Frieling USA Cilio Porcelain Filter Holder

Well, first off, let me say that I'm happy with this purchase. The cone is solidly constructed and appears to be high-quality. The handle is not "linguini thin" as one reviewer said. It is normal, by my standards (I was pleasantly surprised). It is not made in USA however, as the headline/name suggests. It is a German product. No biggie--still a well-manufactured item.

One reviewer commented that the drain hole is too large, and they get weak coffee. Please look online to see how to make coffee using a filter cone. I've been using filter cones for years (the yucky plastic kind until I got my ceramic cone!) and this is my method: run water through the paper filter first. Put coffee (plenty) into paper filter/cone. Now this is imperative--pour just a tablespoon or two of hot water onto the grounds. Wait. Let the coffee "bloom" for at least 30 seconds. One minute is better. Then slowly pour more water in.

Okay that's my review. Cheers and happy coffee drinking!

I had a difficult time comparing this to the HIC version that's significantly cheaper. I ended up getting both, and this one is the one I'll keep. I've uploaded some product photos to help others make the comparison.

Weight and thickness: the HIC is significantly heavier and thicker than the Frieling Cilio. I like the lighter weight of this one.

Number of drain holes: HIC has three, Frieling Cilio has one larger one. No noticeable difference in draining time.

Outer diameter of bottom rim: this is the ring that helps keeps the filter holder in place on your carafe. Frieling Cilio has a smaller diameter (2 7/16") vs. HIC (2 3/4"). My carafe opening diameter is also 2 3/4" which makes the HIC very awkward and unsteady. Your carafe needs to have a larger diameter opening than the bottom rim on the filter holder.

Small differences, but they add up. I like the Frieling Cilio much better; it's worth the extra cost.

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I bought size six and LOVE it. Just what I needed. I wanted to get away from heated plastic. And this is just the ticket. It's hard porcelain. Shiny and white. Makes great coffee with a number 6 paper filter. Yes, yes. You must use a paper filter. But paper is not plastic; and I was trying to get away from plastic. Great product.

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I bought this after reading the generally favorable reviews and thought I'd come back and address some of the common issues:

1. The drain rate on the No. 2 filter holder (and presumably the rate on the other size holders with one drainage hole)-I have plastic Melittas with both one and three holes, and both drain at a good rate (not too slow, yet not so fast as to result in weak coffee). This holder has one hole, and the drain rate is the same as my plastic models-just fine.

2. The holder handle is sufficient for the weight of the holder-I didn't find it too thin or at all unstable.

3. The box the holder came in screams "Asia", but it has German words on it. Nowhere does it say either "Made in China" nor "Made in Germany". I can only hope that I haven't traded my BPAs for a lead glaze. :)

4. Because porcelain is more slippery than plastic, the filters don't stay put so well in the holder despite the inside ridges. This isn't really a problem, and the filter drops to the bottom once you put the coffee in.

5. My holder had no deformities or glaze imperfections.

I miss being able to "tap-tap-tap" the plastic holder on the top of my coffee cup to get the coffee back into the center of it after having one cup. I always add a little more coffee and use the filter again for my second cup. I can't do this with porcelain because of the break-factor. The holder is also more slippery on the top of certain cups. All in all I think it's still worth it, assuming this thing is made with food-safe glaze.

Bonus! I bought the No.2 size holder to make single cups, but I learned long ago to buy (Melitta) #4 filters for the No. 2 holder. These stick up over the top and are easier to handle and also absorb a little of the water and prevent some spillage of grounds into your cup if you get careless or overzealous pouring. The base size is the same as the #2 filter-they're just taller.

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I got tired of replacing the Mr. Coffee coffee makers I would buy every 4 years when they broke, and went looking for something that was easy to use, never broke, was easy to clean, and had no plastic to leach chemicals into my hot coffee. This is it.

It's well made, has not given me any problems, and makes the best cup of coffee. It is to be used with a paper cone filter. It hols the filter, but doesn't replace a filter.

First, which size should you choose? Multiply the "number" by 4 and that's about how many ounces of coffee you can make at one time. #4 makes about 16 ounces. You can make less of course, but note that the #6 is going to be very big and much heavier than the #4. Also note that the #6 filters aren't everywhere like the #2 and #4. However, you CAN put a smaller paper filter in, though the capacity will be that of the smaller filter. So you can buy a #6 and put in a #2 filter and make 8 ounces of coffee.

