Hario MSS-1B Mini Mill Slim Coffee Grinder

Things you need to know before buying:

1. This product is small, very small. It is about 7 inches tall and 2 inches wide at the base. I knew it was small before buying, but cannot say that I wasn't surprised when I opened the box to see just how small it is.

2. The instructions in the package come in Japanese (no English translation). Be ready to figure things out for yourself, most notably, how to adjust the grind (it's at the bottom of the grinder, you have to manually turn a nut to adjust the grind from finer to coarser and vice versa).

3. It gives you up to 2 cups worth of grind space. Perfect if you grind you coffee just before drinking (like me), but not so if you want to grind large quantities at a time. This is very much a grind-as-you-go grinder.

4. As someone mentioned before, the finest grind takes a while to get all the beans grinded. Keep at it.

5. The grinding handle detaches and reattaches, it's not one whole product. You'll just need to store the handle near the grinder.

6. It's a great budget grinder. It grinds the beans at a consistent grind. That's what you're looking for. But, you're going to have to work for it. Be sure you don't mind the work before buying this product.

Overall, I'm a satisfied customer. I've used this grinder religiously every morning for about 4 months now.

Update (11/21/12): Over 2 1/2 years later and an additional 200+ reviews since I wrote this one, I'm still using this grinder every morning to grind my coffee.

Now this grinder's greatest asset is becoming my biggest downfall: I'm officially getting tired of manually grinding my coffee. I have lost all hope that it's going to break: the only chance I have of convincing my wife to let me buy a $200 electric grinder that can equal its quality. Such is life.

'Hope you found this helpful!

I researched for a while before settling on this product. There are alot of people reviewing it that say it is too much work and it takes too long. First of all, that is not the case. It might take 1-2 minutes for enough coffee for 2 people and it is not difficult by any means. Second, if you are looking at getting a MANUAL coffee grinder then you have to expect it to take a little bit of MANUAL labor, that's kind of the idea. I guess people are too used to their automatic, electronic kitchen devices that don't require anything more than the press of a button. On that note, electric coffee grinders have a high rate of failure, something they call planned obsolescence. With a manual one there really isn't anything to have go wrong.

If you understand what you are getting then this is a great little product. The reason I decided on this one is because it has a lid to keep the beans from bouncing out which means you can hold the grinder in your hands and at an angle while grinding, as opposed to having to keep the device planted on a counter top or table while grinding. With this one you can walk around or go sit down or whatever you want while grinding. It also has a very easy adjustment mechanism to change the coarseness of the grind and the whole thing is very compact. The burs are ceramic so they will never wear down. To me, for the money this is the best one out there.

***UPDATE*** March 2012

I've had this grinder and have been using it for about 18 months. I have had no problems and am still very happy with my purchase. The ability to change the coarseness of the grind is one of my favorite features. If I want my coffee to be REALLY strong I can grind the beans into a fine powder (which takes a little longer) or if I want it to be regular strength I can set it to a more coarse grind (which takes less time). With a little experimentation you can find the setting that works best for you. This is a solid little contraption and I would still highly recommend it.

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I bought this item because it wasn't possible to properly clean my electric burr grinder and my wife kept yelling about the noise and coffee dust. The HARIO does a good job of grinding the coffee and is pretty simple to operate but it's slow and takes effort. The directions are in Japanese but all you really need to know is pop off the handle and clear top, pour in the beans, put it back together and grind, grind, grind. My only grumble is that the HARIO is so small and slick that you have to death-grip the thing while you're cranking. I haven't experimented much with adjusting the coffee grind but that's accomplished by turning the little wing-nut thing on the bottom of the grind section. Screw it tighter for finer coffee or loosen it for a coarser grind. If you unscrew it all the way you can disassemble the device for cleaning. The bottom line...if you need a small, portable grinder for about one cup of coffee, it's worth the money. If you need quantity, speed and complete ease of use...look elsewhere. Thanks for reading my review.

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I don't need to add to the overwhelmingly positive reviews that already exist. This mill is fairly simple to use even without English instruction.

In case you're a potential user, but worries about the lack of English instruction, this translation will hopefully remove your concern.

Front Cover page: nothing critical.

Back cover page: Turn the nut at the bottom clockwise to make finer grind, counterclockwise for coarser.

Inside page #1: Top: Cautions

1. Turning the handle when there is nothing inside or turning it counterclockwise will damage the burrs. Don't do it.

2. Turning the nut/dial clockwise too far may damage the burrs.

3. Small piece of coffee bean can get stuck and prevent coffee from falling down. This may result in turning the handle without actually grinding any coffee bean. Tap the coffee mill occasionally to prevent this from happening.

