Hamilton Beach 47900 BrewStation 12 Cup Dispensing Coffeemaker

I just received this coffeemaker directly from Hamilton Beach after my previous Hamilton Beach coffeemaker (purchased from Amazon) died after less than one year. Hamilton Beach replaced it under warranty after some bickering. I'm still chuckling about Hamilton Beach's request that I cut the electrical cord on my old coffeemaker & mail it to them, then mail them a photo of the cordless machine (which I did). Luckily, I was able to search for the order & I e-mailed the date of purchase to Hamilton Beach. The HB before that one lasted seven years, but I guess those days are over with cheaper manufacturing & outsourcing of parts. I have always liked these carafe-free coffeemakers & the coffee always came out hot enough--provided you preheated the unit by running water through it before brewing coffee.

One of the supposed "upgrades" or "improvements" is the detachable water reservoir. I have never had trouble filling the old non-detachable reservoir, so I don't find this feature especially useful.

The worst (and dumbest) thing Hamilton Beach could have done is to make the round filter in the coffee tank non removeable. With the previous models, the filter is removeable. I always left it off because it filters out too much coffee flavor & the coffee comes out weak regardless of how much ground coffee is used. Besides, I always use filtered water anyway. I just made a 12-oz cup of coffee & I used 5 tbsp. of coffee which should make pretty strong coffee. The coffee came out weak. I prefer coffee with a little cream & sugar, not cream & sugar with a little coffee.

I bought a $10.00 Hario Coffee Drip from Starbucks & made better, stronger coffee using less grounds than with this machine.

Had I paid for this machine, I would have returned it.

If you like weaker coffee, you'll like this coffeemaker, otherwise, buyer beware.

Update: 10-13-12: After contacting Hamilton Beach & asking if I could remove that filter without damaging the unit, they explained that I could not, because if I did remove it, coffee would leak from the tank. So, I tried an interesting trick: After making the coffee, I lifted the coffee tank & poured the coffee directly into my cup instead of using the dispenser lever. That bypasses the filter. The coffee came out a bit stronger but still rather weak. WARNING: If you do it that way, you have to be very careful not to touch that metal heating plate at the bottom of the tank. Yeah...it's very HOT.

UPDATE: 10-28-12. I found my older Hamilton Beach Coffeemaker & made an interesting discovery that further explains why the coffee is so weak regardless of how much coffee is used. On my old HB coffeemaker, there are NINE LARGE HOLES, spaced far apart in a large shower-head design that allows the hot water to fall on ALL the coffee in the basket simultaneously. This is ideal. On this new coffeemaker, there are only SEVEN SMALL HOLES close together (like a hose nozzle) so the coffee can't possibly be completely saturated by the water. This is likely a much bigger issue than the permanent filter in the tank. MAJOR FAIL on Hamilton Beach's part. If you use expensive coffee in this machine, you're wasting money with each cup.

For our last 4 coffee makers we purchased only Hamilton Beach Brew Stations. This latest is the best so far due to the separate water tank. While I agree with others that a light would be helpful under the fill spout, the only thing that really concerns me is the percolating sound it makes for the entire 2 hours that it is keeping our coffee warm. None of the other models over the years have made this continuous noise. It sounds like the coffee is still brewing when it clearly isn't. I've never seen a review that mentioned this problem, so maybe it's an isolated issue. If anyone has input I'd like to hear it. Other than that, once again we're satisfied with the brew station.

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This is the third BrewStation we've owned. The first one had that horrible leaky tank problem... the second one was pretty good and lasted us for a long while, but still had the issue w/being difficult to fill, plus the serving spout was too low for filling travel mugs.

When the second one died w/o warning (still not sure what happened), I purchased this machine. I really like the look, the removable/refillable water tank, and the higher dispensing spout. The coffee is very good and stays drinkable until the end of the pot. The features of this machine (timer, customizable 'keep warm' time) are the same as the last machine I had, so nothing new to remark on there, but it works well. I particularly like the fact that the 'program' button glows brightly and is easy to see across the room when I'm not quite sure whether or not I've already set it up for the next day (don't ask, I'm getting old.)

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I purchased this coffee maker after my beloved Chemex was broken, and my husband begged me to get a "real" coffee maker with an automatic timer. Otherwise, I'd have bought another Chemex.