Now, how is it that your local coffee shop's coffee is so much better than yours at home? Here are the secrets that they use but you don't. First, they grind their coffee a little courser than you would. Second, they use a lot of coffee per cup: 1.5 scoops. But the thing that really stands out is the fact that their filters are HUGE, so the water sits in the grounds for a lot longer than your Mr. Coffee and that pulls a lot more flavor out.

So how can you get exactly the same results? Here's how I do it. It sounds complicated but it's very easy and very fast. And you can buy fairly inexpensive coffee and it still tastes great.

Use 1.25 scoops per # of your filter. #4 filter: 4 x 1.25 = 5 scoops. Grind it coarser than you should for a cone filter, by about a full number on the grinder. But grind it into a pyrex measuring cup or other heat safe, pourable container.

Heat up the water in a pan or teakettle on the stove (you can start heating the water before you grind the coffee so that the water is heating while you are measuring and grinding). For me that means filling the mug nearly full of water, pouring it into a pan and heating the pan on the stove. When it boils take it off. Water boils at 212 degrees, but the ideal coffee brewing temperature is 190-195. So I run it under a cold water tap for about a half second to bring the boiling water temperature down to ideal coffee brewing temperature..

Next pour some of the water from the pan into the pyrex with the coffee in it, filling the pyrex about 2/3 full. If you still have water left over, put the pan back on the stove and cover it.

Note that you could do it in reverse using a microwave: put the water with no coffee in the pyrex and heat it in the microwave, then add a dash of cold water when it boils and finally add the coffee. The problem with doing it this way is that the container might get too hot to be comfortable. If you use a pan to heat up the water, that won't happen.

Next, take a chopstick or other wooden utensil and stir the coffee in the pyrex with the water until the top is smooth and has no clumps.

Put the holder over your container (I put it right on top of my mug) and put a paper filter in the holder. Pour the coffee mixture from the pyrex into the filter, as soon as you can after you finish stirring the lumps out of it. If there is more water left in the pan, pour it into the pyrex and carefully (so you don't burn yourself), swirl it around to pick up any remaining coffee grounds and pour it into the filter, being careful not to overflow the filter.

Now you are ready to walk away and let it drip. At this point, I clean the chopstick and the pyrex.

When you can no longer see a pool of water in the coffee filter, it's ready to add cream, sugar, etc and drink. It's every bit as good as coffee you get in a coffee shop.

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Gaggia MDF Grinder

Real espresso is a combination of freshly roasted beans properly ground and pressed at high pressure using 200 degree water. When you do that, you produce something so delicious it'll blow your mind if you love coffee. When purchasing equipment to do this at home, the most crucial of these three factors is in many ways the grinder. You need to be producing a very exact, very fine grind that doesn't include larger chunks (it'll mess up the pressure, because water will "channel" here) nor coffee dust (which will end up in your cup). And you kinda' want a grinder that won't break.

There are surprisingly few grinders sold that meet these requirements. Some espresso drinkers try to get by with one of the only two grinders under $150 which can sometimes manage this: the Solis Maestro and the Capresso Infinity. Whether you succeed will depend a lot on whether you got lucky, and you got one that happens to be put together well. Both make use of plastic parts which will fail over time. Some people buy the Solis Maestro Plus for $150 -it's heavier than the Maestro, but otherwise no better: you're really wasting your money. The next step up is the Gaggia MDF. It usually sells for around $200, and the Amazon price tends to fluctuate, actually coming in under $200 some of the time with promotions, which makes it a wonderful bargain, though that may be hard to fathom for folks used to a $20 whirly blade grinder. The MDF used semi-commercial grade steel burrs in a semi-commercial (and hence longer lasting) burr set. It will produce the even, fine grind necessary for espresso, and when paired with another Gaggia, or a Solis or Rancilio or FrancisFrancis machine, you're ready to be a home barista and blow the minds of your friends. If you've got a bit more money, I'd recommend the Rancilio Rocky, which typically sells for $280: it's quieter and more rugged, but uses the identical burrs to the MDF. Up from there would be the Mazzer Mini for around $360, which should last you 20 years if not a lifetime. Most people who get into home espresso eventually end up with a Mazzer someday, and you could save yourself some time and money by just starting out with one. But the MDF is probably the best bargain going for being a true home barista. If you're terribly on a budget, Vaneli's Maximo is inferior but useable, and sometimes sells here for low prices.