4. Over time, the mill wears down. When the amount of coffee beans you can grind decreases significantly, it's time to buy a new one.

Bottom: Directions

1. Grind a small amount of coffee beans to see how much you need to turn the nut/dial to get the fineness you need.

2. put 1-2 cup worth of bean into the hopper: 1 cup = 10-12 g, 2 cupts = 20-24 g (see marks on the hopper). Don't over-load above the 2-cup mark.

3. Hold the mill firmly in one hand as you turn the handle slowly. Make sure the hopper cover is closed tightly.

Inside Page #2: Top: drawing that shows individual components, pretty self-explanatory.

Bottom: Care instruction

1. You can take apart the mill for cleaning

2. The nut/dial can be removed by turning counterclockwise.

3. After taking the nut off, you'll be able to take out the inner and outer parts of the mill/burrs

4. Oil from the coffee bean will get on the mill. Wash with soap.

5. Do not put the parts in dishwasher. Do not use bleach.

6. Do not lubricate the mill with oil

I hope you'll enjoy your new grinder as much as I do.

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I bought this along with an Aeropress coffee maker AeroPress Coffee and Espresso Maker with Bonus 350 Micro Filters specifically for use when traveling. The combination makes the best coffee I've ever made myself (and I've been doing this for over half a century). The combination packs into a very compact space, made it through TSA without a hitch, is apparently almost unbreakable (so I would not have worried had I checked my luggage, but I have learned to pack for up to 3 weeks with a carryon and this combination fit in very well). If this is set on the finest espresso grind it can take over 10 minutes to grind a full load (beans in the top, adjust the grind wheel on the bottom, easily used) but set slightly coarser it took about 2 minutes or less to grind enough to put through the Aeropress. I grind whilst watching TV (public television, of course) so I can take whatever time I need. The espresso grind, by the way, is a hard press with the Aeropress but it works. In short, combining this product with the Aeropress allowed me to buy beans in New Orleans and make coffee the way I like it. One must take along a heating coil if one's hotel does not reliably supply a coffee maker (mine did not); the total package along with a baggy full of coffee beans kept me going in the morning without having to pay for room service or spend time I didn't have during a conference finding a restaurant.

Bottom line: I am overjoyed with this product and with the combination I described above. Highly recommend.

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Frieling USA Cilio Porcelain Filter Holder

Well, first off, let me say that I'm happy with this purchase. The cone is solidly constructed and appears to be high-quality. The handle is not "linguini thin" as one reviewer said. It is normal, by my standards (I was pleasantly surprised). It is not made in USA however, as the headline/name suggests. It is a German product. No biggie--still a well-manufactured item.

One reviewer commented that the drain hole is too large, and they get weak coffee. Please look online to see how to make coffee using a filter cone. I've been using filter cones for years (the yucky plastic kind until I got my ceramic cone!) and this is my method: run water through the paper filter first. Put coffee (plenty) into paper filter/cone. Now this is imperative--pour just a tablespoon or two of hot water onto the grounds. Wait. Let the coffee "bloom" for at least 30 seconds. One minute is better. Then slowly pour more water in.

Okay that's my review. Cheers and happy coffee drinking!

I had a difficult time comparing this to the HIC version that's significantly cheaper. I ended up getting both, and this one is the one I'll keep. I've uploaded some product photos to help others make the comparison.

Weight and thickness: the HIC is significantly heavier and thicker than the Frieling Cilio. I like the lighter weight of this one.

Number of drain holes: HIC has three, Frieling Cilio has one larger one. No noticeable difference in draining time.

Outer diameter of bottom rim: this is the ring that helps keeps the filter holder in place on your carafe. Frieling Cilio has a smaller diameter (2 7/16") vs. HIC (2 3/4"). My carafe opening diameter is also 2 3/4" which makes the HIC very awkward and unsteady. Your carafe needs to have a larger diameter opening than the bottom rim on the filter holder.

Small differences, but they add up. I like the Frieling Cilio much better; it's worth the extra cost.

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I bought size six and LOVE it. Just what I needed. I wanted to get away from heated plastic. And this is just the ticket. It's hard porcelain. Shiny and white. Makes great coffee with a number 6 paper filter. Yes, yes. You must use a paper filter. But paper is not plastic; and I was trying to get away from plastic. Great product.

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I bought this after reading the generally favorable reviews and thought I'd come back and address some of the common issues:

1. The drain rate on the No. 2 filter holder (and presumably the rate on the other size holders with one drainage hole)-I have plastic Melittas with both one and three holes, and both drain at a good rate (not too slow, yet not so fast as to result in weak coffee). This holder has one hole, and the drain rate is the same as my plastic models-just fine.

