Francis Francis 208003 X8 iperEspresso Machine, Black

Illy is having a promotion of these. You can get them from Illy's website for $175 until 12/31/2009.

This machine is for people who want convenience. This machine uses pre-packaged espresso servings. If you do not want to fuss or mess that comes with grinding your own beans, you have three options:

1. Nespresso. You have to buy the machine and the capsules from Nespresso. I tried this machine and didn't really like the espresso. Not enough rich crema.

2. E.S.E Pods. Made by lots of different companies. This is an industry standard format. It's basically like an individually packaged tea bag, with a compressed puck of finely ground coffee inside. You could use this in a convensional espresso machine with the appropriate adaptor. Widely available. But the quality of your espresso will depend highly on your machine.

3. Illy's iperEspresso capsules, used by this machine, the Francis Francis X8. Not much of a selection of coffee, but what they do offer is very good. The crema is excellent. I find the machine very easy to use. The multi-color LED tells me when the machine is ready. Switches quickly between brew and steam (< 30 seconds). The frothing wand works pretty well, but it tends to over froth a bit. That's great for cappuccinos, but not so great for lattes.

PROS:

1. Extremely easy and convenient.

2. It acually makes decent drinks.

3. Seems to be good quality construction.

4. Never really runs out of steam. The pump inject small amounts of water into the boiler while steaming.

5. Switches between steam and brew (and vice versa) in under 30 seconds.

6. Heats up very quickly (under 30 seconds).

CONS:

1. This is not for espresso connoisseurs. The espresso is acceptable, but not in the same league as a Rancillio or Gaggia. My other machine is a Silvia. I bought the X8 because I wanted a second machine for the office, where grinding beans and making a mess is not an option.

2. The Illy capsules are not individually wrapped. Once you open the tin (14 capsules), the shelf life is 14 days.

3. The construction quality is excellent, keeping in mind the whole thing is plastic. Again, not in the same league as something 100% stainless steel or polished chrome.

4. The steam power is very weak, however due the sophisticated design of the steam wand, it does a good job creating froth because it mixes lots of air into the milk. Nonetheless, you don't really have the power or flexibility that you'd find on a high-end machine.

5. It's mainly designed for single shot drinks. A tripple shot "venti" cappuccino will be rather tough to make with this machine (and expensive). Steaming a large enough portion of milk will be a slow process. Also, it would take you nearly two minutes to brew three capsules. By then, both your crema from the first shot and froth in the sitting milk would have started to collapse and your end result will not be great.

Overall, I love this machine.

I did a lot of research into espresso machines. I ultimately choose this one because I realized I did not have any interest in becoming a home barista. I wanted a machine that is easy to use, easy to clean-up, and produces good espresso with minimal effort. The Francis Francis X8 has been perfect! I've owned it about month now and have no major complaints. It heats up very quickly probably around 30 seconds. The steam wand works well for frothing milk. And there is no daily clean-up required. The only semi-regular maintenance that needs to be done is filling it with water (I used filtered water), emptying the used-pod bin, and wiping down the drip tray. It also needs to be descaled, which I haven't done yet. The only downside to this machine is that it only takes illy iper pods, and they only have 3 kinds dark roast, medium roast and decafff. Not much for variety. If I didn't need to froth milk, I may have gone with the nespresso C100 instead which not only has a much larger variety of pods, but the pods are also slightly less expensive (55 cents for nespresso versus 75 cents per pod for illy). Regardless, I am happy with the Francis Francis X8 and recommend it to people who are looking for an easy, quick way to enjoy daily espresso!

**Update 1/2012:

After using the machine for about 2.5 years, it stopped working. It began leaking cold water from the base of the machine, and did not pump water through the pods anymore. I had performed the regular descaling maintenance as required, and used only filtered water in the machine. Customer service informed me that it was only under warranty for 9 months, and my options were to pay to have the machine repaired myself or to purchase a new machine. The minimum cost of paying to have them look at it (not even the cost of the repairs) was almost the cost that I originally paid for the machine. So although I enjoyed the Francis Francis X8 while it worked, I cannot recommend it. For the price, I would expect an espresso machine to last longer than a few years. Given Illy's inability to stand by their product, I'm don't think I will purchase an espresso machine from them again. Does anyone have a pod espresso machine by another company that they recommend? I'm in the market again.

