DeLonghi Kmix Drip Coffee Maker

Seems all these $1000 espresso machines are fantastically tiny and well designed (and what exactly do they do for $1000? Heat water to 1000 kelvin? Blast steam through coffee grounds at warp 9.9? Must be an engineering marvel for all that money). Then I try to buy a normal coffee maker and it seems my only option was going to Target and spending $29.95 on a surprisingly gigantic monstrosity. Unfortunately my counter space is measured on the nanoscale, no way was I going to give up half of it to a coffee maker. That's why I was so excited to find this one at Bloomingdales and then find it way cheaper here on Amazon. It looks great, and all the colors are fantastic in person (I saw all the choices at Bloomies).

Pros:

-Incredibly sturdy and well made. A pleasure to use every day. I anticipate having this a long time.

-Smallest footprint I've found.

-The 5-cup size is perfect for two adults to have a big, satisfying cup of coffee.

-You can use the included gold filter or use paper filters.

-Makes excellent coffee that is hot but still drinkable right away.

Con:

-See the silver top part? The whole silver top opens the long way (hinge at the back) to add water and the coffee. This means when you open it, it will not fit under your cabinets, so you have to pull it out to fill it, or put it somewhere that isn't under a cabinet. So while it is only 12" closed, it is 20.5" open, and you have to open it pretty much all the way to add water and coffee.

-It makes coffee pretty fast so the cup warmer thing doesn't really have time to warm your cups. This isn't really a con for me as it's not that big a deal, but if you care, then there you go.

I won't expound on the many qualities of this coffee maker (of which there are many), as it has been well established here by the other reviews. I'm as happy as most, but obviously not all. I have not experience any of the problems these 1 and 2 star reviews are giving. This is a simple, good looking, sturdy coffee maker. If you're in a hurry for a cup of coffee, go to Starbucks.

Just a tip for those who buy this machine. After several pots of coffee have been made, you will turn it on one day and see an amber light blinking above the On/Off switch. There are no real instructions that come with this coffeemaker, so you're on your own to figure out what that blinking light means. What it means is this: It's time to descale the machine.

You can do this buy buying one of the many coffeemaker cleaners on the market (follow the instructions that come with that) or by running 4-6 cups of vinegar through the machine, followed by a few full pots of water to rinse it out.

Once this is done, simply press the small amber light (which is actually a small button) until the light stops blinking. Your DeLonghi K-Mix is now descaled and ready to produce many more pots of excellent coffee.

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I like the looks and the coffee from this maker but, per the description, it should have a 2-hour shut off. It acually says "you never have to worry about turning off your coffee maker, with 2-hour automatic shut off it does it for you". When mine was not shutting itself off I called the company and they told me this model does not have an auto shut off. So, for over $100 you can't even get a feature that comes on $15 machines but should be considered a basic on ALL coffee pots just for safety reasons. Shame on Amazon for listing a description that is not at all accurate and shame on the company for making a substandard machine and charging a ridiculous price.

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This is a great looking coffee maker.It heats the water to proper temp and has a shower-head delivery system.The coffee is very good, about on par with the Moccamaster, not as good as an Aeropress. Its great if you just need to make 2 mugs without any fuss, or have a small kitchen.Its really cute.I have the aqua blue.

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Have owned mine for almost a year now and my list of pros grows shorter by the month.

PROS:

It does shut off after 2 hours

Looks good but silver hard to keep clean. Dripped decalcifying solution on it and now have permanent mark.

Makes decent coffee

CONS:

Need's lots of space above it: I think coffee maker manufacturers assume everyone can place their coffee makers on a counter with no cupboards above it. I think this is a luxury. Most of us find room under a cupboard. And while this little beauty feels small in a kitchen, that changes when you go to make a pot. You will need to pull it out from under the cupboard (which is pretty easy. It is light and sits on a base that moves very easily). The water goes in the back and that lid is pretty short but you'll need to be able to reach it. The coffee goes in the front and that lid is most of the top which needs to be lifted to a full 90 degrees. Lift it less than straight up and it falls back down. I measured the 10cup total hight with front lid open and it is 22in.