2. The holder handle is sufficient for the weight of the holder-I didn't find it too thin or at all unstable.

3. The box the holder came in screams "Asia", but it has German words on it. Nowhere does it say either "Made in China" nor "Made in Germany". I can only hope that I haven't traded my BPAs for a lead glaze. :)

4. Because porcelain is more slippery than plastic, the filters don't stay put so well in the holder despite the inside ridges. This isn't really a problem, and the filter drops to the bottom once you put the coffee in.

5. My holder had no deformities or glaze imperfections.

I miss being able to "tap-tap-tap" the plastic holder on the top of my coffee cup to get the coffee back into the center of it after having one cup. I always add a little more coffee and use the filter again for my second cup. I can't do this with porcelain because of the break-factor. The holder is also more slippery on the top of certain cups. All in all I think it's still worth it, assuming this thing is made with food-safe glaze.

Bonus! I bought the No.2 size holder to make single cups, but I learned long ago to buy (Melitta) #4 filters for the No. 2 holder. These stick up over the top and are easier to handle and also absorb a little of the water and prevent some spillage of grounds into your cup if you get careless or overzealous pouring. The base size is the same as the #2 filter-they're just taller.

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I got tired of replacing the Mr. Coffee coffee makers I would buy every 4 years when they broke, and went looking for something that was easy to use, never broke, was easy to clean, and had no plastic to leach chemicals into my hot coffee. This is it.

It's well made, has not given me any problems, and makes the best cup of coffee. It is to be used with a paper cone filter. It hols the filter, but doesn't replace a filter.

First, which size should you choose? Multiply the "number" by 4 and that's about how many ounces of coffee you can make at one time. #4 makes about 16 ounces. You can make less of course, but note that the #6 is going to be very big and much heavier than the #4. Also note that the #6 filters aren't everywhere like the #2 and #4. However, you CAN put a smaller paper filter in, though the capacity will be that of the smaller filter. So you can buy a #6 and put in a #2 filter and make 8 ounces of coffee.

Now, how is it that your local coffee shop's coffee is so much better than yours at home? Here are the secrets that they use but you don't. First, they grind their coffee a little courser than you would. Second, they use a lot of coffee per cup: 1.5 scoops. But the thing that really stands out is the fact that their filters are HUGE, so the water sits in the grounds for a lot longer than your Mr. Coffee and that pulls a lot more flavor out.

So how can you get exactly the same results? Here's how I do it. It sounds complicated but it's very easy and very fast. And you can buy fairly inexpensive coffee and it still tastes great.

Use 1.25 scoops per # of your filter. #4 filter: 4 x 1.25 = 5 scoops. Grind it coarser than you should for a cone filter, by about a full number on the grinder. But grind it into a pyrex measuring cup or other heat safe, pourable container.

Heat up the water in a pan or teakettle on the stove (you can start heating the water before you grind the coffee so that the water is heating while you are measuring and grinding). For me that means filling the mug nearly full of water, pouring it into a pan and heating the pan on the stove. When it boils take it off. Water boils at 212 degrees, but the ideal coffee brewing temperature is 190-195. So I run it under a cold water tap for about a half second to bring the boiling water temperature down to ideal coffee brewing temperature..

Next pour some of the water from the pan into the pyrex with the coffee in it, filling the pyrex about 2/3 full. If you still have water left over, put the pan back on the stove and cover it.

Note that you could do it in reverse using a microwave: put the water with no coffee in the pyrex and heat it in the microwave, then add a dash of cold water when it boils and finally add the coffee. The problem with doing it this way is that the container might get too hot to be comfortable. If you use a pan to heat up the water, that won't happen.

Next, take a chopstick or other wooden utensil and stir the coffee in the pyrex with the water until the top is smooth and has no clumps.

Put the holder over your container (I put it right on top of my mug) and put a paper filter in the holder. Pour the coffee mixture from the pyrex into the filter, as soon as you can after you finish stirring the lumps out of it. If there is more water left in the pan, pour it into the pyrex and carefully (so you don't burn yourself), swirl it around to pick up any remaining coffee grounds and pour it into the filter, being careful not to overflow the filter.

Now you are ready to walk away and let it drip. At this point, I clean the chopstick and the pyrex.

When you can no longer see a pool of water in the coffee filter, it's ready to add cream, sugar, etc and drink. It's every bit as good as coffee you get in a coffee shop.

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Braun Coffee Filter Basket White

Very Good replacement for the original product. It arrived very quickly and was packaged well. The company was very nice to deal with and we would definitely do business with them again.

I am so glad to find this replacement part.

It's hard and almost impossible to by this model now.