Buy Francis Francis 208003 X8 iperEspresso Machine, Black Now

Our family recieved our iperEspresso machine last week and we are still amazed. This is a very well built, thoughtout, quality machine for the money. It is very simple to use and makes excellent espresso in no time at all. I was very impressed at how fast the machine makes hot water and steam. Within a few minutes of plugging it in you're drinking espresso, and since it's Illy product, you know it rocks!

The only downside to the machine is it's exclusivity of capsules. You have to purchase the Illy pods, but they can be found on the web at a resonable price.

Definitely thumbs up for this one!

Read Best Reviews of Francis Francis 208003 X8 iperEspresso Machine, Black Here

I bought an X7 last year and I still absolutely love it, but since then, I've purchased 3 of the X8's for friends and I'll admit that I'm a little jealous. The only advantage the X7 has is it's style and colors but if that isn't important to you, get the X8. It's only $175 from . You can't beat that price. The machine is AWESOME and so easy to use. Just remember to descale every 2-3 months!

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After long research and purchase of many low and high end espresso machines I decided on trying this one. I was going to buy the Napresso C100 but I changed my mind because unlike the Napresso capsules ( 80% arabica and 20% Robusta ) the iperespresso capsules are made with 100% Arabica coffee which as you might know is the ultimate coffee for espresso. This machine comes also with a steam wand for frothing which is not available in the C100. I received it last week and tried it couple dozen times. The result is outstanding. It is a very well made machine, makes espresso in 30 seconds. No maintenance, needs descaling every 3 months. The espresso quality is excellent and better than any one I tried. The crema is quite thick and rich and the whole experience is very rewarding. The froth mechanism is great, I made one Cappuccino comparable in quality to any you get in the best coffee shops. I do not care about the lack of varieties of the capsules. I want either espresso or cappuccino as this is the whole main idea behind the machine. You may like the lungo capsule if you like a bigger volume however I did not try this variety yet. So for 15 pennies more than the napresso you can get far better shot of espresso. The C100 has 19 bar pump which is not really important as some espresso machines costing a few thousand dollars come only with 15 pump pressure. I still wish one day the iperespresso capsules come down in price but until then I'll continue to enjoy my 100% arabica espresso coffee.

Starbucks Verismo 580 Brewer Silver (011023256)

LOVE MY Starbucks Verismo 580 Brewer Silver.

I recommended. La recomiendo es tremenda caferetera y me siento como si estuviera en Starbucks.

The serving sizes are unbelievably small. A latte (espresso pod + milk pod) will fill a normal coffee mug about 1/3 of the way. I further decided that instead of having to use four total pods to fill the mug, I would try just running each pod twice. This served to fill the mug, however the flavor was an unsurprisingly poor, watered down, journey of sadness. The milk pods alone (even when only used once) are quite watery and flat tasting. At around 1$ per pod, it's really not worth it to use this machine at all.

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KRUPS Espresseria Full Automatic Espresso Machine

I just received this Krups Espresseria automatic machine. I have a Jura ENA 4 at my work so I will try to make some comparisons to them. The Jura is about the same price and they both have very similar features. I was so excited when I found out I would be receiving this Krups machine so that I can make my cappuccino at home too! I am a coffee fool so I make alot. With winter coming up this will be well used. Ok I have been using the Jura for some time at my work and it has been a very nice machine and is easy to setup, clean, and use. The Krups is no exception here as it is very easy to setup. Just fill the water container, bean hopper, set language, ML or OZ for liquid measurement, water hardness and ready to go. I use beans I buy here on Amazon. They are eight Oclock brand 50 % decaf. I chose the fine grind setting and brewed my first Cappuccio in less than a minute and the froth was superb. The coffee taste and strength is every bit as good as the Jura maybe alittle stronger with the Krups. I like that the machine is fully programable for different fill levels of coffee. You can fill one or two cups at a time. The nozzle height can be adjusted for taller cups but will not accommodate tall cups without sliding the drip tray out. The Jura can accommodate tall glasses no problem. The steam wand worked very well with no mess and produced a very nice froth and is fully adjustable for many positions. I really liked the spill tray as it has a float in it that rises to let you know when it is full. The Jura does not have this. Both machines come with a water filter to help reduce the bad flavors and reduce machine descaling frequency. The both come with a starter pack of cleaning tablets. As with any coffee espresso machine it will need cleaning to keep the flavor and machine working properly. It looks like the Krups requires less frequent cleaning. Both the frothing nozzles need cleaning frequently. All in all this is a very nice machine that will see alot of use. Oh yeah I was kind of surprised when I opened the box and noticed a small amount of coffee grinds in the machine. I called Krups customer service and was promptly advised that the machines grinders are tested during the assembly. I found no mention of this in the owners info so I was surprised but it is very nice to know that the machines are quality tested before shipping them out. Oh I should note that Jura does mention in there instructions that small traces of coffee grinds may be found in there machines for the same reason. Well I will try to make some comparisons now.

