Showing posts with label how to use espresso pot. Show all posts
Showing posts with label how to use espresso pot. Show all posts

Monday, July 7, 2014

Cafe and Tracanzan 12 Cup Espresso Coffeemaker Replacement Gasket

Cafe and Tracanzan 12 Cup Espresso Coffeemaker Replacement GasketBought for my 12 cup Bialetti Espresso maker. It's not a perfect fit, but will work just fine, once you screw the two bialetti parts together. For $5 bucks...it works fine. Probably will just go with an OEM gasket next time...but can't complain for $5

Sunday, April 20, 2014

Briel ES200APG-TB Multi-Pro One Group Thermo Block Espresso Machine with Auto Espresso Flow, Steel/

Briel ES200APG-TB Multi-Pro One Group Thermo Block Espresso Machine with Auto Espresso Flow, Steel/SilverTo the point... Could not fine support for any questions I had through the Briel Company in the USA. The phone number in the espresso machine help book was Out Of Service. The instruction book, I feel needs more pictures to help individuals locate and understand usage of the espresso machine than what Briel offers. (Example) You need to turn the ON Switch fully to the right until you here a Click or the Machine will not brew and acts like it has a Vapor Lock which it doesn't. This why Briel gets only four stars from me. The Briel ES200APG-TB is really a Great Machine as long as you fully understand it's operation. I would recommend this product to my friends.

I've had my ES200 APG-TB for just about a year, and while I did have to consult the service center, I was VERY impressed with their responsiveness. When I called, I connected DIRECTLY to a service representative no computer menu a real live person! The service rep walked me through a quick trouble-shooting procedure, diagnosed the problem, and the replacement part was delivered in very short order that level of customer support is a rare find in today's business world.

And does the ES200 ever look great on my counter!!! It even looks better in real life than in the pictures and the pictures look great. Also, the ability to use coffee pods sure makes life easy no fuss no mess perfect brew!! One very satisfied Briel customer!!!!

Buy Briel ES200APG-TB Multi-Pro One Group Thermo Block Espresso Machine with Auto Espresso Flow, Steel/ Now

I bought this machine to replace an older model of the same machine that served me well for many years. With that machine, I learned that the Briel is a wonderful machine for someone who is willing to work a bit to adjust the machine settings for a personalized espresso. It is not for the user that wants to push a button and be done. I knew this when purchasing this machine. Yet, as first I could not get the espresso to flow through the filter basket despite many attempts. I knew the machine was working fine, but I must be doing something wrong. Since I live near by, I called the service center to ask if I could come by, and they were very helpful on the phone and welcomed my visit. There, the owner came by and promptly stepped up and plugged my machine in. He spent about a half hour with me, and we found the right filter basket and right adjustment for a perfect flow. Thank you Steve! This is a great machine but may take some personal adjusting at first.

Read Best Reviews of Briel ES200APG-TB Multi-Pro One Group Thermo Block Espresso Machine with Auto Espresso Flow, Steel/ Here

The first one I bought started to leak (from underneath the machine and from the steamer nozzle) after a couple months and I am still in the process of getting the company in charge of warranty repairs to fix it. When they tried to fix it the first time they broke the steamer which is now loose and doesn't work at all. So I foolishly bought a second one (while the first was getting repaired) since we couldn't do without ours for an extended period of time and this one never worked from the minute it came out of the box. When we turned it on it shorted out every outlet we plugged it in to. Amazon took that one back and credited our card. Will never buy this brand/model again.

Want Briel ES200APG-TB Multi-Pro One Group Thermo Block Espresso Machine with Auto Espresso Flow, Steel/ Discount?

Less than 2 years old now, very light use. (office only) Blows water out around porta filter. Found the only authorized shop to repair these machines are on the east coast. With shipping and repairs cost over $200.00. They said the gaskets were worn out and the boiler support needed replacing. I have a Gaggia at home and have never had any problems.

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Friday, January 3, 2014

Tassimo T20 Single-serve Beverage Maker

Tassimo T20 Single-serve Beverage MakerI 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!!!

