Senseo 7810 Single-Serve Gourmet Coffee Machine, Black

We have this machine, bought in 2004 and used 2-3 times a day. It still works fine, but it's white and we wanted a black one to match our new kitchen appliances. So the old one goes into storage in case the new one breaks down.

There are a lot of so-called "single-serving" coffee makers on the market today. My wife and I have been very select coffee drinkers all our marriage nearly 30 years. We started with a beautiful La Pavoni expresso maker, which we still have although we had it completely overhauled about 8 years ago.

When we saw the Senseo we thought we'd try it because it seemed much less trouble although we were highly suspicious of anything that made coffee from "pods" because we were used to grinding our own coffee from beans stored in air-tight containers in the freezer and each cup of coffee we made was made from freshly ground beans.

From the very beginning we were impressed with the Senseo. Push a button and 90 seconds later the water for coffee is at temperature. Push another button and you have a fresh cup of delicious hot coffee, complete with a nice "creama" or frothy top just as you would get from an espresso coffee machine. The single serving button gives you a cup a little larger than the single serving espresso you typically get say in a Parisian or Italian coffee house. This may not be enough for American coffee drinkers used to a large mug of coffee. If not, you can push the "double" button and get either a large cup of coffee or two small cups the size of an espresso drink described above. Coffee pods come in all strengths (light, medium, dark roast), flavors etc. and are sold at Wal-Mart, Target, Safeway etc. and online at Amazon and lots of other places.

The pods come 18 to a package and a package costs about $4.75 $5.25 depending on how many you buy and where. That averages about 25-30 cents per cup of coffee if you choose the single serving button twice that for the double serving button. This is more than if you make drip coffee or do espresso with fresh ground beans, but I think it's worth the convenience. The resulting cup of coffee is really good rich, hot, flavorful and frothy. We used "Dark Roast" but tastes vary.

As I said earlier, our 6-year-old machine still works pefectly and we use it every day, at least twice but more often quite frequently.

When we have guests we sometimes go back to the automatic drip coffee maker so we can put a whole pot of hot coffee on the table. But even then, if guests request, we can make cups so fast that it's no problem to serve 4-6 guests a hot cup, all done within 4-5 minutes.

We recommend the senseo to friends without reservation.

However, there is one thing you must remember if you use this machine and this is probably true for any machine: If your water has a lot of minerals in it especially calcium you must clean this machine periodically. The instructions say every 90 days but where we live the calcium builds up quickly so we do it about every 60 days. This is important. A friend of ours through out his machine because he said the coffee started tasting bad and I'm sure sure it was because he wasn't cleaning the machine at all. It's easy to clean just run half vinegar and half water through it once, and then pure water once. All you do is put in the vingegar and water, then push both buttons (the single serving and the double serving) and the machine pumps all of the water / vinegar solution through the machine without stopping. Of course, you have to be sure it has a contained below large enough to receive all of this liquid.

Also, depending on the mineral deposits in your water, you may need to push a needle or pin through the pod holder drain hole once in a while because sometimes a grain of coffee or calcium build-up clogs the hole.

The machine comes with a reservoir tank for water, two pod holders (one pod and two pods) and a supply of coffee (one package of 18 pods).

You can order accessories for the machine, which include:

A double sized water reservoir (I recommend it highly), replacement pod holders, and a specil pod holder for making espresso coffee especially. You can also buy other replacement parts, but there are only two other parts besides the reservoir and pod holders. These two parts are the small overflow or spill catcher plastic part and a metal "grill" where you sit the coffee cup.

The new machine we ordered from Amazon (in black rather than the white one we already had) has one difference from the machine we bought 6 years ago: the spout where the coffee comes out it shorter, making it higher from the grill where the coffee cup sits. This is an improvement because now you can sit a large mug under the spout whereas the old machine made this difficult because the spout extended down quite far made to accommodate short little demitasse (sp?) or espress cup sizes. You can still use these smaller cups with the new spout but now you can also use a large mug if you want a "full-size" cup of coffee.

Summary Good Points:

1. The coffee is very good.

2. The coffee maker is very reliable. Our first one has worked without fail for 6 years and is still working. We just wanted a different color.