This one had all the bells and whistles my husband wanted, and I was pleased by the assertion that my coffee wouldn't get that nasty scorched taste that I've associated with most drip coffee makers.

Right out of the box and a quick wash, I brewed 4 cups of Ethiopian, same as I used in my Chemex this morning. The taste wasn't as good as the Chemex. However, it was a nice good cup of coffee, and plenty strong for my taste.

However, just like the regular brewers, this one keeps the coffee too hot, especially if you only have a cup or two in the warmer. Their assertion that you won't have scorched coffee isn't really true, so I can't give it more than three stars.

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I like the idea of the brew station, but after a few days I returned it to the retailer. There were two issues. First, even on the "BOLD" setting, it require more coffee than my old $20 pot to get a good flavorfull cup of coffee. Intead of 12 tbs as recommended, it needed 14-15 to get a strong enough brew. Most importantly, it would not keep the coffee hot enough in the on-board pot. Even after being in the resevior for 30-40 minutes, I still had to microwave each cup to get them piping hot.

I don't know if I go a lemon, or if this is normal for a Brewstation. I didn't take a chance on another. I'll go back to a conventional coffee maker.

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Aluminum Espresso Stovetop Coffeemaker with Domed Lid

This is the worst espresso coffee pot I have bought. It leaks, it spits. Also, after the pot has cooled down, it still is almost impossible to remove the filter to make a new pot. I would rather go without espresso than using this pot. DON'T BUY IT

I have alot of experience with stove top espresso units, and was really disappointed with this item. It leaked significantly no matter how tightly it was put together. Additionally, after only one month, the handle broke off, with not much pressure on it trying to take the unit apart.

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Nespresso CitiZ C110 Espresso Maker

I wanted to purchase this machine a while ago, but couldn't find coffee capsules that I liked. That's changed.

I took a second look at Nespresso when the Pixie came out, but after using the Pixie in the store on multiple occasions, I wouldn't purchase it. (Please see my Pixie review). I instead purchased the Citiz.

It's a great machine, producing consistent quality coffee from cup to cup with a lovely crema at the top. When you test the coffees, read the descriptions, and look for the intensity numbers (which can be found in the descriptions and on the sleeve which contains the capsules). If you can get the brochure with a wheel on the back page, it gives you acidity and bitterness ratings for each blend. I found that I do not like the "citrus" and "flowery" blends, but prefer the more intense blends which are still not bitter.

A couple of tips:

if you want more of an Americano, brew as directed for the different varieties, then eject the capsule and do another shot of just water. If you attempt to put too much water through the capsules, you will increase bitterness of the coffee.

don't forget to preheat your cups.... run a shot of just hot water through the machine and use it to warm your cup. Doing this will also prime the pump of the machine which will give you a hotter first cup of coffee.

In case you are curious: my favorite blends: Roma, Arpeggio, Fortissimo Longo, Vivalto Longo, Capriccio (lighter for a change, and this was OK with a little more water).

*** Update 12/21/11 ***

The limited edition flavors for this season are: Vanilla Blossom, Dark Chocolate, and Cherry. To my surprise, I liked the Vanilla the best (and I thought it would be the Dark Chocolate). I purchased both the Cherry and Vanilla. They are all worth trying. They are produced in small quantities, so when they are gone, I don't believe they will be available any longer.

Also, if you haven't seen the videos which Nespresso has put on line to advertise the special flavors of the season, they are fabulous!

Enjoy!

The CitiZ Nespresso machine is a beautiful, simple, small, and well designed espresso maker.

This machine does exactly one thing, and does it extremely well; it makes the best darn espresso. There are two buttons one for espresso the other for lungo. Essentially they are two different timers; lungo runs the pump for a longer time. These buttons are easily programmed to longer or shorter delivery times.

In use, there is nothing easier. Lift the black handle on the top of the machine. Drop a Nespresso capsule into the slot. Close the lever down. Press the button for the size of drink. When finished, lift the lever and the used capsule drops in a clear plastic reservoir (seen just behind the cup of espresso in the product picture).

From cold machine to a cup of espresso is roughly 1.5 minutes. Warm up time is around a minute, and brew time for the cup is about 30 seconds. Couldn't be faster, couldn't be easier.

