Showing posts with label commercial coffee machines. Show all posts
Showing posts with label commercial coffee machines. Show all posts

Saturday, June 14, 2014

Bunn A10 Pour-O-Matic Coffee Brewer

Bunn A10 Pour-O-Matic Coffee BrewerWhen I was looking to purchase a new machine, I only was looking for a Bunn. Bunn makes the best coffee machines, none can compare. Every diner, coffee house, and Dunkin' Donuts only use Bunn machines. The A10 is one great machine! Brews perfect cups of coffee hot and quickly. Everyone in my office is very happy with the unit. If you're a serious coffee drinker, please don't cheap out on a Mr.Coffee, Braun or Krupps-frankly they cannot brew coffee at the speed, temperature, or taste of a Bunn unit. I bought the A10 to replace a Bunn unit that I used for 10 years without a glitch.

I've seen other Bunn brewers run years under constant use and never wink out. If you are looking for a constant use brewer, especially for an office setting, this is it. Don't skimp on a cheap, plastic Braun, Krups, or Mr. Coffee. This is an investment that will take the abuse of multiple office patrons.

Buy Bunn A10 Pour-O-Matic Coffee Brewer Now

It will not make a latte but if you want a good cup of coffee in less time it takes to brush your teeth this it it.

Ps. I have had other coffee makers that start with B and sell for over 100.00 and it just made it past one year. this Bunn will last many years to come and just think they make replacement parts. The last coffee maker I will ever buy thank you BUNN

Read Best Reviews of Bunn A10 Pour-O-Matic Coffee Brewer Here

Would you like to wake up feeling refreshed, and revitalized? Would you like feel like your rushed morning is just a little less hectic? You don't need a morning exercise video, you need the Bunn A10, the Bunn of Steel!

The Bunn A10 isn't just any old coffee maker, in fact, it isn't just any old Bunn. This Bunn is a professional model, which means, it is the same model you would find at a small IHOP, or Waffle House, or any other restaurant which has the need of a single hotplate coffee maker. The difference between this and MOST commercial models is that most can brew two pots (reg and decaf) at once, and have three hotplates. This one is more suited for home use, while retaining the commercial heavy usage capabilities.

This model isn't some modernized sleek brewer with a million plastic parts built to last for 2 years. This is a metal plated bad boy with few working parts, and a mechanics sensibility in design. The metal spray head is replacable, and they have plastic ones for hard water. The heater unit has its own power switch in addition to the on/warmer/off switch.

Bunn's brew fast by keeping a reservoir of water hot at all times, and the water you pour in today will be tomorrows hot coffee. The taste of the coffee is superb, but it takes more grinds to get it strong. The carafe you get with this unit is not the one pictured, which looks just like the commercial carafes, which was a bit of a disappointment at first. The carafe is the NCD decanter, which is more drum shaped and has the flip up lid. This is better for home use, as we found out later, since it is very easy to clean.

If you are looking for a coffee pot built like a tank, built to last, which makes great coffee quick, saving you precious morning minutes, I would say look no further. You have found your machine.

Highly recommended.

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Positive Product Points

GREAT tasting coffee

Bunn reputation

Fast

Built to last

Replacement parts available

Negative Product Points

No timer

Plastic brew funnel

Water pitcher in ounces/decanter in cups

Style not for everyone.

Detailed Commentary

I recently received delivery on my Bunn Model A-10 coffee brewer. This is the pourover model, not the automatic. I purchased it for my home kitchen.

Out of the box...

Weighing in at 14 pounds, this is no lightweight machine. The unit was delivered directly from Bunn and I found it to be packaged tight with nothing broken. When I placed it on the kitchen counter, all I could think was "this thing is all business". Yes, it is a categorized as a commercial unit, however, it is not industrial looking like the Bunn unit you would see at your local coffee shop. It is civilized and stylish. There are no color choices. Black and high polish steel with an almost chrome appearance, Bunn logo up front. There is a very visible warning label behind the decanter which reveals it's commercial heritage, but it is easily removed if desired. Although the unit is only 6.75 inches wide, it is 13.5 inches deep. This takes up a good 2/3 of a standard countertop depth including room for the cord. It is a very serious piece of hardware and sure to be a topic of conversation when guests arrive.