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Jura Impressa Z7 One-Touch Automatic Coffee Center

Jura Impressa Z7 One-Touch Automatic Coffee CenterI previously owned the S8 for about 7 years and after it broke, I decided to upgrade. I love the way Jura will repair a broken super automatic for 275.00 including round trip shipping no matter what the problem but I still wanted a newer model. I did a great deal of research on superautomatics and even bought a Saeco Xelsis. Unfortunately I had to return it as the latte temp never got above 120 degrees despite calling Saeco and working with their support line. I then bought a Jura Z7 as the manual stated that the milk could be heated up to 159 degrees and the espresso/ coffee up to 197 degrees. I love hot coffee/latte. After trying out the Xelsis, I wanted to buy a sure thing that I knew would make me happy. However, the milk at first came out about 130-140 degrees. It took three calls to Jura to figure out how to get the milk to the temp to what they advertise. One helpful person told me to pinch the tubing exiting the milk container before it enters the machine. This slows the stream of milk and increases its exposure to the heating elements but who wants to spend 3 grand on a machine and have to jury with it to get the milk hot enough. Finally, I was told of two things to do to get the milk temp up and how to keep the temp up in the cup. First, when putting the empty cup under the cappucino spout, press the milk button while the cappucino dial is set on steam water. This will spray very hot steam out of the cappucino spout into the cup. This heats up the tubing in the machine and heats up the cup. The third and most important thing is to align the notch in the cappucino spout dial on the border between the steam water icon and the steam milk icon. After flow begins, turn the dial counter-clockwise until the notch is actually into the steam water section but not so far that it stops the milk flow. By doing this I was able to get my milk temps up to the 180s (checking the temps as the milk exits the spout and before it hits the cup). NOW, I could not be happier with the taste AND and the temp of my lattes. Go Jura!!!

I don't write many reviews, but just this week, we decided to call it quits with our 4 year old Jura, which was about as expensive as the one Amazon is selling. During long stretches, the coffee was great, as was the frother. But during the 4 years, we had to ship it back to Jura for repairs 5 times, and every time, it was for the same problem. According to Jura's customer service agent, "an air bubble gets trapped in the line and the machine must be disassembled to fix it." Last time, I got pretty annoyed, and the service guy told me quietly that lots of machines have to be serviced more than once for the same reason..For Hello? How about manufacturing a new part, or finding some other way to deal with this design defect? Nope. Instead, it was better for them to keep fixing the machines. After the warranty ended, the cost of the repair, plus professional packing, shipping and insurance was about $300 each trip,

Jura makes beautiful machines, but I"m not going to buy another one. The company doesn't care about its customers once they get your money.

Buy Jura Impressa Z7 One-Touch Automatic Coffee Center Now

Bought this capuccino maker about 7 months ago, so we know it well. The initial rationale was that we would save 8 dollars a day and countless wait time both of us stopping at starbucks every day. That has happened. I have been to starbucks twice since I bought this. It makes a pretty good cappuccino, I would say is on par with starbucks, my gold standard. The coffee setting tastes different, since it is really a cup of watered down espresso, but you aren't buying this to brew coffee.

In spite of having the tallest spout on the market (at least at the time of my purchase), I still cannot fit my travel mug under it. You know the stainless steel, 16 oz mug you would want to fill up giving you a vente latte on the way out the door. Maybe they dont use these travel mugs in Switzerland, but we all do here... (In fact, I had to build my own wooden holder that holds a tilted travel mug under the spout.)

Well not only does the standard version of such mug not actually fit, (most are about .5 to 1 cm off), it brings up my second point, its almost hot enough. Well if you have prewarmed your cup in the microwave, and sat down to sip you cappuccino right then, the temperature will be a barely "ok". But if you are used to ordering your starbucks extra hot, your definately going to be found wanting. And if you have to dispense your drink into a cup, and then transfer your drink to your tall travel mug because it wont fit, your really going to be dissapointed in the temperature.

A few other gripes: the thing will only stay on 2 hours, IE it will always turn off, kudos to their green power saving. Problem is, it takes a solid 3 minutes or so to warm up. Then each type of drink you make only contains one shot of espresso. If you want 8 oz of milk with three shots of espresso, you have to turn it on, stand there for 3 minutes for it warm up, then push a button to put an 8 oz cappuccino in, wait another 2 or 3 minutes, then push the button for another shot of espresso, another 1-2 min, then push for another shot of espresso in, another 1-2 moinutes. Does that sound "one touch" to you? For me, it is stading next to a machine for 10 minutes, which is exactly what I am supposed to not have to do. (Not to mention, in the middle of all this you might run out of water, need to empty the tray, or add beans. The chances of one of these lottery wins in your 3 button oddessey are probably 25%)

What this machine needs are:

Taller spout

The milk needs a temperature setting, its not hot enough for me.