On to the quality. You will never ever drink a better cup of espresso at Starbucks or Caribou, you can't. They make those drinks in paper cups and by definition the espresso can't be as good. There is nothing like drinking from a ceramic cup, it enhances the flavor more than you can imagine. You cannot mess up making the espresso. The capsule is hermetically sealed in aluminum; there is absolutely no air exchange, unlike plastic or paper containers. There is no need to refrigerate or freeze these capsules they do not deteriorate due to air exchange. Nespresso has solved some of the most critical variables in making espresso, fineness of coffee grind, roast time and temperature, preventing air from interacting with the coffee, pressure and temperature of the water, and brew residence time. Each cup tastes exactly the same one after the other.

The espresso itself. Oh my goodness, I have spent a lot of time in Italy drinking espresso at corner cafes. Nespresso is as good as, if not better than, anything I ever had in Italy. It is the rare US or Canadian restaurant that can brew a better espresso. Nespresso has become the gold standard by which I judge espresso when I travel. The crema on these drinks is amazing thick, rich, and perfect.

This machine is a replacement for a six year old Nespresso model D290. This lovely machine made maybe 15,000 espressos, it was incredibly reliable, up until a few weeks ago, it started to act strange not wanting to heat when first turned on. The only maintenance was descaling the machine every 6 months. I expect the CitiZ to last just as long.

Admittedly I am addicted to this machine, the espresso. Two to three espressos per day is my standard, and my wife usually has one or two lungos per day. Hopefully you can understand that I love this machine, and I love this espresso. This is far superior to any other "on demand" coffee makers, this machine makes real espresso.

Noise yes this machine makes noise. The CitiZ is slightly quieter than the older models, but it still makes noise. ALL mechanical espresso machines make noise; there is no way around that problem (you have to pump the water to reach the 90 some odd PSI to make real espresso). To me, this machine makes the most beautiful noise ever. It's a solid heavy pump sound, not some wimpy whiny noise. It's also so beautiful because my mind knows what is coming next, a great cup of espresso.

The real competitor to this machine, the Illy line, and $1000 true ground espresso machines. Here's the huge downside to those machines the Illy machines are well over $750, and the cartridges are paper wrapped (so once you open the can, you need to use all those cartridges quickly air is ground coffee's worst enemy). The ground coffee versions, you have a long warm up time to build heat and pressure in the vessel, you have to grind your own coffee, there's a huge variable introduced in grind size and coffee packing, and you have messy coffee grounds to clean up.

When you compare this machine to the alternatives for real espresso, this is a cheap machine. Add the convenience, and this is a no brainer choice to me. The one downside to this machine and all the Nespresso machines, you have to buy your coffee from Nestle directly over the internet or phone. Nobody else makes these capsules. Myself, I simply buy 500 at a time and watch my supply. From ordering to delivery is usually 3 days.

One of my biggest concerns in buying this was the longevity of Nestle producing these capsules. I think they will produce these for a long time in the future. The machine dates back to 1986. It is very popular in Europe. The capsule they use is a commodity aluminum capsule that is used by a number of other industries in other words, Nestle buys these formed aluminum capsules, fills them, and seals them. There is no proprietary container, unlike the other two popular beverages on demand machines. Nestlé's investment in capsule manufacture and distribution (all 100% internet or phone based with no marketing in the US) is really small for a great return to them.

Visiting Italians have told me this is the best espresso they have ever had in the US. And my wife, who rarely ever drank brewed coffee, looks forward to her lungo every morning.

If you are looking for that special $100 arena, and only want an on-demand beverage maker, this is by far the best machine you can buy:

Bosch TAS4511UC Tassimo Single-Serve Coffee Brewer, Silk Silver just remember, it makes great coffee, cappuccino, hot chocolate, tea but it does not make espresso (no matter what anyone says or claims, it is incapable of doing that). They have fixed the awful sound of the original machine by working with Bosch.

The other alternative for just coffee making (no cappuccino or hot chocolate) Keurig B60 Special Edition Gourmet Single-Cup Home-Brewing System.

The perfect accessory for the CitiZ is the Aeroccino. This is well worth the approximately $100 investment, it makes perfect foamed milk with no skills required. (Nespresso Aeroccino Plus)

I chose the CitiZ without the foamer included in the kit because I like the tiny footprint of this machine. The additional space for the foamer on the base takes up a lot of counter space. I really like the simplicity of this model.