Set Up...

As the instruction manual warns, you cannot plug the A10 in immediately and start brewing. The internal tank needs to be filled with water prior to powering. This water remains in the unit at all times. The manual calls for 2 full pitchers of water and remainder will run off from the sprayhead. Once plugged in, the vacation switch is powered on. This switch remains on unless you plan to be away for several days or more. Then the warmer switch is turned on which controls only the porcelain warming plate. There is no auto shut-off feature, so you need to shut it off manually. Within 10 minutes the water in the internal tank reaches the proper temperature for brewing which, according to the manual, is approx. 200 F. I have not verified that temperature...yet.

Time to Brew...

Ground coffee is placed in the brew funnel and slid into place. The brew funnel is sturdy plastic, one-piece design, but I believe a stainless steel funnel would have better complemented the overall construction of machine. There is no "start" button or switch. You had better have that decanter in place. Once the water is poured into the screened opening on top of unit, brewing starts immediately as there is already water at 200 F in the brewer. The new water poured into machine is in turn quickly heated in the internal tank. Measurements are somewhat confusing. The clear plastic water pitcher supplied with brewer has graduations measured in 12 ounce increments, total of 48 ounces. The increments on the glass decanter, however, are measured in 2 cup increments, total of 10 cups. I calculated each cup measure to be 5 ounces. Depending on the strength of coffee you prefer, it takes some experimenting to get it just right.

Taste...

Bunn A10 brewer $230.00. Great tasting coffee Priceless.

The hefty price tag paid was worth while. Very smooth, rich full bodied taste is achieved with no bitterness, just like my local coffee shop. I believe the secret lies in the five-jet stainless sprayhead which evenly saturates the grinds, proper water temperature and tried/tested design. No disappointments and highly recommended.

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Thursday, April 24, 2014

AeroPress Coffee and Espresso Maker with zippered nylon tote bag and an Extra 350 Micro Filters (70

AeroPress Coffee and Espresso Maker with zippered nylon tote bag and an Extra 350 Micro FiltersThis is a great coffee maker especially for someone like me who wants to make only 1 mug at a time. I've tried all different kinds of coffee makers, but they don't seem to be optimized for making a single ~8 oz mug of coffee. I always ended up brewing multiple cups of coffee and throwing the extra away to get the one good cup I wanted.

I got this aeropress for Christmas 2006 and it is great. I followed the initial instructions, but preferred my coffee a bit different. So, I experimented with grind, water temperature, amount of coffee/water, etc., until I found the right combination for *my* personal preference. I use this to make a cup of coffee, not espresso (that is, I add water to the result to get "regular" coffee), so I can't comment on the quality of espresso taste. I have noticed that coffee beans/grind from different sources have their own "sweet spots" for best grind and coffee/water quantity to get the taste I prefer. So, now that I know how I like to brew a couple different types, I try to stick with those so that I don't have to go through the experimenting stage needed if I try a completely new coffee bean/grind. That works for me. This coffee tastes great. :)

Oh, I should mention that I have also used french press coffee makers. I really like the taste of french press coffee, but got sick of the grinds and/or sediment that always ends up in the bottom of the coffee and made the bottom of the cup taste gross. True to its advertising, the aeropress doesn't seem to leave grinds or sediment. I sip my cup kind of slowly and end up zapping it in the microwave to heat it up again several times. The coffee does not get bitter from sitting in my mug because there is not coffee grind sediment soaking at the bottom. That is a huge plus for me!