The machine needs a timer, so it can turn on in the morning and warm up.

Programmable drinks with multiple shots.

Larger bean bin, it probly cooks up only a dozen shots or so per bin.

For three grand, these things should be a given!

Read Best Reviews of Jura Impressa Z7 One-Touch Automatic Coffee Center Here

Jura Impressa Z7 One-Touch Automatic Coffee Center

This machine is pretty amazing! Very nicely designed, feels sturdy and with aluminum front it most definitely does not feel cheap.

I got it as a b-day present for my hubby who WAS a daily coffee shop visitor, but no more! He only goes there to purchase coffee beans, though we are exploring various other freshly-roasted varieties...

I have to say, as intimidating as it was the first day we got it, in a matter of hours I already felt like a pro. Seriously, the coffee that comes out of Jura Z7 is superb! Latte and Cappuccino options a numerous, you can have it any way you like, hotter, or extra strong...more or less froth, longer or shorter on both milk and coffee! It is all very intuitive, though I advise to watch the DVD, it is very (hands on) informational.

Perhaps the only one drawback, or we just haven't discovered a better way to do it -making the foam for esspresso machiato (foam only). Remember, this is a fully automatic machine, so frothing milk is not conventional, here, the milk needs to go from the container through this separate frothing attachment, so you end up using quite a bit of milk to be able to collect just the foam! Well, even with the conventional one, for the foam only, you still need a bunch of milk in the frother... With Cappuccino setting this is not an issue, as it all goes automatic and produces a really perfect deal!

Hope this helps.

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There are so many problems with this product I scarcely know where to start. The first sign of trouble is the manual: it is all but incomprehensible and only describes some of the maintenance required to keep the unit functioning. In other words, after diligently completing all the maintenance requested by the manual, the unit would still break down every couple of months; when I'd call customer service, I'd learn that far more maintenance is needed if you want to keep the unit functioning for long. Unfortunately, experience has taught me that even the most extensive maintenance will only delay but not prevent the unit from breaking down.

The need for endless maintenance is annoying since the main advantage of the unit is its ostensible convenience: in other words, it is true that you can make a cappuccino with one touch -but what they don't tell you is that after that one touch you'll need to complete half a dozen or a dozen steps before making another one. This obviously isn't very convenient, nor is it inexpensive: I've spent countless hours and hundreds of dollars on cleaning fluids, cleaning tablets, filters, and decalcifying tablets in an attempt to keep it functioning, but all this has only delayed the inevitable breakdown.

And this is where things get ugly: after the unit failed completely recently, I contacted Capresso and was told I could get the unit repaired for a $300 fee. I sent the unit in, and to their credit, it was returned promptly; unfortunately, I could see no evidence that the unit had actually been repaired: when I started it up and filled it with water, the unit proceeded to dump the water all over the counter. I thus contacted Capresso and asked them to send out shipping labels so I could return the unit and have them correct the repair. I received no response. After waiting three business days, I asked again; still no response. After waiting three more days, I let them know that I had contacted my credit card and would be refusing the charges until such time as the unit was actually repaired; within the hour I received an email apologizing and letting me know that the customer service manager was out of the office and would return the next day. I thus waited three more days but never heard anything from the customer service manager. I then wrote to the company president asking him to intercede and address the problem: after a month, I still haven't heard anything from him.

But the extraordinary inability to provide even the most basic level of customer service isn't my main complaint with the product: my main complaint is that it doesn't make very good espresso. I say this, not because I consider myself an expert when it comes to evaluating espresso, but because the unit simply does not work with pre-ground espresso. In other words, I've tried pre-ground espresso from each and every brand I can find; they all cause the unit to clog and thus leak. Worse, when I called to ask about this, I was told it was "normal" and that I would need to use the grinder instead. At that time, I didn't realize that if the unit couldn't process pre-ground espresso, then it presumably wasn't grinding the beans to the same level of fineness as pre-ground espresso. As a result, what Capresso calls espresso is quite different from what I'm used to: its quite thin and watery and I've never found a way to make it any thicker. If you're a fan of espresso, I'd encourage you to find the unit in a store and see if their version of espresso is to your liking. Of course, this may prove hard to do: Williams-Sonoma no longer carries Capresso products, and I'm not sure if you'll be able to find anyone who still does. Given my experience with both their customer service and the quality of the products offered by Capresso, I'm sorry to say I simply don't find this surprising.