I've had this grinder for over two decades and it has performed well. When I first got my machine, I wondered which setting number would be good for cappuccino, or any particular grind. The manual said that since coffee can vary from variety to variety, or even from one roast to another, it's a matter of adjusting to each batch of beans. Perhaps with 34 settings, people have found that to be helpful, but I have found my beans to be consistent enough that adjustments are necessary for type of coffee, but can be left alone for a particular type of coffee and a particular variety of beans from a source. At the time I got the machine, I got my beans from Peet's back when they had five stores and no other distribution channels. Although they are a larger chain now, they are still small enough that roasting can be well controlled, and they can still buy beans from a single source for a variety to meet the needs of the chain. For beans from other sources, where roasting is done at a variety of locations, or from beans from differing sources, you might need to pay more attention to adjustments.

A much bigger issue that affects strength and everything else is the dosing. From reading the other reviews, it does not seem to have changed since I got my unit. The top of the unit can be filled with beans, and the part over the dispensing area will fill up with a remarkably consistent grind. That round area is divided into six sections, like a wheel with spokes. Five of the sections get filled with grounds. One section is empty, and is above the dispenser. Each time the lever is pulled, the wheel rotates one position clockwise, and one section gets dispensed through the empty section. In theory, if the unit were full, the amount of coffee in each section would be consistent. Chances are that in real life, you would not want to fill the unit up for home use, since the grounds would not be fresh by the time you use them. If you grind just enough for a few cups, then the coffee will not end up in the compartments evenly, and dosing by counting pulls will not work. If you lift the lower lid, you can see where the coffee is, and you will likely see a small mound in the back and partly filled areas toward the front if you grind smaller amounts. You could redistribute things with a brush, but even that way, some areas would end up more compacted than others. Or you could merely gain the experience to know how much was dispensed compared to how much you need, and pull the handle accordingly. Another option is to gring with the lower lid off. As you watch grinds fall into the compartment, you can rotate as each compartment gets filled, dispensing as you go along. Then you can become consistent once you develop a good eye for it.

Whether you want to consider the dispenser poorly designed is a matter of perspective. If you believe that this unit was designed to grind beans for two cups of coffee, then it would be a fair conclusion. If you believe that this unit was designed for people who prepare 6-12 cups an hour, you might think that it's just fine. If you believe that it was designed for a higher level of fairly constant use, you would probably not be disappointed. But since this unit is most likely for home users, it's hard to claim that the dispenser is ideally suited to the task.

Experience will let you know how high the grounds are supposed to be when you put them in the filter basket, and it's not going to take you long to learn. While this unit is not fool proof, chances are that you are not a fool, so things will work out.

For me, the bottom line is that once you know the correct grind setting for your beans, the unit is more "set it and forget it" than what the instructions said, at least with consistent beans, but the dispenser is a lot less "set it and forget it" than what the literature implies.

Personally, I prefer a unit that takes the guess work out of getting the grinds to be the right consistency, since it's easy to get the amount dispensed right by eyeballing it. This unit does very well in that respect.

I use this in conjunction with a Gaggia Coffee (now known as Gaggia Classic; the new Gaggia Coffee is a different machine) and the two make a good pair. Learning how much coffee to dispense is a minor part, compared to learning how long to hold the switch on the espresso machine, or how to froth milk perfectly, but ultimately, it boils down to knowing how to make a proper espresso. If you can tell when to stop the water based on the color of the coffee coming out, then a bit more or less from the grinder will affect how full the cup gets rather than the taste of your brew. You can't automate a perfect espresso, but you can use the correct tools to allow you to make one with experience.

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The Gaggia MDF fills a small, yet demanding space between the cheap and typically terrible $30-$100 burr grinders and the $500 Mazzer Mini. It's only real competition is the Rancilio Rocky and the Innova (if you can find one).

The main complaint about the MDF is that it is not continuously adjustable, which is true, however I have been able to position mine easily in the middle of two settings. This effectivly doubles the available settings and--with variations in tamp pressure--allows me to get really decent shots fairly consistantly.