3. The coffee maker works very fast. A fresh cup of coffee from "0" to finished cup in about 3 minutes. After the first cup, the next cups can be made in less than 1 minute.

4. The price is far below most other single serving coffee makers: We bought our new one from Amazon in April 2010 for $49 with no cost for shipping.

5. The price for each cup of coffee is below any other single serving coffee makers that I have researched. This coffee maker costs between 25 and 30 cents per cup. Double that if you make a typical American "mug" sized cup of coffee.

6.Coffee pods are available at Wal-Mart, Safeway, Targe and other major chains. You can buy a "pod-maker" which allows you to make your own pods. This may be cheaper but we prefer the convenience of commercially produced pods since the coffee is still very affordable even if you buy the pods ready-made.

Caveat: Coffee will turn bad if you do not perform simple regular cleaning i.e. run half vinegar/half water through the machine at least every 90 days. Every 60 days is better if you live where the water has high mineral content and creates build-up in the machine. If you have a water softener or filter or use bottled water this may keep the machine cleaner longer.

Summary bad points:

We have had good experience with Philips products. They are a Dutch company (perhaps owned by the Royal Family, I'm not sure) and they seem to research companies and then buy them. Some examples are this Senseo machine and their Sonicar electric toothbrush.

Except for their TV, we have had good experience with Philips products. We bought a Philips TV and a Philips DVD/VHS player. The TV works OK but we can't get the player/recorder to work with the TV. When we called their support line the only suggestion they had was to buy another player. So for TVs and DVD/VHS player / recorders we stick to Japanese products.

But the Senseo coffee maker is an excellent machine and we recommend it highly.

I received the Senseo coffee maker as a birthday gift 2 years ago and use it almost daily. I'm the only coffee drinker in the house and hate to waste a full pot of coffee if all I want is one or two cups. Making coffee with a Melitta one-cup filter is just too much work compared to the simplicity of the Senseo coffee maker.

The Senseo coffee maker has a reservoir that is easy to fill, and the pods are very convenient to just drop into the pod holder. Two tips I picked up from a single-serve review web site:

1: Pre-moisten the coffee pod so that the edges seal better to the holder, and

2: Preheat your milk so that the milk doesn't cool the coffee when it pours into your cup. I preheat my milk for 30 seconds in the microwave, easy to do while the water is warming up.

I like being able to make a quick double for my travel mug when I'm running late--much faster than driving to Dunkin' Donuts or Starbucks and not knowing how long the line will be.

I love to show off my machine for company. I can accommodate everyone, whether they want regular or decaf, mild or strong, etc.

My only wish is that there could be more varieties to choose from. Plus a little hot chocolate would be nice--especially with the foam on top that the machine makes with every cup. K-cups seem to own the market on variety.

Yes, my machine was one of the ones that was recalled. While I had no problem with the old machine, Philips made it very simple by shipping the new machine by FedEx and requesting that the old one be shipped back at their expense in the same packaging. And I was surprised with a pretty white one which replaced the old black one. The white one goes better in my kitchen, a silly thing to obsess about, but I like it.

All in all, the Senseo is quick, easy, fun, and convenient. It's also a lot cheaper than buying on the road.

Buy Senseo 7810 Single-Serve Gourmet Coffee Machine, Black Now

For the most part I love the coffee that comes out of my Senseo. Unfortunately there's too little of it.

Before you start railing against over-sized everything, look at your coffee cup. I bet it's a 12 ounce cup, or at least a 10. A 4 oz cup is an espresso cup, tiny, great for espresso, too small for coffee.

So, it takes 2 pods to brew an 8oz cup. I've lived in Japan, and it'd be perfect for the way they drink coffee, but not the way people seem to drink it in the states. Mug in the morning to get going, mug mid day to keep going. Two "cups" of coffee would mean using six senseo pods in a day, every day.

The coffee is delicious, rich, soft... yes its crema. Very yummy. But it costs roughly 40 cents per 8oz, depending on which pods you buy and where.