The Pixie is a newer model from Nespresso. I'm not as impressed with that machine. In real life, it doesn't look as cool as this machine. June 2012 Update: I've actually used a Pixie, there is a big difference in machines. The Pixie makes a lot more noise, and maybe not a good different noise. The CitiZ is much quieter.

The other option is the Essenza, pretty much the same internal parts as the CitiZ; it is just squat and doesn't come in fun colors. Adjusting the cup height is a little more complicated with the Essenza. These machines have gotten less and less expensive over the years. My C290 list price was $600 almost 7 years ago. These new machines in the $200 price range are an outstanding value.

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COFFEE. It's fine. My standard is Peets -a much darker roast than Starbucks. Nespresso is not quite as strong, but ristretto shots of their darkest blend come close to the Italian, not French, flavor I like. On a good day, I could do better grinding beans with a $300 Italian grinder and pulling shots through a $700 Italian espresso machine, but the average was no better.

CONVENIENCE. Nespresso wins running away. That's because this is not the greenest purchase you will ever make. The capsules are hard to recycle unless your rinse them, which defeats the major benefit, which is convenient quality coffee.

COST. It's a rip off. Nespresso is building and aggressively defending a razors and razor-blade franchise (or a printer and cartridge franchise). As the Times quoted a marketing executive at goo.gl/nHesc "The idea was to keep it to the level of people who have a doorman.". See goo.gl/rhors for an explanation of the Nespresso marketing model. Nespresso has sold 30 billion capsules and grew the business grew 66% last year. They are militant against people who try to sell coffee capsules and this machine will not work with counterfeit capsules that do work in other Nespresso units. Add http :// with no space to the URLs to make them work -Amazon strips them out otherwise.

MAINTENANCE. Same as any machine -you need to descale it every 2-3 months depending on your water. I use a commercial descaler because the Nespresso ones are very expensive. I know, you are shocked. Don't use vinegar unless you want to taste it in your coffee for awhile.

RELIABILITY. Mine broke after two years. Started leaking, reduced the pressure, so the coffee got weak. Eventually the machine did not pierce the front of the capsule and only spewed water.

SERVICE. You cannot service the unit -they shut it with tiny Tork screws. Nespresso has a 24/7 phone line with helpful staff. Their web site is funky -it breaks a lot. Fixing the leaky machine costs $125 (they ship you a loaner in the meantime). It's half the price of a new machine, with half a warranty.

BOTTOM LINE: Would I buy one again? Yeah. And probably will. But that doesn't make me happy about it. If only I could complain to my doorman.

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Wow! Lived in Europe for many years and enjoyed the coffee everyday. Since returning, it's been difficult to find the right machine, coffee, grind, etc., with a busy life. After an extended stay in Switzerland several years ago and running into this machine at many friend's homes and in the cities, it seemed like a great way to enjoy really good espresso at home.

This coffee machine meets all expectations for taste, convenience, design, cost, and even sustainability, if you believe the literature. It's also a very aesthetic experience. After buying the machine locally, we ordered pods through the Nespresso Club. They came beautifully packaged with a nice storage box. The colors of the pods are quite lovely, the included book was fascinating with appealing illustrations, and it is very sweetly translated. The machine works like a dream, and the coffee tastes great. Not to mention the tiny footprint of the coffee maker on the countertop. Very enthusiastic about this coffee maker. Forget Starbucks with it's syrups and sugar that covers up the taste of inferior coffee. Just go Nespresso for wonderful fresh, high-quality coffee at home that's certainly much cheaper in the long run!

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Here's my theory: Nespresso is the Apple of the coffee world. Their products look great, and they work seamlessly pretty much every time. But, as with Apple products, Nespresso gets those consistent results by limiting the user inputs and not allowing you to fiddle with things too much. (And as with Apple products, you pay more for the experience!)

So if you're a coffee purist or a die-hard-PC-type personality, you might not be happy with a Nespresso machine. But I can't resist such a perfect marriage of form and function, and I love that I can push one button and get a great shot of espresso.

And yes, it is REAL espresso--water is forced through the coffee grounds at the proper temperature and pressure to create a rich, thick crema and a shot with low acidity and no bitterness. So back off, coffee snobs.

