Cuisinox Roma 10 Cup Stovetop Espresso Coffeemaker

This is a fantastic stovetop espresso pot; it's got beautiful lines, it's very well crafted and well designed.

First of all, I appreciate that it's made of stainless steel rather than the more traditional aluminum. There's no pitting of the metal over time (and therefore, no aluminum that winds up in my coffee! In using it on an electric stovetop, there's been no discoloration on the outside surface either.

Another reviewer noted the size of this pot, and I was a bit concerned that it would be larger than I expected, but it seems perfect to me; it's not cumbersome or heavy in the least. It's very well constructed and designed to last. Regarding the lid being 'flimsy', the hinge itself does allow a bit of play, but it doesn't seem to pose any danger of breaking. The handle doesn't become too hot to touch, as with some other moka pots.

For me, the pot makes an excellent brew of coffee (I prefer it to my French press), and just enough coffee to fill my extra large mug (about 20 oz., the size of a Starbucks venti). The great thing about a moka pot is that you can tailor the taste of the coffee in a multitude of ways. It will accept a grind from coarse to fine, thereby changing the amount of surface area of coffee that is exposed to the water. You can play with the water and coffee ratio to find what works best for you. And depending on how high you set your stove, you can affect the brew time, which makes a difference in the taste as well. It really allows you to tweak the variables and find the method that is right for you.

Cleaning doesn't pose any issues, and taking it apart and reassembling it is easy and quick. There's a filter insert that allows you to brew a half pot (about a traditionally sized cup of coffee), and it works well. But I almost always make the full amount, and wouldn't enjoy a smaller pot than this.

I love this pot; it's held up well, and I expect it will continue to for years to come.

I recently received my Roma 10 cup it is quite a bit larger than the 6 cup. Overall the construction seems solid although the lid attachment seems a bit flimsy. Unlike other reviewers mine did discolor slightly at the base after use, but I do not really mind the gold hue (and yes the fire was kept low). Also unlike some other reviewers of the 6 cup, I did not find it that difficult to clean. However I would recommend cleaning it soon after it cools. One advantage of the 10 cup vs the 6 cup is that the larger base protects the handle from heat and I have not found the need to use a towel or hot pad to remove it from the stove and pour it. Also you do have the option to make 5 cups and to be honest I cannot see wanting to make less than that ( such as 3 on the 6 cup). The coffee is rich and strong but I would not quite compare it to espresso, however it does pack more puch than the same coffee in my Cappresso drip machine. I like it, and even though the 6 cup is a little more attractive in size, I think it would be too small to make morning (which means a decent cup size)coffee for more than one person. I would recommend it and my only complaint is the way the lid is attached should be more solid.

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THIS IS JUST WHAT WE EXPECTED. WE USE IT WEN WE HAVE COMPANY.

Price was a bit more steep than we think it should cost.

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Makes a rich cup of coffee for two and looks great on your stove top. The product is well made, heavy and top quality. I look forward to using it everyday.

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Nesco BG-88 Professional 12-Cup Burr Grinder with 17 Grind Settings

The Preface: This is not a review just a quick note of warning to potential buyers.

1) Don't let the picture fool you. While the images may give you the impression this machine looks well designed and durable I can assure you it is not. I actually had the benefit of purchasing it locally and was able to hold the box in my hand. I wish I could have held the machine itself, though. The plastic bean holder and grounds holder are made of thin, brittle plastic. So thin and brittle that I handle it very slowly and carefully to avoid dropping it. I have the feeling that if the grounds holder slipped out of my hands and fell 6 inches to the table top, that would be enough to shatter it. Furthermore, the grounds holder and lid are not flat and have several 'directions' which make it clumsly and difficult to snap together.

2) The instructions actually advise you to clean the spout (where the grounds come out) after every use. They aren't kidding!!! In fact, on several occasions, while trying to grind less than half the capability of the timer, the grinder would stop grinding (even though the motor was still going) and I had to clean the spout. The real problem is that in order to fully clean the spout, the machine must be empty and spout tilted downward to help clear the passage. I've also noticed that gravity alone is not enough when tilting it you will need to pat the sides of the machine to help loosen the build up.

Overall, this machine feels and works like a cheap toy. I don't know the company and have no idea what their reputation might be. They utterly failed with this product, though. Furthermore, the philosophy of 'you get what you pay for' does not apply to this product. Even if it was less than $10.00 I would want to warn any potential buyers.