I use this machine with my vintage swiss Elespresso machine (a Solis SL70 in disguise) and am consistantly pleased. It compares favorably with a Mazzer Mini on most days (I've got one of those too--as well as a La San Marco/Rossi) and for the price is a great buy. If you see a Rocky for the same price, that might be a better choice because of the larger number of settings, but only just.

For those not wanting to drop at least $300 on a grinder, this is a great choice. It fixes all the major faults of the Solis at only a few dollars more and is solidly made, reasonably consistant, and compact enough to sit next to most home machines on the market. Now if only it were a bit easier to clean...

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If you are reading this, you probably already know why a burr grinder is the only kind of grinder to get if you want to make good espresso (or coffee for that matter). And in the world of burr grinders, I think this is the best value out there.

The Good: The grind is excellent and very consistent. It's a work horse and will get the job done every day, all day, the same way.

The Bad: The doser is worse than useless. Not only does it not do what it is supposed to do, it makes it a pain to grind large amounts of beans for a pot of coffee (as opposed to a shot of espresso). Easy work around though: rather than hitting the doser lever twice (which if it worked perfectly would dispense 14 grams of coffee just the right amount for a double shot), I just pull it until my portafilter is overflowing, level the top into a small bowl, and get on with the tamping. Also, some people feel the gap in grinds is too great (i.e. the jump from setting 5 to setting 6 increases too much) I've only found that to be a slight problem, and only with very picky beans. Hasn't been enough of a problem for me to complain about at all.

The Rest: The price is right. $200 bucks (less with a coupon) and you are in the high-end coffee game. Sure you have the doser issues, but that doesn't effect the quality of the grind which when it comes right down to it is the only thing that matters. The cheapest quality grinder that comes in a doserless design is the Rancilio Rocky, which is a great unit it's just that a) it costs about $85 more and b) isn't sold by amazon.com so no free shipping.

All in all, in a non-commercial setting I don't feel it's worth the extra dosh for the Rocky. For value and grind quality, this bad boy is 5 stars take away 1 for the bad doser design.

I say buy it.

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Let me preface this review with the following statement: I consider myself a grinder novice. I've been making French Press coffee for the past 4 years, but this is my first grinder purchase. Up until now, I had let the coffee shop grind the beans (Oren's Daily Roast, mostly). Why the sudden urge to finally cough up the money for a quality home grinder? The answer is simple: a 5-pound bag of Jamaican Blue Mountain beans (picked up in Jamaica @ duty free). Ideally, you want to grind your beans just before brewing to have the best flavor, so I started shopping for my new grinder.

After spending at least a week sifting through reviews on this and other coffee sites (coffeegeek, coffeekid, ect.), I purchased this grinder with high hopes. I had considered the Solis Maestro Plus as a lower-priced alternative ($149), but opted to pay the minimal additional cost to take a step up to the Gaggia ($200). Also, there was a $25-off coupon on a Friday Home and Garden sale, and I figured it was worth the cost (purchase price: $175 after $25-off, plus free 2-day air shipping with a trial of Amazon Prime).

FIRST IMPRESSIONS:

The unit arrived in 3 business days, the delay a result of Memorial Day weekend. The most interesting thing I noticed when unpacking it was the presence of coffee grinds in the box. I then found the notice in the box that stated that this was not unusual, as all grinders are tested with actual coffee beans. I found this to be an excellent show of quality standards. The machine has a decent weight to it for its size, and takes up minimal counterspace (a big concern if you have a NYC apartment).

ON GRINDER SETTINGS:

There are 34 grinder settings: 1=fine (Espresso) and 34=coarse (French Press); the setting is adjusted by rotating the top. As I do not own an espresso machine (yet), I've only experimented with the coarse settings (32-34).

USING THE GRINDER:

Use is simple enough. Load the beans into the top, pick a grind setting, and turn on the power. There is no timer on this machine, so it will grind for as long as you keep it on.

The grinds are then deposited into the doser. You then pull the lever on the side of the doser to deposit the grounds into the FILTER HOLDER (read below). Each lever pull is supposed to deposit 7 grams of grounds (the amount recommended for a single shot of espresso). If your doser is not full, the first couple of pulls will not contain 7 grams of grounds.

Noise isn't a real issue. I wouldn't call it noisy, especially when compared to a blade grinder. But it IS a grinder, so a little noise has to be expected.