The Krups you can only use whole beans and no preground coffee.

The Jura has a bypass doser that allows you to use preground coffee.

The Jura does not come with a milk container and must be bought separately for about 80-100 dollars.

The Krups does come with its own stainless steel milk container even though it is not mentioned or shown in any of the pictures. I was really hoping it did come with it. Yeah!!

The Krups is made in France and not Mexico or China.

The Jura has a removable bean container.

The Krups does not have a removable bean container so no quick swapout of beans. Must run them all trough machine.

They both hold about the same amount of old grind cakes at 14.

The Jura needs to be cleaned every 180 cycles.

The Krups needs to be cleaned every 360 cycles. Big plus here!

The Jura takes about 44 minutes on the cleaning cycle.

The Krups take about 22 minutes on the cleaning cycle.

Both have an energy saving mode that is programable.

Both can be changed from ML to Oz for fluid measurement.

Both Krups and Jura come with a 2 year or 6000 cup warranty.

My likes about the Krups are slightly stronger coffee than the Jura.

Less frequent cleaning demands with the Krups.

Krups comes with its own Stainless milk container so you can fill it and put back in fridge when not using. The Jura you must purchase the milk container for 8-100 dollars.

Krups has a drip tray float to remind you when it needs cleaning out.

The Krups costumer service department was very quick and responsive when I called them. Oh yeah and they were all American so I could understand them.

The Krups has a better look for a home than does the Jura in my opinion.

I like being able to see how full the bean container is on the Krups without looking down in it unlike the Jura.

My dislikes abouth the Krups are no removable bean container. So when you want to change coffee beans to another brand you must cycle them through where as the Jura you can remove the bean container and empty it out.

Cannot use preground coffee as an option where as you can on the Jura.

The Krups nozzle does not raise as high as I would like to accommodate taller cups but can if you slide the drip tray out first.

So bottom line would I recommend the Krups Espresseria machine??? Yes I defiantly would!!!

UPDATE:

Ok so I have been using it for some time now and love it more than ever!! My wife too!! When just making a good old fashioned coffee the creama is so rich and yummy. I love it. I am still experimenting with all the minor adjustments you can make to custom tailor it but so far I like the grind set on very fine for a very robust flavor but not bitter at all. I am also loving the included milk container for the milk froth. It is very nice to be able to just fill it, use it, then put back in the fridge when done. Jura makes you pay extra for there milk container so nice job Krups!! Well just wanted to give an update as to how things are going here. Thanks

We're a 2-3 cup a day coffee household. This doesn't include all of the weekly trips to the coffee shop while at work for more specialized drinks. Prior to getting this espresso maker we simply brewed flavored coffee at home with cheap and disposable coffee makers. We were of course overjoyed to welcome the Krups EA8250001 Espresseria Full Automatic Espresso and coffee Machine into our kitchen. Here are my thoughts;

Pros

+ All in one unit. Stores, grinds, brews and disposes of your coffee. No outside water lines needed.

+ Stainless Steel milk frothing bottle provided. Very nice!

+ Auto clean/rinse cycle. Only needs complete cleaning once every 360 cycles!