A few folks mentioned that the plunger can be hard to press. I have to agree. I've had 2 shoulder surgeries and it does take some extra effort to manage to push the plunger straight down. I can still do it, although I only have 2 scoops of coffee grind in at a time. I think it would be extremely difficult to press with too much coffee in it.

All this time of daily use, including travel, and there are no problems, no parts wearing out from stress, no cracks in the plastic. It still looks like new.

I donated my drip coffee machine, french press and espresso machine to Goodwill. :)

PS I noticed the aeropress is available via third party vendor and Amazon. I can't comment on the vendor, as I put it on my wishlist for Xmas and got it as a gift. I noticed there are separate reviews for each device/vendor, so will post my review under each.

I may try a video review of this later because I think this is hands down one of the greatest ways to make a single cup of coffee.

I bought this because I was tired of the coffee at the office giving me heartburn and generally making me want to immolate myself every time I drank another cup.

There are some things about the AeroPress that blow my mind.

1) The coffee is outstanding; better than MoreBucks and definitely a lot more affordable and convenient.

2) Cleanup is very easy

3) You feel like a cubicle alchemist which is always a good thing.

4) You can customize you level of flavor/density very easily.

The process for me is pretty cool. Check it out.

(I bring in espresso ground coffee from home but you can use regular grind if you like a lighter brew)

1) Fill my cup with hot water from the filter (or whatever; can't say I recommend regular tap water as you want it about 170 degrees)

2) Put a filter on the endcap and add a scoop of coffee

3) Put the AeroPress on my second cup (or I suppose if you like you could bring the whole contraption over to your water source and skip the 1st step)

4) Pour water in and mix; some coffee will begin draining right away depending on how fine a grind you're using.

5) Attach the press and press down slowly

6) Over a trashcan remove the endcap and press out the 'puck'

Enjoy the coffee. If it's too strong, add more hot water for "Americana Style". No cleanup is really needed. No kidding. Just pure, concentrated awesome.

It's better coffee than a French Press and way, way, WAY easier to clean.

Can you tell I'm excited. Aerobie. The flying disk people. Crazy, but it's true.

Buy AeroPress Coffee and Espresso Maker with zippered nylon tote bag and an Extra 350 Micro Filters (70 Now

Ok...I read all the reviews and was expecting a good cup of coffee. But, this thing makes a GREAT cup of coffee! Smooth, rich and not a trace of bitterness.

As a long time Keurig user, I was very used to having a decent cup of coffee in under a minute (if it was always left turned on and filled with water). The Aero Press does takes longer, having to use the microwave to heat the water.

Then, I purchased an electric kettle to make the process easier. Oh man, what difference! I can make a double espresso in under 2 minutes, which includes heating the water (that kettle is FAST), assembling the Aero Press and pressing the coffee through! If I want a regular cup of coffee, I just add more boiling water to the espresso (which is great as it gets nice and hot now).

My expensive Keurig brewer has now been decommissioned.

My suggestion: Buy the Aero Press, and get a cheap electric kettle to save some time.

Great product!

Read Best Reviews of AeroPress Coffee and Espresso Maker with zippered nylon tote bag and an Extra 350 Micro Filters (70 Here



As you can tell from the other reviews, the aeropress is awesome! My video covers some of the features and process in making a cup.

Want AeroPress Coffee and Espresso Maker with zippered nylon tote bag and an Extra 350 Micro Filters (70 Discount?

I started home roasting coffee about a year ago and was looking for a way to make coffee when I'm away from the house. There are several things that make a good cup of coffee: good beans, a good even grind, proper extraction time, and proper water temperature. What's nice about the Aeropress is that you can control all of these to produce an excellent cup. All of these factors contribute to the final cup of coffee. This product won't make bad coffee taste good, but it will help you make the most of what you have.

