Black & Decker Expresso Mio EE100

• Black & Decker
• Expresso Mio
• EE100

I liked the first one so much I got a second one for my office. It took awhile to figure out the correct amount of time in the microwave. They tell you to start with 90 seconds and then go up or down. 90 was way high. I ended up at 55 after several trail and error experiments. I suggest you do this with only water and no coffee.

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Who knew I could have a fresh-brewed cappuchino or expresso whenever I wanted one, at home or in the office, in two minutes flat in the microwave, for pennies a serving?

More delicious than Starbucks, at a tenth of the price.

Pretty easy to use, too, if you follow the directions.

Mmmmmmmmmmmmm, and that heavenly smell of fresh brewed expresso or cappuchino from my microwave!

I love espresso and use this while traveling. It took a little practice to come up with the right grind and quantity but I can micro a better espresso than I can get from most baristas (except when traveling in Italy or France).

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Must be out of production. Old, rotten but nib. Leaks, sputters, spews with almost no coffee made. Had to pay more to ship back./return then purchase price.

Kitchenaid KCM1402ES 14 Cup Glass Carafe Coffee Maker - Espresso

I am, and have been, obsessed with finding the best brewer for a great cup of coffee. I own them all--Chemex pourover, a Krups, Cuisinart and recently bought the Kitchenaid based on reviews. For one thing, you can't put in the correct amount of coffee to water without the grounds spilling over the top. They recommend 1 scoop per 5 oz. cup, but for best taste, it's more like 2 of those scoops and there's not enough room in the filter for that. I tried using the stronger setting for coffee, but still the flavor wasn't up to snuff. I'll try the Bonavita next, but wasn't really happy with this brewer.

I almost gave up on kitchenaid coffee makers but saw this one at a local store. I could see that they improved some of the features of previous model that drove me crazy. First, the carafe was improved. Gone is the plastic upper rim and now its solid tapered glass. The previous carafe was really hard to clean, shouldn't go in dishwasher and was impossible to dry. Water got under the plastic and took a long time to dry. Basket is better designed too. Basically, all the parts can go in the dishwasher now. The new model makes great coffee. Easy to load basket, easy to fill removable water tank AND ONLY ONE BUTTON TO PUSH to start brewing. Appears to have the same programing method. Easy to set up. Honestly would give it a 4.5 if I could due to funny programming. Its not hard its just kinda dumb for 2013...

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Cuisinart PRC-12 Classic 12-Cup Stainless-Steel Percolator, Black/Stainless

I do not understand what has happened in the coffee maker industry. It seems as if every coffee appliance I buy fails. This one is no exception. I bought this one only because most of the reviews praised it. Now I am sure that the reviews are phony and must be posted by the manufacturer. There is no control over the time of percolation which for whatever reason has been designed to be too short. The coffee comes out weak especially if you try to make less than 12 cups, the water just doesn't make it through the strainer for less cups??? The manual suggests using 20 spoons for 12 cups of strong coffee. At this rate I will essentially be using double the coffee grinds to make the same amount of coffee as I did with a much older Faberware I had and the coffee is still weak. The new faberwares are just as bad as everything else manufactured these days. The reviews and the item description also touts that this coffee percolator has a glass knob. This is an outright lie, it is plastic!!!! I was initially pleased with the design although I feel it is made with a lighter guage metal than it should be. I would gladly pay double for this product if it worked. Don't buy it, it is another coffee maker dud!!!!!

I had written a glowing review for the PRC-12 Percolator because it produced a great cup of coffee and heavenly aroma. Now, months later, this product resides in a local landfill and I won't buy another Cusinart product ever again.

