Review by Nancy J. Swanberg:

For the money this is an excellent machine for non-commericial use. My spouse is totally hooked on lattes. We usually make 2-20 ounce lattes at one time; although, we have made 3 sets of 2-20 ounce lattes back to back. The Capresso is fast. The espresso is flavorful and hot. The steamer quickly heats the milk to perfection and creates as little or as much froth as you prefer.

During the last 20 years, we have had 6 or 7 different espresso machines ranging from .00 to 0.00 in price. This one which retails for 5.00 (we paid less on Amazon)is the best. It is easy to use and creates exceptionally good coffee drinks.

A word of caution for any machine you purchase: READ the INSTRUCTIONS. The directions for each machine differ slighty. My caffeine addicted hubby overfilled the water chamber on a very expensive espresso/cappuccino machine and broke it.

The Capresso 301.01 is the machine I would recommend to friends and family. We are extremely happy with this machine.

Review by C. Fuhrman:

I waited a few months before I submitted my review on this machine. The last machine I bought (a Mr. Coffee steam espresso machine) lasted only 3 months before it quit working. I’m happy to say that this machine makes perfect espresso every time. The steam wand works well for frothing and heating the milk, and you can also vary the strength of the espresso. To top it off, the whole unit is easy to clean. You can pop out the bottom shelf where the carafe sits and put it in the dishwasher.

Review by Mary R Swaykus:

This Espresso machine is great for people who love good espresso but can’t afford fancy machines. In fact, I think I like this machine better than the fancy machine my mom has. It’s super easy to use and quick- I make a latte every morning before work. And in fact you CAN froth milk with the wand- it takes a little finagling but the trick is to rotate the mug around the wand. It may take a couple of tries to get a routine down but by the third time you’ll get the hang of it. And may I suggest- if you’re making lattes, make only one at a time to get good foam. Enjoy!

Review by K. Harriger:

I’m surprised at some of the negative reviews of this product. Perhaps the reviewers ended up with the occasional lemons. I’ve purchased two of these…one I bought for myself, and the other as a gift, and they’ve worked beautifully. The milk steamer is very effective (but as noted, the wand is a bit short, which would be my only complaint). It would be nice to have a separate bypass switch between brewing and steaming modes, but the lack of one is common in machines in this price range. Overall I’m very happy with mine and have had no problems at all. At the current price, I’d highly recommend purchasing one. If you want more features and better construction, then spend another 0 or more for a steam pump model, but for fast and easy coffee drinks from a functional, affordable machine, this is hard to beat.

January 2010 update: It’s been over four years since purchasing two of these coffee makers, and both are still going strong. The one I purchased for myself is used almost daily, and still works perfectly.

Review by Bill Rhodes:

About a year ago I wanted an espresso machine that was easy to use, however I was unwilling to pay 1k or more for a fully automatic machine. The Capresso turned out to be an excellent value, providing ease of use with semi-automatic ground disposal and a reasonably sized water container.In fact, we have experienced only two problems with the Capresso since we bought it: a torn o-ring and clogging. The o-ring tore because I did not clean the rotation mechanism for several months. The accumulated grounds eventually tore into the o-ring, breaking the pressure seal. However, when I called the Capresso help line to discuss our broken o-ring, the help desk agent immediately sent us two replacements in the mail with no questions asked. Total down time for the machine was a mere two days. The clogging was fixed with a complete cleaning, and if truth be told, it did say in the instruction booklet not to use very finely ground coffee.Our last espresso machine, besides breaking after two years, was so difficult to use and clean we only made espresso on special occasions. The Capresso is convenient enough that we use it all the time. In fact, we have used our Mr. Coffee only twice (note the broken o-ring comment above) since we bought the Capresso.After a year of use, I can still strongly recommend this product.

