the Talea Giro Plus, because it was on sale at Costco, and I was intrigued by the automation. I currently have the Talea Giro, but when the Syntia went on sale, I figured okay, time to upgrade! But from my perspective, the only plus is that the machine is GORGEOUS. It is just a beautiful sleek compact black shiny machine. But is there such a thing as TOO automated? Maybe, only in the sense that you have ONLY TWO choices of sizes small and large. (The Talea Giro Plus is negotiable, you set the dial anywhere along the spectrum, so it's highly more programmable that way). But that's not my principal objection to the Syntia. The coffee was WEAK. I set it to maximum beans (3 bean display), and set it too finest grind, and made mutiple cups of coffee, both small and large, and not a single cup came out as strong as the Talea Giro, the Breville, or coffeehouse coffee. It was too weak for me. And I will add, in case you're wondering, that I used VERY strong coffee beans dark roasted blend from Costa Rica from Costco, that makes great intense espresso. I don't find the water reservoir that small, though the bean holder was more shallow. So, I'd pass if you like strong coffee, because it's not adjustable."

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