My buddy gave me his Senseo machine because it was impractical to fill a travel mug with it, and it only filled his coffee mugs (12oz) 2/3 with the 8oz max pour (yes, you could do multiple runs, but doesn't that defeat the purpose of a pod system?)

So I like the coffee a lot, but the servings were too small, the water reservoir too small, and the coffee too pricey. Great espresso machine, not so great coffee machine.

I've stayed with a pod system, but switched to Keurig. Their K-Cups are roughly the same cost, but you get a lot more variety, and more coffee per pod. 12oz instead of 4oz. Also, you can do tea and even fill a mesh pod with your own coffee.

Keurig has a better system with about the same upfront cost, same pod cost, but you get more coffee, more conveniently, and it tastes great.

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I purchased this coffee maker to replace the same make and model that has become less efficient after 3 or 4 years of daily use.

The new machine has a STRONG plastic or burnt electronics smell that permeates the water and coffee making it undrinkable. We cleaned it repeatedly with no improvement at all. I returned the machine for replacement. The replacement is just as bad and has been returned for a refund.

Amazon should pull this item from the site and send the remaining stock back to the manufacturer. I suspect the entire lot is BAD.

The Senseo working properly makes the best coffee I've ever had, but I am now afraid to purchase another. I switched to another more expensive brand, it's not as good as an original Senseo, but at least I don't feel that I might be drinking toxic coffee.

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Do not order extra coffee. The machine comes with a bag of coffee pods but I didn't know it so I ordered 20 dollars worth and it is not returnable. Washed everything good w/hot soapy water first. Coffee had an extremely strong plastic taste and smell. Called Senseo they sent out another one which had the same awful taste and smell. I really do not think Senseo is doing as much as they should to make sure these are off the market. I also did as another reviewer said and ran vinegar through the machine twice, the first cup of coffee tasted better after that but then the next one was gross again. Can't believe I kept tasting this stuff. It can't be good for you. Also took up alot of my time washing all this stuff, priming the machines, packing the two back up again to return. And stuck with coffee pods I cannot use. You would think Senseo would make sure your second one is a good one. Said they would send me another one. Just the thought of tasting that coffee again makes me want to throw up.

Miele : CVA4075 Plumbed Coffee System - Stainless Steel

Had this coffee maker installed with my home remodel nearly seven years ago now. MORE than paid for itself MANY TIMES over (hey, nearly $5 a pop of your favorite brew adds up FAST).

Easy to care for. Only one problem since the installation was fixed with a quick call to VERY friendly and helpful Miele customer service. They walked me through fixing the problem (less than 15 minutes) and sent me a part replacement kit just in case the part needed replacing (it didn't, but I kept it just in case).

DURABLE is what surprised me; I use it at least 4-7 times daily more on the weekends without a hitch. (How many things do you use that often in a day, every day for seven years without a screw up?) It will not take "flavored" coffees (beans that have been coated in flavoring) as that will gum up the works, but then again who really wants gunk coated beans, anyway?

Of all the "toys" I bought for my new kitchen; this has been the most impressive.

I've had my Miele for 7 years now. I don't use it every day but mostly on the weekends. It's always made a superb cup of espresso/cappuccino. The biggest issue for me is that it's loud so if you're an early riser and your family is not.. it might wake someone up. Yes.. you have to take care of it. I guess the fact that it's a sleek looking appliance that impresses family and friends leads people to believe it will function without problems if you don't take a few moments to clean it after using it! Every once in a while it gives me a message that something needs to be taken care of... descaling. Not that much of an issue. Yes, it will take about 30 minutes but hey.. they could have not added this feature and the machine could have gotten clogged with lime and then everyone would be complaining about the fact that it stopped working after a few months. Thanks Miele for making the machine not function until you do the descaling. It even counts the cups of coffee it makes and when you need to descale. The steamer. it totally comes apart. Run some steam through and it's clean. The brew unit inside. Grab a toothbrush, run some hot water and soap through it and it's squeaky clean. Coffee beans have a lot of oil so keep that in mind. Get a good dish detergent that is tough on grease and your job will be easy. The waste unit. Same thing. Soap, hot water and a toothbrush or bottle brush to get into the nooks. Wipe the machine down when you use it and you'll be good. I did get an error this weekend but googled it and all it was was that some water got into the wrong place. The manual did say to call service and I panicked but I always google things before calling repair. All I did was take a dishtowel, soak up the water that accidentally went into the wrong place and it's back on board. The bottom line is this.. We go to the coffee shops and drop $$ on a cup of coffee and it tastes great. We don't see the time it takes for the staff to properly clean the machines. This makes a fabulous cup of espresso but no.. even at $3k, it doesn't come with your personal barrista. After living in my place for 7 years, I've had to drop quite a few dollars on repairs for all of my other high end appliances but.. knock on wood... not this machine.

