La Pavoni Professional PBB-16 Espresso Machine Black Base

I have had this machine since 1998, i drink on average 4 espresso a day, that is a total of around 17,500 espressos and it still works like a charm. I have serviced it myself about 3 years ago with new gaskets you can buy them for about 40 bucks. If you are looking for a solid machine that will last, this is it, pays for itself time and time again.

We've only had this machine for a week now, but I'm already in love. It makes the best espresso I have ever tasted... We are coffee snobs (roast our own beans even!) and this machine is perfection. It's quiet (so nice not to hear the thunk thunk of a pump!), easy to use, etc. We thought there was going to be more of a learning curve, but after pulling a few shots, we've got it down. The foam extension isn't the best, but we're getting some pretty good foam now a week later. This machine is perfect too for people who have limited counterspace. It looks SO sexy on the counter, is easier to clean than our pump machine, and takes up so little space.

I'm in love. :) (Don't tell my husband! ;))

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Our machine has been providing us with excellent espresso (and lattes that are far better than those we have gotten at Starbucks) for six years. As others have noted, there is a bit of a learning curve. For example, too fine a grind, especially if it is tamped too tightly, will make it nearly impossible to draw a shot. Too coarse a grind will lead to watery shots that are useless. And I would guess that just about every Pavoni user has at one point pulled the coffee filter too quickly from the machine, resulting in spattered coffee grounds on walls and counters. While getting good foam with the wand takes some practice, I have had good luck with the foamer attachment, which works quite well and requires no skill. Further, the machine does require some maintenance. The wand seal started to fail after about three years; this has to be replaced or you will steadily lose steam pressure for foaming. But this machine is not nearly as mechanically complicated as automatic machines, and I would anticipate that it would last a lot longer than automatics. In the end, the obstacles to using this machine are easily overcome, and it should provide you with years of great service. The Pavoni also has an interesting quasi-steampunk look and looks pretty cool on the counter.

One footnote to a couple of reviews elsewhere that noted that after some time, the Pavoni would not draw water. Keep in mind that the piston screws into the connecting rod. Over time, it can gradually unscrew, so that when you pull the lever up, it will not retract high enough to allow water into the chamber. The fix is simple: just periodically tighten the piston. I am painfully reminded that you should do this when the machine is cold.

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I have owned this machine (8-cup) for over ten years and everyday when I make my morning cappuccino I love it more. You can spend more for a machine that measures the coffee, tamps it, pulls the water through and steams the milk for you, but you can tip the kids behind the counter at Starbucks and they'll do the same thing. Making espresso should be a little art and a little science and this machine an impeccable balance of the two. If you aren't the kind of person who takes joy in mixing the perfect martini, making a risotto that whispers with flavor, or whipping a meringue to impossibly tall peaks, this probably isn't the machine for you.

The La Pavoni is for the person who will find tremendous joy in going to the lengths required to make a perfect cappuccino by hand everyday. (And don't bother using anything less than Illy Cafe coffee in it.)

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Beautiful machine. My wife calls it "futuristic". I call it "retro". It uses steam pressure so there is no pump. Pump failures have limited the life span of other machines that I have bought (usually failure occurs after 1-1 1/2 years of use). The boiler produces steam and when the pressure on the gauge is ~.8 bars you lift the lever and release the hot water through the coffee. Steaming milk is very easy. The espresso/coffee tastes great. We've made multiple lattes at once with plenty of horsepower to spare. You do need to ensure that you don't build up too much pressure (by inadvertently leaving it on) or leave too little water in the machine (you can see the water level in the sight glass). Engineers will likely love having a machine like this in their home. A side benefit while you are drinking your latte is that it is great tool for teaching kids simple science concepts.

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Nespresso U-C50 Espresso Machine in Pure Cream w/ 2 Piece 12 oz. Halo Bistro Wide Body Coffee Cup a

• Nespresso U-C50 Espresso Machine in Pure Cream
• Nifty Nespresso Coffee Carousel
• 2 Piece 12 oz. Halo Bistro Wide Body Coffee Cup

This review is not so much about the product as the seller. I purchased this bundle as a gift for the holiday season, spending around $50.00 in shipping to make sure the product was received with enough time for wrapping. I was very animate on checking the tracking to confirm my one package would be here and it came on the 21st to my great enjoyment. So why the 1 star review? The entire contents of the "package" were missing, only the nespresso machine and 1 cup were in the box. While the gift receiver was still excited for the machine, it was infuriating to know that my entire product was not included.