I have no emotional investment with this machine or company never heard of them. I'm not even angry I consider my experience just another lesson. I just feel that people should know what to expect if they are thinking of buying it.

Sorry Nesco, but my observations and opinion about this product are being posted to help other consumers. If you want a better review, please make a better product!

***UPDATE***

After a few more days I thought maybe changing the grind to a courser setting would help keep this 'professional' grinder from clogging. Nice try, but no...

I did a very extensive cleaning and set the grind at 9 the unit worked for a few seconds and clogged again. I cleaned it again, still no luck.

On average, it takes about 3 cleanings to get enough grounds to make 8 cups of coffee. Oh, and did I mention the mess it leaves on the counter? What puzzles me is how it can leave such an extensive layer of fine powder (in about a 2 foot radius) even though it's set to 9. (with 1 being fine and 9 being course).

Summary, by the time it takes to grind enough beans to make coffee I could drive to any number of drive-thru coffee places, and be back home before this thing has done its job.

NOTE: I plan to keep the machine because I have yet to find someone that hasn't fully enjoyed laughing at how cheap this thing is. Everyone's favorite part is when the motor turns off, but the timer still winds down it sounds overly cartoonish when it finished making noise. I'm very serious we just can't help laughing.

additional note: the actual unit I purchased was the more expensive model BG-88PR.

The only reason I gave this product four instead of five stars is that it's a bit difficult to get a good grip on the grounds holder to remove it from the machine. Otherwise, it's an excellent product for preparing fresh-ground coffee every morning. I've come home on several occasions to find the wonderful smell of coffee still hanging around the apartment. It's also not very loud. I have two birds who freak out at practically every sudden noise, and this machine hardly disturbed them. It was quieter than my blender and is relatively easy to clean with a pastry brush, and some all-plastic parts (the hopper lid and the grounds holder) can be completely removed and washed.

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I have had my Nesco Burr for about 2 weeks now and so far so good.

It will not make turkish but it may possibly do the job for espresso.

It would never pass the test for a connoisseur or Barista. If you are a beginner it may work out. I will let you know on this because I do plan to get an espresso machine soon probably a Starbucks Barista off eBay since thats the best quality for the money in my price range .

I bought this at the same time as a Mukka express Cappuccino maker which I returned (not a good product).

For now I am using it with a french press and it does the job well .

You do need some type of small long brush like you would use to baste your BBQ to clean out the old grounds so you do not have any stail coffee grounds in your next brew.

I am still playing around with it so I will come back and update soon.

My conclusion so far is it is a decent burr grinder for the money and people looking for a little more quality and uniform grind than you would get from a blade grinder but I would not expect the quality of a $100 burr from this.

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This product stopped working after having it for only 3 weeks...something failed with either the power switch or the motor of the unit. Very disappointing...

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I was hesitant to buy this grinder, since it's price was so much lower than other multi grind setting grinders. I'm glad I opted for the cheap option, because it works great! I use it to grind my beans into espresso, and it works really well at such a fine setting.

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Philips Saeco Via Venezia Espresso Machine

We have been making cappuccino at home for more than 30 years. With a machine in each of two homes, we have run through a fair number of them, as they generally last 5 to 7 years and usually repairs, if available, aren't worth the cost. This Saeco is very similar to the Starbucks Barrista machine, as Saeco made that machine for Starbucks when they sold it. The Starbucks machine was recommended to us years ago by a very good repair person who was unable to repair our Baby Gaggia for the second time, at a cost that made sense. She pointed out that the Barrista had a stainless steel boiler tank, an important dividing line in her estimation between machines that were more durable and those that were not. Starbucks no longer sells this model, although they do sell the Saeco Aroma under their house name. We initially bought a Saeco Aroma from Amazon, but returned it without using it because the plastic water reservoir was chipped in shipping. When we saw the machine we also concluded, however, that it was not like the Saeco Gran Crema machine we have in our other house and which we like but which Saeco has stopped making. The Aroma has a frothing wand that cannot be moved around and it is awkwardly placed. And it is pretty light, leaving me with the impression, unconfirmed, that it does not have a stainless steel boiler.

We then tried a Cuisinart, which we bought locally, and you can see my review of that machine here on Amazon. Cheaper than this Saeco but despite appearances of solidity it has serious quality control problems. Ours was among those that did not work properly and we returned it. Then we got this.