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I've had this coffee maker for 15 years. Somehow the stopper that stops coffee flow when removing the coffee pot broke after so many years of use, and I started shopping for a new coffee maker. I did not like any of the coffee makers out there, and I was glad when I found a replacement filter basket. The coffee maker now works like new.

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The basket fit perfectly in my old coffee maker. It it identical to the original factory product. Great purchase at an economical price

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Because one small part broke off after many years, the top of the Braun coffee maker was not working conveniently. I considered getting a new coffee maker, but couldn't find a simple one like the Braun. Then I found I could get a replacement basket. It arrived promptly, fit perfectly, and we are now brewing well again.

Breville XXBMF600XL Refurbished Milk Cafe Milk Frother

We already own a Nespresso Aeroccino Plus with which we are very happy but its drawback is that one can really only make small batches. Whenever we have larger gatherings of more than 4 people at our house, the Capuccino and Latte Macchiato making becomes a very time-consuming, drawn-out affair, so the Breville Milk Frother looked good for serving bigger groups faster. Here are our comments with comparisons to the Aeroccino where appropriate but in no particular order:

PROs:

Large capacity. The jug can hold up to 25 fl. oz, even though it is recommended to not exceed 16 fl. oz when making froth. Still a lot more than what the Aeroccino holds.

Great, hot froth. I use my frothers mainly for... well, frothing milk and am very happy with the quality of the Breville froth. It comes out thick, solid and hot with enough milk underneath to make nice Cappuccinos or Latte Macchiatos.

Dishwasher-safe. According to the manual, all parts except the power base are top-level dishwasher-safe. However, the fine-print says that hand-washing will extend the life of the frother. I am listing this under Pros anyway because the possibility to at least every once in a while throw it in the dishwasher is a definite plus for me. The Aeroccino can be submerged in water but is not dishwasher-safe.

Easy to clean. Even when hand-washing, I feel that the larger size and lighter weight of the Breville jug makes it easier to clean than the Aeroccino which has a smaller opening and is in one piece, i.e. the power unit is part of it, making it a bit heavy.

The large capacity also allows for making all kinds of different milk-based drinks such as Cappuccinos and Lattes, Iced Coffees and Hot Chocolates with different added ingredients such as syrups (the Breville user manual contains a few recipes for various concoctions). The Aeroccino is limited to frothing and heating/preparing milk. That's it.

Different temperature settings. I am listing this under Pros because it is obviously not a Con. In the almost two years that we have had our Aeroccino, we never felt the need for different settings but we don't fix other drinks in the frother so it's there, it works, and people should decide for themselves whether this is something they would use.

On-board storage of the disc not in use helps with not accidentally losing them. The Aeroccino offers the same but stores the disc on the inside of the lid whereas the Breville frother keeps them on the outside of the power unit.

One last thing: I love the way the wall plug is designed! It makes removing the plug from the outlet a snap by having a sturdy rubber 'loop' integrated into the plug. Just hook a finger or two into the loop and out it comes. Why don't all appliances have that?! Well done, Breville!

CONs (minor but want to mention anyway for the sake of being comprehensive):

Frothing discs are made of plastic. The Aeroccino's frothing disc is mainly metal (with some plastic), the cold-milk blade is only plastic as well.

Takes a long time to froth. Even with the minimum amount of milk in the jug, it takes a good 2 minutes to get the milk frothed. The Aeroccino is faster at 1 min. 20 sec. But it probably is about the same amount of time, considering that the Breville uses more milk even at the minimum level.

Noisy. This unit is a lot noisier during operation than the Aeroccino, and it sounds as if it is operating slightly unevenly even though the end product leaves nothing to be desired.

Plain stainless interior, and not non-stick. So far I have not had trouble with baked-on milk residue but wanted to mention this in case some people really prefer a non-stick surface.

SUMMARY:

A great frother for larger quantities and for people who enjoy making other drinks as well. However, the Breville is probably a bit of an overkill if only used in a small household for nothing but the occasional Cappuccino. That said, this is my party frother, and as such it serves the purpose well and definitely better than the way smaller Aeroccino. Cleanup is also easy and refurbished it comes at a substantially more attractive price than the new unit so what is not to like?

UPDATE 8/9/12:

The frothing quality has diminished considerably, this was a short-lived love affair. Not only does the Breville now leave most of the milk un-frothed, the little bit of froth it does produce is a far cry from good quality, it is more of a foam cream than real froth. To reflect this decline I took one star off and revised my title accordingly. In contrast, our little Aeroccino still performs like new, and has for almost two years now.

I have nothing bad to say about this, everything from the little magnetic holder on the back for the extra frothing disk, to the modern design is cool. So seeing as I have nothing negative to say about this, let me tell you about some of my favorite features on it.