I looked at the Pixie, too, but it seemed more plastic-y and flimsy. The footprint of the CitiZ was nearly as small (width is similar to the Pixie, perhaps even a bit narrower, but it's a little deeper and definitely taller), but it seemed sturdier and had more metal parts. The Pixie felt like it would lift up if I tried to operate the capsule lever with one hand, and I didn't like the fact that part of the face of the machine moved forward when you put the pod in--I was afraid that the moving parts, which were all made of plastic, wouldn't last long. The lever of the CitiZ, like the rest of the machine, just felt sturdier in operation.

The titanium looks great on my counter without being too slick and shiny. I also liked that it was tall enough to brew the espresso shots straight into my mug while the milk heats up; the Essenza only brews into a shot-size glass, and the flip-up shelf on the Pixie seemed flimsy and wasn't designed to stay flipped up on its own.

Like all Nespresso machines, the CitiZ makes a nice shot of espresso with just the push of a button, and the crema is lovely. I prefer the stronger blends for cappuccino, and a milder blend lungo for a macchiato. No bitterness, no grounds in my glass, and very low acidity. Temperature is good and hot, too; the rep at Bloomingdales, where I tried these out, said that if the shots start to seem cooler than before you should descale the machine.

Not much to say about the operation--it's really a one-touch deal. Emptying the pod container can be a bit messy because there's water below it, but I think I'm getting the hang of it now. Haven't had to descale yet, but it seems to be similarly straightforward.

The capsules start at 57 cents on the Nespresso site, and I got a $75 credit for the Nespresso store with my purchase (they seem to run these kinds of promotions fairly often). If you live near a Bloomingdale's with a Nespresso boutique, you can take back the used pods for recycling (at least you can at the one in DC). As far as I know, the Bloomingdale's Nespresso stores are the only brick-and-mortar stores that carry the capsules. Again, I think that's how they ensure that you get good results--they can tightly control the freshness of the product.

So if you're willing to give up some control to get a good result every time, with no fiddling or fussing or cleanup, Nespresso is perfect. If you're a control freak who wants to manage every variable of the experience, then Nespresso probably isn't for you. But if you appreciate the melding of form and function, and you want a better-than-average shot of espresso in less than a minute with no mess or fuss, you'll love the CitiZ. I sure do.

Gaggia 90500 Titanium Super Automatic Espresso Machine, Silver

This machine replaces a semiautomatic Delonghi, which, I thought, was decent. Well...after using this for 3 weeks, I can honestly say that my old machine was barely competent. The Titanium is a wonderful machine. Not only is the espresso excellent but the panerella wand makes awesome froth and the thing looks great. It's fully programable and, once set, it's just a matter of pushing a button to brew a delicious espresso every time! It warms up in UNDER A MINUTE, has a large bean hopper, large water resevior, very cool blue lcd display...i can't rave enough. I've had no problems at all with this machine and I recommend it heartily.

Believe me, I thought long and hard for paying over a $1,000 for a coffee maker. The very idea struck me as a bit outrageous, since I've never paid more than $50 for a coffee maker before, but now I'm glad I did. I looked at several espresso makers, ranging from the simplest (and cheapest) to the mid-range machines on up to this beast, the Gaggia Titanium. I finally decided to take the coffee plunge and figured that I could always return it if my wife ("the decider", as I like to call her) vetoed the purchase.

I ordered the Titanium during my Amazon Prime trial, so it was shipped overnight for just a few dollars and arrived on a Monday. We had house guests at the time and while one didn't drink coffee, the other considered himself a hard-core coffee purist (he even has a roaster at home and buys his beans green). I noticed right away that the machine was packed well, which is always a good sign. I had the machine out of the box, read through the directions, and started brewing coffee in about 15 minutes. Wow. This was easily the best coffee I had ever tasted, with none of the bitterness I usually associate with espresso (at least with espresso I've made).

The machine produces four different beverages: espresso, "regular" coffee, caffe lungo, and hot water. (Caffe lungo, as it turns out, is literally "coffee long" and is similar to espresso, but with more water passed through for a longer brew time. While I'd never heard of it, it's now my wife's new morning beverage.) There's also the frothing wand and the cappuccinatore, which is an attachment that replaces the frothing wand specifically for cappuccino. While others have mentioned never using the cappuccinatore, it's all I've used so far and I've converted at least two strict coffee drinkers to cappuccino lovers.

