Great for the price
If you want to make espresso like you'll pay $2.00/shot at a coffee house, this machine isn't for you. If you want a coffee pot/espresso combo in the $100 range, you will get the best value with this combo. I can make a very good latte with it, and a fairly decent shot of espresso -- and very good coffee. The negative reviews I've read seem to be from two types: 1) Those who really need to spend more to get a beautiful golden crema-topped shot of espresso. I understand, but it can't be had for this price. 2) Those who don't know how to use it properly.
For a latte, you'll need to have finely ground espresso, a stainless steel frothing pitcher, and cold milk (2% or non-fat work best). Remove the rubber end to the frothing nozzle -- I never use it, and that may be one of the problems other reviewers have. Follow the instructions in the manual to fill your water reservoir and your espresso filter. Fill your frothing pitcher no more than halfway with milk. Turn the dial on...
Good coffee, good espresso-a little tricky though...
I am a self-confessed coffee junkie. With or w/o the caffeine (pregnancy and such) I love the taste; and the taste of the coffee that I've brewed with this machine was great. Loved it, loved it, loved it. The machine was easy to use and looked pretty darn cool sitting there on my counter. The only issue that i have is that the espresso side seems to need some encouragement. The knobs need to be fiddled with a bit in order to get the espresso to start dripping (even after 10 minutes during a holiday party full of thirsty coffee drinkers). Thought that was just b/c my machine was so new, but it's been doing that ever since the first use. Still, it's not terribly difficult, and the coffee is oh-so-yummy!
We love this machine
We love this machine. We have limited space and need to have both a coffee maker and a cappucino maker in that space. We have had none of the difficulties that others mention. But we did take the black plastic sleeve off of the frother and that has made a huge difference. With it on we got bubbles. Now we get great froth. And if we pack the espresso well we get an excellent crema. It is a $100 machine that makes both coffee and espresso. It is not going to be like a $1000 Starbucks machine. We set our expectations appropriately and were delighted.
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