Lets start on the top and work our way down shall we?

There are two parts to the lid, the main part, and a part that comes out that is a measuring cup for precise measuring.

Next is the size of the frothing pot, compared to most (my other frother is the Capresso frothPro, 12 ounces) it is fairly large (16-25 ounces), and it heats up and froths quicker than most other frothers I've used.

I Love, Love, LOVE the fact that it is steel in the interior & not teflon!! My Capesso is teflon & while it is easy to rinse & reuse I always worried that as it aged the teflon would start to flake off (like in the pots & pans) & end up in me!!

With this Breville frother I have no such worrisome thoughts! ;-) and it also cleans with a just a swish of warm water & at times when I have used chocolate & other ingredients for drinks, when cleaning it I add a drop of dish soap to the water & let run a few seconds then rinse to assure that it is sparkling clean & no flavors linger for the next drink!

Now as for the bottom section, there are three things on here that that I especially like.

First is the knob on the front, it feels very smooth and gives you great control on the temperature and ratio of froth to milk.

Second is on the back of it, it has a little spot that you can put the frothing disc (there are two, one for lattes & the other for cappuccinos) that you are not using on the back and it holds it there magnetically!

Finally there is the base, it has an indentation inside the bottom of it so you can easily and neatly coil all of the excess cord in the base out of sight leaving your counter looking neat.

Well, that about covers it, other than saying that I think it looks really nice and Is well built as you would expect from Breville!

Buy Breville XXBMF600XL Refurbished Milk Cafe Milk Frother Now

I've had this frother for a few days and around 15 uses now. I always wanted a frother but I am not a fan of anything I have to clean before or after use. Dishwasher safe sounded good though! Mine arrived without the plastic top so I knocked a star off as this is Breville's fault (it was a refurb). I was actually packing it up to return but I decided to give it a shot and I'm glad I did. The top isn't necessary unless you plan to fill the milk to a very high level like 18 oz-ish. The milk was not even close to overflowing.

I've used it twice so far. My thoughts (AND I USED 2% MILK just in case that matters to anyone reading this):

Simple operation: pour in milk, turn to desired temperature and push button. The machine displays an optimum temperature range in case you're not sure which temp to select. It takes around two minutes for the milk to finish. I added organic powdered cacao and organic grade B maple syrup (I try to avoid processed foods like other sugars) before pressing the on button. The blending process is moderately noisy but far from an annoyance to me. It's just background noise in my opinion. I made a mocha and it was chocolaty, silky, and frothy; absolutely delicious! I used my Nespresso automatic espresso machine as there is nothing you have to clean on that machine (2 shots of Appregio).

In my second use I made a latte: the temperature was perfect, the milk was silky and frothy, and the latte was delicious. I've noticed a few people mention that the milk was too cool which may mean they have a defective machine. I didn't go close to the highest temp and the milk was too hot for me to stick my finger in or drink.

I know this sounds silly but I clean it by rinsing it, and then filling it with boiling water from a tea kettle; then I let it sit for a few minutes before dumping it. Works perfectly for me.

***I have two issues with this machine:

1. I have to use a lot of milk to get to the recommended min fill level (I think it's 6 ounces because the min is directly under the 8 oz mark). It's probably just an ordinary amount of milk for a small latte or cappuccino, but I typically like to be very light with the milk.

2. My latte frothing disc works 100% of the time. My cappuccino frothing disc has worked only 1 out of 3 times; and that includes me poking and fiddling with it during operation to get it to work. I don't drink cappuccino's and do not prefer foam so I won't be using the cappuccino attachment but it would be nice if it worked. I will fiddle with it a little more and see if it is something I'm doing wrong. I'll update this review if I figure it out.

Overall I'm pleased. My rating would be 3.5 but I rounded to 4 stars because I'm loving my hot and delicious mocha's.

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read some reviews that had me worried but makes great foam. never could use the 'wand' style, just shot hot milk all over kitchen.

easy to use & clean. use an old fashioned "moka pot" to make coffee. delicious !

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I think this is the best milk frother available. I especially like that the pot is dishwasher safe. It's also a much higher capacity unit than anything else I've seen. We had a Nepresso Aerochino previously. It cost a little bit less but only lasted a 18 month, just long enough after the warrantee expired that Nepresso blew me off. So I'm hopeuful that this model will be more useful and more durable.

Jura 64553 Clearyl Water Care Water-Filter Cartridge

The only deal on this cartridge I've found is to wait until it's on the 'buy 3 get the 4th free' deal with Amazon. In all the years I've been using these, I've never had a calcium or scale build-up in my coffee maker, which is the point I guess.