ON THE DOSER:

-First, there is no mechanism on the machine to catch the grounds deposited by the doser, only a FILTER HOLDER. This is essentially two "arms" below the doser meant to hold an espresso filter in place while you fill it (and most espresso filters should fit).

If you do not own an espresso machine, this may be a hassle. For making my French Press coffee, I have found that my half-cup measuring cup fits perfectly in the filter holder. This is fine for small amounts, but to grind enough to make larger amounts of coffee (like a pot), you would need to grind until you fill the doser, then dose over and over until you have enough grinds. It can get a little messy, but you're working with coffee grinds, so a little mess isn't unexpected.

NOTE: The doser is NOT removable.

-Another note about the doser is the possible effect on quality/taste.

Leaving ground coffee in the doser exposes it to air, which over time will reduce the quality of the flavor of your coffee.

This issue is not restricted to this brand/model, but it should be a consideration of anyone willing to spend $200 on a grinder.

To deal with this, you either have to: 1) grind just as much as you need, then dose until the doser is empty, or 2) leave some grinds in the doser. Option #1 will require some experimentation in grinding time, as there is no timer. Option #2 may not be a big deal, but if you spend this much on a grinder, then you should be getting your money's worth in fresh cups of coffee. (This hasn't been a concern for me, as I grind several days' worth of beans at a time, then vacuum-seal and refrigerate. If this is available to you, I highly recommend it.)

ON THE GRIND:

I've had my model for about 2 weeks, and I've had excellent results. I've taken the time to research the acutal burrs used in various grinders, and have found nothing but good things about the ones used in this machine. The ground is uniform each time, and works very well for my French Press (setting #32, a little more than one rounded tablespoon per 4 ounces of 200 degree filtered water, brewed for 4 minutes. I've noticed an immediate difference in taste with grinding my beans immediately before brewing, and static in the grounds has been negligible.

If you're reading this, then chances are you haven't convinced yourself to shell out $250 for a Rancilio Rocky (or even more for a Mazzer Mini), but you don't want to deal with the issues of the Solis Maestro and the like. As someone who values a balance between cost and value, I figured that the quality was worth the extra money. Thusfar, I've been having some great coffee, and I'm sure it will only get better with more experimenting. Aside from the workarounds required by the doser (dropping the rating to 4), I've found this to be an excellent product.

Update 8/2/2006: Regarding grinding time, I've found that grinding roughly one second per ounce of water of coffee for my French Press has given me great results.

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Hamilton Beach Single Serve Scoop Coffee Maker

I've been a long time user of personal brewers two pod/cup type machines one well known, one lesser known. My problem with them both is that using your own coffee (I have my non pod favorite!) produces a mess and/or very weak coffee. They simply don't hold the right coffee/water ratio to produce what I would consider an excellent cup of coffee.

I recently spied this machine and immediately liked that it was non proprietary, read the former reviews, looked at the price tag and was skeptical how good could it be for under $60 when its rival starts at $100? I finally brought one home and I'm sold! Using the "bold" setting it made even a decaf coffee nice and strong and it reminded me of the results that I get with my French Press full bodied, rich & flavorful.

I like that the basket for the coffee is nice and deep and easy to fill. The water resevoir is easily filled. It holds an ample 14 oz. of water you get out what you put in so playing with the measurement and grind of your favorite coffee takes some perfecting. The brewer starts immediately, the light goes out signaling it is finished brewing. It is a tad faster than the mini version of the more popular single cupper. The coffee comes out hot. I haven't seen any issues with leaking, spraying, etc. Hamilton Beach was also thinking when the made the drip tray so that it flips over and fills the space to a smaller cup size.

I'd add some cons but really there isn't anything that I dislike about this machine.

I just purchased this yesterday, so I can't vouch for its longevity, but we have made several quick cups of coffee and tea using this and it works great.

Let me say that I am a caffeine addict. I prefer my coffee bold, am picky about my freshly roasted beans and prefer the taste of french press-made coffee. However, I am also not a morning person, and having to make a large cup of coffe in the morning while trying to get busy kids and a busy mom ready for school/work is quite a chore. Also, being the only coffee drinker in the house (my husband and oldest son like tea), my only option after drinking the first cup was to dump out the rest or refridgerate it and microwave it later neither were options I was thrilled about.

