Espressione 1328 Cafe Dolce Aroma Digital Super-Automatic Espresso Machine

My husband has had the Espressione Cafe Dolce Aroma now for over 6 months. We've used it at home, in the office and for parties. It has made hundreds upon hundreds of cups of wonderful espresso coffee beverages. Easy to easy, easy to clean and the performance in incredible for the price.

I recommend this highly.

This machine is easy to use and it does what it sais, used it for almost a year. Very happy with it, the other day was making espressos non-stop for visitors very consistent. It comes with an instructional DVD that shows the function of every button, the cool thing too is that the brewing unit actually comes right out for easy cleanup if need be. Considering that it automatically grinds, apportions, extracts coffee, then it rinses and cleans itself, and it 's easy to program for strength and size i don't know what some are talking about but this thing performs greatly especially considering the price that it comes with. If you want a superautomatic espresso machine that's going to make espresso with a simple push of a button and look great in your kitchen without costing you an arm and a leg, then this Cafe Dolce baby is it!

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I do not agree with the reviews that have been written on this machine. I have the Espressione 1328 Cafe Dolce Aroma. The purchase was made after a friend told me this was designed and made by the company that makes DeLonghi automatic espresso machine. I did not want to spend over $1000.00 for a digital super automatic coffee machine and this machine is perfect. What I like about it is the following:

* Electronic programming of level of coffee per cup

* Easy to use 8 button control panel with quality LED indicators

* Powerful milk frothing device for making perfect Cappuccinos and Lattes

* Removable central unit for easy cleaning and maintenance

* Powerful 1100 Watt heating/brewing/frothing mechanism ensures reliability and quality

* Fully automatic cleaning, rinsing, decalcifying & pre-brew features on machine

* Transparent removable bean container and water tank and a cup warmer on top

* Uses whole coffee beans or ground coffee to make coffee, espressos and cappuccinos

I highly recommend the purchase of this machine. Great reliability, easy to operate and at a very reasonable price.

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I've read all the reviews and it would appear that there are a few people who have been victims of poor quality control. That's too bad because this is a great little device.

I'm one of those people who hates to read manuals and just wants to get on with the show. I'm a techie both at work and at home. If you're experienced and generally have no problems with computers and hi-fi equipment, then you should have no problems with this. I can see why the seller stated that it has a slight learning curve because the manual isn't the best or the most straightforward.

I rated 4/5 stars because for it to be perfect, I would have to have the ability to steam milk at the same time as it was brewing my espresso. This is not to say that I don't love the machine, too, though. I bought the machine to replace my routine of going to Tully's in the AM and sometimes in the PM. I'm saving at least $7 in drinks plus the gas required to get it.

Observations:

* it's loud, but if you've ever visited a Tully's or Starbucks, then you'll be used to the sounds an espresso machine makes

* it is indeed made predominantly out of plastic, but what isn't these days? for the price, I was expecting to get mostly plastic

* don't touch the chrome on the steamer! it gets very hot!

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I had the same experience as the other reviewer K. Munro. My machine arrived factory sealed, but internal counter was displaying 20 cups. There were also some coffee bean scraps in the grinder. I had absolutely the same problem with machine reporting out of water problem with the full tank of water. I had to restart it every time, loosing the portion of coffee in the process. The internal timer in the machine was gaining extra 10 minutes per every half an hour of real time. Which made the display clock and autostart features useless. The grinder was choking on the lower settings. And on top of all this problems, this machine could not produce espresso. The lukewarm liquid with no creama was not comparable even with gas station coffee.

This machine is huge, absolutely humongous. It barely fits under the kitchen cabinets and in order to add beans or water its needs to be removed from under cabinets. At this time the water tray will fall down because it is nota attached to the machine at all.

I will never ever touch anything that produced by this company.

Continental Electric 4-Cup Coffee Maker, White

This coffee maker does make coffee, so it lives up to its name. An annoyance is that the placement of the lid causes all the condensation to drip on the counter rather than back into the reservoir. My bigger concern is that after 5 months of twice-daily use, the machine still has a strong plastic smell, and the taste of plastic comes through in some coffees. Yet I continue to use the coffee maker, so it must not be too bad, but next time I'll spring for something better.

I enjoy my coffee from this cute 4-cup coffee maker. It smells and tastes just like good coffee you bought from a local coffee shop. I wish it has a longer extension cord though.

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This is the perfect little coffee maker. Great purchase. May be a better deal to buy a larger pot considering the price difference. Works great for my needs!

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Given as a gift to a neighbor as a housewarming gift... The recipient said she is very happy with this product.

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Bought this for my husband for Christmas as he is a coffee drinker and I am not. I wanted to buy him a larger coffee pot, but he only wanted a four-cup maker and according to him it works really good, makes coffee fast and easy to operate. For the price you can't beat it.

Bella Espresso Maker Countertop Series

This machine works perfectly fine after practicing the "Brewing Espresso" process described in the instruction manual and requires a certain timing. The machine works great when used properly and it's only $40?? Don't let the bad reviews stop you. Until you get into units costing $100 or more, espresso at this price is going to be the same.

For people having trouble, here are the steps I take for two shots of espresso. (Even though only 1 oz of water is required per shot, having more water helps with pressure.)

1) Fill carafe to the 2 "Cup" line with cold water and pour into pressure chamber.

2) Fill ground espresso into metal basket to the first line, or just use the scooper provided. Unfortunately, the tamper end of the scoop doesn't go deep enough into the basket so you will have to be creative or order a new tamper; then, tighten the basket into the espresso maker.