This water filter is used in my Capresso Z6 super automatic. It is the same one I used to buy for twice the price at William Sonoma or directly from Capresso.

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I have a Jura-Capresso E-8 coffee maker and this is the water filter that it calls for. We have never had any problems with the filters and they are pretty simple to change. We always keep one on hand so we can change it when the machine displays the message "replace filter". The only other place that we have found these is Williams-Sonoma.

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This is the only filter that fits in my Jura Capresso Impressa E8. That makes it perfect.

No build up that I have noticed.

Amazon has the lowest price I've seen and I did not know they sometimes were available in the 4 for 3 deals.

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Product description showed this was "Claris" filter as searched. This does NOT fit Impressa C5. Returning to Amazon but still can't find the correct Jura filter. Take a look a the top head of the filter to see that it matches the one that came with your machine. I'm sure this works for some but not C5

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Philips Saeco RI9822/47 Talea Giro Plus Automatic Espresso Machine, Silver and Titanium

Definitely worth 5 stars overall in my estimation having done lots of research and knowing its limitations before the purchase. Quality of the espresso produced surpasses almost all coffee shops including Charbucks and others by far. An expert barrista may be able to produce slightly better quality, but even their results are not consistent.

I previously returned a Jura-Capresso 13423 Impressa S9 One Touch Automatic Coffee-and-Espresso Center, Platinum because it produced inferior espresso and frothed milk with gigantic lukewarm bubbles. I would not have returned it (even at that price) if it had performed as well as the Talea. (THANK YOU AMAZON for a great return policy.) In fairness to the Jura, maybe it was faulty at the finest setting the grounds looked very coarse coarser than I would use for French-Press coffee.

The Talea cost 1/3 the price, produces far superior espresso, and very acceptable frothed milk BUT it is made of plastic and not stainless which might be a more important disadvantage for some. The ceramic grinder is quieter, producing very noticeably finer espresso-sized grounds at the factory middle setting (experimentation proved this setting to be the best) than the Jura set to the finest grind. Consequently the coffee is much stronger than the single scoop of coffee would suggest (as compared with the Jura's 2 smaller scoops).

Within 80 seconds after switching it on, it completes a warm-up procedure which includes passing some 2oz of hot water (I use it to pre-heat my cup) through the two dispensing nozzles and is ready to brew coffee. The relatively small size of the spent coffee-puck bin, dregs tray, 8oz bean hopper, and 57oz water reservoir can be annoying when you are making numerous coffees, but I see the positive here "The Nasties" do not build up. Rinsing the puck-bin and dregs tray under warm water each time I refill the water container takes much less than one minute usually only once per day. The steam wand also needs wiping down and flushing with steam after each use to prevent "The Nasties" and I pull off the stainless part and wash it and wipe the internal pipe after each session of multiple frothings.

I choese not to use the expensive water filters because my soft tap-water will require few descalings. Weekly rinsing of the easily removed brew-group (the plastic guts of the machine) is easily accomplished without using expensive chemicals. At the same time I soap and rinse the water reservoir, puck bin, and dregs-tray. Lubrication of moving parts of the brew-group (using the food-safe lubricant provided) is suggested after 500 brewing cycles. Every 2 months should do it for my usage.

A ½oz ristretto is too strong for me if more than "1 bean" (7gm of coffee grounds) coffee strength is selected. When making a long coffee (6oz of coffee in an 8oz cup) "1 bean" is fairly strong, "2 beans" is strong, and "3 beans" (10.5gm of coffee grounds) is too strong and I like strong coffee. The "Saeco Brewing System" is easily adjusted to produce espressos with lots of crema or long coffees with little crema and greatly improved taste. This is not the sales gimmick I had suspected it to be. Froth is of a fairly good quality easily matching most store-bought coffees, but a good barrista can always produce far superior frothed milk on a high-powered semi-automatic machine.

When I ran out of my regular, every-day coffee (Lavazza Super Crema) I used a local high-quality medium-roast coffee which was quite oily (must have been rather old tasted below par) but the ceramic grinder handled these with ease. Though I would never use them (their taste is so inferior to my palate) dark roasts always tend to be oily and are best-avoided in super-automatics where cleaning the grinder becomes a major issue. Medium and light roasts work best with all super-automatics. The by-pass doser is excellent for decaf. coffee and the single-origin beans I use occasionally, though I have to use my separate burr grinder for them. Even though I am making more coffee drinks per day because it is so quick and easy, I am using less coffee. Wasted/stewed coffee is effectively eliminated.