Review by :

I bought this machine after looking around for the perfect one for quite some time. This Espressomaker is unique because of a clever semiautomatic mechanism that doesn’t require the usual, messy tampering and cleaning innate to traditional machines. This device comes at a fraction of the cost of the fully automated ones, but is almost as easy to use. The only little flaw I noted is that the frother will spill a relatively large amount of water (5cc or so) during the first couple of seconds before the full steam gets going. Usually no big deal, but if you froth a small amount of milk, you may want to “catch” these first cc’s first. Otherwise, this machine is perfect. The pump is very strong 18bar, I think) and the crema is excellent. Baseline: If you want a traditional machine, go for a Gaggia or something similar; if you are a (lazy) millionaire, consider one of the fully automated machines (00-2000). Otherwise, there is currently no alternative to the “Ultima”.

Review by L. Hamilton:

Like most who purchased this product, it was my first espresso maker. And I found out quickly that hunting for these things can be overwhelming! I purchased it at my local Target for .99 for convenience in case I had to return it — with all of the mixed reviews out there, I was incredibly weary of choosing one! However, I will most likely not need to do so. It is perfect for all of my needs!

PROS:

1. Incredibly easy to use! Directions and trouble-shooting pages in manual are simple and helpful.

2. Compact size, looks nice sitting on the counter.

3. Easy clean-up. All parts that need to be cleaned detach easily.

4. A standard sized coffee cup will fit under the spout — not so with many models!

5. The steam feature is simple, fairly powerful, and works well. No problems here.

6. As long as you get a good batch of coffee grounds, this machine can turn it into delicious espresso!

CONS:

1. I have been experiencing a small leak onto my counter after use. I haven’t caught it in the act yet, but if I return to the kitchen a few hours later, there is a wet spot near the machine. I read another review that mentioned the same thing, so it might be a universal issue with this product. However, it is a small leak, and not enought to cause a real problem in my opinion.

2. I would suggest making 2-3 cups before wasting any milk product on your first trial. This model does not have an automatic drip feature and you will need to manually tell it when to stop pouring. If you are not used to this, you might end up with a few nasty batches on your first try. No biggie. Just watch the color of the drip. It starts out as a medium brown, and changes to a much lighter brown if left alone. I would recommend shutting it off a second or so after it changes to the lighter brown. I have made perfect batches every time by this method. This all takes place over several seconds, so keep an eye out.

YOU MIGHT NEED TO KNOW:

It mentions this in the manual, but make sure to get the right size of grounds. About the consistency of salt. I would recommend griding your own either at home with a grinder or at the store at a grinding station. They taste better for one, and you won’t waste your money on a mystery bag that doesn’t work well with your machine.

Also, it does not come with a frothing pitcher. You will need to buy one separately. I purchased mine at Bed Bath and Beyond — a Krups one, stainless, about ? It fits fine. Just make sure you don’t get one that is too deep, or the froth wand will not reach the milk. It is a countertop model after all. If you don’t want to use as much milk you can turn the pitcher at an angle.

That’s it! Definitely more pros than cons. I feel that for the price I paid, I could not have hoped for a better quality machine. I would highly recommend this model if you want something easy and you don’t require tons of frills. If you want something more frilly, go ahead and spend 0 to 00 on one. But I purchased an espresso maker to SAVE time and money (so long, Starbucks!), and this one’s just right for me!

Review by K. Krueger:

I received this for Christmas from my loving wife who noticed a slight cloud over my weekends since my espresso maker went out several months ago. I had the Mr. Coffee model previous to this one. It served me well for over a year with regular use before I learned the hard way about not overpacking the grounds.

After taking this one around the block a few times I have to say I’m extremely impressed with the design improvements they’ve made. Overall, this machine is a tremendous value for under 0 (mine was on sale). You would really have to be a coffee snob (and have a lot of disposable income) not to love what you get for the money (I’m a poor coffee snob.)

To sing this machine’s praises, I’ll highlight the improvments they’ve made:

1) You no longer have to remove the water container to fill it up. It’s an awkward shape to try to fill from my refrigerator. So I just use my frothing pitcher and pour directly into it. This also chills the pitcher – which is good for the frothing I’ll do soon.