After contacting Amazon.com, I received a notice that they were shipped separately. Although no second tracking number was provided. Then several weeks later I received a Nespresso Coffee holder, however it is not the one listed on the page...and I am still waiting on that second cup.

All I can say is that the Nespresso Machine is great but the "package" is not.

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Philips Saeco RI9822/47 Talea Giro Plus Automatic Espresso Machine, Silver and Titanium

Definitely worth 5 stars overall in my estimation having done lots of research and knowing its limitations before the purchase. Quality of the espresso produced surpasses almost all coffee shops including Charbucks and others by far. An expert barrista may be able to produce slightly better quality, but even their results are not consistent.

I previously returned a Jura-Capresso 13423 Impressa S9 One Touch Automatic Coffee-and-Espresso Center, Platinum because it produced inferior espresso and frothed milk with gigantic lukewarm bubbles. I would not have returned it (even at that price) if it had performed as well as the Talea. (THANK YOU AMAZON for a great return policy.) In fairness to the Jura, maybe it was faulty at the finest setting the grounds looked very coarse coarser than I would use for French-Press coffee.

The Talea cost 1/3 the price, produces far superior espresso, and very acceptable frothed milk BUT it is made of plastic and not stainless which might be a more important disadvantage for some. The ceramic grinder is quieter, producing very noticeably finer espresso-sized grounds at the factory middle setting (experimentation proved this setting to be the best) than the Jura set to the finest grind. Consequently the coffee is much stronger than the single scoop of coffee would suggest (as compared with the Jura's 2 smaller scoops).

Within 80 seconds after switching it on, it completes a warm-up procedure which includes passing some 2oz of hot water (I use it to pre-heat my cup) through the two dispensing nozzles and is ready to brew coffee. The relatively small size of the spent coffee-puck bin, dregs tray, 8oz bean hopper, and 57oz water reservoir can be annoying when you are making numerous coffees, but I see the positive here "The Nasties" do not build up. Rinsing the puck-bin and dregs tray under warm water each time I refill the water container takes much less than one minute usually only once per day. The steam wand also needs wiping down and flushing with steam after each use to prevent "The Nasties" and I pull off the stainless part and wash it and wipe the internal pipe after each session of multiple frothings.

I choese not to use the expensive water filters because my soft tap-water will require few descalings. Weekly rinsing of the easily removed brew-group (the plastic guts of the machine) is easily accomplished without using expensive chemicals. At the same time I soap and rinse the water reservoir, puck bin, and dregs-tray. Lubrication of moving parts of the brew-group (using the food-safe lubricant provided) is suggested after 500 brewing cycles. Every 2 months should do it for my usage.

A ½oz ristretto is too strong for me if more than "1 bean" (7gm of coffee grounds) coffee strength is selected. When making a long coffee (6oz of coffee in an 8oz cup) "1 bean" is fairly strong, "2 beans" is strong, and "3 beans" (10.5gm of coffee grounds) is too strong and I like strong coffee. The "Saeco Brewing System" is easily adjusted to produce espressos with lots of crema or long coffees with little crema and greatly improved taste. This is not the sales gimmick I had suspected it to be. Froth is of a fairly good quality easily matching most store-bought coffees, but a good barrista can always produce far superior frothed milk on a high-powered semi-automatic machine.

When I ran out of my regular, every-day coffee (Lavazza Super Crema) I used a local high-quality medium-roast coffee which was quite oily (must have been rather old tasted below par) but the ceramic grinder handled these with ease. Though I would never use them (their taste is so inferior to my palate) dark roasts always tend to be oily and are best-avoided in super-automatics where cleaning the grinder becomes a major issue. Medium and light roasts work best with all super-automatics. The by-pass doser is excellent for decaf. coffee and the single-origin beans I use occasionally, though I have to use my separate burr grinder for them. Even though I am making more coffee drinks per day because it is so quick and easy, I am using less coffee. Wasted/stewed coffee is effectively eliminated.

This machine will accommodate mugs of 5½" (6¼" if drip tray is removed). Even my Nissan Travel mugs can be filled directly from the machine using the double brew feature (2 quick presses of the brew button gives 2 complete, consecutive brew cycles) for 2 x 6½oz = 13oz of coffee again from fairly strong (1 bean/14gm coffee) through too strong (3 beans/21gm coffee).

I use several different styles and sizes of cup (for ristrettos, espressos, long coffees, lattes, macchiatos, and cappuccinos) so I PREFER the simple selection process this machine offers to that of the more-programmable and more-expensive Talea Touch model. For me it would be a pain to have to enter programming mode because the available 3 selections does not cover the range of drinks, sizes, and strengths I make. AND I only have to make 2 adjustments each time (size, strength) before pressing the brew button compared to 1 button on the Talea Touch.