Buy Miele : CVA4075 Plumbed Coffee System - Stainless Steel Now

When we started using this appliance in 2009 we were more than thrilled to think of the money we would save. BUT, in 2013 the milk frother failed. Our high end appliance repair company could not get it to work, and then they called the Miele regional repair technician who is refusing to repair it because he can't. The engineering is simply too complicated. Neither our appliance repair company or Miele will repair it so it is an expensive machine, sitting in the cabinetry, and we've had to go back to conventional coffee. Furthermore, the routine maintenance is time consuming and difficult.

Read Best Reviews of Miele : CVA4075 Plumbed Coffee System - Stainless Steel Here

Yes, it's pricy, but if you go to Starbucks, you'll make up the money quickly. It make great cappucinno and coffee. My friends are all jealous.

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Tassimo T20 Single-serve Beverage Maker

I recently had a Keurig that just stopped working out of the blue. It was no longer under warranty, and the company wasn't able to fix it, so I decided to look for a new one. After finding out about all the great lattes and other milk based drinks tassimos can make, I decided to go with the t20. I've had it for about two months now, and am loving it! I'm really impressed with the cappuccinos and lattes. There aren't as many different t-discs available as k-cups (for keurig), but the taste and quality and variety in those that they do have makes up for it! The machine itself is smaller than the Keurig, and I think it looks nicer, as well. It's not super quiet, but certainly not too loud, either. Overall, I love this product for its ease of use, quality of beverages, and superiority over its competitors. If you like creamy, steamed coffee drinks, you should definitely look into the tassimo!

Tassimo vs Keurig: battle of the century.

Tassimo is hands down superior in terms of everything except price. The main selling point is the design of the "T-Disc" vs the "K-Cup".

Keurig's K-cup is a literally just a cup that water pours through to brew whatever is inside the cup. One size fits all. It's good for coffee but it can't do cappuccino (they have "cappuccino flavored coffee" but that's not quite the same) and you don't get to pick a size.

Tassimo's T-disc has a bar-code on it to tell the machine what to do, which allows for a lot more variety. Pressure, temperature, brew time and volume of water can all be set by the bar code, so you can buy 4.5 oz drinks, 8 oz drinks or 12 oz drinks (there may be 16 oz but I'm not sure -I mostly get 8 or 12 oz). It can do pretty authentic espresso and foamy cappuccino (which it does by brewing two disks -one for the frothy milk and another for the espresso. I mix in a hot chocolate to make a "mocha latte").

Grocery stores around me sell both the K-cups and the T-disks, though I mostly buy refills from Amazon (which has more variety). There's chai latte, earl grey tea, all sorts of coffee and cappuccino. I think you'll find you pay a little more than a Keurig but you get much stronger product.

Cleaning is easy. The machine will come with a "cleaning disk" that just runs hot water through the system to flush it out. The spout, splash guard and cup stand can be removed and put through the dishwasher. Eventually the "clean" light will flash. When that happens, you put about 50/50 vinegar and water in the tank, put the cleaning disk in and HOLD the start button until the lights flash together, then it will run a cycle to clear any mineral deposits out of the system. This is all in the manual but by the time I needed to do it I had to look it up on the internet because I'd long since misplaced the manual, so maybe this will help someone else too.

All in all, great product. Saves me a bundle on going to Starbucks.

