Gaggia 102532 Espresso-Pure Semi-Automatic Espresso Machine, Black

We purchased this machine just after Christmas, and have fallen in love with it since then. We were looking at another, better-looking espresso machine, but were advised to get the Gaggia by some friends. This is our first REAL espresso machine, I had a Mr. Coffee machine years ago that worked all right, but the Gaggia Pure is head and shoulders above that one. It makes great espresso, although we are still working on getting great crema out of it...sometimes we do, sometimes we don't (this could easily be our fault). The frothing nozzle is also great, and although it's not as fancy looking as the all-stainless model we nearly bought, it is still a nice looking machine.

Negatives: no warming tray, and the first shots take awhile as the machine has to warm up first. This might be true with most machines, and it's not a big deal for us. We start it up, prep the milk and cups for a few minutes, come back and its ready to go. Subsequent shots go much quicker.

We would definitely buy this machine again.

Seemed complicated at first, but is actually quite easy after the first time or two. Yummy espresso. Foaming wand makes thick, delicious foam for cappuccino. Easy to clean. The pump is quite loud when passing water for the espresso, but that's only a minute.

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I am pleased with the Espresso Pure for my entry-level espresso maker purchase. I wish it had a warming plate, but as another reviewer said, the body is all plastic. I also purchased the Baratza (or is it Solis? I'm confused about the relationship of those two companies) Maestro Plus grinder for around $140 and they work well together. You do have to spend some time breaking in the machine and experimenting with grind size and tamping pressure. You also have to let the machine heat up well, at least 8 minutes. But after I turn on and let it heat up, it doesn't take me more than 5 or 6 minutes to make a latte or cappuccino.

I like the size of the water tank because there are only 2 of us. I also like that there is enough clearance for a standard 8 oz mug beneath the portafilter. The steam wand produces great foam with whole milk and there's enough clearance there for a 2 cup Pyrex measuring cup. Yet the machine does not take up a lot of space in fact it's less than the Mr. Coffee machine it replaced.

I think its interesting the Espresso Color got higher reviews than this one, because they are the same machine. The Color is $50 more, but otherwise they are exactly the same. And I read on that the red colored paint starts chipping off after awhile.

For now (1 month after purchase) and for what it is, I think it works great, and at a young, frugal person kind of price.

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Yes, you do need properly ground coffee to make the best of this machine. However the $ Capresso Infinity is fine for the job. This is an impressive machine for the money but it does have a learning curve. Follow the directions in the book, get a tamper that is sized to the portafilter (58mm), use some fresh roasted ESPRESSO beans and you'll be making coffee better than 95% of the shops with a little bit of practice. One added suggestion, a ridgeless portafilter, which allows for better tamping.

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Received the Gaggia Expresso Pure at the end of May 2010 and loved it for 3 months made great coffee. In late August the knob started disfunctioning more and more. Finally figured out the metal it was on was getting so hot it was slowly melting it. Then in early September steam started coming out everywhere and water dripped even when it was turned off, and it always dripped through the coffee filter whether that button was pushed in or not. Called the company they made us go buy their special cleaner that would fix all. It did not. They had us take it apart several times before they finally said to send it in for them to fix. We did hear they received it, but have not gotten it back and it is now January 2011. Do not buy this machine unless you want to throw your money down the drain.

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Napoletana inox 9 cups

not intuitively obvious. I had problems until a friend mentioned I was using it incorrectly.

lots of spillage. correct: Pour water in bottom part of pot, insert bottom of filter in that water filled part, add coffee into filter,

screw on top of filter. then put spout part of pot on the top of everything, heat over a stove

until heated water rises slightly through tiny vent hole, in the bottom part. turn off heat.

carefully take to counter or sink, turn everything upside down. that's when the hot water passes through the filter and

through the contained coffee. very easy after 1-2 practice tries. fun to use. no plastic!

I was really excited to purchase this coffee maker, but once I used it, I was a lttle disappointed. I find it difficult to screw the top back on when I fill in the coffee, and the top tips over when I pour the boiling water into it. I thought that for the money I spent on it, that it would be a better coffee maker. Also the middle section where you put the coffee in has already changed color. The outer part still looks great.