The one big question I have about this machine (and all other "super-automatics") is long term reliability. They all have plastic "brew-groups" the working parts which do the tamping, brewing, and ejection of spent coffee pucks, and these may be this type of machine's weakest link BUT replacement brew-groups are available for $60. I quickly discovered that this was the culprit when the warning light came on when everything was OK (bean hopper and water reservoir full, puck-bin and dregs tray empty). During the weekly maintenance I now vacuum the machine all around the (removed) brew-group supports, and gently waggle the brew-group as I re-insert it to ensure that it is correctly and fully seated. No longer a problem and the weekly maintenance takes less than 5-minutes.

My 5 Stars would be less if a stainless body and larger capacities were more important to me. So far I am delighted with both the ease of use and quality of product. Though better coffees may be possible, this barrista (and most others) cannot produce them consistently.

I have owned this machine for only a month. In that time I have not used any of my numerous other coffee-makers. It is producing 5 to 15 good quality coffees per day without fuss or waste. Any change and I shall revisit this review.

I have had my saeco talea Giro for about two years now. It had to be serviced once during this time. The machine is a bit touchy and you really have to get to know how it works before you can judge it. First of all you have to keep it cleaned and de-scaled to keep it in good working order. If you have no time for this then do not buy it. Lights will come on before you start to brew to let you know you have to clean out the coffee grounds or empty the water well. This can be annoying if you are ready to have an espresso and you have to stop and clean things out. It will not work unless this is done first. So what I do after I brew is take the time and clean and empty grounds so the next time it is ready to go. With that said, I absolutely love making my latte it is of the highest quality that you would find at Starbucks or any other great coffee house. I even take it with me on vacation, if I can. I think for the money though, it should be made of stainless steel and not plastic on the outside. Also the drip tray should be make more sturdy to hold a large cup and not break off like mine did. If you have any problems with this machine after warranty you have to ship it off to a dealer that fixes these machines. That can me troublesome and you have to do without your espresso machine for weeks. I did give this a high rating because of the excellent quality of espresso and lattes. In the end that is why I bought the machine.

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I've had this machine almost a year and have used it at least once a day with no problems. It's my first expresso machine so it's really my testing machine. It makes great expresso and it's very quick and easy but as previous reviewer said, it's a bit touchy and I found the initial learning curve annoying.

Pros: I can make multiple cups easily.

It has the ability to select shot size, strength of expresso and the amount of water dispensed with the shot.

It has a pre-ground coffee bypass feature which I love for late night decaf and trying different brands for different family members tastes.

Because it warms quickly I can have a latte before work in the morning.

As semi automatic its convenient, consistent and makes great lattes.

No more costly Starbucks!

Cons :You have to stay on top of the maintenance and prep.

Lights will come on if the grounds aren't emptied and water tank filled.

It takes up a good bit of counter space.

It's plastic and the drip tray does not support a large coffee cup filled with milk for steaming. I have to prop it with another cup.

I gave it 4 stars because, as a semi automatic, it produces wonderfully consistent expresso and lattes, is very easy to use and it's fast. As a starter machine it's great and when I move on up I'll know what I want in my next machine.

Read Best Reviews of Philips Saeco RI9822/47 Talea Giro Plus Automatic Espresso Machine, Silver and Titanium Here

I purchased this machine after 12 years with the Athena from Starbucks. Granted the Athena was not automatic and would really have enjoyed an automatic machine. This one was pretty bad. I have only had this one for two weeks. I did have to get used to the warm up procedure every morning when I turned it on. It dispensed one shot of water through the espresso spout and another shot of water through the milk frother. It just konked out on me today. I used the machine with the bean grinder for espresso shots for my husband and the coffee bypass one for decaffinated grounds for myself. It had a tendency to trigger the warming up light. Today the water light kept coming on after I dispensed my one shot of espresso. The water tank was half full. I filled the water tank and shut it back. I was finding myself slamming the door to get the machine to register that I had done what it had asked. Frequently I had to pull the main espresso part out and slam it back in with all the doors to get it to register. I feel like I'm doing the same thing I had to do with an old copier in the office. Not a good sign for a high end machine. Well today after two weeks it just gave out. I tried turning the machine on and off. I took the water tank out filled it up with water, slammed it back in its spot and the dredges drawer and still it wouldnt turn off the maintenance light and the water light came off. I turned the water light off and still no espresso, I could still get water from the frother but no espresso.