Buy Tassimo T20 Single-serve Beverage Maker Now

I am writing this review b/c I have noticed there are many more different single-serve machines out there now, and they're much more expensive than this one. I also notice there are newer and more expensive Tassimo brewers now, and I can't say that the price difference is worth it. I have this model and can't imagine what can be improved upon.

The Tassimo is wonderful. I have always stayed away from single-serve pod brewers b/c they seemed gimmicky and I've watched them come and go and didn't want to get stuck with a machine that I can't use b/c no one stocks the refills. However, 2 years ago, these were being demo'ed at many stores during the Christmas season. I took a sample again and again, and I couldn't resist buying one. It has more than paid for itself by saving the expensive trips to Starbucks. There are all sorts of different T-discs out there--even chai latte and hot chocolate.

What sets this apart from others like the Keurig, for example, is that it does real cappuccinos and lattes, and they're coffee house quality. As another reviewer explained, each T-disc has a barcode that the machine reads. The barcode tells the machine what it needs to do for each specific drink. For example, it takes the milk disc for the cappuccino and steams/froths it. It reads the espresso disc and knows what it needs to do to make an espresso.

I bought mine just about exactly 2 years ago for my husband. He really likes it b/c you don't have to mess with filters and measuring coffee and water, etc, so this is a great time-saver in the morning when you're getting ready for work. You just pop in the T-disc and press a button. After 2 years, we haven't had a problem so far. (I hope I didn't jinx it by saying that!) There was a recall, and Tassimo sent a replacement part, but mine has been working fine so I haven't even bothered with the replacement yet.

Just be sure to use it properly. We've figured out that it makes a better cappuccino or latte if you use the milk disc first, then the coffee disc. Also, there's a sign on the machine that says you aren't supposed to open it when the green light is on. Wait until the orange light glows. We've followed this rule, and it's been fine for us. Finally, I thought the machine was broken when I couldn't get it to work. I put the T-disc in before turning the machine on, then turned it on and pushed the brew button. It didn't do anything. My husband figured out that you are supposed to turn the machine on first, then open the lid to put the T-disc in. The machine has to know that you put a new T-disc in.

If the coffee is too strong for you, there's a button that will glow green for a few seconds to let you add more water. Hold it until you get the desired amount of extra water.

Read Best Reviews of Tassimo T20 Single-serve Beverage Maker Here

I'm that person who is forever searching for the perfect cup of coffee! I've been the owner of many different drip machines, and espresso machines as well. Not one produced the flavor I was looking for. I received the Tassimo T20 and four different kinds of T-disks for Christmas this year. Within minutes of opening the box, I had a latte! The T20 has a very intuitive design, and after a skimming of the instructions, I was easily making quality mochas, vanilla lattes, and caramel macchiatos!

If you're like I am, and you don't really like drip coffee, but you can't afford to go to Starbucks everyday, this machine is for you! (Sign up to receive ads from Bed Bath and Beyond, they send out 20% off coupons often! Why not save money on something awesome?)

Now when I make a cup of coffee I actually drink it! I really love my Tassimo, and I'm excited to keep using it.

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My children gave me a Tassimo last year for Christmas. I had really wanted a Keurig, but settled for the Tassimo. However, it did not work, and I promptly forgot about it. I " found " it a month ago, and knowing how much my kids spent on this, I called the company. They PROMPTLY replaced it! I couldn't believe it!! The customer service dept. was great, and A full year later, and within 5 days of calling them, I had my new brewer. Well, this one worked! and I am LOVING IT!! I am a BIG coffee drinker, and never really thought I'd enjoy a cup at a time brewer, but this one, is just fantastic! The coffees are full bodied and the Lattes are creamy, coming with their own milk T-discs. You can also purchase Hot Chocolate ( cadbury ) T-discs so my daughter is enjoying it as well. Tassimo's lattes and special drinks also having a foaming milk on top. To get this from the Keurig, you have to purchase their special programmable machine that costs about 200 dollars!

I never write reviews unless I dearly love a product... this one, is a MUST!!!