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KRUPS KT600 Silver Art Collection 10 European Cup Thermal Carafe Coffee Maker, Stainless Steel/Chro

This coffee maker makes great, hot coffee. It just brews it up right with no fuss. I have paired mine with a #4 Swiss Gold permanent filter and absolutely love it. This coffee maker does nothing but make good coffee. It doesn't tell time, it doesn't have any automatic functions, it doesn't have alternate settings you just push the brew button and it brews great coffee every time.

That said, there are a couple of small gripes that would not keep me from purchasing this product again. One is the price. It's a bit expensive compared to other coffee makers in its "class." For less money you can get a machine with all the afore-mentioned perks and frills. Can I guarantee you they will, quite simply, make coffee as good as this one? No, I cannot. You're obviously paying for the Krups name and for what is almost a piece of coffee making art or furniture but it does what it should with no complications. There is something to be said for never having to reset the clock or functions just push the button and get great coffee every time.

The other minor-issue I have is the weird design of the pot. What other reviewers have said is true. You do have to completely invert the pot to empty out the last bit of coffee because of the odd design. This isn't necessary except to get out the last 5-6 ounces of coffee, but it doesn't really present a problem to me it's not messy or anything, just odd.

Also, the pot did come with a strong chemical odor in it, as some of the other reviewers have mentioned. I did not make or drink any coffee from the machine until it was gone. I got rid of the odor by filling the pot with vinegar and letting it sit over night. That got rid of the smell completely and I never experienced any weird white powder or film or odd-tasting coffee, though if your water is hard it will show up both on the machine and pot as well as in the pot worse than it will on other things in your kitchen.

Pros:

1. Makes great, hot coffee.

2. Thermal pot keeps coffee hot, no burner necessary.

3. Simple.

4. Easy to maintain.

5. Looks great.

Cons:

1. Pot design a little weird.

2. A bit pricey.

UPDATE 01/25/2012: Just want to say that 2 1/2 months later, still loving this coffee maker. I don't think the pot pours too slow like other reviewers have said and it works just fine, if a bit strange. I made coffee this morning. I used some hot water to pre-heat the thermal pot, which I do not ALWAYS do as I don't see it as necessary; I like to not scald my mouth. I'm more concerned about the coffee getting hot enough to properly brew than getting it to my cup super hot. Anyway, I left work without having my morning coffee. Doh! I came home 8 hours later and the coffee in the pot was still warm. Granted, it was not HOT, but it was warm enough to heat the cup and for my wife to drink it. I heated mine in the microwave for a bit.

UPDATE 03/07/2013: After more than a year with the coffee maker, it still makes great coffee. About a month ago I decided to test the brewing temperature with an instant read thermometer. Over a few days of testing it consistently read 198 degrees in the filter during brewing. This is right in the target zone for hot-brewing (195-205 degrees). My parents have a Bunn restaurant style coffee maker (brews instantly). I bought a gold basket filter for it, but my wife and I agree it just doesn't taste as good as the coffee we make in this machine at home. The only issue I've seen develop over the last year is that on the initial pour, a little bit of coffee runs out of the spring loaded valve on top where the coffee enters the pot. Still very, very happy with this product.

I love this coffee maker! It's been a long time since I had my 1st Krups, & their newer models didn't get the water as hot as this one older model,until now. This does the job, brews a great pot of coffee, keeps it hot for hrs & still tastes great. I'm very picky about my coffee. I'd gone to a french press because I couldn't get a decent pot in the electric drip(my old Krups went to my X). So now I have this model & love it. It's a very sleek design, simple on auto off once it's brewed,& the 10 cup karaf keeps it piping hot without that acidic taste u get when coffee stands warm. This size is good for 4 lg cups/mug. Enjoy.

Buy KRUPS KT600 Silver Art Collection 10 European Cup Thermal Carafe Coffee Maker, Stainless Steel/Chro Now

This is the coffee maker you would imagine Steve Jobs uses at home. (RIP Steve). I've used a Krups coffee maker for many years. When I saw this new Silver Art collection I decided to dump the old and get the new. In fact I bought all the pieces in the series because lets face it, this is just as much about the look as the utility. If you want good drip coffee in a pretty vessel you will like this a lot. It's very shiny!! If you want features, settings, timers and flashing lights this is not the coffee maker for you.