As I say, this is similar to the old Starbucks Barrista, but it has been updated a bit. It is a very sold, heavy machine and feels like it will last forever. Like the Barrista, it has the frothing wand on the left, which is unusual but not a problem. More importantly, the frothing wand is on a ball swivel joint allowing one to position it conveniently both for use and then for dripping dry over the drip tray when you are done. And even more importantly, both the frothing wand and the coffee brewing work very very well. It's a powerful frother that lets you make the textured milk for a cappuccino reasonably fast, and its design lets even a novice produce a good texture. The coffee, of course the most important, is reliable and good, nice crema, good flavor. The water reservoir can be filled by pouring water into a hatch at the top of the machine, or by removing the reservoir altogether (after removing the drip tray) and bringing it to the water source. (Because we have this machine in our Phoenix home, where the tap water does not have a good flavor, and leaves a lot of minerals behind in any container it's been in (water heaters have short lives here), we never put tap water in our coffee makers.) The length of the power cord is adjustable--it unwinds from inside the machine, and you can push it back in to shorten it--a nice if minor convenience.

This machine does not have any automatic features but we have never had that. But having used it now for about two or three weeks, we know it works well, produces very nice coffee, and gives every indication of being very solidly built. We are very pleased with it.

I would avoid "super-automatic" machines that grind the beans. Grinders can be fussy, and it's better to have the grinder separate so that you don't have to replace your entire machine if the grinder goes. The grinders in super-automatics also generally inhospitable to beans with more oil--see, e.g., the website for Seattle Coffee Gear, which provides detailed information on most espresso machines; you are warned to avoid the heartier, more roasted beans with virtually all their super-automatics. And many of those machines make it difficult to change the bean you are using to make coffee, which is s problem if, for example, you want to make decaf at night and regular in the morning.

I am the proud owner of this machine for two years now. I was a barista at Starbucks at the time of purchase, so I really have a high standard not only of espresso quality, but also how efficiently I can make myself a latte, cappuccino, or macchiato in the morning.

A few things Saeco got right on this machine:

Simplicity of design: There are not so many parts that the user will be overwhelmed, which is especially encouraging when it comes to cleaning and maintaining. Most units that have too many parts either stump the barista on which attachments to use, or how to clean the machine and its parts without ruining it. There is a plastic 2 tbsp scooper, that doubles as a packer (although a little flimsy), as well as two types of adapters that your coffee grinds sit in, one for regular coffee grounds and one for individual espresso pods (if you don't have a customizable grinder at home, you can buy pre-ground espresso in packets).

The other main benefit of using this machine, is that you can customize how much espresso you want to pour. If you are the type of person that gets a triple-shot latte in the morning to get your day started, you can pour three shots (or almost 3 shots) before the espresso is what I would call saturated, at which point it doesn't produce the same strength of espresso after a little more than 2 full one-ounce shots have poured. Of course, this might be a little flexible depending on the grind and quantity of grounds in the hopper. This is the advantage of having this be a 'manual machine' vs an automatic, where serving size is pre-determined.

A couple things I've been disappointed with in this machine are its inability to pour shots while steaming milk simultaneously. Furthermore, steaming milk is really going to be most frustrating for those who want frothy milk or foam (ie cappuccino, macchiato, latte) because of the lack of power behind the steam wand. If you're expecting to take drink orders from family/friends, don't expect to crank out 4 to 6 drinks in several minutes. The manual nature of this machine, along with the inability to steam milk while pouring shots slows down production significantly, once you move beyond your individual drink.

Bottom line: I got this machine for a great deal, combining a Starbucks holiday sale (look for it now on sale for $149, with my employee discount, I ended up paying close to $90. For that price, it has been more than satisfying. I have not cleaned it as much as a responsible owner should, but the parts are very well-made so I have suffered little consequence. If you want quality espresso with a little customizability thrown in, this is a great machine, but don't expect to crank out drink orders like they do in stores.

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It would probably be prudent to offer some background information on my 'espresso credentials' prior to getting to the bulk of my review. Knowing nothing about espresso preparation, I received a steam-driven espresso machine (Mr. Coffee ECM160) as a gift about a year ago. It was a great gift that introduced me to home espresso, although even upon first use I knew that it wasn't making 'true' espresso, I just didn't yet understand the underlying mechanics behind proper espresso extraction. A little research revealed the obvious difference between steam and pump driven machines. My desire to occasionally enjoy a straight shot of crema-topped espresso, in addition to various espresso-based drinks, pushed me to begin researching pump driven machines.

I hadn't come across this machine in my research, but instead I was introduced to Saeco's Via Venezia while visiting a friend's house. Seeing an appliance like this in action, and tasting the resultant espresso, is about as good a test drive as you'll get.