My second (after the cost) biggest concern was that I'd been told that super automatics are a pain to clean and that it would be more hassle than it's worth. As it turns out, the Titanium's not the hard to clean. The dregdrawer (which holds the "hockey pucks" as my friend calls them) sits inside the drip tray, which easily slides out after you unlatch the door. The Titanium's blue display will let you know when it's time to empty the drip drawer. (It's not clever enough to know if you empty the dregdrawer in between these warnings, but if you empty it on your own schedule, you simply pull out the drawer for 5 seconds and slide it back in.) For the drip tray, there's a red plastic float that rises up as the tray fills to let you know that it's time to empty the tray.

The most difficult part to clean, which isn't all that hard, is the brewunit, which processes the coffee as it comes out of the grinder (or from the ground coffee slot, if you choose to use your own ground coffee). You have to unscrew a couple stainless steel plates and brush the unit (with an included brush). In short, cleaning a super automatic is no more of a chore than cleaning the separate appliances (coffee grinder and drip/espresso maker). One minor annoyance is mentioned on an orange sheet packed in the box that says that "oily" beans can clog the grinder and there's an 800 number to call for suggestions.

The only problem that I've had is that the beans (Starbuck's Caffe Verona) don't fall into the grinder properly and so every few cups the Titanium reports that the beans are empty even when there are beans in the hopper. Reaching into the hopper and pushing the beans around fixes that problem, but the rep at the 800 number reports that the oily beans will cause a buildup in the grinder and offered to send instructions on how to clean the grinder, should that become a problem. (It hasn't been for me yet, but I've only had the Titanium for a week and a half.) The suggestion I got from the 800 number was to let the beans sit on a baking sheet for an hour or so before adding them to the hopper and while this hasn't eliminated the problem of the non-empty hopper, it has reduced it.

One more tip: if you don't have a grinder, consider buying one (I bought the KitchenAid KPCG100NP Pro Line Burr Coffee Grinder, Nickel Pearl from Amazon and have been very happy with it). Sometimes (especially in the evenings, I've had requests for decaf and I'd rather not try to empty the bean hopper and grinder. Instead, you can add a scoop of ground coffee and press the "pre-ground coffee" button to tell the Titanium to use your ground coffee rather than grinding it fresh. (I suppose you could also buy already ground coffee, but if you're already spending over $1,000 on a coffee maker, what's a grinder?)

The bottom line: if you spend more than a few bucks a day on coffee, you can justify the cost and you'll wind up with great coffee. I suppose it's some measure of how much we enjoy the coffee that with three coffee drinkers, we've brewed just over 120 "coffees" (an espresso shot-sized measure of all three coffee products) in ten days. There's no question that this is a 5-star product.

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this is my second fully automatic espresso machine; my first was saeco magic that was retired after it began to incessantly leak. i knew that saeco and gaggia were the same company, and the saeco served me well for nearly 9 years with no service whatsoever (although it was a minor repair i found out later) but i wanted to get a newer, more attractive machine, so i spent time looking into this gaggia.

i actually didn't purchase this machine here, but on ebay, but in the past year the price has gone done so you would do best to get it here. the machine i bought on ebay was brand new, unopened (and at the same price they sell it here) and with factory warranty. this is a beautiful piece of equipment, but if you need to save money, the gaggia titanium (without the SS suffix) is $200 cheaper and identical, just doesn't have the stainless steel side panels.

i gave it only 4 stars as it exhibited "issues" just 3 days out of warranty; it appeared to have started leaking. after a quick search into "authorized" repair centers and reading through the nightmares of some people, i found a local repair shop that was able to fix the issue in under a week. apparently, a fitting for the steam boiler was malformed, causing it to leak. the issue was fixed quickly (and for less than $100) and since then, the machine has been making dozens of cups of espresso a day!

the espresso is rich and HOT (being able to set the temperature on this unit is a great thing that a LOT of units don't have) and cleanup is fairly simple. i haven't had the "ventilate" issue that i have seen others write about here. one annoying feature, is that the energy saving feature REQUIRES that you set a turn on/turn off time. and every time the unit turns on, it uses some of the water in the tank to rinse the brew group. normally, not a big issue, but since the water is drained into the pan beneath the unit, you DO have to remember to empty it. while this unit is SO smart...it doesn't know when the pan is full (save for a pathetic little manual indicator) and if you aren't careful, you may end up with murky coffee water all over the place! if you use your machine as often as i use mine (daily), you'll make a note to empty the drain pain every couple of days.