The included directions instruct you to use water that is a bit colder than a typical coffee infusion at 170F. Traditional pour-over methods usually are around 200F. I've tried both temperatures and find it easier to use at 200F because water comes to a boil at around 203F where I live and I don't have to wait for it to cool. There are plenty of web tutorials with pictures and video of how to use this product.

Despite the product description, it does not make a true espresso as other reviews have mentioned. It does make a concentrated dose of coffee and you can add water to make it closer to what typical drip coffee produces. In terms of taste, I find that usually a trace amount of sediment gets through usually, but not nearly as much as done with a French press. The paper filter sits at the bottom and I find that rinsing it before adding the grounds helps reduce paper taste and reduces the amount of grounds that gets through. It looks a bit like lab equipment, but does a great job at what it does. It is made with a thick plastic and is not not flimsy. Mine came with a nylon tote bag which I thought was neat, but it is in my opinion too large.

I am a grad student and this makes it easy to make a cup of coffee while out studying. It is easy to clean and is small and light enough to throw in my backpack for when I want coffee and don't want to pay several dollars at a coffee shop. I wouldn't recommend the Aeropress for serving a large group of people as it only makes at most 16-24oz of coffee at a time depending on how much water you add to it. It is good for single serving use and is very convenient. I also find that since it makes a concentrated coffee, it is great for making iced coffee at home. It should be noted that this uses a non-traditional paper filter size and may be difficult to find in a traditional brick and mortar store. I've heard some people just cut them out themselves from larger filters. I'm a bit lazy and just ordered extras. Hope this helps.

Tuesday, March 4, 2014

Nescafe Dolce Gusto by Krups Piccolo Coffee Machine

Nescafe Dolce Gusto by Krups KP1009 Piccolo Coffee Machine, TitaniumI bought this coffee machine yesterday at Walmart after much research into Keurig, Tassimo and Senseo units.

My first impression is that it's compact and ideal for the counter top. It's much simpler than the others in that there aren't a great number of moving parts. It is basic, but I really didn't need another LCD clock! The on-off switch glows red when the machine is thinking and goes green when ready. After 5 minutes it shuts itself off. This auto-shut-off can be disabled if you so choose. The simplicity should mean it's more reliable. Time will tell!

It's quick to brew (20-30 secs?) and makes little noise/vibration and the coffee is nice and hot. Keurig seems to have a lot of quality issues mechanically and with brew strength/temp. if you read the reviews. With the DG you turn it on, it thinks for about 20-30 secs then it's ready to brew. The capsule drops into a plastic, but nicely solid and substantial holder that you slide out of the head of the machine after raising a lever that, when closed pierces the capsule and snugs it in place. You move another chunky lever to brew and stop brewing, choosing hot or cold with the lever direction, so you have direct control over the type, amount and strength of the brew.

I found the Caffee Americano way too strong for my liking at about the recommended 7 or so fl oz, so I continued to fill my cup with more to weaken it. The Chococino really tastes and feels like Hot Chocolate if you keep to the recommended water volume. It might take a while to get to know how you brew the drink to best suit your taste.

The price of the capsules is comparable to the competitors, though Nescafe hasn't the variety offered by Keurig give it time perhaps. Walmart has good stocks of the capsules. Nescafe also sends you a free box when you register and subsequent purchases earn reward points for more free capsules (1 free box for 10 bought). Their website is like a coffee lover's club with a forum, shop, quizzes, FAQ and product information.

The coffee and chocolate is very good in that it is strong, hot and the milk capsules that accompany such drinks are smooth and creamy and not at all artificial in terms of taste/texture. You do have to control the relative quantities of milk/coffee/chocolate yourself with each capsule, so you have to watch over the brew, but then you have total control to make it like you like

The reservoir is 21 fl oz and is very easy to remove and fill, if a little small. But then you can't have compact and water capacity!

The capsules make very little mess, though I note that when you remove the holder to throw away the capsule, there are a couple drips from the capsule to watch out for.

So far I like it and would recommend it if you want this type of coffee maker. It does make good coffee and chocolate quickly with no mess.