This machine will accommodate mugs of 5½" (6¼" if drip tray is removed). Even my Nissan Travel mugs can be filled directly from the machine using the double brew feature (2 quick presses of the brew button gives 2 complete, consecutive brew cycles) for 2 x 6½oz = 13oz of coffee again from fairly strong (1 bean/14gm coffee) through too strong (3 beans/21gm coffee).

I use several different styles and sizes of cup (for ristrettos, espressos, long coffees, lattes, macchiatos, and cappuccinos) so I PREFER the simple selection process this machine offers to that of the more-programmable and more-expensive Talea Touch model. For me it would be a pain to have to enter programming mode because the available 3 selections does not cover the range of drinks, sizes, and strengths I make. AND I only have to make 2 adjustments each time (size, strength) before pressing the brew button compared to 1 button on the Talea Touch.

The one big question I have about this machine (and all other "super-automatics") is long term reliability. They all have plastic "brew-groups" the working parts which do the tamping, brewing, and ejection of spent coffee pucks, and these may be this type of machine's weakest link BUT replacement brew-groups are available for $60. I quickly discovered that this was the culprit when the warning light came on when everything was OK (bean hopper and water reservoir full, puck-bin and dregs tray empty). During the weekly maintenance I now vacuum the machine all around the (removed) brew-group supports, and gently waggle the brew-group as I re-insert it to ensure that it is correctly and fully seated. No longer a problem and the weekly maintenance takes less than 5-minutes.

My 5 Stars would be less if a stainless body and larger capacities were more important to me. So far I am delighted with both the ease of use and quality of product. Though better coffees may be possible, this barrista (and most others) cannot produce them consistently.

I have owned this machine for only a month. In that time I have not used any of my numerous other coffee-makers. It is producing 5 to 15 good quality coffees per day without fuss or waste. Any change and I shall revisit this review.

I have had my saeco talea Giro for about two years now. It had to be serviced once during this time. The machine is a bit touchy and you really have to get to know how it works before you can judge it. First of all you have to keep it cleaned and de-scaled to keep it in good working order. If you have no time for this then do not buy it. Lights will come on before you start to brew to let you know you have to clean out the coffee grounds or empty the water well. This can be annoying if you are ready to have an espresso and you have to stop and clean things out. It will not work unless this is done first. So what I do after I brew is take the time and clean and empty grounds so the next time it is ready to go. With that said, I absolutely love making my latte it is of the highest quality that you would find at Starbucks or any other great coffee house. I even take it with me on vacation, if I can. I think for the money though, it should be made of stainless steel and not plastic on the outside. Also the drip tray should be make more sturdy to hold a large cup and not break off like mine did. If you have any problems with this machine after warranty you have to ship it off to a dealer that fixes these machines. That can me troublesome and you have to do without your espresso machine for weeks. I did give this a high rating because of the excellent quality of espresso and lattes. In the end that is why I bought the machine.

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I've had this machine almost a year and have used it at least once a day with no problems. It's my first expresso machine so it's really my testing machine. It makes great expresso and it's very quick and easy but as previous reviewer said, it's a bit touchy and I found the initial learning curve annoying.

Pros: I can make multiple cups easily.

It has the ability to select shot size, strength of expresso and the amount of water dispensed with the shot.

It has a pre-ground coffee bypass feature which I love for late night decaf and trying different brands for different family members tastes.

Because it warms quickly I can have a latte before work in the morning.

As semi automatic its convenient, consistent and makes great lattes.

No more costly Starbucks!

Cons :You have to stay on top of the maintenance and prep.

Lights will come on if the grounds aren't emptied and water tank filled.

It takes up a good bit of counter space.

It's plastic and the drip tray does not support a large coffee cup filled with milk for steaming. I have to prop it with another cup.

I gave it 4 stars because, as a semi automatic, it produces wonderfully consistent expresso and lattes, is very easy to use and it's fast. As a starter machine it's great and when I move on up I'll know what I want in my next machine.

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I purchased this machine after 12 years with the Athena from Starbucks. Granted the Athena was not automatic and would really have enjoyed an automatic machine. This one was pretty bad. I have only had this one for two weeks. I did have to get used to the warm up procedure every morning when I turned it on. It dispensed one shot of water through the espresso spout and another shot of water through the milk frother. It just konked out on me today. I used the machine with the bean grinder for espresso shots for my husband and the coffee bypass one for decaffinated grounds for myself. It had a tendency to trigger the warming up light. Today the water light kept coming on after I dispensed my one shot of espresso. The water tank was half full. I filled the water tank and shut it back. I was finding myself slamming the door to get the machine to register that I had done what it had asked. Frequently I had to pull the main espresso part out and slam it back in with all the doors to get it to register. I feel like I'm doing the same thing I had to do with an old copier in the office. Not a good sign for a high end machine. Well today after two weeks it just gave out. I tried turning the machine on and off. I took the water tank out filled it up with water, slammed it back in its spot and the dredges drawer and still it wouldnt turn off the maintenance light and the water light came off. I turned the water light off and still no espresso, I could still get water from the frother but no espresso.