I've had it, sending it back. Its not like it was a $50 machine. Maybe I should be expecting performance from a $2000 machine?

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This machine was a wedding gift from our uncle that he purchased on Amazon. So far we are very pleased with the coffee it makes. The espressos have a lovely crema every time, and the milk steamer practically works on its own, you can just place your milk container on the drip tray and let it do its work, you will always get really smooth foam. My husband calls this machine idiot proof, once you have set the dials to your preferred settings, you simply place your cup and push a button for a great espresso every time. One thing we should mention, however, is we did read the manual carefully and realized if you want optimum results on the long-term it's important to follow their suggestions regarding cleaning and maintenance of the machine. All in all we really love the machine and hope it maintains it's great performance for a long time.

UPDATE: We have had this machine now for more than two months and it continues to brew perfect coffee day after day with no problems whatsoever. We brew on average 6 to 8 cups of coffee each day with this machine. The more we use it, the more we love it. Cleaning and maintenance is very easy. Again, if you follow the regular cleaning and maintenance cycles for this unit you should have no problems with it. We have a local Saeco distributor close to us and were happy to find that regardless that we purchased the unit from Amazon, they were happy to advise on best coffee types and other information specific to this model along with replacement parts, descaler liquid and water filters for this unit when required. This is a very simple unit to use. It looks amazing we always get comments from guests about what an amazing coffee machine we have and it continues to work perfectly day after day. If I could say, if you have the extra money, the upgrade to the digital display model Philips Saeco RI9828/47 Talea Touch Plus Automatic Espresso Machine would be a nice touch for the extra hundred dollars.

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Mr. Coffee SKX26 12-Cup Programmable Coffeemaker, Red

Was looking for a red coffee pot, programmable and reasonably priced. The color isn't red more wine or burgundy, but I love the amount of coffee it makes. It has a cool feature... the water arm swings out of the way to get the filter out, and the lid automatically pushes it back into place when you close it. Dual water windows are greatso no matter which side you are pouring water in ( I'm a lefty, my husband is a righty) you can easily see the water level. We have it sitting on a "Handy caddy" which makes it really easy to use!

This coffee maker does everything we want in our coffee maker and at this price it cannot be beat. It is programmable, has the drip pause, includes a filter for your water and all the normal things we coffee lovers expect from Mr. Coffee. Now, if you want a red coffee maker to go with your other kitchen items like I did, you need to go find another one. I am just going to live with it, but if I had known I would have chosen another one. It is a purpleish pink color. Everyone is my family agrees. If you can deal, then go ahead and buy.

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I really like this product. I was greatly pleased to have the lighted panel lighted in green. It really shows up in the dark. The coffeemaker is very easy to use and I have always had great coffee come from the machine. I love the red color too.

Ted

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I've been looking for a red coffeemaker to replace my 10 year old Mr Coffee (that is still working BTW!) but I've updated my kitchen to red, so I wanted a coffeemaker to match. I got sucked in by the Kitchenaid brand at first, because everything else I own is by them these days, but it was WAY too tall and bulky for my vintage kitchen in my 1955 apartment in the city. I didn't realize it until I was on my 3rd red coffeemaker, but they are running much larger nowadays! I'd buy one, unpack it and it would be an inch too tall to fit under my hanging cabinet.

This red Mr Coffee popped up on my suggests list and I decided to take a chance. It showed up and is not only very pretty, it is the perfect size and performs as great as I've come to expect from a Mr Coffee. I bet this one will last another 10 years and all for under $20!! (I bought the one from the warehouse because the box had been opened it was only $15! It is in perfect condition!)

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Hi, I had the $39 Mr. Coffee last time. I thought I would save some money and get this one. It is very basic and does the job. What I don't like is

1. It is Dark Pink ( Not a bad look, I have seen this nail polish. As a guy I will pass it off as 1950's...LOL

2. The Glass pot can spill some when pouring.

3. No water filter with it. You can use a MR. Coffee filter if you want to buy one.

4. Two holes in the back of maker. This is so you don't over fill water. However the water will end up on the counter instead.

These issues aside, I like MR. Coffee Makers. Yes, I also had a Bun at one time. If You have to ask the price you can't afford it. The MR. Coffee is just as Good and is on all day. The last maker lasted 3 years so great value. Hope this helps.