UPDATE: Dec 8 2010

So far so good. I have learned to control the strength of my Cappuccino Light by watching the color (hence strength) of the stream coming from the capsules and turning off the brew. It also helps using the same glass cup as I can also judge the volumes of the milk and coffee. I have eliminated the drips from the capsules when discarding; wait until the green light comes on, watch for the last couple drops to fall, then discard no drips and the capsule holder remains nice and clean.

Everything really does feel solid and well-built. Very happy so far.

UPDATE Dec 29 2010

Still happy with it. No problems at all. I didn't notice before but the capsule holder is magnetic in that when it is partially inserted, the magnet pulls it into position. This gives it a nice solid feel, which is my general opinion about this whole unit.

I use a large glass cup (so I can see how much milk Vs Coffee) that uses almost all the capacity of the water reservoir. I don't like strong coffee and fill the cup 3/4 full with the milk (that's why the Dolce Gusto is good; you choose how much water to flow through the capsules) and then I add the cappuccino. I still get a good flavor though as the capsules can make really strong coffee). This large cup requires the base to be set at the bottom, but is too tall for the next position up for the base. This leaves about a 2" gap under the capsule holder. When the unit starts up, it looks like the 15 bar pressure blows the seal in the bottom of the capsule. There is a slight delay, then you can hear the seal give way and the milk or coffee starts to flow. Occasionally, the stream from the capsule is not straight and columnar. It is twisted and rough. This looks to me like the seal is not completely opened by the pressure and part of the seal is disturbing the flow pattern. This is when I see some spatter of tiny milk droplets onto the coffee machine and onto the table; splashes from the liquid surface in my cup. No big deal, but just have to wipe it up with a damp cloth. With the right height of cup, this won't happen.

I have settled to drinking the Cappuccino Skinny. I like Cappuccino and the Skinny version is only 50 calories! I use this in my office, making 2-3 cups per day.

After weeks of researching the different single serve pod coffee makers we decided to buy the Nescafe Dolce Gusto Piccolo instead of the Kuerig or Tassimo. The main reason for this was the Dolce Gusto uses 15 bars of pressure to make your coffee and after tasting the products from the K-Cups and Tassimo, this one actually tasted better and was hotter. One other difference is that this little machine makes some noise, but FAR LESS noise than the small Keurig version. I love that we adjust each cup by adding more or using less water the fact that you have manually stop the water flow means the Dolce Gusto is not 100% automatic, but the tradeoff is you can make your espresso or cappucino stronger or weaker to your own taste. (Which is great as my husband likes strong coffee and I prefer more add in flavors in a weaker coffee)

Within 15 minutes of arriving home with the machine, I had unpacked it, run a first cleaning cycle through it and we were drinking an espresso and a cappucino (with an added squirt of plain old chocolate syrup). Both were very good, though you need to be serious about measuring just 2 ounces for the espresso or it will be weak indeed. The milk steamed and frothed nicely for the cappucino and it was seriously hot. So the machine is both fast and very easy to use. I found a variety of the drink flavors at the local W-mart and of course online at the Nescafe site and Amazon. (They all seem to be priced within pennies of each other.) One thing the was no funky aftertaste or flavor of fake sweeteners with the Latte Machiatto. The use of artificial sweeteners is what turned me off of the Tassimo products.

Purchase and enjoy!

***************UPDATE May 11, 2011**************************************************

We've been using the Piccolo every day at least six times a day. Still loving it and we've now settled into a steady favorite selection of the available coffees. The first thing I want when I get up in the morning is a Vanilla Latte! One thing I have noted is that you NEED to descale it after the first 90 days. HUGE difference in performance after we descaled it the first time. We just use tap water in the machine and nothing else like special bottled water etc. I got the descale kit for free from Dolce Gusto direct using their reward point system. I would totally buy the Dolce Gusto Piccolo again!

