Showing posts with label cuisinart espresso maker em-200. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cuisinart espresso maker em-200. Show all posts

Monday, June 9, 2014

Stainless Steel Cappuccino Frother

Cuisinox FRO-800F Cappuccino/Milk FrotherI use this with almond milk only (never tried regular milk), but it handles the almond perfectly well, although during frothing the milk comes through the tiny hole on top of the lid as well as around rim of the pitcher because the lid and the pitcher does not fit together perfectly.

I would not even care about the above issue really, my biggest pet peeve is the little round strainer part that basically froths the milk. Although Amazon states that this unit is stainless steel, the strainer part that is attached to the lid is not. I found this out the hard way; after rinsing the unit I put it into my dishwasher to wash it later, by the end of the day the strainer part started to rust and I was not happy about that. Now I have to hand wash it straight away, then dry it which is a pain in the ... for me because in the mornings I am usually in a hurry, I can however put the pitcher part in the dishwasher, I didn't have any rusting problems with that.

OMGosh I'm having fun with this thing. Hot chocolate is easy and rich too. I made one this morning using honey, Hershey's special dark cocoa and 2% milk. I know.... I know, this is supposed to be for frothing and steaming milk for espresso and latte's and stuff but the experimenting has only just begun.

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I couldn't decide whether to buy a battery powered frother or this. I am so pleased with this purchase!!! I absolutely love it. It is very convenient because you can heat the milk right in the pitcher, then froth and pour. Perfect every time, and you can adjust how frothy or foamy you want the milk once you get the hang of it.

I couldn't be happier with the results, and I don't have to worry about buying batteries!

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This was one of the best thing I bought. You can warm milk directly on your gas stove and make wonderful milk froth in this stainless steel Cappuccino Frother. I would buy this again and again.

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Total simplicity. Heat the milk and froth to perfection. About 15 to 20 plunges up and down to frothy perfection. How much easier could it be. I would recommend this. It get's 5 stars from me.

Sunday, March 23, 2014

Chemex - Chemex Bonded FP-2 Filter Paper (Designed only for Chemex CM-1) 1-3 Cups (100 count)

Chemex - Chemex Bonded FP-2 Filter Paper 1-3 CupsChemex, in my opinion, makes the best damn regular coffee. I've tried french presses, vacuum systems, etc.; Chemex 8 Cup Coffee Maker CM 8A tops them all. And it's not even the coffee maker that is the key but the filter paper. Since the Chemex system was invented by a scientist, back in the '30's, I can only assume he was using some laboratory filter paper in his shop and figured out that was what was making his coffee taste so good.

As far as I can tell, Chemex filter paper removes the slightly sour/acid taste from coffee, that I find objectionable. This, in turn, lets through the complex bitter/sweet flavors and allows me to taste them more fully.

For what it's worth, I grind my dark roasted beans right before using them, grinding 6 cups worth for wife and myself. We've also made our own ceramic coffee pots that have the same size top, to hold the Chemex filters. Works just as well as the Chemex pots. Now, if I can just find an auto-brew device that can use Chemex filters for work...

I have been using Chemex for 40 years. I wouldn't change for the world. The BEST coffeeis made with Chemex filters.

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I like these and would recommend them for the Chemex Coffee Maker. Do yourself a favor and use only genuine Chemex filters in the Chemex Coffee Maker, it's the only way to assure great tasting coffee. As usual, Amazon shopping was flawless... easy checkout and quick shipping.

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The Chemex filters were fine of course. You need a Chemex coffee carafe to use them. I highly recommend this for any coffee lover. I have the 2 cup carafe which I use to make a large mug of coffee. It's a bit more time consuming that an automatic drip method but using the Chemex makes a far superior cup of coffee. Bold coffee flavor, no bitterness, just the right temperature. I ignore my plunger pot now in favor of the Chemex...every time.

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These filters really work as advertised to take some of the acids, fats, oils and bitter flavor elements from coffee. I was skeptical of the manufacturer's claim, but have been a satisfied user for many years. The filter paper is somewhat heavier than other filters. That seems to do the trick. I just wish they were less expensive.

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Jura-Capresso 13936 Impressa S9 Fully Automatic Coffee and Espresso Center

Jura-Capresso 13936 Impressa S9 Fully Automatic Coffee and Espresso CenterA couple of previous reviews complained about blockages that quickly developed in their machines. I had the same problem after less than a month of use, where the brewed coffee would drip out very slowly, threatening to cease altogether. I told my wife she should return the machine, but she called Jura's customer service number, which is printed on the cover of the instruction booklet. The representative gave her a fix which is not mentioned in the troubleshooting section of the manual. It's difficult to describe, but it involves removing the grounds tray, poking a finger up through the chute and finding damp grounds that are stuck by a screen there. They can be wiped away with a paper towel and that should clear up the problem.