2) I LOVE the top tray. I store my espresso cup, tamper (from the old machine – the new one is the only downgrade I’ve noticed), brew basket, and espresso pitchers on it. Did I mention I love the tray? It’s a great design perk.

3) It still heats up quickly. A little faster than before for frothing.

4) They upgraded the design of the filters. Smaller holes that all converge into one hole on the bottom. Note: Don’t put these or the brew basket in the dishwasher – you’ll tarnish them.

5) The bottom of the brew basket is really cool, the single hole from the filter drips onto a silicone (I’m assuming) cone in the basket which appears to guarantee an even drip between two cups of espresso. This only matters if you’re pulling separate shots. It may be overdesigned, but I think it’s cool.

6) There’s more clearance under the brew basket! You couldn’t fit a coffee mug under there before (which is why I have the two espresso pitchers). One (or two) fewer thing to clean!

7) The drip tray has two larger holes in the middle. When your espresso is done (and the machine is off) you can take out the brew basket (it’s bad for the valve to keep it there) and set it on the holes to drip and cool off before cleaning. It’s a brilliant improvement. Also, the drip tray has a spout on it to make it easy to pour out.

The frothing wand swings! Very cool.

Here are my tips (echoing other reviews).

-Read the directions first! It’ll last longer if you do.

-Make sure you use the correct roast and ground size and don’t overpack.

-Play with the brewer until you figure out how long you want to brew (I count to ten).

-Ditch the single filter. You’ll never use it.

-Get some demitasse cups.

-Get a frothing pitcher and use 1% milk.

-Ditch the rubber tip on the frothing wand. It’s useless unless you want to easily grow bacteria.

-After frothing, blow a little steam out the wand so no milk dries and clogs it. Wipe the wand with a damp towel shortly after steaming (it’s easier to clean when it’s hot).

That’s about it, folks. You get a lot of bang for your buck with this one. Even if it only lasted a year, I’d buy another one to replace it and I’d still save money over the more expensive models.

Enjoy!

UPDATE AFTER ONE YEAR: I use it off and on and it’s still working well. The frothing works as well as it did day one. The espresso function works, but I made the mistake of pregrinding some beans at the grocery store with the “Espresso” setting. The machine struggled to force water through even with minimal packing (Next time I’ll try the next largest size). It also seems like the seal isn’t as tight as a year ago. That said, it still pulls a decent shot. For the money, I’m still pleased.

Review by K. Butler:

I’ve used this machine for two years now, and would buy it again in an instant. I’ll add these comments to those previously written:

* Crema varies with coffee bean; shiney fresh beans give more crema and have more (but subtle) flavors. I don’t get the best crema with Starbucks beans. Peets is great though, so is Nicholas. Even the generic beans (/lb when on sale at the local grocer) work OK. Remember, these espresso machines extract more flavor from coffee beans (than perk or drip machines); it’s the nature of the pressure (vs temperature) process.

* For a great double shot (actually, 4 oz), I fill the fresh-grounds filter to level (not heaping) with whole beans, grind them for 8 seconds in a cheapo spice grinder, and tamp them (not too hard, not too soft). The tamped grounds come up almost to the #2 line in the filter. I run the pump for 30 seconds after liquid starts coming out of the nozzel. The machine has been turned on and heating for only about 5-10 minutes prior to this.

* I’ve used Starbucks pods. It does takes two (at 15 seconds of pumping per) to make a double shot. It tastes good (but not as strong as when I use fresh-ground.) Pods are quicker, but more expensive, than using grounds. You do need to be careful to press the pod in the filter so all water goes through, not around, the pod. Be aware that this machine comes with two different stainless steel filters; one for grounds, and a smaller one for pre-packaged pods.

* These machines use ***PRESSURE*** not temperature to extract flavors. This results in smoother taste, but not scalding temperatures. If you want your espresso law-suit hot, nuke it afterward.