Nespresso C100T Essenza Single-Serve Automatic Espresso Machine, Titan Grey

After a few days of use here are my comments for the C100T and Aerocinno. I am using the combo in a small office setting. The no mess of the espresso machine is great. The shots are really good and consistently good. The machine is very simple to use. Fill w/ water, turn on drop in espresso capsule, push button, and you are done. The only drawback I can mentinon is the capsules must be ordered from nespresso directly. In terms of cost they are significanlty more expensive than premium whole bean or ground espresso roast coffe (lavazza, petes, starbucks, etc.). So with regards to the espresso machine it is perfect for my office due to the no mess and no fuss cup of esspresso. Honestly, I love it. But in my home I will be keeping my Starbucks barista espresso machine due to the fact that it will take any espresso and at home it is easy to clean. The aerocinno is ingenious. It is the perfect compliment for any espresso machine with one caveat, the servings that it can make are only for one so if you are preparing multiple beverages are large single servings it must filled multiple times. If you overfill it, it will make a mess spilling over the sides. I am considering getting one of these for the home too due to the ease of use in comparison to the steamer attached to my espresso machine. In conclusion, I do reccomend this combo highly with the points mentioned above in mind.

I must first disclose that I am not an espresso connoisseur; I drink lattes and cafes-au-lait, and until the time my husband (a quad-espresso per day drinker) purchased the Nespresso C100, I had been a loyal Starbucks patron for at least 9 years. We've had the C100 now for over a month and since firing it up the first time, neither he nor I have stepped foot in a Starbucks. If you're not an espresso drinker and are afraid of the C100 PLUS a regular coffeemaker taking up counter space, fear no more. The C100 has two default settings -one pulls an espresso, and the other, a 4-ounce "lungo" -*and* its volume, unlike the C90, is also programmable. I've heard some people complaining about the noise Nespresso machines make, but really, have you ever listened to the noise -and I'm not talking about the deafening and/or obnoxious music -coming out of Starbucks?? As far as the quality goes, I haven't had coffee this good since my trip to Europe. It is consistent, never burnt-smelling/tasting (especially since the coffee doesn't sit around after being made), and does not require extensive doctoring to make it palatable. I now drink a plain ol' lungo, not a drink whose desciption requires a memory capable of beating the upper levels of "Simon Says." The only drawbacks, which are not enough to demote this rating to 4 stars, are the mandatory pod-ordering (and waiting), and the cost of accessories. If you don't believe me, go to Nespresso's website and see what a podholder costs.

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I bought this machine after reading the reviews here and elsewhere on the Web. I agree with the good reviews. What people didn't mention, however, are:

(a) it makes a loud rattly whirring noise when you push the button to make coffee. I thought at first that I bought a dud machine, but apparently it's normal. It's not a pleasant noise but I got used to it.

(b) the instructions aren't really in English, they are multi-lingual and rely more on pictures. So it felt like rocket science for the first few minutes as I tried to decode what it meant. Eventually I gave up reading the instructions and figured it out myself.

(c) the espresso can come out quite cold. It's not super boiling hot when it shoots out, so unless you warm your cup in advance with some hot water, if you don't drink your espresso right away, that small amount of liquid gets cold quickly.

(d) the salespeople who say, "Each capsule only costs $0.49. Now, when was the last time you spent $0.49 on a cup of coffee?" are making a facetious argument. You are spending $0.49 for a tablespoon of very good espresso. If you tried to make a full cup of coffee (which you shouldn't, since this is an espresso machine), you will end up spending $2.00 or something like that. So, don't buy it thinking you will save money. Because if you are a coffee addict, chances are you will spend money on Nespresso AND still go to Peets and Starbucks anyway. So you are not "saving" anything. On a typical day, we go through about 3-4 capsules. So it can become a noneconomical way of enjoying espresso compared to making it the old way with beans.

(e) the capsules come in a variety of blends, but reading between the lines, the beans all seem to come from just 1-2 countries. It's not as wide or exotic of a geographic range as Peets or Starbucks. So the difference between the capsule colors/flavors is probably illusory. They all taste the same to me (then again I am not an aficionado).

(f) the capsules must be ordered in min. order of 50 (x$0.49 = $25). There is a mandatatory $5.95 shipping and handling. So re-ordering is going to be $30+ a pop.

(g) the machines must be routinely de-scaled and cleaned with fresh water. This maintenance bit annoys me.

Otherwise, it delivers what it promises. I bought it at Williams Sonoma to take advantage of its liberal return policy (apparently, lifetime warranty).

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-C100T vs. Citiz-

We deliberated over 2 machines: the C100T and the new Citiz. After doing some research, we found some interesting facts.

The initial advantages the Citiz had over the C100 were:

1) Slightly smaller counter top footprint

2) Flip-up tray for tall Latte glass option

3) Auto shut-off feature

4) Styling, (although only slightly less ugly)

However after a bit more investigation we found some not so obvious advantages the C100 has over the new Citiz.