ESPRESSO MKR 6CUP SS

This is the cheapest coffee espresso maker I have ever seen. I would not trust to heat it up on a stove at all. Sent it right back and the whole return process was a cluster. You have to send them a tracking number. It took probably 10 emails and 3 to 4 weeks before I got my refund back. Not to mention they have a restocking fee. Never again..........................

FrancisFrancis! X3 Espresso Machine

When paired with an espresso capable grinder (like the Gaggia MDF) and freshly roasted beans, this machine is an excellent choice as a stylish home espresso machine, producing superb espresso and good milk foaming. A plus is that the machine is designed (in what may be a unique design) to allow you to froth milk first and then brew the espresso without burning the espresso: this can be useful if you like reducing dishes, since you can foam the milk directly in a cappa or latte cup, and then brew directly into that cup. (This produces a cool visual effect in the cup, and it preserves hot temperatures, crucial to taste.)

While you can save money and get equivalent espresso in a Gaggia Carezza, the X3 is my favorite machine which combines true style and good internals (like a quality brass boiler). An excellent choice for your kitchen.

I purchased this machine used, so I can't really properly comment on whether or not it's worth buying at full price. The are several features that make this machine stand out from others. First, while this is a hefty machine, it has a small footprint, which for me and my small apartment is perfect. It fits in a corner of my kitchen counter and is light enough for me to scoot it out when I need it. Second, you can make individual lattes fairly quickly on this machine because filling the boiler with cold water immediately after steaming brings the machine to brewing temperature in a matter of seconds. So, the time need to preheat, steam, fill the boiler, and brew is less than five minutes. Third, cleanup is also very easy despite not having a backflush feature. After pulling a shot, set the machine back to steaming and the pressure from steaming will push out the excess water in the portafilter, giving you a dry puck to knock cleanly. I don't know if this is an intended feature, but it works for me.

Now, since the machine is so small, it cannot steam more than 10-12oz of milk without running out of steam. The wand is also very short and won't work with a frothing pitcher larger than 20oz. If you make each drink individually then these are not pressing problems.

I should point out that I buy fresh, locally-roasted coffee every week, have it ground at the coffee shop (gasp!), and keep it stored airtight in the fridge. Needless to say, I'm not pulling "God shots" this way, but whatever. I can make a good to great double shot espresso drink in five minutes, which is simply not possible by using pods or by grinding your own beans, which take extra space and time that I don't have.

[edit] So, it's a year or so later and I've since learned some more of the X3's quirks and also bought a grinder (my previous excuse for not having one was, well, lame) and a proper tamper (buy a flat one). I've discovered that the steam wand is just the right length to allow you to steam 10oz of milk by merely setting the frothing pitcher on the drip tray, hands-free. It amazingly manages to produce respectable microfoam using the "surf the air hole" technique presented at the coffeegeek website. Since milk frothing becomes hands free, I use that time to grind the beans. Also, it's important to mention that the size and design of the machine cause the drip tray to be smallish and cumbersome to empty. It will take you some practice to use this machine without makeing a mess. Nevertheless, the verdict is that I am still very happy with this X3 machine and expect to be for many years to come.

Buy FrancisFrancis! X3 Espresso Machine Now

I've had a Gaggia Classic in my office for quite some time. It pulls excellent espresso shots, but the steam wand is cheap-looking, ineffective, and cumbersome to clean. The machine itself is not quite an award-winning beauty item, either.

On the market for a machine for home, I eyed this FrancisFrancis! X3. Reviews were equally outstanding and the machine looked much more attractive, so I decided to take the plunge.

The machine arrived in excellent packaging and with a complimentary pack of Illy espresso pods (FrancisFrancis! is owned by Illy, I believe). The machine is, indeed, really beautiful (I bought the silver one).

I thought I'd write a review comparing against the Gaggia Classic, since it's the clear contender in the same price range.

In terms of aesthetics, the X3 wins hands down. This is not the overriding factor for me, but truth be told, it is important.

In terms of material and construction, they both feel solid, but the X3 feels more so. The grill in the X3 is made of plastic, whereas the Gaggia's is metallic. On the other hand, the steam knob in the X3 is metallic, but made of plastic in the Gaggia. The X3 is slightly easier to clean.