Otherwise, I recommend reading fhimas88888888's review for realistic advice, especially about the lifespan of a machine. This is my second super-automatic espresso machine, as a Saeco awaits repairs before becoming an office machine for my wife. They make very good coffee and espresso with relative ease and convenience. They're also great conversation pieces, although by now I find it tedious to demonstrate the machine for awed guests. If you love espresso, lattes, etc., the price of a super-automatic machine is worth it, although you can find one for less than half the cost of this Jura. I give the machine four stars because I wouldn't want to live without it, but I'm withholding a fifth star because I suspect competing machines are virtually as good.

This machine boasts A LOT of features! It has a dual boiler system that allows you to go back and forth from brewing to steaming without a wait time (although you can't do them at the same time). It has a bypass doser which allows you to add preground coffee. It has a rinse cycle that comes on when you turn the machine on. You can also program the machine to certain amounts of water to go through the coffee when you press a certain button. You can also have it turn on at a certain time and turn off at a certain time. There is a stylish blue backlight that looks wonderful on the machine. The machine also has a wonderful milk steamer that with the automatic frother and with the steamer itself allows wonderful steaming with ease.

Now my complaints. The steamer cannot get the milk anywhere as hot as my Expobar Office Control (semi automatic) or my old Rancilio Silvia (semi automatic). Also the froth quality is very bad with the automatic air injectors. This machine can only get the milk up to around 160, and after that the foam quality decreases.

The machine is HUGE! Before you even think about buying the machine (and if you do buy this machine, buy it online without tax) go to a place like William Sonoma and see the machine. Also it is helpful to try the coffee that is produced by the machine. The machine looks much different up close then in the Capresso glorified pictures.

The espresso quality is uncomparable to espresso from a semi automatic. I have an Expobar Office Control that was bout 800 dollars. This machine is very similar to the ones that you see at your cafe, with the programmed buttons but with a portafilter where one must grind and tamp the coffee themselves. This machine I get much superior crema, aroma, and espresso quality. When I went to try the coffee at Williams Sonoma from the S9, it was uncomparable.

Finally, the price. This machine is way overpriced for what you are getting. Although it does have some nice features, all of them can be seen on the S7, which is exactly the same machine, just is black and doesn't come with the automatic frother, which can be purchased for about 80 bucks.

In conclusion.... This is a great machine and can produce a good cup, not a great cup, but a good cup. Spending the big bucks doesn't guarentee better coffee. Any super automatics in the 500 and up price range will produce the same quality coffee, just some will have more features. If you are looking for a good machine, the Gaggia Syncrony Compact can basically do everything that this does minus a few things (and is MUCH smaller) and goes for about 1500 less. Remember, all super automatics can only last about 5-7 years depending on their usage and care, so remember that before buying. This machine will not last anywhere near a lifetime. Don't get me wrong, this is a great machine, but there are many others out there that can give you the same convenience, reliability, and a price tag much smaller, that will still give you the same quality cup of espresso.

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I purchased this machine's predecessor, the Jura S90, about 4 years ago. Since no one's owned an S9 for that long, it's hard to say for certain what the maintenance costs for the S9 will be, but I thought those considering buying it might appreciate knowing that it will likely require a certain amount of annual or biennial maintenance.

The S90 has one part that needs replacing after approximately every 2000 shots, which in my house means about once every 18 months. There are also seals and similar parts that again will need service periodically. This machine appears to be mechanically very similar to the S90, so it will likely have similar maintenance characteristics.

Over the last 4 years, I've had the machine serviced twice by Jura, and once by a local repairman. The cost of repairs was around two hundred dollars including parts each time... My front panel switches are also starting to misbehave, though, so the next repair may be more expensive.

This machine costs enough (and is good enough) to be worth repairing, but if you're expecting a machine to last the ages without any repairs, you'll likely be disappointed.

I can't really fault the machine for needing periodic maintenance, though. You could get a commercial machine with heavy-duty parts for 2-3 times the price, and that would need periodic maintenance, too (though the parts would last longer). Just be aware that by buying a high end machine, you've moved out of the "disposable" machine range and into the "pay to fix it" range. "Never needs fixing" doesn't exist.

As to the quality of the coffee, I've tried this one, and the quality is the best I've tasted from a super-automatic.