* The included plastic tamper is too flimsy for the tamping pressure I’ve found works best; get a sturdier one (I got an aluminum one from a local kitchen store.) If you don’t tamp hard enough, grounds float up and coat the nozzel that high-pressure water comes out of. If you grind and tamp just right, the used grounds will maintain their hockey-puck shape when you shake them out of the filter.

* Coffee mugs don’t fit under the spouts. Its not like this machine will make enough espresso in one batch to come close to filling a standard 10 oz mug. I just want to drink a strong brew from a manly mug I’ve had to resort to using the shorter, dainty, coffee cups from the fine china set. (Don’t tell my buddies.)

* If you’re the analytical type, check out “The Complexity of Coffee” in Scientific American June 2002, Vol 286 Issue 6 p86. It contains good info you can use to perfect your brew.

* Use some of that cafeine buzz to clean the machine after each use, and it will last for a long time. There was a recall (on the older 40714 version) because some people weren’t cleaning milk off the frother, which resulted in scalding when the plug of old dried curdled milk suddenly erupted. Use common sense, keep this puppy clean, and it will make cup after cup of great brew.

* The frothing wand is not the easiest to use, due to the funny angle, short length, and low height above counter. I had to search for a stainless pitcher of just the right size; 10 oz to the brim. Disclaimer: I don’t use the frother much so this doesn’t detract from my rating of this machine.

* After years of use, hard water deposits build up on the nozzle just above where the coffee grounds sit. I noticed that water was spraying, rather than dripping, from here (during cleanup). There’s no need to run special cleaners through the machine; I successfully remove deposits by rubbing the nozzel with a hand towel after every use. It’s become part of the espresso-making ritual.

* I’ve been burned on other items when chosing the cheapest, but not on this one. It has some drawbacks, but for the price I can easily overlook them. It has kept my picky self satisfied!

Review by M. Kelley:

I’m not sure what the below reviewer is complaining about with the machine’s heating element. I’ve had this for two weeks now and have made many great tasting cappucinos with it (I don’t like straight espresso).

The espresso shots come out perfectly hot (but not too hot) and the steamer froths and steams milk beautifully. My only gripe with the steamer is that I need to run it once, let it heat up again and then run it through a second time in order to get my desired results. The whole process is no more than a minute or so which is very tolerable considering the price.

I had read reviews on other sites that mentioned that this machine (actually an older model) did not produce decent crema. Well, I had no experience with making espresso in the past (I’m a home roaster for regular coffee) but my first try produced a great cup of espresso with a nice caramel colored froth on top. And this came from store bought, pre-ground espresso coffee!

Cleanup is very easy and the unit is small enough to store away when not in use. It comes with a measuring spoon that stores away in the unit and the machine accepts both ground espresso and pods (never used them). For the amateur and social drinker of espresso and cappucinos, this machine should suffice. I would not be able to justify spending any additional money on an expensive machine.

Review by Dick Whiting:

I ordered this to replace a Bialetti stove-top maker. I have had it a couple of months and it is great. I saw some reviews about some machines within this price category being flimsy and unreliable. The Imusa is terrific. Easy to clean (Bialetti was awful!), and makes up to a quad in under 5 minutes. It is lightweight, but sturdy; and makes thick rich foam, even with skim milk. I am a former chef and have had some fancy machines that cost thousands of dollars in my kitchens, Imusa gets it done for me at home. I even went back and ordered a second as a gift.

Adding on to this review: If you haven’t been using your old espresso/cappuccino maker because it isn’t easy, or a pain to clean up, then this is the machine for you.

Review by WSSiegelaar:

Especially for the money, this is a great little espresso machine! I’ve never had an electric espresso machine before. I have several manual espresso makers but no way to easily froth hot milk so I ordered this one. I received it yesterday and made a wonderful latte last night – for the first time in my life! It’s easy to use, looks cool and has a small footprint so it’s great in a small space. (It did not say anywhere to remove the soft black plastic ‘cover’ on the steaming rod but I did…I don’t want ANY plastic of any kind near my food, especially steaming hot plastic. I’m assuming you remove it else there’s no way to clean the rod…) It’s a perfect ‘treat yourself’ gift to yourself when you know you deserve it!