The last few coffee machines I've owned had all the bells and whistles and I happily realize now that I never used any of that crap. You put in coffee, add water and in a few minutes start drinking. This Silver coffee maker does that really well and makes you feel like you're waking up in a kitchen in a luxury modern home. It's definitely all about elegance and simplicity.

I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 because I think the cord is too short. Intentional on their part but I still think it's too short.

Update: After a few months I am still pretty happy but I must say the carafe is definitely annoying (down to 3 stars). As others have said this carafe pours very slow and when first filling the water reservoir the carafe (without the lid fastened on) has a tendency to spill and create a puddle on the counter. A normal glass carafe never has these weird problems. Also, after the brew finishes and you start pouring you are also likely to get another annoying puddle. This makes no sense and is an unusually bad design flaw from Krups. The coffee maker is great but the carafe needs an update and Krups should give us owners a free carafe for dealing with all these puddles.

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The beauty, the properly heated cup of excellent tasting coffee and the fact that the coffee stays hot all morning are all great aspects if this coffee maker. But I want to point out that it is very slow to pour and to get the last cup or so of coffee you will turn the carafe a good 120 degrees. The water reservoir is not removable so it you overfill the container you have to use a small container to ladle out the water or unplug it and walk it to the sink. Oh, and it turns out that 8 "European cups" are just three 12 oz. mugs of coffee. If water is still in the basket my coffee maker tends to leak it onto the carafe's pad. Finally, and just a small point is, there is no provision for storing excess cord in the coffeemakers base. And yes, I still love this coffeemaker and just work around the short comings because it makes great coffee and looks so good doing it.

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Of course I liked the look of the KT600. That was the initial attraction but I looked into the specifics as well. It's footprint is no larger than the Krups FME I had been using. I also like the thermal carafe and the auto-shutoff. It's straight-forward in function and design. I didn't need programming buttons, a clock or default beepers like the FME had.

In answer to other comments here about construction, the carafe is stainless inside and chrome outside. There is chrome on the outside balance of the maker and from what I could see, grey plastic inside for the water reservoir and filter basket. I put a #4 paper cone filter inside it same size as the FME. The filter basket comes out for cleaning or airing if necessary. I like to air-dry coffee makers when not in use. Had the construction of the maker been chrome and stainless throughout, the weight would have been considerably more than the 7.3 pounds stated. The cord is approximately 23-24 inches from maker to end of plug which is fine for me.

The coffee tastes great! What an eye-catcher as well. This goes with my new Silver Art kettle and toaster.

May 18, 2012 My Krupps coffee maker still looking and working great with daily use.

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Aerobie Aeropress and Hario Mini Mill Grinder Package

This is my 4th Aeropress. Originally I bought one to take on a motorcycle trip, and after trying it I found that the coffee it makes is so much better that my drip machine. Even my girlfriend that hated coffee tried it and now has coffee every morning. I use the inverted method mostly. It does not make espresso, but it does make a fine cup of coffee. I have one at the office, and two at home, one of which travels with me on bike trips. Just one of those products that make you go...why didn't I think of this.

This combo is the BEST. I use both products together at least once daily in my studio, and couldn't be happier. The grinder takes a bit of time, but its worth it for the quality. If the handle is left off, the hexagonal-shaped nub is a perfect fit for a cordless power drill chuck. Set it on LOW or be gentle with your trigger finger, or else you will burn the beans, and wear out the grinder. But if you have a light touch and common sense, grinding in the shop or studio is a breeze. Will be buying a few more of these sets come x-mas time for friends and family.

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The aeropress makes rich, delicious coffee and you can add as much or as little water as you want to tweak it to the strength that you like. The Hario grinder can do a very fine grind. It takes me about six minutes to grind enough beans for two cups of coffee. Grinding, pressing and clean up all told takes me about ten to fifteen minutes. If you have a little extra time in the morning to spend making an awesome cup of coffee, this is the way to go!

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Aerobie makes better coffee than I've ever had before. It takes I bit more work than the pour, scoop and button-push of an automated drip coffee maker, but the results are SOoo worth the extra effort.

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This makes great coffee. I wasn't sure about the grinder but it works pretty good if you are not in a hurry.