+ Modern and sleek black look. Also, very compact in size for an espresso machine.

+ Easy to use digital interface and quick set up.

+ Water proof service guide stored inside a side slot of the machine.

+ Steamer nozzle also dispenses hot water for tea/hot chocolate drinkers.

+ Extremely quick brew time. Less than 2 minutes.

+ Energy efficient and has an auto-off timer.

+ Made in France (not Taiwan or China like many products today).

+ 2 year or 6,000 cup warrantee.

+ Machine alerts you on all cleaning/replacement functions.

+ Tool provided for easy installation of the unit's water filter. Especially useful if you have larger hands.

Cons

Incredibly expensive.

Milk frothing bottle and attachments are a bit cumbersome to use and clean.

Water filters are $18-20 each and need to be replaced every two months.

Unable to use flavored or pre-ground coffee. There's no bypass chamber to change beans. Once your coffee is in the machine it's in there until you use it.

Frother is rather rigid and has limited flexibility. It's also difficult to use on a countertop, especially with larger mugs. You need to have it on the counter edge to even get a larger cup out.

Can be rather noisey, especially early in the morning. Water tank can rattle quite a bit when brewing the coffee.

Clock display doesn't stay on when you're not using the machine.

Water dispenser tray platform is a bit small and while the coffee nozzles do raise, it's not really enough for larger coffee mugs.

Some crucial pieces of the machine are plastic (coffee nozzles, parts of the frother etc.). I would prefer them to be metal as the plastic feels like it could crack from the heat.

The Krups EA8250001 Espresseria Full Automatic Espresso and coffee Machine is something most people would never buy but would love to receive it as a gift. I'm sure there are many of these machines on wedding registries from couples with crossed fingers. For the price this machine should definitely be considered an investment. Spending this much on an espresso machine is difficult to justify. However, if you can afford the purchase price it definitely does what it's supposed to. I can absolutely say that I'm the envy of all my coffee drinking coworkers and friends. I know our household will get many years of use out of it.

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This could seriously be the best thing I have ever purchased. It is expensive, but man, it is great to wake up and push 3 different buttons a total of 5 different times and have an excellent cup of cappuccino. It could not be easier. Set up is a breeze. The machine tells you when you need water or a new filter. You can see the coffee beans. There is no mess to clean up. When it is time to empty the spent grounds (about every 10-15 cups) a message comes on, you pull out a side drawer, dump it in the trash, empty and rinse the water tray and ... voila.

We bought this assuming that it would not replace our regular drip coffee maker. But we completely stopped using the coffee maker and instead have cappuccino or cafe creme every day. The automatic cappuccino foamer is really quite clever and easy to clean. We have found that you need milk fat to make a decent foam so use whole milk or add a little 1/2 n 1/2 to whatever reduced fat milk you use and it will make a good foam. It takes a few experiments to see how long you need to let the steam run to get the right amount of milk foam to mix with the strong espresso. We have finally landed on 15 seconds. The machine always comes back to whatever setting you used last, so once you get a setting you like you can pretty much just push a few buttons and your coffee is ready in less than 2 minutes from the time you power up the machine.

It pays to experiment with beans also. We use a mix of 1/2 decaf cafe Britt which is nice and dark and adds an earthy flavor, and 1/2 regular caf Lavazza Super Crema because that seemed to be a consensus good espresso bean. The Lavazza is a medium roast. So now we have the coffee we like, and cappuccinos better than any we can get in a restaurant or coffee shop (always way way too much milk). I am confident we would never use a manual machine. My hats off to people who do. If you are like me and want a great espresso, cappuccino or cafe noisette every day, you will love this machine

Read Best Reviews of KRUPS Espresseria Full Automatic Espresso Machine Here

This is the best super automatic espresso machine out there based on my own, super-nerdy formula: "(rich flavor * ease of use) / cost." Dorky, yes, but you're talking to someone who came up with decisionking.com and previously has used a one-touch Tassimo machine in USA, one-touch Philips machine in Spain, and a few other cheap espresso machines including the manual kind. I am a resident of Spain and a US citizen, so I appreciate a good european style "cafe con leche."