In terms of usability, the X3 is clearly targeted toward ESE (Easy Serving Espresso) pods. It has a holding element exclusively for pods, and the protective perforated plate that is typically attached to the boiler element to protect it from coffee grounds comes included as an add-on in the X3 package, whereas the Gaggia has it attached permanently (which is more typical). While the X3 can, apparently, use coffee grounds just fine (judging by the instructions and other users' reported experience), in my case I only accomplished to make a mess of my kitchen counter. Nevertheless, I fully intended to use ESE pods exclusively (SO much easier to keep things clean and tidy), as I do with the Gaggia in my office, so this wasn't a concern for me and thus I never tried too hard to get it to work with coffee grounds.

Espresso quality is outstanding in both cases, but each machine has a trick to it. In the case of the X3, it is important to get the hang of how long a shot you can pull before the water coming out of the boiler decreases in temperature, which would give a bitter taste to the coffee. As a rule of thumb, if the low temperature light comes on, you've ruined your espresso. It took me a couple of days of scratching my head and Googling to find this out, but once I realized where the problem was, it was fixed forever. In fact, the X3 comes with three different ESE holders, each with more or fewer perforations. The instructions clearly indicate that you should pick one based on how long a shot you want--i.e., NOT by pumping out water for a longer time. I guess I learned my lesson the hard (bitter?) way. The Gaggia is not without tricks, as it tends to drip some water into the cup before it starts to pump out espresso, so I always need to hold on for a couple of seconds after the pump is on to put the cup beneath the spout (messy!), or the coffee will be watery. On the other hand, the Gaggia can pull longer shots and not come out bitter (perhaps temperature is higher to begin with).

The steam wand in the X3 is extremely easy to use and clean. You can create abundant and (importantly) dense froth as long as you use 2% or fattier milk. The best way to learn how to use and clean it is to watch the DVD that comes with the machine, which is by the way short (good), to the point, and excellent. The wand in the Gaggia was something I gave up on long ago.

People complain about the water reservoir being too small. I personally think it's perfectly adequate, although the Gaggia's is indeed larger.

In conclusion, both machines are excellent, with the X3 looking nicer, sturdier, and sporting a better steam wand. I would venture that the Gaggia pulls slightly better espresso shots, but they are really close. The one thing I don't feel comfortable discussing is the X3's handling of ground coffee (as opposed to ESE pods). If that's important to you, I sugggest to look for answers in other reviews.

Read Best Reviews of FrancisFrancis! X3 Espresso Machine Here

With all respect to the negative reviews here, look to the reviews at coffeegeek.com they reflect a more balanced -and overall positive -rating for this very capable machine. The X3 offers terrific crema, especially when using fresh roasted beans that are ground correctly. The only critiques I have in over 1.5 yrs use are: 1. a smallish water reservoir, and 2. a limited supply of steam although enuf for two caps per round.

My experiences with francis customer support by phone and email have also been positive minor replacement parts under warranty came quickly (new spill grill), and they walked me through cleaning the machine.

So, you're not opening a cafe with this machine, but very able to do multiple rounds of caps and espressos. And it looks great and takes up very little counterspace compared with some of the other machines.

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I've been using my X3 for over a year now (averaging 8 shots per day) and have had no problems at all with performance. It is a very consistant machine, and produces excellent espresso. This machine hasn't needed anything but routine cleaning since I purchased it and it's still running like a champ. I would buy another in a heartbeat.

Pasquini Livia 90 Automatic Espresso Machine. Model: HML90A(Out Of Stock)

When researching a replacement for my original espresso machine, almost every review for other products seemed to make some comment along the lines of "it's nearly as good as a Pasquini Livia 90." I decided that this was probably a telling statement, and indicated that the 90 was likely the best way to go.

I initially planned on getting the semi-automatic as opposed to the automatic, but now am happy that I went to the full automatic. Most of the time I use it in semi mode, but on occasion -when busy and rushed -I will use the full automatic so that I can accomplish a couple of other minor tasks while one shot is being pulled.

This is nice kit; if you like espresso consider indulging in one.