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Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Second Generation Coffeeduck PERMANENT Refillable Coffee Filter for the Senseo SUPREME & DELUXE ONLY

Second Generation Coffeeduck PERMANENT Refillable Coffee Filter for the Senseo SUPREME & DELUXE ONLYFor starters, this definitely DOES work with the Senseo Supreme that Amazon sells. I don't know what problems other people had, but I have a suspicion that it comes from how sensitive this is to correctly loading the coffee.

The Coffeeduck works great if you use it correctly.

I'm giving it four stars, instead of five, because it's tedious to use. And if you don't read the instructions and pay attention to what it says then you're going to be unhappy. I've had this for two weeks, using it about five times a day, and I've got the routine figured out. If you're not mechanically inclined then you probably won't like this. A friend watched me use this and immediately said "I'm just going to stick with the pods".

You cannot fill the Coffeeduck all the way to the physical top of the metal carrier. If you do this then the Senseo will not close. I suspect that this might have been the problem for the other reviewers here that said these aren't compatible. Instead you fill it to a smaller lip 2/3 of the way up (the instructions describe this, but you need to pay attention to the instructions). The tricky bit is that you need to get all the coffee crumbs off of that lip, which can be tedious. If you don't do this correctly then things won't work well (the Senseo won't close, or you'll get watery coffee, or it will leak water).

Also, if you pack in the coffee too much then the Senseo won't be able to pump the water through the coffee, and instead the water will come spewing out the sides of the machine and all over your countertop. I don't think there's anything the coffeeduck designers could have done to improve this. It's just something you're going to have to learn.

Note: I suspect the Coffeeduck for the base model Senseo is easier to use. The metal coffee carrier for that unit is smaller, and there won't be the internal lip, making cleaning off the excess coffee crumbs far easier (fill it, wipe it, and go). If you haven't bought a Senseo yet, and you think that a Coffeeduck will be one of your primary uses, then I would get the base model Senseo along with the Coffeeduck Classic that is designed for it. If I had that model I would probably give it five stars.

This has been my favorite purchase of 2009. We have a Senseo Supreme and our coffee selections were very limited until Coffeeduck. It works perfectly every time, but should only be used with finely ground coffee.

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Use fine grind and it won't leak any water. Espresso grind won't allow the water to filter through.

Read Best Reviews of Second Generation Coffeeduck PERMANENT Refillable Coffee Filter for the Senseo SUPREME & DELUXE ONLY Here

I own the Senseo SL7832/55 Single Serve Supreme Coffee Machine, Chrome. None of the Coffeeduck items mention this model. I contacted them in Holland and they told me this model would work in the 7832/55 but it doesn't. It fits too tight and strains the Senseo machine to close the lid. Since it doesn't fit, I really can't review it.

Want Second Generation Coffeeduck PERMANENT Refillable Coffee Filter for the Senseo SUPREME & DELUXE ONLY Discount?

Pros:

1. Works with Senseo SL7832/55 Supreme.

2. Saves money over time since Senseo pouch averages about 25-60 cents per cup of

coffee.

3. More choices of coffee. You're no longer limited to what the Senseo offers.

Cons:

1. Must use fine grinds in order to work properly. Unless you can get a grinder

that gets you the perfect grind everytime, you will probably experience water

leakage and grinds overflowing in the machine from time to time. Packing the

coffee grinds too tight will result in grind/water leakage also.

2. Time consuming to fill and clean. Like another reviewer mentioned, you have to

be careful when filling the coffee and keep the rim clean of any coffee grind.

After the brew, you will end up with quite a bit of watery sludge which could be

time consuming to clean.

3. Less or no foam. If you like the foam produced by the Senseo pods, you'll be

disappointed with the amount of (or lack of) foam the coffeeduck produces.

Conclusion:

While the Coffeeduck works as advertised, I feel that it defeats the purpose of buying a Senseo machine, which is the ease of use in the first place. With the Senseo, you can have a brewed cup of coffee with 2 press of buttons within a minute. With the Coffeeduck, I traded the convenience for the freedom of packing my own coffee grind. Unlike using the coffee pods, it has been difficult to get a consistent cup of coffee using the Coffeeduck. If you want the same convenience of using a Senseo pod but with your own coffee, I would suggest trying out other methods of using a paper coffee filter first.