When paired with an espresso capable grinder (like the Gaggia MDF) and freshly roasted beans, this machine is an excellent choice as a stylish home espresso machine, producing superb espresso and good milk foaming. A plus is that the machine is designed (in what may be a unique design) to allow you to froth milk first and then brew the espresso without burning the espresso: this can be useful if you like reducing dishes, since you can foam the milk directly in a cappa or latte cup, and then brew directly into that cup. (This produces a cool visual effect in the cup, and it preserves hot temperatures, crucial to taste.)
While you can save money and get equivalent espresso in a Gaggia Carezza, the X3 is my favorite machine which combines true style and good internals (like a quality brass boiler). An excellent choice for your kitchen.
I purchased this machine used, so I can't really properly comment on whether or not it's worth buying at full price. The are several features that make this machine stand out from others. First, while this is a hefty machine, it has a small footprint, which for me and my small apartment is perfect. It fits in a corner of my kitchen counter and is light enough for me to scoot it out when I need it. Second, you can make individual lattes fairly quickly on this machine because filling the boiler with cold water immediately after steaming brings the machine to brewing temperature in a matter of seconds. So, the time need to preheat, steam, fill the boiler, and brew is less than five minutes. Third, cleanup is also very easy despite not having a backflush feature. After pulling a shot, set the machine back to steaming and the pressure from steaming will push out the excess water in the portafilter, giving you a dry puck to knock cleanly. I don't know if this is an intended feature, but it works for me.
Now, since the machine is so small, it cannot steam more than 10-12oz of milk without running out of steam. The wand is also very short and won't work with a frothing pitcher larger than 20oz. If you make each drink individually then these are not pressing problems.
I should point out that I buy fresh, locally-roasted coffee every week, have it ground at the coffee shop (gasp!), and keep it stored airtight in the fridge. Needless to say, I'm not pulling "God shots" this way, but whatever. I can make a good to great double shot espresso drink in five minutes, which is simply not possible by using pods or by grinding your own beans, which take extra space and time that I don't have.
[edit] So, it's a year or so later and I've since learned some more of the X3's quirks and also bought a grinder (my previous excuse for not having one was, well, lame) and a proper tamper (buy a flat one). I've discovered that the steam wand is just the right length to allow you to steam 10oz of milk by merely setting the frothing pitcher on the drip tray, hands-free. It amazingly manages to produce respectable microfoam using the "surf the air hole" technique presented at the coffeegeek website. Since milk frothing becomes hands free, I use that time to grind the beans. Also, it's important to mention that the size and design of the machine cause the drip tray to be smallish and cumbersome to empty. It will take you some practice to use this machine without makeing a mess. Nevertheless, the verdict is that I am still very happy with this X3 machine and expect to be for many years to come.
Buy FrancisFrancis! X3 Espresso Machine Now
I've had a Gaggia Classic in my office for quite some time. It pulls excellent espresso shots, but the steam wand is cheap-looking, ineffective, and cumbersome to clean. The machine itself is not quite an award-winning beauty item, either.
On the market for a machine for home, I eyed this FrancisFrancis! X3. Reviews were equally outstanding and the machine looked much more attractive, so I decided to take the plunge.
The machine arrived in excellent packaging and with a complimentary pack of Illy espresso pods (FrancisFrancis! is owned by Illy, I believe). The machine is, indeed, really beautiful (I bought the silver one).
I thought I'd write a review comparing against the Gaggia Classic, since it's the clear contender in the same price range.
In terms of aesthetics, the X3 wins hands down. This is not the overriding factor for me, but truth be told, it is important.
In terms of material and construction, they both feel solid, but the X3 feels more so. The grill in the X3 is made of plastic, whereas the Gaggia's is metallic. On the other hand, the steam knob in the X3 is metallic, but made of plastic in the Gaggia. The X3 is slightly easier to clean.
In terms of usability, the X3 is clearly targeted toward ESE (Easy Serving Espresso) pods. It has a holding element exclusively for pods, and the protective perforated plate that is typically attached to the boiler element to protect it from coffee grounds comes included as an add-on in the X3 package, whereas the Gaggia has it attached permanently (which is more typical). While the X3 can, apparently, use coffee grounds just fine (judging by the instructions and other users' reported experience), in my case I only accomplished to make a mess of my kitchen counter. Nevertheless, I fully intended to use ESE pods exclusively (SO much easier to keep things clean and tidy), as I do with the Gaggia in my office, so this wasn't a concern for me and thus I never tried too hard to get it to work with coffee grounds.