Firstly the Citiz although priced the same as the C100, does not come bundled with the Aeroccino like C100 does.

Secondly, based on reading other reviewers, some have noted the Citiz have a tendency to jam. After further follow up, some said only when the pod basket is full, yet others have noted this not the case, it jammed even when the pod waste basket was empty. Further follow up showed the Citiz waste pod basket holds 8 used pods where the C100 as many as 12 or more before removal.

Additionally others have brought up the possible detrimental fact that its tall slim design can make the Citiz a bit tippy when loading the pod and not as stable to work with as the C100. After now using the machine I can see where that could be an issue as a bit of force is necessary to lock the lever down.

Yet another reviewer and owner of both machines said he purchased the new Citiz primarily for the optional tall glass feature then found the Citiz was more hassle to clean up because of its 2 or 3 additional parts; the C100 only has 3 parts to clean and clean up is a snap. As mentioned above we too consider the Citiz for its fold up tall glass Latte tray holder, however having now used the C100 with both short and tall glasses, it is really no big deal to hold the tall glass in place during the coffee extraction process.

With respect to counter top space, although only slightly wider in its stance to the Citiz, the C100 is not really large at all. Certainly much smaller than a stand alone drip machine and far smaller than a traditional espresso makerabout the size of a 2 slice toaster.

-The Aeroccino-

Personally I think this part of the system makes the entire coffee come togetherfor me without the Aeroccino, this is just a decent espresso machine.

First of all it is super easy to use, fill to the level, press the button and go. I noted during demos the Nespresso cafe folks would put the lid on downside upat first perplexed later realize it is easier to clean upclever. The other cool feature of the Aeroccino is if you do not want heated milk, hold the button for 3 seconds and the light will go blue instead of redcold whipped milk for ice cafeclever again!

Cooler yet Nespresso designed the little Latte whip and Cappuccino whisk to be held in place by magnets and there is a magnet in the lid to hold one tool when the other is in usethose Swiss are ingenious! In my opinion the Aeroccino does a better job than the integrated Latisima machine.

-Milk Types-

We were recommended to use higher protein milk as it will provide better results and based on some tests, the whole milk higher protein products do produce a really nice froth over slim milk. The machine produces Cappuccino froth amazingly fluffy while the Latte milk the Aeroccino produces is very rich and creamy. The C100 we have is made in Switzerland!

Highly recommended system!!

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I walked into Williams-Sonoma for a wok and walked out with an Essenza from Nespresso, and it's worth every penny of the $229.99. The ease of use is unparalleled, esp for making a quality espresso. It's a no-hassle experience all around, and the Nestle coffee from Switzerland which is used with this machine is very good. I initially didn't want to buy this because you can only use the machine with the replaceable Nestle products, but then realized the flavor, ease-of-use, and quality of the product makes it worth it. If you want a cafe-style espresso, with quality crema, in just 15 seconds or less, give this one a try. I'm thoroughly enjoying the machine each day, in just my first week of using it. It's so easy!! How much is a real cafe experience at home, with Williams-Sonoma lifetime guarantee, worth to you? Kudo's for Nespresso Essenza and Williams-Sonoma. Cheers.

BonJour Automatic Battery-Powered Primo Latte Frother

Update: 2010

Still going strong; however, I have some reservations about the stand. After several years of use, I now feel that the stand is too easily tipped over (but only because accidents do happen--if you never brushed against it, the stand wouldn't tip over), and that led to a bent "wand" when the frother hit the floor. I just received the Aerolatte as a gift (available also at Amazon.com) and am very pleased with it. However, I've only had it a few days; the reliable Bonjour frother worked well for over four years, and was slightly bent only because of an accident. Still make a fantastic (and relatively inexpensive) gift for the coffee connoisseur or the casual cocoa fan! Still highly recommendedbut you might want to compare this with the Aerolatte on features and price. Happy drinking!

Update: Feb 20, 2006

I've upgraded this from a 4.5 to a full 5* since purchasing it back in December. Initially, it seemed difficult to insert the batteries, but the Primo Frother is still going strong after almost 2 months of daily use!

I've come to appreciate a few other features, as well:

*I measured 3 ounces of milk, used the frother, and poured the froth back into a measuring cup. The foam measured close to 10 ounces; the Primo more than tripled the volume!

*The rather flimsy looking stand actually works very well, holding the frother in place without tipping over.

*It's extremely easy to clean: Just run it a few seconds under water.

*It's very useful for mixing powders (e.g., chocolate) into liquids.

