Senseo HD7003 Espresso Pod Holder for Deluxe & Supreme Senseo Gourmet Coffee Machines

I guess there might be a difference but I couldn't see it. The pods work with our regular holder and we can't tell the difference. Oh, well.

The holder works as advertised, which is more than I can say regarding some other products I have seen advertised for this machine. I fits and makes great expresso. Not quite as strong as a much more expensive unit when you let it run for the full single cup cycle. Cut the time short on the brew cycle and you can't tell the difference. I happen to have a young lady from the Netherlands, where the Senseo is made, staying here for a short visit. When she saw the Senseo machine she indicated that she had one at home as well but she did not have the expresso pod holder and after trying the coffee indicated that when she returned home to the Netherlands she was going to get one.

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Capresso 1050-Watt Pump Espresso and Cappuccino Machine, Black/Silver

I really love this espresso machine. I am no great coffee afficianado, but I was entering a time period when I foresaw the need for the regular intake of caffeine, and really only enjoy lattes, so I clearly needed an espresso machine that would also allow me to steam milk. I previously had the Mr.Coffee espresso machine that did have the steam wand, but I was moving and it was either a choice to pay to ship my Mr. Coffee or look into something new. I didn't love the Mr. Coffee, but I didn't have any huge complaints either. The opportunity came up for me to get a new machine for free (thanks to some promotional points I had with an organization that were soon to expire). This was the only espresso machine they had to "purchase" and the reviews I could find were generally positive, though not glowing. But, this machine definitely seemed like it would fit my needs and would be a better use of points than cubic zirconia earrings so, I bought it!

With that full disclosure out of the way, I must say I have grown to love this machine!! After just about 2 weeks of use, its probably gotten more use than my Mr. Coffee did over the 3 years or so that I had it.

Things that I love:

*EASE OF USE. This thing is CRAZY easy to use. I have even shown my mother (who is about 60 and not too tech savvy) how to steam her own lattes. I'm still having trouble with my husband who can never remember anything I tell him, but I am sure he will come around as well. The pieces fit together without much, if any, wrangling and finessing. It heats up and is ready very quickly. I just turn it on and by the time that I have assembled all my items for making my drink, its ready. Overall, just a joy to use.

*Versatility. Since I am not an innate coffee lover, I love that this machine can be used so well and so easily for other things as well. It makes hot water for tea with just a flip of a switch and it is hotter faster than if I were to use the microwave or electric kettle. It basically has replaced any of our old methods of heating water for tea. The ease with which it steams (and the rapidity with which it gets ready) makes making steamed milk drinks a snap. I've actually had more chai lattes than espresso since I've gotten this machine, and I love them!

*QUALITY. As I said before, I am not a great coffee afficionado and a decent cup to me may not be a decent cup to someone with a more discriminating palate. That said, I DO think the quality of the espresso that I pull with the Capresso is better than what I remember with the Mr. Coffee--and I lost my really good tamper in the move. So once I purchase a new one I think that the quality of the espresso from the Capreso will be even higher.

Things that I don't love:

*SIZE. If you have limited counterspace, this may not be for you. The Mr. Coffee was great with its very small footprint--could easily store out of the way or didn't take up much counterspace. While not huge, it's also not tiny. However, its multiple uses and the frequency with which I use it make leaving it out not such a huge drawback. (Also helps that I now have a bigger kitchen!)

So, overall, just wanted to put my 2 cents in that this was a very useful machine, which I am very pleased with and have already recommended it to friends. I don't know how it compares with the performance of comparable machines at its price, but on its own it is very satisfactory, and really I enjoy using it.

An additional FYI: I had also found this video review online when I was doing my search and it was very informative/insightful: .

Bought this machine in April 2011 for $150. We used on a daily basis, most days creating perfect jumbo cups of cappuccino. Some days the espresso was weaker than others...some days the milk was perfectly frothed, other days not so much. But hey, all espresso machines seem to have a mind of their own. After 3 months use the machine broke. The button to switch from Espresso to Steam stopped working. I think that we have the right to expect a longer life for a machine than 90 days! Amazon's return policy is 30 days.

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I love this machine, have been using every single day for a month to make lattes at home. Turn it on and let it warm up for 10-15 minutes to get a hotter brew, and also for the cup warmer to be of any use. For my first espresso machine I am completely happy, especially for the price. A little practice with the steam wand and I am getting consistent texture, temperature, and taste with my daily latte. I would definitely recommend for first time users who are trying to make the switch from your daily $4 latte, it will pay for itself!