The made-in-Italy Via Venezia is a single stainless-steel boiler machine, driven by a 15-bar pump and features a pressurized portafilter which ostensibly provides extraction that is less dependent upon grind size/consistency and tamping force. From my experience, the forgiving pressurized portafiliter lives up to its billing. Some home baristas dislike that it takes the user's control out of shot characteristics but I appreciate its ability to provide great espresso without requiring every detail to be perfect I get rich crema on every pull. With a single boiler, brewing and frothing must be carried out independently. I'm still able to prepare drinks at a decent clip as the machine reaches optimal temperature quickly.

The machine is simple to use with indicator lights on the brew and steam selector buttons that specify when the machine is ready for each mode. The steam wand (panarello) swivels with a good range of motion to accommodate various frothing pitcher sizes so far I've been happy with the milk frothing results and the panarello is easy to clean. I've been able to use my 20 oz frothing pitcher without any awkward clearance issues with other parts of the machine. The design is well thought out for ease of use.

Beyond the impressive espresso results, I was also immediately impressed with the Via Venezia's build quality. The entire outer case is metal, with minor plastic used for the drip tray and accessory tray. This provides a sturdy, substantial feel befitting the price tag. The generous water reservoir (68 oz) can be filled either by removing the reservoir container (by sliding out the drip tray assembly) or by flipping open an access hatch on top of the machine. Saeco also provides a ESE pod-adapter for the portafilter, which accepts espresso pods. I have yet to use this feature as I prefer to grind my beans prior to brewing, but it is nice to have the additional capability.

There are myriad choices in the semi-auto home espresso machine market. While the Via Venezia may not be the most cost competitive, its impressively sturdy build quality elevates it above plasticky machines of questionable durability. The Via Venezia is highly recommended for the budding espresso enthusiast.

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Saeco manufactured this model for Starbucks for several years (or a close variation -I think the Starbucks version may have had the temperature control adjusted to brew their custom blend at an optimal temperature). In any case, it's a basic, good machine from Saeco, with one odd customization of the frothing wand being on the left side rather than the right. It also rotates on a ball joint, which is convenient.

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I originally purchased this machine for my mother, liked it so much I purchased one for myself when it went on sale. Eight months into owning the thing my mother's breaks down. Okay we are a coffee drinking family, and this little guy did get a three cup per day workout. We sent it Saeco to get repaired. Ten weeks later we get it back working but now sounding like a freight train. Morning coffee takes on a whole new meaning when the noise of the machine wakes up everyone in the house. Sent it back ($80 shipping cost each time), and again worked for a bit and the noise came back. We gave up sending it back.

My Saeco worked a bit a longer. The first time mine went in for repair it was 1.5 years old. Now while I have a daily coffee, it didn't work as hard as my mom's unit. Came back from repair, this time a different repair facility and was working great.

Cut to: A half year later, and the thing just dies midway through pulling a shot.

My lovely repair shop is no longer open. Call Saeco customer service, and they tell me to take it to one of the recommend repair places. The first guy tells me to try fixing myself first. The second guy tells me to bring it over, and then isn't there. I leave 4 messages over the course of the next couple of weeks he never calls back. I go to the third place after a call with Saeco only to find out after driving 45 miles away from home, that they don't fix this particular machine.

Call Saeco back, and preface the conversation with "I'm sorry if I'm snappy but at this point I'm pissed" The lady was amazing sent me shipping labels and said they would pay for the repairs of both machines because of inconvenience.

Six weeks later, I finally get a call from Saeco telling me the machines are too rusted to fix. WHAT? HOW THE HECK DOES A MACHINE THAT IS BUILT TO HANDLE WATER AND STEAM BECOME TOO RUSTY TO FIX? The thing has only been broken for a couple of months. My mom lives in Las Vegas. I live in Southern California... inland... it's not like we live in New Orleans where it's humid. The customer service lady was awesome, but unfortunately she could only do so much. I would have even been happy had they offered to let me purchase a new one at wholesale pricing or give me a discount, not that I would have actually bought another of their pieces of $%^&, but they don't care they already got my money, so all I can do is warn others.

Summary:

Purchase Price: $400 (mom's) $300 (mine)

Repair: $160 (mom's) $80 (mine)

Shipping for repairs: $200

Lesson learned about purchasing a Saeco machine: Definitely not priceless more like $1140

Save your money and your sanity.

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