occasionally, the machine will report that the dregdrawer (where the used grounds are deposited) is full, when it actually isn't. best thing is to just empty it and replace the drawer...everything works fine.

i didn't use the wild looking frothing accessory...the actual metal frother that you see on the front of the unit works wonderfully, is easy to clean, and best of all, since the unit has 2 boilers, there's no waiting between brewing espresso and steaming milk...it does dispense nice HOT water as well...

and lastly...the grinder. i know that some people have had issues with it not feeding the coffee properly; this is mainly when the machine is new. once the oil from the beans have lubricated the unit, it is less of a problem. although i found a tip online that said to remove the small cap over the grinder (just try not to stick your fingers in when it's on). i did this to my unit, and have rarely had a problem since...

all in all, a great unit. expensive, but when you weigh it out, i've made over 1000 cups of espresso in this machine in the past year. at starbucks, that would have been anywhere from $2500-4000...so it paid for itself in short order :)

addendum: a year later and 1000 cups more and still going strong! no further issues with leakage. make SURE you decalcify the unit per manual instructions...with over 2400 cups made you can only imagine the money saved at the coffee shop :) i highly reccommend lavazza super crema beans for this machine...

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I should've known better. I initially purchased a Gaggia Titanium SS for myself because of Gaggia's supposed excellence in the espresso device market. I'll have to admit, the machine looks beautiful and when it works its awesome. However, after about 2-3 months of use, the machine started to leak in the inside upper-right corner. Puddles and puddles of water on my countertop! If that weren't enough, the increased humidity and steam from leakage caused the digital display to appear distorted and fuzzy! If that weren't enough, I keep on getting a "Close Door" message even though the door is closed! I'm not finished! The grinder adjustment knob doesn't work! I have the grind set at the finest setting and I'm getting coarse coffee grinds!

I called Importika to get this machine serviced and spoke to a "Sally" who takes care of service related issues. After 1 month of emailing and phone calls, "Sally" never gave me a "Return Authorization" which is required for machine to be sent back. She just ignored me. I gave up on this company and decided to get it fixed at a different company.

Save your money! Get a different brand! Do your research!

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I purchased this machine in February 2011. I share it with 5 co-workers to make our espressos at the office. Our average usage is around 15 runs per work day. We clean and flush the machine regularly, descale when the machine prompts for it.

Before this we had a Saeco Vienna and used it for 4 years before it died. We decided to try out a different brand and went with the Gaggia Titanium.

The machine makes good espresso. It was able to produce 3154 shots in 10 months.

The milk frother was not that good. The steam was often not very strong or was bursty. You also have to let it run 15-20 seconds every time before it starts producing steam instead of water.

The machine looks nice in the picture, but the plastic material got me worried when I opened the box the first time. It is flimsy and thin and does not look like something that can handle serious use. It is also entirely made of plastic inside and out.

Once we started using it plastic started to peel off from the bottom of the drip tray. The plastic could not handle the hot water, but this was not causing a major problem.

The sensors of the machine are not good. The producer tried to provide electronic "features", but in my opinion this was a shot in the foot.

Every so often the machine will recognize that water needs to be filled into the tank. You can't just fill water while the tank is attached, the machine will not recognize this and will not reset the sensor. You also can't detach the tank and fill it quickly and attach it back. You have to fill it and 'wait' for about a minute. There must be a timer that needs to run out before you put the tank back in place.

Every other week the machine displays the message 'Ventilate' and waits for you to prime it with water. The reasons for this are not obvious. Apparently the most frequent cause is an air bubble that gets into the pump.

We dread this moment and only me and another co-worker were able to develop the expertise to handle this situation without resetting the machine to factory settings. The instructions in the manual are of no use so we had to consult a video on youtube that is posted by the owner of the importer company Todd Salzman:

We had to prime and re-prime a number of times, we would usually spend around 20 minutes doing this until the message disappears, there is water all over the counter, etc..

We had to decalcify the machine 3 times. We bought a product and did it. The final step of the process is to run hot water through the machine until it stops displaying the rinse message. We would run water for more than an hour and nothing would change. In two cases we gave up and reset the machine to factory settings. In the third case we were somehow able to persist and see the message disappear.