Read Best Reviews of Jura-Capresso 13936 Impressa S9 Fully Automatic Coffee and Espresso Center Here

We're among three people we know who own these now, plus our local cooking supply store; their praise for this machine is universal. The quality of coffee it makes far exceeds any other method or machine I've ever used. Why?

Inspecting the grounds that I have to empty about twice a week gave me an extraordinary insight; the grounds have virtually no smell at all! The machine apparently extracts every bit of flavor and aroma from the bean and leaves grounds that might as well be vaguely damp, black sawdust. If it's in the beans, in other words, it ends up in your cup, and you get the complete experience promised by your favorite bean and roast.

Every cup (and we make mostly "standard" cups of coffee) is graced with a crema that makes the first two or three sips a true guilty pleasure. Every cup is perfectly fresh, and since you make each cup one at a time there's never leftover coffee thickening at the bottom of the drip coffeemaker. Every coffee bean that passes through the S9 shows its individual character in ways that drip and percolators could never let you experience. The steam wand uses a venturi effect to draw up cold milk and mix it with raw steam to make good, hot foam and steamed milk it's a strong feature that works very well.

Sure, if you don't use the included water filters the machine will nag you after every 200 cups to run an automatic cleaning cycle. But the machine cleans itself, for crying out loud, taking all of about 15 minutes every month or two. And every 2000 cups, as I recall, it asks for a deeper cleaning to remove any lime or calcium buildup down deep inside also essentially automatic.

The downsides are few but must be noted in fairness. It's very loud and the sounds are somewhat harsh; surprising at first. It's big. It costs a lot of money. Worst of all, once you start drinking this stuff it's impossible to completely enjoy coffee at a restaurant or local coffee bar. The restaurant probably makes drip, and the coffee bar using a big espresso machine rarely uses the high quality of beans that you'd use at home. Buyer beware: you'll get spoiled.

And I'm ready to buy a second one for my office.

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At first, we were very pleased with the machine. It makes very flavorful coffee and is easy to use. After less than one year, it developed a blockage so we had to return it for repair. This first repair was under the warranty period so we weren't terribly disappointed. Now, one year later, it has developed the exact same blockage and the minimum cost to repair it is $150. When trying to reason with the Capresso service rep. saying that it has developed the same blockage, the reply was, "sorry mam, it will be $150."

We originally bought the machine when it was $2400 and expect better performance than this. It appears that the cost is the upfront investment plus $150 per year to keep it working. We will not be buying any Capresso products in the future!

Saturday, September 14, 2013

Kalorik 1000-Watt 12-Cup Programmable Coffeemaker, Maya

Kalorik 1000-Watt 12-Cup Programmable Coffeemaker, MayaThe most important item this machine makes GREAT coffee. I bought it because Consumer Reports noted it was one of the few that actually gets hot enough to make decent coffee, and they were right on. I have been using it for two pots of coffee every day for several months now, and I am very impressed with the quality of the coffee.

I bought the Maya simply because it was cheaper than the SS model when it got here, it was obvious why this thing is the most butt-ugly device I have ever seen! All the plastic on the body and the pot is a light liver brown color yeach! I'd spend the extra few bucks to get the SS version if I was doing it again.

Couple of stupid design flaws: The fill gap is much smaller than necessary not bad enough to whine about (I haven't spilled any water yet, but if you have the shakes, you might), but this useability flaw is really dumb because it gains nothing at all. The unit is roughly triangular in shape, with the front wide and the narrow point in the rear, so by designing it with the openings so narrow they gained absolutely nothing in either space savings or visual appeal. Oh well...

The second flaw is potentially worse if you do not pay attention. There is only one on/off button, as opposed to one for manual and one for timed program. When you manually shut the unit off, the first push of the button doesn't really turn it off, it turns ON the timed program! Must push it twice to get it turned completely off. Really REALLY dumb design, but once you know about it and get used to it, it is tolerable considering the great quality of the coffee.

The filter basket works perfectly I am happy it uses paper filters, 'cause I won't use any other kind! But I grind my coffee very fine, and on some other units I have had an occasional problem with the filter and thick grounds packing down on the drain some and backing up the water in the basket. That never happens on this one, even with the extra load of grounds in there for the second pot.

The last issue for comment is the pot and no-drip feature of the filter basket the pot is well designed and the spout allows for a reasonably fast pour without dribbling around the spout; I've seen better, but this one is acceptable. The no-drip valve in the basket actually works very well, preventing even the typical 1-2 drips when the pot is first removed while the coffee is still brewing. The only drawback is that the valve knob that engages the pot lid often makes it difficult to smoothly return the pot to the burner this hangs up a bit about half the time and requires a little wiggle of the pot to get it slid in place without sloshing the coffee.