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Okay, for a beginner this machine is good. It can pull a shot, but it will take longer, as it does not get to the 'ideal' temp. The cup warmer does not warm, but if you put anything plastic on it it will cause a lovely melty smell. The nozzle is not very good for steaming as it doesn't move well. It's entire build is a bit awkward, however access to the water tank is quite handy. *However* if you are looking for something that can make a modest macchiatto, this will work.

What it DOES NOT do:

Steam well enough to create microfoam (unless you are using skim milk, but that's not what we used in Spain, Italy, or even now, here in Germany skim stays well away from your coffee... it's the whip cream that kills the calories, not the milk)

Warm cups on the cup warmer (frankly why so many of these machines 'provide' this feature baffles me as the machines are not equipped with enough power to do so)

Pull a fast shot (the 'ideal' shot is typically listed as a 15-20 second shot, this won't do it, so don't even expect it to)

What it DOES do:

Steams milk to a good temp for hot cocoa

Steam water to make fast tea, or to reheat your tea

Produce a passable espresso shot (but it takes 30-40 seconds*)

What is a total pain about it:

getting anything other than an actual espresso cup under there is a pain. The portafilter is a little too low to allow for an espresso shot glass to go under it, let alone a coffee cup.

Cleaning it. You have to first unplug it, upend it on it's top (which is bad) and scrub at the extraction/drip area as removing grounds is really difficult, even with a hot washcloth and a scrub brush.

The drip tray itself isn't a pain, but how the steam collects then reforms/condenses back into water, then sputters out of a channel that is supposed to lead to the tray, but instead goes under it, and all over your counter.

In summation:

For this price range it is a moderate machine. If you are curious about making a passable cup of coffee, and are upgrading from a normal drip coffee pot, this machine will work. However, when this machine finally poops out on you, upgrade and don't feel bad if you 'only' get two years out of this machine. It's pretty much all plastic, and that automatically means it's going to degrade quickly.

*for those who are just starting out, the reason why the timing of the shot pull is important is because too long and you risk a scorched taste at worst or a cold cup at best.

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My wife and I used this to make very good cappuccino -a cup each, about four times a week for 14 months. Then, over the course of a week or so, the frothing wand lost 90% of its pressure and wasn't worth using anymore. We tried dismantling and cleaning, but that didn't help. I imagine there's a small crack in the boiler somewhere. I thought this machine would last for many years.

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Cuisinart EM-100 1000-Watt 15-Bar Espresso Maker, Stainless Steel

I purchased this machine at a Kohl's for roughly $220. I think it's of an exceptional quality for the price.

Positives: #1 Well built (it's actually quite heavy)

#2 easy to use, filters allow for a single or double shot to be made also comes with a pod filter but I've never used it

#3 large water reservoir that has allowed me to make 4 or 5 espressos and steam milk too

#4 comes with a DVD that teaches you how to use it (much easier than reading the booklet) this is especially helpeful if you're new at making your own drinks

#5 easy to clean

#6 has a warming plate on top (good if you need to make more than one double shot cups or two single shot cups

#7 espresso has a good taste (although I think this has as much to do with the quality of the coffee you're using) The machine actually does produce a good amount of crema for the price you pay

#8 Stainless steel frothing picture is just the right size for one latte or two cappucinos

#9 15 bar pump allows for more than enough pressure and for great taste.

#10 has a feature that allows you to get plain old hot water too if someone isn't interested in the espresso and wants tea/cocoa/whatever

Negatives: #1 the steam nozzle is too long you kind of have to tilt the pitcher to get the nozzle out this isn't a problem so long as you know so you can use less milk or you can place the machine so the nozzle can be used on a non-countered space. The nozzle has a good range of movement so this does help counteract.

#2 the distance between the portafilter (where the coffee comes out) and the drip tray is not very tall I've found that I have to use a smaller cup to brew and then dump it into a larger cup if I'm going to make a latte and want to fit in a decent amount of frothed milk.

#3 you have to be really careful to not overtamp your grounds or you'll end out with coffee everywhere this machine is a little pickier than I expected (and pickier than the really cheap machine this replaced). But, with that said, the taste is 100x better. You can catch it if you overtamp too so long as you closely monitor and make sure the water is coming out of the portafilter at a decent rate. If you overtamp, barely anything drips out. After a while you figure out how much is too much.

