|
we have had it for a while now, and to be honest it is really not worth it. It does not brew right ( meaning that the water gets too hot too fats and instead of filtering thru the coffee it just steams away pretty much, the pressure is too high and the steam is not even given a chance to filter thru the coffee so you can get an esspreso, by the time it's done brewing you got some cheap coffee with a cup less water than what you put in - Really not worth it.
Having never made espresso myself,I was pretty pleased that I was able to do it. When I looked at it, I thought it was rusted over. The milk had dried on the metal and cloged up the steamer but not enough for steam to stop coming out, just enough to wreck my latte. I had been taking the plastic steamer cover off and washing it after each use but wasn't paying attention to the metal wand.
They love "mom's new maching". Just make sure to read the instruction booklet, to release steam after use and CLEAN metal wand in addition to plastic wand cover. I definitely recommend this machine for the price and recommend it for newbies too. I considered the more expensive model but decided to give this one a try first. First couple of lattes were fantastic. I almost returned it then I read these reviews. After about 10 minutes of scraping I saw metal again.
Alos, bonus I forgot to mention is that I steam and froth the milk for my kids and add Ghirardelli chocolate cocoa powder and they are in heaven. I bought this machine a week ago. However, after a couple of days the steamer wasn't working as well and then was sending steam out but not frothing the milk. Anyway, cleaned it and am back to having wonderful lattes.
I don't know, but I definitely wouldn't recommend this. They sent a replacement, same thing happened. Returned it to the company. Maybe it's because we only have espresso a few times a year, and it seizes up. the first Krups FND1 espresso maker stopped working within the first year. Just stopped.heat up and makes a lot of noise, but nothing comes out. we tried running it through a cleaning cycle, but still didn't work.
All in all, I like the older models better. Also the maker recommended that the coffee not be tamped down (as I have been doing for years), and indeed when I tried to tamp the coffee down in the bowl the steam made the coffee spurt up into the coffee maker and made a big mess. The coffee bowl did not fit tightly in the maker and steam leaked out. Finally, I did not like the split between the steam function and the espresso making function. I was disappointed in this product and returned it. This new model of an old standby seemed not to be as well made as earlier models. When not tamped down, the espresso was weak and not as tasteful.
The lid on the caraffe could be a little better designed, falls into my cup sometimes. It is of course not as fast as a traditional coffee maker but defintiely worth the weight. It is a simple to use, basic machine that produces an awesome cup of coffee. I couldn't make enough coffee that weekend, I was hooked. And this is the best price you will find. Fresh beans are key for sure.
I highly recommend it for first time espresso machine users. I fell in love with this little machine when my brother turned me on to his. I came home and started shopping for my own, I found it on Amazon for $20 less than what he paid for his. Have not used the milk frother yet, I prefer my coffee black, but I have turned it on and it works.
|