The advantages of this Krups machine are that: 1) it's the most compact machine, 2) it's very simple to operate 3) it has the lowest cost of the different super automatic brands (as of 10-26-2011), 4) and it can use oily beans unlike the other different brands of machines. 5) Also, it runs the longest between cleaning cycles (360 cycles) compared to the other brands. The resulting coffee is, of course, rich and smooth and full of flavor. That being said, it is important to note that coffee flavor seems to be more related to the quality/freshness of coffee beans used rather than the machine itself.

The disadvantages of this Krups machine are its high cost (relative to my cheap coffee machines before) and no bypass doser. But both of these disadvantages are minimal especially when you compare the Krups cost to the other super automatic espresso machines. On the other hand, a bypass doser is important for that quick decaf, one would want to make for late night after dinner.

Bottom line is: I'd give this device 4.5 stars since it does not have the bypass doser. But if you want an easy to use, minimal maintenance, one-touch espresso machine, that is compact and costs the least of the super automatics then I think this Krups is the machine you want to invest in.

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So, I've had this machine for about a month now, and I'll echo much of what others have said: it makes an awesome cup of espresso (especially if you've got good quality espresso roasted beans, but that goes without saying). The fully automatic nature of the machine makes it a dream to easily get a good cup of coffee, and I'm fiendishly excited that I can reduce my outlays to Starbucks.

The one "complaint" that I had about the machine was that the auto milk attachment didn't get hot enough (i.e. it got up to around 110 degrees F), so I started nuking my coffee to get it to a good "americanized" coffee temperature. But, I found a solution: when you hit the steam button and the milks starts pouring into your cup, pinch the plastic tube so that it sputters--this will allow more steam to get into the mix, thereby heating up the milk more. The result? Milk that gets to about 140 degrees F!! Perfect stuff. Also, BTW--I've successfully used almond milk from the start, so if you want to go healthy and tasty, then you have a good non-dairy, non-soy option. Cheers and enjoy!

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Capresso EC100 Pump Espresso and Cappuccino Machine

I ordered the Capresso EC100 Pump Espresso and Cappuccino Machine because I'm tired of spending megabucks at the local coffee shops for espresso beverages. Also, I don't always want to leave the house to get one, especially for breakfast. And finally, by making espresso beverages at home I can control the ingredients and know exactly how many calories I am consuming.

This machine enables you to prepare espresso with a medium, strong, or very strong taste, using either ground coffee or pods. You can prepare either one or two espressos at a time. It also enables you to prepare cappuccinos (by frothing the milk) or lattes (by steaming it). Oddly, the recipes in the manual do not mention how to prepare a café mocha. My own method is to squirt some Hershey's sugar-free chocolate syrup into a latte, add two packets of artificial sweetener, and stir vigorously. The manual does include helpful tips on ingredients. For example, the lower fat milk is the more froth it will produce. I'm sure you'll think of your own favorite flavorings to add to beverages--cinnamon, brandy, whipped cream on top, or whatever.

I found the machine fairly easy to use, although it's a bit fiddly. You need to go through several steps just to pre-warm the components and the cups. And there's filling the water container, inserting the filter, steaming the milk, cleaning the machine after use . . . on the other hand, at the local coffee shop I just wait around while someone else does all this stuff.

This machine comes with a limited one-year warranty and an order form for parts when they need replacing, which parts are actually quite reasonably priced. Oh, and a separate copy of the manual entirely in French, should you need it.

So I had bought this machine going by a review by an unbiased espresso machine store, and they tested on a video. They sold all types of machines. So I gave this a try. After reading the reviews on amazon I was little hesitant.

When I tried the machine it worked wonderfully, and later some of the shots I pulled were weak... Similar to what others had mentioned as a con.

Unlike the latter I knew that it did well initially so the error must've fallen on myself, but how? I wondered. So I went online a did a bit of research and found the error lay on how I was grinding the beans. Online it said that certain machine work well with certain grinds. This particular one must be extremely finely ground, and a burr grinder would work more efficiently.

As for the complaints about the bitterness, you get a bit more bitter taste with grinding it finely, but honestly esperesso is not meant to be extremely bitter, that is the result of burnt grounds scorched under pressure, and that's the result of a poor machine.