#4 my biggest complaint, and this one is quite dangerous There's not a great way of knowing that pressure has been released this means that once your espresso is made and you're ready to clean out the coffee grounds you have to be really really careful or it'll explode the hot coffee grinds all over you and your kitchen. I've been seriously burned a couple of times. It might not be a problem if you're used to espresso machines (I wasn't when I first bought this one) or you learn to be super extra careful always.

We had a Krups combo coffee pot/espresso machine and after several espresso calamities in a row, I gave up and got this Cuisinart. So far it has been great! It seems that there used to be only basic espresso makers or extremely expensive ones on the market, with nothing in between. But the Cuisinart satisfies the coffee connoisseur on a budget by making truly wonderful espresso and more.

One of my frustrations with our last model was the "perfect froth" tip, which was disastrous to say the least. I just need a basic steam wand and I can take it from there, and the Cuisinart fits the bill it steamed and frothed my milk easily and quickly. Just be careful to use less milk than you might think, because the volume doubles in no time. I'll probably switch to a larger pitcher than the one that comes with the Cuisinart, though it's fine to start out.

A couple tips to get started: the instructions say the heating light should come on right away, but it didn't for me until I switched the small knob to the droplet icon (as opposed to the middle neutral position). I figured this out by watching the video, which I recommend as the instruction manual is pretty bare. It's also good to see how much pressure one should use to tamp the grounds.

The only negative thing I can say is that the warming tray doesn't seem to get very warm, but I do like being able to store my cups on top anyway (more space in the cabinets now, plus a certain café aesthetic is always nice), so I don't mind. Positives are that it's fast, it's quiet, everything is sturdy and well designed (and clicks or locks solidly in place so you know things are seated correctly), and the espresso is truly café quality an enormous difference from the more basic espresso machines on the market.

UPDATE: Since this review I have had some experiences with clogging. Cuisinart customer service was totally unhelpful, but here's what I do to remedy the situation:

1. As soon as you notice espresso isn't coming out, turn off the machine, take off the basket (you may have to wait for the pressure to subside), rinse it out well, and fill the machine with water.

2. Scrub the underside of the metal grid that the filter basket attaches to with a damp cloth.

3. Reattach just the basket with no filter. Heat water and run that through to get any clogs in the upper part of the machine. I fill up a milk pitcher. Then turn the big black dial to neutral, add the empty filter to the basket, and repeat. As long as water starts running through that ok it should be all right. I hope it works for you!

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I like my coffee. In fact, I freely admit to being a coffee addict. And before I say anything else, let me say that this machine makes great coffee. With the right beans and a bit of practice, you can beat the taste of any coffee shop with this.

That said, I am glad, I still have my french press, because sometimes this machine decides to be difficult. It usually starts if you tamp your coffee too hard. The coffee maker is then unable to pass water through and ceases up completely. Make sure you watch what you are doing, so you can stop it from trying if necessary. Now, the real problem with this is, that you will have a very hard time removing the basket, as long as there is still pressure inside. It takes somewhere between 5-10 minutes at least, before the pressure has gone down enough, that you can pry the basket off (watch for exploding coffeegrounds, if you didn't wait long enough).

To make matters worse, the machine seems to have a hard time recovering after an incident such as this. It seems to get even pickier, with what it will accept, and it will be easier to resort to the backup plan, and let the espresso machine recover.

I would rate the EM-100 a 5/5, if it weren't for this problem. I hardly apply any strength, when I tamp my coffee, and I still run into trouble from time to time. In fact, the first one I had got so picky, that I took it back to the store and exchanged it.

To minimize my risk, I take great care to clean every bit of the coffee maker after each use. If you can live with this issue, the coffee that comes out of this machine really is to die for.

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Use it at least twice daily with both ESE pods and ground espresso. It really is a nice machine. If you are like some other reviewers and have problems with coffee grounds blowing out over the kitchen after you are done then you are likely tamping them too hard or using a grind that's too fine. Easiest way for a first time user is to buy some coffee in ESE (easy serve espresso) pods from the internet and feel it to see how hard the coffee is tamped in the pod. Cut it open and see how finely it is ground. Go to the grocery store and grind a pound of your favorite roast to about the same grind. At my grocery store the second or the third finest setting works fine. You can use your own grinder but a good burr type grinder costs some money and the less expensive blade grinders are useless for espresso. Tamp it to about the same hardness as the pod was. It makes wonderful espresso with lots of crema on top. I've never had an issue with grounds or steam blowing out after I release the pot--even with the machine on and waiting just until the coffee stops dripping to detatch it. I don't see how you could go wrong, but some obviously do.