Drips about 2 tablespoons of water out the handle so I MUST put a folded paper towel under it every time I brew. Ruins the pretty look on my counter.

Blinking light wont go off though I have decalcified it monthly. Double one time and unplugged for 24 hours a few times to reset it. Worse yet there is no guidance in the manual about this light. I searched the Internet for ideas.

Cannot pour all coffee or water out of carafe. It gets stuck under the lip of the carafe.

I guess that is all. But between the pool of water coming from the handle that runs all over my counter if I forget the paper towel, the blinking light, and the decalcification stains, I no longer enjoy making or now really even drinking my coffee. My husband who is a CFO of an engineering firm simply can't believe coffee makers (by any manufacturer) can't be engineered better. He says if his company put out this bad design and poor execution they would all be fired. C'mon people, we can do better than this!

Defeated and disappointed. (If you know of a good coffee maker, please let me know)

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Jura-Capresso 13333 Impressa J5 Automatic Coffee and Espresso Center, Piano White

At this writing I've owned the J5 for two weeks and have produced approximately 100 shots of espresso/coffee. Having stated that as a qualifier, I've found this super automatic espresso machine to be outstanding in performance, ease of use, and quality of espresso produced. The controls are simple to understand and use there are detailed descriptions of these available on multiple vendor websites, the manufacturer's website even includes a number of very informative videos.

Considering the financial commitment associated with this machine, I was more than a little hopeful that it would produce quality espresso in a straight forward and timely manner. It does this with aplomb.

Regarding its operation, the J5 heats quickly (around 60 seconds) then is ready to run the rinse cycle (also quick, at around 10 seconds). Once the rinse cycle has completed it's ready for action. I won't go into detail about the individual espresso/coffee settings (again, this info is readily available elsewhere) other than to say the controls work exactly as described. Each button is customizable, both permanently and as a one-time override. A very wide range of volume and strength is attainable by adjusting these controls.

The morning routine:

I was quite concerned about the total end-to-end time for brewing in the morning before work, and I have to say in this regard I am very pleased. I've configured the J5 to automatically turn on as I'm showering/shaving etc, so when I arrive in front of the machine it's ready to run the rinse cycle. If you're interested in ensuring the warmest possible espresso/coffee, I recommend running an additional rinse cycle to heat up the internal components a bit more, this combined with preheating your cup really produces a nice hot cup. In the mornings I brew 8 oz. of café crema. The whole process, including a rinse cycle after brewing (the machine prompts for this after hitting the on/off button), takes about 3-4 minutes. This time would be cut by at least half if you were brewing the standard 1-2 oz espresso instead of the higher volume café crema. If you're interested in immediate cleanup, the drip tray and dreg box are easily removed and rinsed both will hold a substantial volume however, so daily cleaning of these items is not required.

A word on espresso quality:

Okay, after covering some of the operational highlights, here's the real question of what quality is the espresso/coffee produced? The short answer is...OUTSTANDING! Producing quality espresso consistently is where the J5 really excels. I've used two types of espresso so far, Lavazza Pienaroma and the Organic Espresso available from CoffeeAM.com. The espresso shots produced using both of these beans results in an amazing amount of crema (1/4 inch) and a fantastic taste. I've also used a locally available pre-ground decaf espresso in the by-pass doser with good results. It's difficult to describe a quality taste in a written review, but the espresso shots produced by the J5 are simply outstanding.

It's difficult to continue enthusiastically describing features of this machine without sounding like a shill for the manufacturer...but a few more things are worthy of mention:

* I've used the frothXpress attachment for making cappuccinos and lattes a handful of times and it works well, much better than I expected, and is easy to clean. I have not used the optional Dual Frother Plus. The hot water is nice and hot, and works extremely well when used as a cup warming aid.

* I've had no issues with the conical burr grinder or any of the other brewing components. They work well and operate within very acceptable sound levels.

* Commenting specifically on the espresso/coffee temperature, I can say that while using the "hot" setting, a rinse cycle to heat up the internal components, and preheating the cup with hot water, the output is very acceptable no need to be hotter.