I didn't want to pay the price of one of the larger Keurigs; nor did I have the counter space for that. We have a large Keurig at my office and, while I certainly appreciate being able to brew a fresh cup of coffee whenever I want, it's a noisy machine, it has to be constantly plugged in to maintain its heating elements, and the coffee pods leave something to be desired.

I checked out the smaller, less-expensive Keurigs in the stores, but they felt very flimsy and I had read reviews about them breaking down frequently.

My HB One-Scoop feels sturdy, doesn't take up much counter space, was reasonably priced and, best of all, makes a great cup of coffee. It took a few tries for me to determine how fine to grind my beans and how much of it to use, but after that, it's been a breeze: You take your cup, fill it with water and pour that into the reservoir on top. Then, you take the scoop (which doubles as a filter), scoop out the amount of ground coffee you want, slap that scoop into a filter cup that is already sitting in the well, close the lid and press either the "regular" or "bold" button. The coffee drips quietly into your cup. Also, clean up literally takes seconds All you need to do is rinse out the scoop filter and filter cup in hot water.

You don't have to plug this unit in until you're ready to use it, and an adjustable shelf allow you to use a smaller mug or a larger travel-sized mug.

This comes with two scoops, so you can make more than one cup of coffee if you have company and not have to stick a wet scoop into your ground coffee. We have also used it just for hot water for tea and it works equally well with a rinsed out filter scoop and filter cup.

In addition, the scoop and water reservoir also has measurement lines for an 8 oz. and 14 oz. cup of coffee, although I do use extra coffee to get the strength I like.

I love being able to use my favorite coffees and not get stuck buying expensive, weak-flavored pods. I'm so glad I got this.

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I am a coffee connoisseur. I have tried every machine from the Senseo to the Bunn Home Cafe (very expensive coffee brewer) to the French Press. I am tired of the "pod" machines because you just cannot get a good cup of coffee, even when you make your own pods. Therefore, I researched numerous coffee brewers and was contemplating getting a Keurig when I spotted this coffee brewer during a TV commercial. My first thought was that this is the ideal concept -scooping your own coffee -no pods or K-cups. I purchased this brewer and was determined not to like it because it wasn't an "expensive" brewer. While it does have several inconveniences, like having to refill the water reservoir each time you want a cup of coffee, bottom line is it makes the best cup of coffee for a single serve coffee maker that I've ever tasted! It is a simple machine, but ideal for those who just want a delicious cup of coffee each time you turn it on. Another plus, the water gets very hot, unlike other machines I've used where the water comes out luke warm.

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Single-serve coffee makers: you name it, I've owned it. Keurig, Tassimo, and Dolce Gusto: all of them are fun at first, but once the novelty wears off they're nothing but proprietary machines serving up very spendy (and small) cups of coffee and contributing constantly to land fills. :(

I bought a "My K-Cup" for my Keurig, one way to cut down on the expense (and the garbage) but it gets to be kind of a pain to rinse and fill and cap that little thing each time. With Tassimo and Dolce Gusto, you're really stuck. There's no way to make your own T-Discs or Dolce-Gusto capsules.

I had a nice espresso machine, and purchased ESE pods, which took care of a lot of the mess that espresso machines tend to create. But once again, those really add up, and if all you want is just a good cuppa joe, then you also need a kettle (or electric kettle) to boil hot water to make an Americano.

Used a French press for quite a while, too...I still wasted coffee, though. And warmed up second cups in the microwave.

And then--VOILA! I found this machine! I had never heard of it until I stumbled upon it at our local Fred Meyer. It was on sale and I impulse-bought it on the spot.

This thing is just great. It's really simple, so I wonder why no one ever thought of it before? There's no noisy pump contraption (to break down later); it's really just a regular old automatic drip coffee maker, but on a small scale, brewing one cup (8-14oz) at a time. Having the part that holds the grinds also be the scoop to scoop up the coffee is just brilliant. The little hook on the side to hang up an extra scoop: genius. One cup at a time. Nice and hot, everyone gets it the way they like it, no more leftover coffee sitting on the burner turning nasty, only to be tossed down the drain later. No carafe to clean (and de-scale and eventually break). I drink my coffee in the morning; my DH works third shift and drinks his in the evening: one regular cup, and then a big travel cup to go, and this machine does both sizes (and anything in-between) perfectly.