Buy Nescafe Dolce Gusto by Krups Piccolo Coffee Machine Now

Have to admit, this is a pretty good machine.. Does a great job of producing an instant cup of your choice.

The Dolce heats up quickly and produces on demand.

There are many other options out there but the price for the unit itself was very affordable compared to others currently on the market.

The only negative is the price of the coffee/drink packets. I am being very conservative on my use of the Dolce because of the products themselves. (the reason to buy one is in effect to save money and enjoy your favorite cup of joe anytime) If I am going to pay top dollar I am going to get the real thing not an instant substitute.

So in short, the unit itself is great, no complaints.

But would like to see a more affordable product to be used in the Dolce.

Read Best Reviews of Nescafe Dolce Gusto by Krups Piccolo Coffee Machine Here

I had been researching the Tassimo T20 machine for sometime and had assumed it was popular when Amazon and every Target store in the greater Nashville area had sold out of it. I finally found one at a local wal-mart and went to purchase it when I saw this machine. The design initially stuck me and the fact that it makes the wide range of drinks like Tassimo. While the selection of flavors seemed to be limited, I was drawn in by the brand name. Coming from France, I know the Nespresso/NesCafe name to mean quality. So far, that is what this has delivered. I have been continually impressed by the drinks. The reward program through the company's website also makes the drinks quite affordable!

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Mine just came today and I made my 1st drink cappuccino and it was so good! After reading in some of the reviews that it was hard to determine how much water to use or the drink would be too weak, I just watched the color of the liquid and estimated based on how full my cup was. I turned it off when the liquid just started to turn lighter/clearer, and when it seemed like my mug had filled up the number of ounces it recommended. It was perfect! I added a little bit of flavored syrup since I prefer my drinks a little sweeter. The temperature was perfect as well...just barely too hot to drink when it finished brewing, but by the time I sat down with a slice of banana bread, it was cool enough to drink while still nice and hot. It also stayed hot until I finished it, unlike when I make hot drinks in the microwave.

I signed up for the "subscribe and save" deal through Amazon to get capsules delivered. I started out with a box of mocha every 2 months, but I'm sure I'll buy more than that.

I'm not a big coffee drinker, and this is really my 1st coffee maker, besides a Mr. Coffee that was only used once (when my mom was visiting) and eventually given away. I see myself using this at least once a day if not more.

The only negative so far is that it took me a while to get it ready to go. I ran plain water through it as the directions suggested before its first use. It really only took a couple of minutes from the time I took it out of the box to the time my drink was brewing, so I guess I'm just impatient. It really does heat up quickly (about 30sec) and took about 30sec to brew my drink. It was slightly louder than I thought it would be, but about as noisy as a regular coffee maker, maybe quieter. I don't see it waking my husband up if I make a cup while he's still asleep.