It made great coffee right up to the day I found coffee all over the counter. The leak was tracked to the plastic bulb which broke off when I gave it a gentle twist. I contacted Cusinart Customer Service, emailed a copy of my Amazon receipt and was told they would be happy to provide a replacement lid w/bulb as soon as I could give them the serial number which I was told is on a sticker underneath the pot. Naturally, on my unit, the serial number sticker was missing. What was worse, when looking for the serial number, I found that the base had cracked and warped from the heat of brewing coffee. One more call to Cusinart Customer Service and they once again told me they would be happy to provide a replacement as soon as I provided the serial number which in this case was non-existant. Without that precious serial number Cusinart wouldn't lift a finger to help. The Amazon receipt was a worthless piece of paper when it came to dealing with Cusinart.

Due to poor Customer service at Custinart, I've decided to continue to buy from Amazon but I will no longer buy any Cusinart products.

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Here's my take on the whole coffee thing. If you are a coffee guru, then you are going to go through all the trouble it seems to take to make the perfect cup, and this review is a mute point, or you are going to go to Starbucks and pay for the perfect cup. Most people who make coffee at home and in the morning (time permitting) are like me.

Here's my ideal coffee scenario:

I believe that buying my favorite high quality whole beans (Kenya AA), grinding them myself (coarsely, so they don't fall through the metal filter), and using the method I believe is best (the nostalgic percolator), is the perfect way to brew. It's my own preference: 1/3 nostalgia, 1/3 good beans, 1/3 convenience. They say that percolating coffee is burning beans. I and many other would disagree. I wake up grind my beans fill them and some cold tap water into the percolator. I wait 10 minutes while listening to that wonderful sound and smelling that great aroma!!! PERFECT!

For the GURUS, this may seem like heresy, but for me its the best of all worlds.

This model has, so far been great, 4 stars. The "glass knob" is plastic, whatever! Liars!. I've been brewing at the 6 cup line (water and beans) for 5 months at 4 to 5 times a week. Still hot and still consistent. It brews the same every time. This consistency over time is what I think will make or break this product. If it cools down a bit I will clean it. If it gets worse then I will be less than satisfied. If it fails before five years then I will be less than satisfied. It takes about 5 to 10 minutes to make MY AMOUNT of coffee and how black I like it. I cannot set the heat or the brew time (it's all automatic), but the coffee comes out very hot (not burned) and very dark. The only thing I can control is the amount of both water and coffee. I have learned what amounts I like. Other times may vary because of the amount of water and coffee used.

Don't go by what the instructions say go by what is best for you. The amount of coffee you get and the amount it says is one cup WILL BE DIFFERENT. Who cares. Make it the way you like it. This will take time to learn, but it will be best in the end. Every brand percolator is different, to bad you can't have a trial test before buying.

So far so good...

UPDATE...............UPDATE...................UPDATE 7/12/2010

Sometimes I like to go back and read my old reviews. To get a sense of things, and see to see if I still feel the same way about the purchases I've made. Or if the purchase turned out to be a lemon. Or just add something I missed or found new and interesting. Or edit a mistake. Whatever.

A lot of people are giving this perco. a low rating. By the way, mine still works perfectly fine after 2+ years. Still **** (Stupid plastic knob!).

You are cleaning it after every use, aren't you? If you don't like cleaning it, it will eventually go bad sooner than you think. So go back to a plastic drip machine if 100% convenience is what you want.

You are unplugging it after all of the coffee has been poured, aren't you? If you don't it will probably mess up the heating element. That's my guess.

I've noticed that when I first started using it, I would miss-align the spout tube with the heating dome located on the base. I've done this occasionally. All I got was hot, brown water. So make sure you align the spout tube properly.

I'm starting to not like the curved black base. Because, when I fill it up with water from the tap I sometimes bang it on the sink. It feels like I'm gonna knock it off if I'm not careful.

It still brews fine, maybe a little cooler then at first; but its still H. O. T. HOT.

I've noticed that darker brews (french roasts) give the best results, although bean-quality is probably more important than roast.

KEEP IT CLEAN BY WIPING IT OUT AFTER EVERY USE USING DRY PAPER TOWELS!!! IT WILL LAST FOREVER.

That's it.....