3) Turn the machine to "Brew" by turning the knob in the up direction. The orange light should come on.

4) Let the pressure chamber heat up to form steam.

5) When the espresso begins to pour, it won't be at the right temperature since the steam becomes hotter the longer the machine is on. Switch the machine to the "Steam Spray" by turning the knob down so that the steam can increase in temperature and pressure. If you are frothing milk, this is the stage for that.

6) When the steam is at full heat and pressure, turn the knob back to "Brew" and the espresso will flow out at a perfect temperature, including the "crema stage." Once the espresso exits the crema stage and starts to look "watery," turn the machine to the off position. You are done brewing espresso! (By anticipating the watery stage, you can cut the machine off early so that your creation doesn't become diluted.)

Clean Up: Unlock the basket and empty it into a garbage can while holding the black tab on the handle. If necessary, give it a quick rinse. Then, place it back into the machine.

Depressurize: To allow the rest of the steam to escape the chamber, turn the knob to the "Steam Spray" setting or "Brew" setting. I choose to use the Brew setting by placing the carafe under the spout and letting the hot water/steam exit. Once the red pressure button on the top of the machine releases, turn the machine off.

Some of the reviews for this product are a bit misleading. I've owned 3 of the Mr. Coffee Espresso machines, the Mr. Coffee ECM20 Steam Espresso Maker, Black, Mr. Coffee ECM250 4-Cup Espresso/Cappuccino Maker, and recently the Mr. Coffee ECM160 4-Cup Steam Espresso Machine, Black..and this one by Bella does just as good a job for the price it's at. The ECM160 reservoir finally got too clogged from scaling due to the water I was using. It's just my fault for not cleaning it often enough. Remember to keep up with that, people!

I too wanted a replacement, and as much as I wanted another Mr. Coffee machine, like Walmart's (Mr. Coffee BVMC-ECM260 Espresso 4 Cup Stainless Steel Black Target was the only one to have this in stock on it's shelves.

Here's what I've experienced so far in the past couple weeks:

* The water heats up just fine, in fact I think it's a bit hotter than I've gotten from the other models

* The coffee scoop/wrench that comes with the machine also has a tamper incorporated at the end of the handle, which is a nice addition. Though the scoop portion is a bit oversize for pouring coffee into the brew basket.

* There's a pressure button that pops up on the reservoir lid when the machine is on, which is informative. But if you've owned an espresso machine before, you probably already check to see if there's pressure still in your machine before opening the lid by turning the brewing knob.

* The steam wand cover does what it's supposed to, to keep milk from bubbling up and drying on the metal parts of the wand. There is a hole towards the top of the plastic wand that I refer to as the "snorkle". It's there to keep air flowing thru the wand. So if you bury the steam wand to the point the milk froth is being sucked into it, you're not frothing your milk correctly. Keep that hole clear.

* I miss the flat platform that the Mr. Coffee machines have in their design now. It was a nice way to keep my spoon and scoop organized. Bella's has a flat area on top, but it's just big enough to lay the coffee scoop over.

The only really problem I had with the machine, is trying to clean it for it's first time use. I followed the directions in the manual to brew 2 carafes of water before I start making my coffee. It had that usual plastic-heated smell I've had from the Mr. Coffee machines before when I was brewing it clean. Even turned on the steam wand to blow out any junk in there into a cup of water, which after 10-15 seconds, the water became slightly cloudy each time.

Which I figured that got it cleaned. Apparently I was wrong. When I started brewing my first cup, I could still smell the plastic-heated odor. It covered up the smell of the coffee it was still so strong. Made the first couple cups taste funny, so I tossed them. But the smell wasn't as strong the more brewed. So on the 3rd brewed cup, now into the 5th use of the machine, there wasn't as strong a smell and the coffee tasted fine. I don't remember how many cups my Mr. Coffee machines took to get them cleaned of that same "smell", but I suspect it was about the same. So really the directions don't really help on cleaning your machine for first time use. So if you're thinking about getting this machine, or any like it that's just as cheap, I would suggest you brew 5 carafes of water. Or do what the manual says, brew 2 carafes, then a carafe of vinegar like you're descaling it so that the acids will break down whatever junk is sticking inside the machine. It might be too much hassle for most people to deal with though.

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I bought this for about $40 on black friday and it works well enough for me. I like espresso but I'm not going to spend hundreds of dollars on a machine. This is simple to operate and requires very little maintenance. The only cons I have are (1)the "lock" thing that holds the espresso cup in the handle is worthless and breaks off when you're trying to throw out the grounds and (2)it feels cheap and sometimes it takes 5+min to brew my espresso.

It's good enough for me for $40 but I wouldn't pay $70 for it!

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Target has it for $30. Heats up fast and surprisingly puts out a lot of steam to froth the milk.

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I've been making mochas, machiattos, and lattes for a while now using the reliable old fashioned Bialetti stove top perculator espresso makers and this is my first electric espresso maker purchase

I just came home from buying this from Target. It's on sale on a "temporary price cut" for $29.99

Brewed two carafes of water (no coffee) to clean the machine, per instructions. I went on to brew the first two espresso cups on it including frothed milk.

Perfect two shot cappuccino with warm,steamed, well frothed milk! Damn, 30 bux for a machine that makes a good cappuccino!

The internal parts seem to be metal eventhough the outside is plastic so that's a good sign.

I swear I'm excited and happy about this purchase!

It's so easy with this machine that a nutless monkey could make great mochas, cappuccinos, and lattes with it.