Do the research there's plenty of information on the Internet and YouTube ... It is a great machine! Very easy to use at a great price.

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Great deep crema!

Super easy machine for making capuccino: I make the froth in a cup and then dispense the espresso directly into the same cup. This might be blasphemy, but at 5:30am, who cares.

Cleanup: 20 seconds: I wipe off the nozzle, tap out the hockey puck into the garbage, and rinse it.

Large clear water container, easy to see how much water is left.

Cleaning the machine: I ran diluted vinegar through once so far in 6 months. Working fine. I had to clean out the brew head once, which required a screwdriver and took a couple of minutes and a paper towel.

Note on espresso strength: With my unit, the coffee seemed like it was on the weak side at first, then after about a lb., seemed more like regular strength.

Other things to like about this machine:

A snap to clean up. If you've used other machines you know there are usually little sprays of coffee, coffee grounds, milk, froth, etc., and grind slop to clean up after.

Water container holds enough to make many cups in a row before refilling.

The foot print is much smaller than some other similar machines, so it fits into my counter corner easily.

The manual is very thorough. When I had to figure out how to clean out the brew head, the info was right there.

The price is nice! We inherited a Barista and later purchased a Cafe Roma which are also great, but I like this system for its ease of use, crema, and tidy footprint. Also thinking this would be a nice gift, as it'll turn out a nice cup right away. Had the unit 6 months so far, so hope it keeps up the good work.

Read Best Reviews of Capresso EC100 Pump Espresso and Cappuccino Machine Here

I love everything about the Capresso...except for the fact that it makes coffee, not espresso. This is the third espresso maker in this price range that I've owned, the previous two being a Starbucks Barista and a Gaggia, and while I like the design of the Capresso the most (1. Capresso, 2. Gaggia, 3. Barista), I like the coffee the least (1. Gaggia, 2. Barista, 3. Capresso). Which when you get down to the bottom line is kind of a dealbreaker.

The Capresso does produce a thick "crema" but the coffee is mellow rather than bold. I can turn on the machine, run through a few empty cups of water to heat it up, use my boldest roast, and the coffee that I pull will still be mellow and smooth. If you like mellow, smooth coffee this might be the machine for you. I like thick, bitter, ultra-strong espresso, and the Capresso will not produce it. Also it took a couple of weeks before the new machinery stopped making my coffee taste a little bit like rubber.

For all that, I was really sad to stop using the Capresso and return to my Starbucks Barista because the Capresso is so much easier to use! The water tank, in particular, is genius. It attaches to the back of the machine and is so much easier to detach and re-attach than the reservoirs I'm used to, which hide behind the portafilter and drip tray. It holds the perfect amount of water too, enough to last me a couple of days but not so much that I ever worry about the water stagnating.

The portafilter basket that holds the grounds is irritating to use. It's made of a lightweight metal that feels cheap. I always use the double espresso basket and the spoon that comes with the machine does not measure the right amount. I'd drop one spoonful into the basket, then scoop out more grounds and measure around 2/3 of a second spoonful in order to fill the double-espresso basket. This was irritating, time consuming, and often messy.

Other than that...the Capresso is easy to use, easy to clean. So easy to clean! That's my second favorite thing about it, after the water tank. I just wish it made espresso.

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I simply love it. I used it for 3 months (2 to 6 espressos a day everyday), and never had a problem with it whatsoever.

I only make espressos with it and never used the steam/foaming outlet (cannot comment on it).

I never decalcified it yet; cannot comment on that either.

PROS:

Heats quickly.

Does great espresso, with a lot of foam (love it).

Easy to clean and maintain.

CONS:

The water runs out too quickly to my taste. I guess the coffee could be tastier/more powerful if the water was running slowly (and even an adjustment of the grinding size didn't make it much better. I found my best grinding size, but the next finer one just clogs the machine which only gives one drip every 1/2 second).

A lot of foam my wife doesn't approve of that much foam on her espressos :-)

I would buy it again and advise friends to do so, since I'm really pleased and had a hard time figuring which espresso machine to buy in the US (the choice here is less than 1/10th of what we have in Europe).

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