I've had it, sending it back. Its not like it was a $50 machine. Maybe I should be expecting performance from a $2000 machine?

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This machine was a wedding gift from our uncle that he purchased on Amazon. So far we are very pleased with the coffee it makes. The espressos have a lovely crema every time, and the milk steamer practically works on its own, you can just place your milk container on the drip tray and let it do its work, you will always get really smooth foam. My husband calls this machine idiot proof, once you have set the dials to your preferred settings, you simply place your cup and push a button for a great espresso every time. One thing we should mention, however, is we did read the manual carefully and realized if you want optimum results on the long-term it's important to follow their suggestions regarding cleaning and maintenance of the machine. All in all we really love the machine and hope it maintains it's great performance for a long time.

UPDATE: We have had this machine now for more than two months and it continues to brew perfect coffee day after day with no problems whatsoever. We brew on average 6 to 8 cups of coffee each day with this machine. The more we use it, the more we love it. Cleaning and maintenance is very easy. Again, if you follow the regular cleaning and maintenance cycles for this unit you should have no problems with it. We have a local Saeco distributor close to us and were happy to find that regardless that we purchased the unit from Amazon, they were happy to advise on best coffee types and other information specific to this model along with replacement parts, descaler liquid and water filters for this unit when required. This is a very simple unit to use. It looks amazing we always get comments from guests about what an amazing coffee machine we have and it continues to work perfectly day after day. If I could say, if you have the extra money, the upgrade to the digital display model Philips Saeco RI9828/47 Talea Touch Plus Automatic Espresso Machine would be a nice touch for the extra hundred dollars.

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DeLonghi Compact Automatic Cappuccino, Latte and Espresso Machine, Silver

I don't actually own this product myself, but I have a friend that does and I've used it on occasion. I look forward to going to their house just to brew myself a cup of coffee! This coffee maker is quite compact in size. It takes beans and ground. And the best part, no coffee filter required!

Pros: It is very easy to use. The first thing it does when you turn it on(and off) is it rinses the filters. After that, the screen shows you options to personalize the taste either: extra mild, mild, strong, extra strong or standard, as well as the amount you want which are: espresso, long, extra long or standard. There is also a dedicated button for cappuccino and hot water only. Coffee that is used during the brew is discarded into a pull-out tray in a disc shape form, making it easy to throw away. It notifies you when water is low, when coffee beans are low, and when the discard tray is full.

Cons: When I was asked, I thought this fancy machine was around $300, but noooope, I was wrong. It can be loud at first, especially for those early morning brews. Sometimes the coffee maker will say there are no coffee beans, when there are, so moving the beans closer to the grinder is required.

All in all, the brews are great, but I'll own one myself when I win the lottery.

Although it was a refurb I thought it would last longer. Beans wouldnt go into grinder without help, one side of the cup warmer got so hot you couldnt touch it. I was able to return for full refund but very disappointed in the quality of the machine as I have had another Delonghi that is 4 years old and still pretty darn reliable.

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Beyond Gourmet Unbleached Coffee Filters Basket Style 100 Count Disposable

Good product but I was very surprised to find a similar item for a lot less money in the supermarket!

I always use the brown natural filters for all my filter needs. This is good, you can't get these at just any stores or sometimes even in Whole Foods.

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Braun 7050-798 Tassimo Cleaning Disc

A few things to note. You only need one of these and once you have it you can keep cleaning your machine over and over again. So, don't order more than one.

If you are cleaning with vinegar make sure to run at least 3 full containers of straight water through after. The vinegar seems to take a long time to leave this system.

This disc is put into the slot in the back of the coffee maker for storage when not being used. To clean water deposits from the "innerds" just this cleaning disc in place of the T disc that usually provides coffee,tea or hot chocolate.

I removed the water filter and ran water through the cleaning disc 4 times, then let it dry well and stored it in the back until next time. It is very easy to use.

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the cleaning disk for the Tassimo works great. No problem. Also promt service.

Maggie

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This is a very simple piece of plastic. Your Tassimo should have included one and you only need to purchase this if looking for a replacement. You can use this over and over. Essentially it is a place holder for where a T-Disc would go and it has a barcode that instructs your Tassimo on what to do...pump hot water through the system. Again, once you have this disk, it can be used over and over.

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my original disc disappered.... i bought this one and it works as well as the original one. the color of the disc is yellow, which makes no difference

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