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I bought this to replace my ancient aluminum stovetop percolator, which did make great tasting coffee but the aluminum/alzeimer concerns worried me, plus the thing was stained and almost burnt through from heavy use. Anyway, I did a fair amount of research and this Cuisinart seemed like the best electric percolator available. I thought an electric would be easier to clean (they aren't). The main point I didn't consider is that you can't control the percolating time on these things. That's pretty much the whole point of percolating coffee; If you want stronger coffee you want to be able to percolate it for a longer time. An electric percolator shuts off automatically after it's short pre-timed brewing cycle. I tried a variety of beans and ground settings (and added more coffee to the basket to compensate), but it was still weak. The end result here is watery coffee, just slightly better then what you get from a drip machine. What's the point? I will admit that this percolator is well designed, pours nicely, has a heavy gauge basket and keeps the coffee very hot. That classic percolated taste just isn't there. If you love the rich taste of percolated coffee like I do (it's the best!), you really need a stove top model. I'm getting a Bialetti!

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After making great coffee for 5 months the Cuisinart Percolator's coffee started getting very weak. Needless to say my rating went from 5 stars to 1. I need to find a Percolator that will last!

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Continental Electric 4-Cup Coffee Maker, White

This coffee maker does make coffee, so it lives up to its name. An annoyance is that the placement of the lid causes all the condensation to drip on the counter rather than back into the reservoir. My bigger concern is that after 5 months of twice-daily use, the machine still has a strong plastic smell, and the taste of plastic comes through in some coffees. Yet I continue to use the coffee maker, so it must not be too bad, but next time I'll spring for something better.

I enjoy my coffee from this cute 4-cup coffee maker. It smells and tastes just like good coffee you bought from a local coffee shop. I wish it has a longer extension cord though.

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This is the perfect little coffee maker. Great purchase. May be a better deal to buy a larger pot considering the price difference. Works great for my needs!

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Given as a gift to a neighbor as a housewarming gift... The recipient said she is very happy with this product.

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Bought this for my husband for Christmas as he is a coffee drinker and I am not. I wanted to buy him a larger coffee pot, but he only wanted a four-cup maker and according to him it works really good, makes coffee fast and easy to operate. For the price you can't beat it.

Primula Demitasse 9 pc Espresso Coffee Maker Gift Set

It's an awesome little espresso maker. I have heard that you should only use a stainless steel moka for espresso, but I get fantastic espresso out of this baby. The little demitasse cup & saucer set is a bonus, for the price it is an outstanding value.

I can highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a great shot of espresso.

I use caffee kimbo espresso export, also available through amazon.

bottom line:

Great product,great value.

It was broken out of the box ;-( I went to get a replacement and it was out of stock

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Bought it for a wedding present, but at least one of the cups was broken so I sent it back.

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La Pavoni EPBB-8 Europiccola 8-Cup Lever Style Espresso Machine, Black Base

PHOOEY to those who say this is only for the purists! Stuff and nonsense! The possibility for a more delightful relationship with a machine than a man can have with his La Pavoni espresso machine surely doesn't exist outside an Arthur C. Clarke novel. I really can think of no other mod con which is truly indispensible in the way that Ralph, our little Europiccola, is.

Difficult to use? Pshaw! Is a bicycle difficult to use? At first maybe, but all of a sudden you wonder what the fuss was about. With a little practice and practice is half the fun of it you will have the most beautiful espresso thick crema and all merrily widdling out the little spout everytime.

Ralph is delightfully simple to use, as a matter of fact: water in, turn on, coffee in, lever up, lever down, and you're done. How hard can that be?

Getting your espresso right comes down to a lot of other variables, which are the same for any espresso machine the sort of coffee you use, the correct grind, the correct grinder (if you grind yourself, the grinder is really critical) the correct pressure, even the type of water you put in the machine. If you're having trouble grinding your own then head down to the grocers, pick up a tin of Illy coffee, and BINGO you may as well be in a Palazzo San Giovanni with a pair of smart sunnies and a scooter shouting, "prego" at passers by, that's how Italian you'll feel. And the coffee is divine.