Bottom line for me is that I do not think there is any other available 12-cup maker for under $50 that even comes close to this one for the quality of the coffee I wouldn't accept the flaws if it was closer to $100, where there are better options in that range, but at $50 it is a definite good buy.

I bought the Kalorik Maya at TJ Maxx for $39. This was about as high as I wanted to go for a 12 cup programmable coffeemaker. So far it is doing exactly what it should be doing. It is a no frills (except for the color) machine.

A couple of things I think could be improved:

1) Uses paper filters. Can Kalorik at least come up with a drop-in reusable filter for a coffeemaker in this price class?

2) Water tank opening is very narrow. Therefor Maya requires a steady hand to fill. Keep a dish cloth ready when you fill up this coffeemaker. Also; the machine is pretty tall. I am 6 ft, and have a medium height worksurface in the kitchen. If you are much shorter you probably have to use a step stool.

In short; it is a coffeemaker. It is basic with a programmable "on", and automatic "off" mechanism. $39 was reasonable. Anything over that and you are paying too much. Especially considering that it is Made in China, and and it definitely looks and feels like it too. It does come with a measuring scoop!

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I have had two Kalorik coffee makers and neither one of them lasted. The coffee is not hot enough and although it tastes good I don't like the idea that they don't last for longer than six months. This time I bought a Mr. Coffee. The coffee is hot and hopefully it will last longer than my Kalorick's did.

Read Best Reviews of Kalorik 1000-Watt 12-Cup Programmable Coffeemaker, Maya Here

This coffeemaker is a nice color, it looks good on my counter, it's not too tall (some of the other reviewers mentioned that it was too tall and they spilled some water)...I do make sure I add the water first because the water "opening" is a little narrow, so you could end up spilling some water into the coffee part. Not a big deal, but I prefer my coffee (before it's brewed) to be dry! I've had this coffeemaker for over 6 months and it's been great so far!!

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Off the bat I received this coffee maker with a broken carafe (not from amazon). Horrible customer service I originally contacted their customer service folks using their website. I was told that I needed to email them a "proof of purchase", which meant a receipt, to proceed with any damage reports. I responded with an email letting them know that it was a gift and I did not have a receipt. 3 months later, no response. I then tried to purchase another carafe off the internet somewhere but was unable to locate a seller. I submitted another complaint stating that I just want to buy another carafe and if this was not possible, please advise so that I can throw the coffee maker away. Finally a positive response, "just this once we will send out another carafe, free of charge". Yay, right?

The coffee maker worked great, great tasting coffee, kept it nice and hot. I used disposable filters and filtered water. Then after about 40 uses, nothing; the coffee maker just stopped. The lights are on, the timer and auto mode seems to work but there is just no heating going on from the element. Back to the internet, I learned that this is actually common. Didn't even bother to contact customer service this time, I just need my coffee.

Bottom Line Don't buy. Even if it does make great coffee when it works, how will you replace parts? And who needs a coffee maker that goes kaput? Try looking for a replacement carafe online and you'll see, they're just not out there. Go with a brand that has more accessible parts.

Good Luck and Happy Amazon Shopping :-)

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Thursday, August 8, 2013

Saeco S-OG-SG Odea Giro Super-Automatic Espresso Machine

Saeco S-OG-SG Odea Giro Super-Automatic Espresso MachineThis is a great machine for the price! At first I was nervous because of the plastic feel, but it seems to be holding up really well. It is very quick to heat up. VERY quiet considering the ceramic grinder. It is given 4 stars because of how quickly the drip tray fills up (near the coffee grounds drawer) otherwise I would give this a 5 star rating. It has to be emptied once a day if you have used the machine a lot. We do because it has the awesome feature of sending out hot water with the spout just by pushing the water button and turing the knob on top. So we use this machine for hot tea too! Also the water tank is a little hard to get out. Maybe we are being too gentle with it, but you do just have to give it a little extra pull. The adjustable drip tray (in front) is great. I just make my latte to go in a travel mug. The ability to switch from frothing the milk which is very fast to immediately making the espresso it my favorite feature.

Overall this is an excellent machine, makes great espresso, easy to use, and looks great too!

OK, so I did a ton of research on this and the plethora of similar machines that are out there. I also went the route of using the 20% off coupon at Bed Bath and Beyond and I could not be happier.

Right out of the box it was very easy to follow the 4-step directions. It fired right up and made what I hope to be the first of thousands of perfect lattes. It truly is a wonderful machine!!