After 10 months of use the machine stopped running coffee through the nozzles and was leaking the water from the back right side. Time to open the warranty card. Turns out the importer and service company is called Importika. Later research showed that Importika and WholeLatteLove.com are part of the Salzman Group owned by Todd Salzman.

I called Importika and spoke to a friendly young person. After inquiring about the issue he determined that the machine has to be sent for repair, but no problem machine is under 1 year warranty and will be serviced for free. There is no local service or pick up of any kind with this company. He would send me a shipping label in the email within a day.

Nothing comes within 3 days, I go on vacation and return. 10 days after the first call I call again to ask about the label. Turns out I was speaking with an intern and nothing is entered in the system. Well, at least I can reach the company. This time we get everything entered. The procedure changes slightly and from free warranty things change to me having to pay for shipment both ways. They take my credit card number, which will be charged only after service for the return shipment ($39). I have to take care of the shipment to them (still unknown amount).

On the next day I receive an email with instructions on draining the machine, packaging, address to send to. Lots of disclaimers that Importika is not responsible for any damages, loss, etc...

I package the machine as good as I can. I use lots of bubble wrap, foam we are an IT department and have lots of padding from other shipments.

I ship the machine with UPS and it arrives 2 days later (I track) ($39, own packaging, no insurance UPS will not warrant insurance on packages packaged by customer). 2 days nothing happens and then I receive an email with the subject 'Importika Receipt of Merchandise Damaged'. The email is generic it has my name, order number, UPS tracking number and phone numbers of the claim departments of all known carriers. They recommend that I file a claim with the carrier and, once the claim is processed and I decide how to proceed, they would be happy to provide an estimate ($45) to repair my machine.

I call Importika and they say that the entire front panel is broken and the issue is between me and UPS since I am the shipper.

From sending a machine for 'free' warranty service I move on to filing a damage claim and preparing to pay $45 for an estimate.

I file a claim with UPS and hear nothing for 3-4 days. When I call UPS they tell me the claim is under investigation. On the fifth day I go to track my package and see that it is out for delivery in my direction.

The store where I shipped it from also received a fax stating that UPS determined that the damage is not caused during transportation. It also states that the packaging did not pass the 'standard ISTA 3A test'.

I receive the package and open it it contains an unrecognizable pile of plastic total damage. Importika is conveniently not involved in any of this.

I try to go over the packaging in my mind and see what I did wrong as I tend to believe that UPS has handled the package like any other package and did not drop it from the third floor and then run over it with their truck. I put lots of padding, the box was big enough, not too big. I removed any parts from the machine that were not required for the service (drip tray, dregs drawer, water reservoir). The email with instructions stated that these should be removed to prevent damage. I think though that removing the drip tray helped the front panel collapse under its own weight during transport vibration, who knows..

Long story short we lost a machine under warranty to total damage. The conclusions (for us):

This machine is not robust. The materials are cheap and once taken out of the package the machine should not be moved too much.

If you don't have the original packaging it will be very difficult to package the machine in a way that will survive shipping.

There is no local service. When the machine breaks you will have to ship it to Importika/WholeLatteLove and assume full responsibility for it to arrive safe. If you have to do this I recommend to have it packaged by the carrier or an authorized service and insure it (you might still go through a hell to get your money upon damage though). This will probably run you around $70 $80. Then add the return shipment of $39. At the very least you will pay 1/8 of the machine price when you enjoy the free warranty service.

When the machine is out of warranty you will have to pay $45 fee for a repair estimate. Per their email a 'Tune-Up' is $140, so estimate for yourself how much real repair and spare parts will be.

Frequent outages and trial and error fumbling due to sensor issues will be a problem and will force you to learn a lot more about the machine's internal operations than you wanted to know.

If you make anywhere more than 1-2 coffees per day this machine might not last you very long. Not saying it won't but chances are high that it will start leaking or develop other problems. Having it survive service after this is a matter of luck.

Salzman Group, Importika and WholeLatteLove.com are the same company. They try to create an illusion of a competitive market by selling the same products at different prices on amazon, wholelattelove.com and other online stores. The service they provide is not adequate, but they will talk to you nicely.

When it comes to espresso machines in this price range we have decided to always buy from a local store where we can put the machine in our car and take it there for service if needed.

Never again Gaggia.

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