At the time of this writing, I've owned my Livia 90 Semi-Automatic espresso machine for more than 10 years. I've used it pretty much every single day since it first arrived -unless I'm away from home. Today, although my income would allow me to purchase one of the newer, more expensive prosumer machines, I haven't been able to justify doing so because this good ol' work horse just keeps on doing everything I ask of her.

The Livia 90 is attractive, but also extremely sturdy, well-built. Pretty much, I've replaced the group gasket three times and maybe a half dozen pressurestats. Of course, every espresso machine owner replaces group gaskets, and generally also pressurestats. To be honest, the frequency with which I have replaced my Livia 90's pressurestat is mostly a reflection on the inadequacy of my initial water treatment methods. I used to live in an area that had wonderful, very soft water, so I let myself become too lax about checking the hardness of the water supply in this new house. When I finally admitted to being inexcusably inattentive to water quality up to that point, I decided to install a heavy duty water softener on the water line I run to the Livia 90. also, I now monitor water hardness religiously at the start of each month. Since putting in that water treatment system, I haven't had a single stuck pressurestat episode (knock on wood).

About 5 years ago, the Livia "died" -when I flipped the ON switch nothing happened. So after consulting other Livia 90 owner on the Internet, I induced the cause to be the "CPU," so I sent away for a new one -for approximately $150. I figured that the original CPU had probably been allowed to get too hot, because of its enigmatic placement near the boiler. Now, clearly the Livia 90's engineers believed the heat given off by the boiler wouldn't be much of a problem for the CPU or they wouldn't have located it where they did. But I concluded that it couldn't be that much more robust than my notebook computer, which I am constantly protecting from overheating. Anyway, when I installed the new CPU unit I also built a double-wall insulating shield (using high-temp "cardboard" designed for use in engine muffler repairs, plus high-temp heat-reflective aluminum tape), and inserted it between the boiler and the CPU. The result was just what I hoped, viz., that side of the machine is much, much cooler than the other (unprotected) side.

To be sure, the Livia 90's water reservoir holds a really generous 1.5 liters of water, so for most users it wouldn't need to be refilled every day or two. Plus, when you do need to refill the reservoir, a large, stainless steel lid the width of the machine flips back to expose the entire reservoir, making it really easy to pour and also to see what you're doing. Furthermore, with that lid open, it's a simple matter to lift the reservoir all the way out for cleaning -I do this twice a year, generally.

One more thing: everyone who has used a Livia 90 mentions its boundless supply of high-pressure steam. It's true. This thing really kicks out lots of steam through the steam wand (Note: I use a stainless, three-holed tip rather than the stock, 4-holed tip that ships with the Livia 90). With practice, anyone should be able to create beautiful microfoam for your own latte art. Also, because of its heat-exchanger design, you're able to use the steam wand simultaneously with pulling shots -although you wouldn't ever want to do that -without running out of either steam or brewing-temperature water. Yes, you could pull shots one after another for the whole afternoon if, for instance, you were entertaining a group of friends who have discovered that attractive semi-pro espresso machine right there on your counter.

You should, by now, be getting the idea that this machine is really simple to tinker with, if you want or need to. The shiny, stainless cover lifts completely off after loosening just two screws, exposing the elegant and robust interior, where all the *real*work gets done. If you're handy with everyday tools like phillips and slotted screwdrivers, adjustable wrenches, etc., and aren't intimidated by machinery, you'll really like this solidly built, elegantly designed machine. So go for it. Note that this is not the kind of machine that will brew perfect espresso drinks no matter how hard you work at it. It's not foolproof, but it will do just what you expect a serious, prosumer espresso machine to do. While you're practicing, getting ever better at dialing in your coffee grinder, properly dosing and distributing the grinds into the Livia 90's heavy portafilter and tamping it down just right, you'll find that some of your motivation to improve comes from the challenge of having a machine that will make wonderful microfoam and brew excellent espresso once you master all the steps. Meanwhile, you'll be proud of its polished, professional, heavy-duty appearance on your counter (yes, it fits under typical kitchen wall cabinets).

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