Honestly, the very sight of that cute little chappie sitting, glinting on our bench every morning, ready to gladden the very experience of waking up and getting ready for work is enough to make my heart sing. I love my little La Pavoni. You'll love yours, too. Depend on it. I know I do.

I have owned this machine for over ten years and everyday when I make my morning cappuccino I love it more. You can spend more for a machine that measures the coffee, tamps it, pulls the water through and steams the milk for you, but you can tip the kids behind the counter at Starbucks and they'll do the same thing. Making espresso should be a little art and a little science and this machine an impeccable balance of the two. If you aren't the kind of person who takes joy in mixing the perfect martini, making a risotto that whispers with flavor, or whipping a meringue to impossibly tall peaks, this probably isn't the machine for you.

The La Pavoni is for the person who will find tremendous joy in going to the lengths required to make a perfect cappuccino by hand everyday.

PS It always makes my day to know that people find these reviews helpful. So, please vote (the "Was this review helpful to you: Yes or No" buttons) and leave a comment if you'd like, even if it's just to say, "Hi!" I respond to all comments so feel free to ask a question about the product. Also, when you leave a comment, I will go to your reviews and pay you the same courtesy.

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We bought the 16-cup version on our honeymoon in Italy. We've had it for five years. It makes great cappuccino. I bought some extra filters from Thomas Cara in San Francisco, and I can crank out 4 cappuccinos in a row. When we have guests over, they rave about the coffee, and swear it's the best they've ever had.

The machine isn't hard to use true, you need to learn how it works, it's not like Mr. Coffee, but that doesn't make it hard. It has good instructions, and you can mostly figure it out by looking at it water goes here, coffee goes there, lift and lower the handle for coffee, steam a little milk and cappuccino heaven! Ok, it's a little more work than Pop-Tarts, and you can infinitely play with the grind and techniques to create the perfect espresso... so what? You're going to make coffee with this machine for the next twenty years.

The machine is fussy about the grind, however too coarse, and the water just gushes out. Too fine, and the water won't come through at all! Of course, once you get your grinder set "just so", you never need to adjust it.

I never succeeded at steaming milk with the "wand." My Pavoni included a plastic "cappuccino automatic attachment," which consists of a tube which you put into the milk, and a black plastic aerator. This attachment makes fantastic, foamy milk.

The quality of the milk foaming depends on its freshness. Milk doesn't foam as well after 3 or 4 days (Funny milk tastes the same after 3 days, but it doesn't foam the same). Like most home machines, La Pavoni won't get the milk as hot as commercial machines will. By pre-heating the cup with steam or hot water before putting in the milk or espresso, you can overcome this.

Our Pavoni isn't just an appliance. It's beautiful to look at, and it's built with heirloom quality. It needed repairs once, but... refitted its worn gaskets, polished its chrome finish, and got it working like new.

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Finally there is a Espresso machine that makes a GREAT cup of coffee. Takes only 4 or 5 minutes to warm up, a "no brainer" process to pull a great espresso. Compared to stove top or other electric espresso makers, this company has spent the time and energy to develop a machine that gives GREAT coffee morning after morning. If you can remember to refill the water tank, clean out the basket, wipe off the steamer rod -you will have good coffee day after day.

My only regret is that I didn't buy the 16 cup maker. But life cannot always come up roses.

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For the hard core purist only. Using this machines is a skill. And, if you master it, you will be a barista in the truest sense of the word. Every variable, grind, tamp, pressure, length of pull, is crucial and requires close attention to detail. The most critical factor is the grind. If you can not obtain the proper grind, this machine will never produce good espresso. Be prepared to spend [more money] for a grinder capable of providing it. Zassenhaus hand grinders are the cheapest option.

The machine itself is gorgeous. The heavy chrome shines up beautifully after each use and all the levers and spigots and knobs sticking out in every direction baffle and intrigue all who see it. The only thing more fun than looking at it is driving it. Amaze your friends, dazzle your guests. Then, serve them REAL espresso.

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