Espresso quality is outstanding in both cases, but each machine has a trick to it. In the case of the X3, it is important to get the hang of how long a shot you can pull before the water coming out of the boiler decreases in temperature, which would give a bitter taste to the coffee. As a rule of thumb, if the low temperature light comes on, you've ruined your espresso. It took me a couple of days of scratching my head and Googling to find this out, but once I realized where the problem was, it was fixed forever. In fact, the X3 comes with three different ESE holders, each with more or fewer perforations. The instructions clearly indicate that you should pick one based on how long a shot you want--i.e., NOT by pumping out water for a longer time. I guess I learned my lesson the hard (bitter?) way. The Gaggia is not without tricks, as it tends to drip some water into the cup before it starts to pump out espresso, so I always need to hold on for a couple of seconds after the pump is on to put the cup beneath the spout (messy!), or the coffee will be watery. On the other hand, the Gaggia can pull longer shots and not come out bitter (perhaps temperature is higher to begin with).
The steam wand in the X3 is extremely easy to use and clean. You can create abundant and (importantly) dense froth as long as you use 2% or fattier milk. The best way to learn how to use and clean it is to watch the DVD that comes with the machine, which is by the way short (good), to the point, and excellent. The wand in the Gaggia was something I gave up on long ago.
People complain about the water reservoir being too small. I personally think it's perfectly adequate, although the Gaggia's is indeed larger.
In conclusion, both machines are excellent, with the X3 looking nicer, sturdier, and sporting a better steam wand. I would venture that the Gaggia pulls slightly better espresso shots, but they are really close. The one thing I don't feel comfortable discussing is the X3's handling of ground coffee (as opposed to ESE pods). If that's important to you, I sugggest to look for answers in other reviews.
Read Best Reviews of FrancisFrancis! X3 Espresso Machine Here
With all respect to the negative reviews here, look to the reviews at coffeegeek.com they reflect a more balanced -and overall positive -rating for this very capable machine. The X3 offers terrific crema, especially when using fresh roasted beans that are ground correctly. The only critiques I have in over 1.5 yrs use are: 1. a smallish water reservoir, and 2. a limited supply of steam although enuf for two caps per round.
My experiences with francis customer support by phone and email have also been positive minor replacement parts under warranty came quickly (new spill grill), and they walked me through cleaning the machine.
So, you're not opening a cafe with this machine, but very able to do multiple rounds of caps and espressos. And it looks great and takes up very little counterspace compared with some of the other machines.
Want FrancisFrancis! X3 Espresso Machine Discount?
I've been using my X3 for over a year now (averaging 8 shots per day) and have had no problems at all with performance. It is a very consistant machine, and produces excellent espresso. This machine hasn't needed anything but routine cleaning since I purchased it and it's still running like a champ. I would buy another in a heartbeat.
I owned the X7 for less than a year, when it suddenly decided not to work anymore! I did not use this machine daily, and after about 8 months it started making a loud noise from the boiler, and produced nothing! Luckily I bought mine at BB&B, and I was able to return it. Since I have a pretty large supply of the Illy iperespresso capsules, I decided to give Illy another shot. I will say that while the X7 worked, it worked well. The espresso tastes excellent. To my disappointment, after returning the X7, BB&B sent me an X7.1. The difference is substantial. They look and work almost exactly the same, except the X7.1 has no steam knob! There is only a steam button which allows steam to be on or off. This is important for several reasons. First, you have no control over the amount of steam, but even more importantly it does not allow you to clear the steam out of the machine which is vital when you are making more than one coffee. With the X7, you are able to vacate the steam which cools down the boiler back to brewing temperature for a second cup. The X7.1 has to be turned off, and cooled down before it will allow you to make a second cup. Rediculous!! If you want to make more than one cup without the wait, you can make all of your espresso shots first, then steam your milk, but then you risk having cold espresso by the time you get your milk steamed. The other issue I have with this X7.1, is that it has a plastic steam wand that allows air mixture to automatically froth the milk. I prefer the all stainless wand on the X7 because it gives you more control allowing you to froth the milk towards the end of the process which puts you in control of the ammount of foam. I will be returning (once again) this X7.1, and will either have to spend more money, or go a different direction than Illy.