I love that it swivels back and forth for easy access to the water tank and the dump bin for the used grounds. I don't think I even have to wait 30 seconds for the milk frother to produce steam--it's very fast.

A few tips:

1. steam your milk first before you pull your shots as the shots will go bad after about 10 seconds (this is what I learned as an employee of one super-popular Seattle-based chains).

2. Keep a little container under the frother attachment so that when you turn it on there will be something there to collect the small amount of water that spills out.

3. Keep a supply of decaf onhand because once you start making these you won't be able to stop and you'll turn into a caffeine zombie.

All of the negative points that have been raised in the majority of reviews (on both this and other similar makes and models) are a non-issue for me. The indicator lights tell you when things need to be refilled or emptied; the machine is very solid (albeit solid plactic), and it heats up super quick.

I am a super picky coffee/latte drinker and I am in love with thing!!!

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We took a long while researching what machine to buy and was told by the espresso zealots that if you want authentic shots you have to work for them... Meaning that you need to grind separately, hand press the puck into the porta-filter and pull the perfect shot.. and so on. So, ive had espresso in several corners of the world; so for all of that non-sense, I say 'meh'. We started looking at quality super-auto's and kept coming back to Saeco. Picked the odea-giro out for its balance of features vs simplicity, cost and previous reviews, company rep, etc.

One year after buying this machine and using it every day, we are pretty sure that I can finally say that the zealots are full of steam. ;)

The Odea is a great compact machine. There is a plastic feel but it is pretty durable and we have been pretty rough with it.. Its supposed to be an appliance.. right? We use the machine once or twice a day and more on weekends. Good espresso is pretty addicitive. We use oily beans and have no issues.

So the truth to all the haters of red-blinky lights and moving parts: This not a toaster with a crumb tray. This thing needs maintenance. Some of it is obvious.. Fill me, clean me, brush me off, wipe me down. The rest is not so intuitve..

To keep this machine happy you need to clean the brew-group under the faucet once a week. Its easy, stop whining. Keep the booklet near-by so you can diagnose the red-blinkys that happen with a complicated electro-mechanical device. De-scale, grease, empty, fill, clean and you wont have trouble with this machine.

I advise that you purchase the extra filter for the water tank. Even if you feed it britta water like we do, the steam wand tip gets pretty scaly. Hard water is the enemy of a system that boils water for a living! Fill it with RO if you can.

So enough. Its a good machine, get it, love it, drink espresso and be happy.

Read Best Reviews of Saeco S-OG-SG Odea Giro Super-Automatic Espresso Machine Here

I did not hesitate to purchase my second Saeco after 4 years of good experience with my first one a Saeco Vienna (which is still running fine). Compared with the Vienna, the Odea Giro does almost everything a little better, despite having a smaller footprint. It is more stylish, heats up (and cools down) faster, and froths better. The espresso quality is excellent with rich crema and aroma. I am especially impressed with how fast and easy it is to switch between the modes steam and hot water/ brew, despite it having a only a single boiler. In other single-boiler models like the Vienna you would have to manually purge the water and wait as much as 30 seconds. In the Odea Giro it is done automatically within 10 seconds.

As noted in other reviews, the water tank capacity can be a problem. The bean hopper is also smaller than Vienna. However I am happy to trade off tank capacity for less counter space. My previous experience with Vienna is that you always want to dump and refill the tank with fresh water before turning on the machine. The coffee tastes much better than with day-old water.

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This is our third or fourth Saeco machine so,obviously,you know we just love them. Our first two machines were the Vienna superautomatica models and then a Villa super automatic. All of them performed nicely.

We have had the Odea Giro Super-Automatic for a couple of months now so I feel qualified enough to make comparisons. This machine is a little more stylin' than our previous ones , it isnt as boxy as the vienna's and takes up less counter than either the vienna or villa models. It is easier to work around its nice rounded shape. It does heat faster than the others and really does froth on demand. overall it does out perform our previous machines one of which still lives. The only complaint we have pertains to the water tank. I just hate running the pump dry. It just doesn't seem good for it and I hate to wait for my fix. the other machines we had had larger tanks and they were "see through" so you could anticipate refilling them. this one is smaller and could really use atleast a level window. for some reason this oversight really annoys me. otherwise, this little buddie has more style,works faster, and makes one great cup of coffee.

We like dark dark bean and would suggest Jeremiah's Pick coffee bean sold also by amazon. Our favorite is the Fogbuster,it has a nice strong flavor without the bitter bite a lot of darker roasts get. 33 bucks is a great price and if you buy one of these machines you are going to need a 5 pound bag.