Tuesday, January 7, 2014

Jura-Capresso 13214 Impressa Z5 Automatic Coffee Center

Jura-Capresso 13214 Impressa Z5 Automatic Coffee CenterYes, you'll flinch when you see the price tag! Right now this is the king of super automatics. My work hours are all over the place and many times there is just no time to devote to pulling the perfect espresso from a manual or semi machine. Add to that I drink cappuccino's or lattes 95% of the time. This machine was made for those who drink mostly cappuccino's or lattes and it couldn't be easier. Many long time aficionados on the coffeegeek.com forums will tell you that you cannot pull anything close to a "god shot" from a super automatic and they are correct. But what you get is pretty darn good especially if you love the taste of espresso but don't want to devote your life to making perfect shots every pull. The Z5 is the model of simplicity and produces consistent very good shots of espresso and excellent latte's & cappuccino's every time with little time. I had this machine programmed, up and going just 10 minutes out of the box. I am not an expert on pulling shots manually. Setting the knob to the hottest setting, strongest espresso and finest grind yielded a very tasty shot that was far better than any I have had at Starbuck's. I used Coffee Emergency espresso roast. The crema was good and the temperature excellent. I used a Capressa S9 a year ago and was not happy with the temperature of the shots coming out of the machine. They are much improved on the Z5. Back to cappuccino's... Fill the milk thermos with your choice of milk...set knob to cappuccino and hit the button. A gorgeous cappuccino was produced on the very first try. I didn't have to move the cup...it was all automatic! It took me ages to learn to make a decent cappuccino on same thing manually. Again...much better than at Starbuck's and any of the local coffee houses. The Z5 has a timer that can be set to turn the machine on and off when you want it to. Settings for water level, brewing time, amount of heated milk and foam, can all be pre set or adjusted with a knob live as your beverage is being made. The unit is whisper silent even when grinding beans. It is a well built piece of equipment that is UL approved for both residential and commercial use. I couldn't be happier with it. Should you get this machine? Bottom line is that if you want to make espresso's as a hobby and are going for that ultimate "god shot" every time don't even think about this machine. If you are a working professional who just wants a great cappuccino, latte and espresso with absolute minimum fuss that will beat Starbuck's and your local coffee shop.... think about buying this machine.

I have just replaced my Gaggia Titanium which after 3 months decided to break down. I decided rather than replace with the same machine to go with the much-praised Jura machines. The Z5 particularly appealed with it's unique One-Touch Cappucino function, which avoids the clumsy looking "automatic frothing attachments" found on so many machines.

The machine was easy to set up, and has almost the same footprint as the Titanium, so doesn't take up too much space. It comes with a classy looking thermal milk container (1 litre) which keeps milk at the ready and chilled for up to 8 hours. The front of the machine is brushed aluminium (not plastic as in many of the Jura machines) which is far easier to keep clean than the Titanium's brushed stainless steel (fingerprints!).

The display prompts are clear (product names such as "1 espresso" can be changed should you so desire I personally can't see the point of this, since the name isn't displayed until you press the key to dispense the drink.

The temperature (also adjustable) of the coffee, hot water and also the milk is fantastic I have mine set on the "normal" setting and it is very hot much more so than the Titanium and many other machines which even set to "Highest" still could be hotter.

The crema was good, and the taste great. The brew group is non-removable and self-cleaning (you are prompted when to run a rinse cycle or pop a cleaning tablet in).

You can program the quantity, temperature and strength of all drinks, and choose to override these on-the-fly should you wish, which is very handy.

The water container is larger than the Titanium and most other domestic machines and you can use Claris water filter cartridges, or alternatively opt to use descaling tablets every so often (again, you are prompted when to do this).

The dump box, and drip tray are suitably large so as to not have to be emptied too frequently (every 20 cups).

I only have 2 grumbles with this machine. One is that central coffee spout (which illuminates the cups during dispensing of coffee) does not adjust high enough for large mugs. The silly thing is that you can also dispense coffee from the cappuccino spout which offers 2 interchangeable spouts one for small cups and one for tall mugs. Why they couldn't make the central coffee spout raise to the same height is a shame, but not the end of the world. My second gripe is that the consumables ie. filters / descaling tablets / cappuccino cleaner / machine cleaning tablets are way over-priced. And since you have to use Jura-brand ones to keep within warranty conditions, you don't have much option but to pay these high prices.

Overall though, if you have the money, then go for it this machine is fantastic, looks great, and is the quietest fully automatic by far this doesn't wake up the whole house when you make a coffee!

Buy Jura-Capresso 13214 Impressa Z5 Automatic Coffee Center Now

After returning both a Saeco Primea Touch Plus (it gave me an error message after less than 2 months, at which time I was told to return the machine to the manufacturer for repair), and the new DeLonghi Gran Dama, which has a serious problem with the milk carafe (it doesn't fit properly on the machine I had this problem with not one, but two machines), I think I've finally found the answer. I was always dissatisfied with the milk temperature (I use a lot of milk in my lattes), but now with this machine the milk is very hot, as is the espresso no need to microwave, as with some of the other super-automatics.