* Brew duration seems to be heavily effected by the grind setting. For example, a fine setting using dark oily beans induces very slow brew times. If these types of beans are used, a grind setting between medium and coarse seems to work best; this produces a great crema and normal brew duration. Oily beans should also be "air dried" for 4-5 hours before adding to the hopper to allow the excess oils to dry.

* Included with the J5 is an excellent owner's manual and very handy instructional DVD. Reading/viewing both is highly recommended.

Con?:

For reasons I have yet to determine, both 2 cup buttons brew at the "extra strong" strength setting only. Although I don't consider this a major fault, it seems very odd that the volume setting is configurable and the strength is not.

Finally, as stated above, I've owned this machine for only about two weeks, so I can't yet comment on durability or longevity. However, the build quality and performance so far would seem to portend high marks for both.

For many years I have used a Krups super automatic, but sadly it broke. After contemplating various machines, we did a taste test of several, and the Jura won hands down.

The Jura uses a lot more coffee for each cup that it brews, and as a result it extracts a bit less, leading to a much richer smoother taste instead of a slightly bitter taste. We did a blind taste test between the Jura and the Saeco and the Krups, and the difference was extremely clear. The Jura was just fantastic.

Set up of the machine is very simple. It took just a few minutes, and all of the parts are clearly marked.

It includes a water filter option, which we are using, so as not to have to descale. The frothing siphon attachment works very well and delivers a perfect amount of steamed or frothed milk and is very easy to clean. I find this nicer than the wand, which some users report can fly off.

Access to the water tank and bean area is easy, and the tank holds a lot.

It features a light for the cup area which is quite nice, especially if you live in a dark place like seattle.

Brewing, cleaning, steaming are all a snap.

The machine is durable and attractive, but most importantly, delivers a fantastic espresso, mocha, latte...

The one down side is that unlike the saeco it has to be sent back to the factory (NJ) for repairs. I'm just hoping that it won't need them.

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Where to begin? This machine can do it all, from a strong shot of espresso to a flawless cappuccino, all in under minute. If you can tie your shoes, you can use one of these machines.

I looked in to this machine after using an older Capresso model at a friend's house. I was always impressed by how easily and quickly he could make a variety of drinks for guests, not to mention the quality of their appearance and flavor.

This machine comes with two different frothing systems, one is a more traditional bullet style frother, while the other can automatically steam or froth milk. This is where the J5 really shines. In no time you can froth yourself milk that would make the most seasoned barista jealous, and then push a single button to instantly brew piping hot coffee.

The machine starts with whole beans of your choosing and grinds them just for the drink you are making. This ensures that you'll get the freshest tasting coffee cup after cup.

What I like most about this machine though is the variety of drinks it can make. If you have a guest over who isn't a big coffee drinker you can use the machine to make instant hot water for tea, or my favorite trick: run chocolate milk through the steamer for instant hot chocolate. Of course for the rest of us, the pressure brewing system in this machine will allow you to say goodbye to expensive coffee drinks, and become your own favorite barista.

Read Best Reviews of Jura-Capresso 13333 Impressa J5 Automatic Coffee and Espresso Center, Piano White Here

As background, I do not own this machine, but a C1000, a similar, older machine no longer produced. (I know, I hate it when people review a product that they don't actually own, but read on.) However, I wanted to review Capresso as a company, because they are really amazing.

Not only are their coffee machines the best, but their customer service is dynamite! Every time I've called Capresso, I've had really stellar customer service from knowledgeable and friendly people. They are patient and know exactly what to do. I've called for repairs, help with maintenance and general questions a few times over the years, and Capresso just is a completely different kind of company than other appliance makers. I've had 2 Capresso machines (a grind & brew type and the C1000 espresso), and each has made superior coffee and lasted a very long time. These are not disposable appliances, but durable machines that can be repaired if anything does go wrong. The grind & brew lasted at least 10 years, and we only let it go because the display wore out. The C1000 is on year 7 and still works beautifully. Capresso's customer service is always first class. I'll never buy a different brand.

Capresso is AWESOME!

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After five years of continuous use, we consider this one of our best purchases ever! Reliable, flexible, simple to use and maintain, we have had virtually no problems. A great coffee maker.