It's a slender machine with a small footprint so it takes up very little space on my already-too-crowded counter, it contributes absolutely no garbage (not even paper filters), it is super-easy to clean, it is stainless steel and black and very modern and attractive, and you can use ANY kind of coffee you like, and make it any size you like, and any strength you like, and it is EASY!

You just can't go wrong with this machine. I love it. :D

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I did not buy this on Amazon but bought it at a brick and mortar after reading scores of poor reviews for every other type of single serve coffee maker made. I had given up on getting a strong cup of coffee from a "speed" brewer. After buying this machine I came home and read its reviews and again saw claims of weak coffee. My first 3 cups confirmed my fears. BUT my fourth cup I packed down the grounds with the back of a spoon and the cup was FANTASTIC. It was easily comparable to an actual cup from Dunkin'. This machine is well worth the investment at half the cost of any k-cup machine and the drawback of a weak cup is remedied with a very simple solution.

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Melitta Espresso Maker

We bought this product based on the Melitta name and the enthusiastic reviews, even though there were just a couple of them. We also liked the fact that it was designed for both pods and ground espresso, and based one review, it seems to work well with pods. The unit is also easy to operate and clean.

Using ground espresso, however, the result was much weaker than we got with our old, fading Krups, using the same coffee. We followed the instructions closely and also tried different coffee and water ratios. We then sent very specific questions to the support team (at Hamilton Beach) from their web site... and received no response.

We appreciate how Amazon took this back with no effort (other than cleaning and repacking) on our part. We will continue to make Amazon our seller of choice.

I got this espresso maker for Christmas this year after getting hooked on latte's. with this maker i have been able to match what i was getting at a coffee house. it took some practice but i figured it out. i haven't tried it with the pods yet but grounds work just fine!!! The frother is amazing and i have started saving a great deal of money.

this machine was one of the best Christmas gifts i could have ever gotten!!!

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I purchased this espresso maker in Dec of 2011 and I was excited about getting the unit to replace a Delonghi that gave out. I figured if I paid in the $150.00 range I would be getting something better than the unit I replaced (about $80.00), but it wasn't so. It does heat up quickly but that's about it. The first unit wouldn't draw water from the tank. I called Melitta and they had me try a few things before saying they were authorized to send me a new unit. The service rep told me they would send a new unit and instruct me as to where to send the plug I cut off the defective one. I asked at least twice if I was to send the plug first and she said no. It seemed strange but I waited for the unit to arrive and assumed it was taking extra time to get here because of Xmas. After 3 weeks I called and they said they had no record of me calling. I had to go through the whole story again, send them the plug from the defective unit first (makes sense right?) and received the new unit. It worked but it leaks all over my counter and the handle that holds the grounds is corroding. I use only bottled water. I called them and they said to send them the handle so that they can look at it and figure out why it's corroding. I have the old one from the first broken unit that I can use but they don't have any replacement parts to send me so that if the second one corrodes I can't use the machine at all. The water drips into a plastic piece and doesn't touch the corroded metal, but it still isn't right. The water tank is large but when it gets about half way empty it doesn't draw well and sometimes I have to fill it to get it to work, so it's like having half a tank. I wouldn't buy another Melitta.

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I was so excited about this gift when I first recieved it! Then I plugged it in...I did all the first time cleaning and whatnot that's required before brewing the first cup, plugged it in, dropped in the pod and expectantly watched my coffee cup...nothing came out of the filter assembly but water did start spilling all over my counter!This machine has never worked and Melitta said I couldn't return the item because I had no reciept (it was a gift). I've tried half a hundred things to get this machine to work but, in the end, all I got was a brand new piece of junk. Disappointing.

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I received a Melitta espresso maker for Christmas. I was really happy as I love Lattes but I don't love their price. I thought I would save a lot of money by making them at home. Unfortunately, I didn't save a thing over $100 (the price of the machine) went down the drain! I have tried and tried to make a decent cup of espresso with it but no matter what I do it ends up extremely weak. I have tried using different brands & kinds of coffee; tried packing the coffee basket tighter and looser; and varying the water levels. Nothing has worked. All I can see that the machine is good for is taking up counter space & collecting dust!

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