Set up was fairly fast (I wasn't as fast as one of the reviewers at 10 minutes, but had it pretty well figured out in less than an hour), the first few test drinks are excellent. I read somewhere that you couldn't store the thermal carafe in the refrigerator, but I think this is a fallacy. The Capresso DVD, as well as the instructions, say that you can, and I can't think of any reason that you can't.

If you want to make the coffee directly in a large (16 oz.) paper cup, you can do so with the left spouts another reviewer points out that the center spouts don't raise high enough to accomodate a very large cup, which is true, but with all of the customization features, you can program the machine to dispense the coffee from the left spout, which is tall enough.

After having terrible, rude, largely non-responsive customer service from Saeco, I asked was happy to hear from a number of sources that Jura Capresso has excellent customer service. I haven't had to test it yet, but from everything I heard, I'm hopeful that it'll be good.

Pros:

Great tasting espresso, cappucino and latte

Fairly easy to master

Great looking, titanium-faced, as opposed to the metal-clad plastic featured on many other expensive super automatics

Cons:

It's definitely expensive, but still seems in line with other similar machines, and it's better designed

Lastly, I would recommend the Z5 versus the Z6, unless you are totally sold on a chrome face the machine does splash a bit, as one would expect, and the matte finish on the Z5 seems much more practical and forgiving of fingerprints, splashes, etc.

UPDATE AS OF SEPTEMBER 5, 2008

I've now had the machine for over a year and wanted to update the review with some customer service feedback. It still works flawlessly (knock wood), but after recently moving, realized I had lost the coffee scoop. I called Capresso customer service, and they immediately sent me a new one at no charge. A small thing, certainly, but a great indicator of the respect with which they treat their customers. If you're in the market for a machine like this, I give this one the highest marks.

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First there is no doubt that this is a very expensive purchase, but if you have two Starbucks drinkers in the house it's worth consideration. After I determined that the ROI (given our SBUX frequency) on this machine was 3 years, we purchased our first machine (The Capresso 3000) about 4 years ago. It was love at first drink. We went from stopping for coffee every morning on the way to the office, to making it at home with some great to-go cups we purchased at Costco. When the C3000 finally broke, we boxed up the machine and took it right back to Williams Sonoma (sorry Amazon) and they happily took it back and upgraded us to the Z5 for the difference between what we paid for the first unit and the price of the new Z5 (about $350).

We love the Z5 !! My husband is a "straight" coffee guy, but I am a late girl who loves the how easy it is to hook up the milk container and make my late with the push of a button. I also purchased Starbuck vanilla syrup so I can make my own Vanilla Late's at home.

If you have the disposable income to consider this, it is a great machine. After reading the customer service stories in previous reviews, I would consider buying from Williams Sonoma who offers a lifetime guarantee on anything purchased through them. When my $2,699 Capresso failed after 4 years, they took it back without question and upgraded me to the Z5. Through the entire process they just thanked me for my business. I am a customer for life and can't say enough about how much we love this coffee machine !!

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Having had an amazing cup of coffee at a neighbors house (made by a Z5), I was sold. Two weeks later, our Starbucks solution had arrived. As mentioned by other reviewers, the coffee, lattes, caps, etc... were excellent and the machine performed as advertised. In fact, we had regular visits by our neighbors, just for the coffee.

But please be warned that these machines do not last and will require major repairs after the warranty has lapsed. Both my machine and that of my neighbors have stopped working, displaying "error 8" and refusing to do anything other than take up space on the kitchen counter. I realize that things aren't made like they used to be, but for $3,000+ I expect a heck of a lot more than one year's worth of light use. While lacking some of the features of the Z5, there are plenty of "super automatics" that are far more reliable and much cheaper. Don't bother with this machine.

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