This one looks nice. It works well. Has a self-priming pump (a good feature that alot don't include). It comes with a tamper, a stainless-steel frothing cup, filter holders for pods, single, and double shots. It also includes 2 tolls to clean the little holes the espresso is pumped through. It comes with pretty much everything you would end up buying for it in the first year. I have a water softener so scale will never be a problem but you would want to descale it once in a while if you don't use distilled water. The only thing I wish it had was a dial thermometer so I could watch the water temp more closely. I believe that it has an aluminum boiler. I would prefer brass but you just can't get it at this price. The pump makes some noise but not more than any other I've used. Steam espresso machines are cheaper, much quieter but burn the coffee and it doesn't taste nearly as good.

Overall, very good product, easy to use and the best value by far at this price.

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To start with, the machine leaked water out of the bottom from the beginning.

A couple of months before the 1-yr warranty was up, the plastic (!) piece holding he steaming wand broke and sent the wand shooting under pressure. Cuisinart agreed to replace the machine, but I had to pay return shipping AND new shipping. I believe they sent me a refurbished machine, as immediately the wand would barely release steam and no water stream through the wand at all. The front knob would get so hot under all of the pent-up pressure, that it was too hot to touch! A couple of times the wand came shooting off. I called back, but Cuisinart told me now the warranty was up, even though they just sent me a faulty machine! Told me they might make an exception, but again I would have to pay shipping both ways! What?!?

No more Cuisinart for me.

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FrancisFrancis! X5

This machine makes a good cup of espresso, particularly from the Illy ground coffee (not the pods, in my opinion). But I have had inconsistent performance from the machine itself. It is temperamental, and after about five months of average use, it began to take 40 seconds to make a cup of espresso instead of 20-25, as it did in the beginning. The non ESE handle also got a little warped (no clue why; I did not drop it). And, and this is perhaps a big one, that cheap crappy clock on the front that looks so cool fell out. Kept falling out. There is nothing that secures that clock in there, and it is horribly made. I really wish they had left that thing out.

So it was under warranty and I sent it back to Francis Francis. 3 weeks later, I got it back and it doesn't appear that they changed ANYTHING about my machine. The work order claims they fixed gaskets, but I don't see a difference. They didn't even unpack the handles that they requested I send (they were still taped as I had taped them), and even though I wrote (and phoned in) a detailed description of the things I needed fixed (the clock; the warped handle; and whatever was causing the machine to take so long), they did not replace the handle OR the clock.

I called FF and they initially claimed that they DID fix these things. I insisted they did not. Then they told me that the clock and handle were "on backorder." I have been waiting over a month for them to go off of backorder, but I do not quite understand how such a widely-produced machine could have basic parts on backorder. I have been trying to reach them by phone for the last three days, and their message consistently says "due to unusual high call volume, we cannot answer your call. Please leave a message and we will get back to you." No one gets back to me.

Horrible customer service. Some very major problems with the machine itself. Nice design, decent coffee, good frothing. I probably would choose a different brand if I were to purchase again.

Update: FF did, eventually, send me my new handle and clock. The clock they sent was ALSO broken (sigh), so I just gave up on that issue. I taped the old one in there, so there wasn't a huge hole in the front of the machine. Performance, 2 years after purchase, is about the same as it was a couple months after: inconsistent, but I can still get a great cup of espresso. I just wish it were consistent.

I was initially reluctant to get this model (through Illy's offer), and thought I had just been seduced by it's cool looks. I've had it for 4 years now, and I'm only now finally happy with it because I've finally learned that the mixed quality shots was my own fault, not the machine's.

It's a steep learning curve to make a good espresso, and I'm probably the worst espresso snob you can imagine. I wouldn't dream of drinking the stuff from the big well known chain. But once you've learned the tricks, this machine does a good job. I strongly recommend that you read up on wholelattelove's website and elsewhere for tips.

Here are some of mine:

-use bottled water!

-get your own burr grinder! It makes a world of a difference. I got the Baratza Maestro Plus. My shots were hit or miss for the longest time, but since I got my own grinder they are consitantly great. And grind just before each shot. I put it at the finest setting.