*With just a little practice, you can make all manner of foams, from a light froth to a very dense topping that's almost like meringue! It's all in the angle and the depth of the frother within the drink container.

This is undoubtedly the Holiday gift we use most, and I recommend it enthusiastically. (Also available (for a little over $10 more) as a rechargeable unit, though I don't think that's as important as I originally thought.) The review I wrote after only a few days of use is next:

Original Review

The Bonjour frother, like any frother worth its salt, does an incredibly good job of injecting lots of air into your cup of milk, resulting in a thick foam that can be poured over coffee, milk, or the creative beverage of your choice. That little round wire wisk is powerful, creating a tiny whirlpool as it quietly works.

Operation.

You put the round end directly into a cup, and turn it on by holding down a very large black oval-shaped area on the frother's body. If you let go, it will stop after a few seconds--this can be useful if you want just small bursts of power. However, most people want the full whipping experience, hold it down and about 45-60 second later, a change is gonna come. The milk, previously still quite liquid--although shot through with lots of tiny air bubbles--begins to thicken (as when you make meringue). This induces a small pre-coffee high. After awhile, the foamy milk becomes so thick that the frother slows noticeably. You may be tempted to lift it from your cup to the thinner liquid, but resist this temptation: You could wind up splattering your kitchen.

Uses of Foamy Milk.

There are no hard and fast rules here, but, as stated above, froth can be poured over coffee for the classico cafe latte, over espresso (a subset of coffee, I suppose), over smoothies and desserts and whatever else you can think of. Add some Torani flavored syrup, get or make some biscoti, and enjoy the glory that is Rome. (Fortunately, a brief recipe book comes with the frother to stimulate ideas.) You can even froth your drink AFTER you poured the froth into it, but purists may scoff. I think it's a nice alternative, and it's extremely useful when your chocolate mix won't blend with milk.

Maintenance.

The frother cleans extremely easily, and you can hang it to dry in the enclosed stand. The latter was a pleasant surprised; I expected it to tip easily, but--contrary to some other reports here--it didn't. Of course, you need to place it in with some coordination and balance, but the inexpensive little stand works admirably.

Batteries and How to Insert Them.

The frother runs on 2 AA batteries (need I add that they are not included), and herein lies the single drawback: Closing the frother after inserting the batteries is not as easy as it should be. You have to push a tab on each side AND fit the end of the battery container into a slot at the end of the frother, and it takes patience and practice. If you have opened an electric razor to change the blades, and had difficulty closing it, you'll know what I mean. Suffice it to say that you DO NOT WANT TO FORCE anything, or else the tabs may break. Slowly but surely does it (or ask your clever neighbor); once you "get it," it probably won't be a problem anymore.

Ergonomics and Apppearance.

It fits nicely in your hand, and it's light, but the ergonomic advantages are somewhat overstated by Bonjour. The contrast of matte black and "brushed" aluminum looks good, and the frother is compact.

I give this a small deduction for the battery learning curve, but otherwise, a very useful small appliance. Primo, dude.

Actually, I LOVE this thing and when I got it as a gift, I thought it was pretty hokey. I used to work at Starbucks and I know there's no faking frothy, steamed milk.

But this guy does it!

To clean it I just dab a drop of dishsoap on it and send it spinning under the hot tap.

To change the batteries, make sure to squeeze *both* sides of the case.

This makes giant, fluffy hot chocolates it does an amazing job with the marshmallows! As dorky as it is, I now have it in high rotation in my kitchen!

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I've had three of these already and found that they just don't last long. After being used once a day for about a month or two, it just doesn't spin as well as it did when newer. Yes, I have been changing the batteries when it slows and it no longer makes a difference in the function. It is so slow, that it only makes a couple of bubbles now, no froth. When new it works better than expected and makes mountains of foam and that's the reason I keep purchasing another every couple of months. Maybe some moisture is getting in to the battery compartment?? not sure why the problem.

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We own the rechargeable version of this as well. Both work quite well in making froth. However, this battery version falls short of the rechargeable and so gets 4 stars for two reasons: The switch design placement is very awkward (on the side of the thing) and really does not fall to hand easily. The other version has the power button on the top, so it is easy to hold it pinched upright and press the button with an index finger. Also, the stand is not very stable. Since it hangs, the whole thing is top-heavy and prone to being knocked over easily. The recharger stand is designed to accept the device upside down, so it is bottom-heavy. (The recharging unit seems to use magnetic induction, just like most modern electric toothbrushes.)

Otherwise, for the price and since it still does work well, this battery only version is a good value.

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I've owned almost every frother on the market and this is one of the best when it comes to power, speed and comfort of use. It whips up high quality milk foam in short order (and I'm pretty picky having owned and managed several espresso bars). It is also a very solid device, creating the impression that it will last a while. Unfortunately, due to one distinct design flaw, this impression is false. The handle splits into two pieces to allow access to the battery compartment where other similar products have a door in the top in which to drop batteries into the device. This allows for a smooth, designer-y look unlike the others with their abrupt, flat tops, but eventually, after repeated replacement of the batteries, the two pieces become loose making it impossible to snap the battery compartment closed properly.

It's a shame that, in this case, good design undermines the product's lifespan. If not for this flaw the BonJour Primo would be my frother of choice. I'm going to try the older, less designer-y model Bonjour Cafe Latte Milk Frother, Vanilla White. Perhaps it will provide the same quality with a little more longevity.

PS It always makes my day to know that people find these reviews helpful. So, please vote (the "Was this review helpful to you: Yes or No" buttons) and leave a comment if you'd like, even if it's just to say, "Hi!" I respond to all comments so feel free to ask a question about the product. Also, when you leave a comment, I will go to your reviews and pay you the same courtesy.

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Perfect Pod Maker Deluxe Coffee and Tea Pod Maker ( New Upgraded Model)

I purchased this awhile ago. It does work well and for the reviewers that are saying they are having a problem with it sealing, they are doing something wrong. You have to be very careful when filling the pods with the coffee. You cannot get any coffee in the area where it will get sealed otherwise it will not seal properly. This product does, in fact work very well. But, the cost of the filters and the shipping is crazy. Don't waste your money on this. I learned my lesson. Get the Coffeeduck. You pay once and do not have to invest in filters. Works very well, still get the great cream and rich flavor of your own coffee.

The perfect pod maker makes pods perfectly just as the name says. I put 2 teaspoons of expresso coffee in it an it still seals perfectly. I would recommend anyone that has a pod maker to pick this up and stop wasting your time buying the premade ones. I like that its more environmentally safe than the k-cups, which use plastic. I have a keurig and a single cup pod maker and would easily choose my coffee pod machine over the keurig anyday. Oh, yea, also, when sealing the filter, make sure theres no grinds where the 2 lids meet or else you will have a partially unsealed pod.

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This is GREAT took a couple of tries to get it working correctly but now we make up pods and have them ready. love it there is no mess of having to wash the mesh filter anymore just throw the paper pod in trash and your done, plus we love trying new coffee flavors. It works great with the Keurig coffee maker

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I found this pod maker to work well; although it seems to take a few seconds longer to make the pods as the instructions indicate. The paper pod filters that came with the pod were not well package and somewhat deformed ergo they did not work very well; however, I did find that the Easy Pack pod fiters were a much superior product. The Easy Pack filters are well-packaged and fit the Perfect Pod Maker exceptionally well. The Easy Pack filters, fit snuggly into the pod maker and the covering flap easily folds back allowing the coffee to be added much easier. I recommend the Perfect Pod Maker but not their filters.

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Like others in reviews, I felt the pods you buy in the store like Senseo pods to be way too weak. I own the Bunn My Cafe Pourover Commercial-Grade Pod Brewer and the only way to get stronger coffee is to select a lower amount of water which doesn't even give you half a cup. I purchased this and solved my problem. We buy the grind-your-own gourmet coffee at the grocery store and make our own pods. I find if you fill the pods up to the top it's the perfect cup in my brewer. One note concerning the Bunn Pod Brewer like mine, you have to turn the pods so that the rim of the pod is at the bottom of the slide-in tray and use your finger to smooth the pod out and below the top of the tray or you'll get water pouring out the side of the slide-in tray as it's brewing. It took me a while to figure out where the water was coming from but it works great now. I highly recommend this product!

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Coffee Pot Cleaner - Commercial Grade - 16.9 oz Bottle

It works great if used as directed

I used the product as directed. I found that it had no effect on the coffee pot or internal parts that I wanted to clean.

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I have two very old coffee perculators and I want to keep them, but as they are very old, dating back to the 1960s and also the 1990s, they get full of coffee stains and mildew over the years. This cleaner got rid of it all, and it's wonderful again to make the morning coffee without aftertaste. Great find.

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This product work great on glass coffee pots and easy to use, It is worth every penny and prove to hold is value .

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This coffee pot cleaner makes my coffee carafe shine like it was brand new. Put the cleaner into the pot, fill with very hot water, & let it soak for a while. Then, just lightly rub with a cleaning brush and rinse.