-experiment with the beans. I've finally settled on Barrington Gold Reserve from barringtoncoffee, which makes a really thick crema and tastes almost like chocolate. I found the espresso grind from illy not fine enough for this machine, and coffee goes stale so quickly, that I wouldn't recommend the automatic delivery from them, except for the pods that are OK if you are in a hurry or making for many people at a time. My favorite coffee shop is Joe's Art of Coffee in NYC, and I bought the beans from them the first time, now I order directly from Barrington.

A couple of tips related to this particular machine:

-take the filter basket out of the portafilter and rinse it every day.

-run an empty shot of just hot water through the machine to warm up both the filter and the cup.

-learn how to tamper correctly, with 30 pounds pressure, and give the tamper a little twist to smoothen the surface. Remove the tamper handle from the disk (I like this disk, how it helps prevent sneeze and also makes it easier to see if you have the right amount of grinds in the filter)

-Turn the handle as tight as possible. The tricky thing is to get just the right amount of grinds in. If too little, the water flows through too quickly and the espresso gets watery. If too much, you have a hard time attaching the handle without extreme force. Also, if you put too much in and your grind is fine, it might leak out of the top of the filter.

-When the lights show the temperature is ready, I give it another 10-15 sec boost by pressing the steam button. Not more, or it will burn the coffee and possibly damage the machine.

-I'm saving the best for last:

Once you press the start button, wait exactly 3 seconds and then turn the handle even further to the right. I assure you, if you follow these tips and use the above combination of equipment and supplies, you'll never want to drink espresso again from anywhere else than your home, or perhaps in Sicily, and Joe's Art of Coffee shop in NYC.

(oh, one little gripe I have about this model is that the water reservoir warps if put in the dishwasher, but I still wash it every time or every other time it's empty, because slime builds up if standing too long. Now the reservoir has found it's final warped shape and is still useable)

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I am extremely pleased with this machine thus far. It came with the illy E.S.E. pods, as well as illy ground espresso and a different filter kit to use with ground coffee. I found the instructions easy to understand; set-up was very easy and quick. I had never made a cup of espresso in my life, and within 15 minutes I had a cup of espresso normal and had even steamed some milk to make a fabulous latte. I have the red machine, and it looks so sharp on my kitchen counter. The machine feels very solid, very well-made, and is designed to look good and work well (how Italian!). I read up a lot on this machine at wholelattelove.com, before choosing this particular one. Slate.com also gave it an excellent review.

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I bought this machine not even two years ago through the Illy a Casa program for my husband's 40th birthday. For about a year and a half, it worked well (and looked great too, except for the clock, which popped off and broke almost immediately). My husband loved it and I congratulated myself on getting him such a great gift. But one day the boiler overheated and that was it for the machine. When I tried to contact Francis Francis, I was only able to reach Illy. The machine was out of warranty, so it cost $10 for them to ship a box to me to have it FedEx'd to the service center. Before sending it in, I tried to find out how much I would be charged for the repair, but Illy could not provide an estimate; they did say it could be as much as $150. Not only that, they couldn't give me a number for Francis Francis customer service at all. So after just two years I am stuck with a very expensive and very broken machine. : (

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I absolutely love this machine! I upgraded my previous espresso machine, an overpriced model unwisely purchased from THE largest coffee retailer in the United States (if you don't have one in your neighborhood yet, look out it won't be long), and was that ever a huge waste of money totally kaput after only three years. I've since stopped buying their products and learned a great deal more about coffee. I was NEVER able to get such good results from that machine as I get from the solid high-performance Italian dream that is the X5. Beautifully designed by Luca Trazzi, the gorgeous sleek eye-popping yellow was the one for me; it really warms up all the cold stainless-steel in my kitchen. The unit's inner workings are most definitely top quality! Believe the other comments about the post-shot drip -it's only a minor annoyance, but very noticeable. It certainly doesn't interfere with the quality of the espresso you'll produce with the X5, though what a perfect shot of espresso all three layers plainly visible, and the Supercrema system definitely delivers! The steaming wand fits comfortably into my tilted larger milk-steaming pitcher, and produces fluffy, dense foam like I've only had in restaurants before. If daily espresso intake is vital to your happiness, like it is to mine, do yourself a favor and take the plunge -it's most definitely not the cadillac of machines when compared to those automated jobs that do everything but wipe your ... nose for you and take all the fun and romance out of pulling your own espresso shots, but it delivers superior and as close as you can get to professional quality espresso and steamed milk as possible without the hefty price tag attached to machines of that calibur. Thank you, FrancisFrancis!!

PS spring for the Illy coffee, too it's simply the best!