If anything goes awry, I’ll certainly update this review but I feel good about it and it works just like I’ve seen my daughter’s much more expensive coffe/espresso/cappuccino maker. I’d NEVER consume name brand commercial coffe store, overly sweetened and overly fat and chemical ladened products, and I cringe when I see so many people putting that inside their bodies, but if I were one of those people, this would pay for itself within a week! (Can you tell I’m a cancer survivor – and that I want to keep it that way!)

Review by Steven Brown:

I will give this five stars. Not the same five stars I would give something along the lines of a Gaggia Carezza mind you. This five stars should be taken as a rating relative to its price. If this were the same cost of the Gaggia I would probably have to give it a 3.5

I should note I prefer americanos, cappuccinos, lattes, etc over straight espresso. I bought this for a second house. If I were to be drinking a lot of straight espresso I would have bought the Gaggia.

One important detail which is not in the description is this unit will use ESE pods. The portafilter has inserts for single and double shot amounts, as do most machines. The single shot has a small ledge around it which is designed so it may be used for both single shots and ESE pods, with a pod fitting perfectly into the area created by the little ledge. This is a big advantage for those days when you are in a rush.

Construction. This thing is solid. When I ordered it I thought it would not really be steel, just chromed plastic. Well it is stainless steel. And the finish is beautiful. This has to be the most impressive looking espresso machine this side of 0. One plus of being so heavy is you don’t have to hold it down when tightening the portafilter. Something I never liked about the lighter units.

Despite the description noting a rather weak looking 950-watt heater, I was pleasantly surprised by the speed at which it warms up. This had worried me at first, but now that I have it I have discovered no reason to be disappointed. While using the steam feature to froth it has enough power to be ready to pull a shot immediately with no need to wait. And after pulling a double shot it seems like it is ready in seconds for the next shot, well before I have time to remove the portafilter and get it cleaned and reloaded.

Another impressive feature here is the warming plate on the top of the unit. Once again, as with the 950-watt rating, I was expecting a rather weak showing on the warming front. Wow, another shocker. It works! I turn the unit on in the morning and prepare my first drink. Then I leave it on. Make sure at this point you clean the portafilter and place it on the unit empty. By the time you roll around to getting your second cup, the cups on top are nicely heated and the portafilter is warmed up as well.

The drip cup and water reservoirs are quite generous. The drip cup underneath the bottom plate even has an ingenious little pop up float near the back which raises with the water level. Instead of constantly pulling up the plate, you can tell if it is getting full by simply looking to see if the float is starting to pop up. What a nifty little feature!

There is one drawback. The portafilter is what Ariete calls their “Thermocream” design. The problem with this design is it is created to produce a “crema like” crema on the top of every cup. This somewhat hides whether or not you are doing your job right and the crema is a product of a good grind, good tamp, and good pull. I prefer the crema production to be a function of how well I doing my job, not a function of some little device that makes stuff that looks like crema even if it is not.

I would like to add that the Group Head (the thing the portafilter attaches to when you put it on) is not solid metal. Parts of it are plastic. But given the price I am not willing to deduct a star for this (or the Thermocream feature) as I would if I were comparing to the 0 machines.

Review by A. Goldsmith:

This is an amazing espresso machine for the money. I wanted to run it through its paces for a few months before reviewing it. After almost 3 months and over 100 double shots, I am ready. I am a straight shot drinker; I never knew how smooth and intense espresso could be until I got this machine. Crema is good. I subsequently tried a few offerings from espresso bars and found them completely disappointing; I doubt I will visit another espresso shop any time soon.

If you have problems with the machine, call Lello Appliance: 201-939-2555. The one year warranty is meaningless if you don’t know whom to call. Amazon could not provide this info. Lello is very responsive in my experience.

Steaming is adequate. My wife and guests like cappuccinos and lattes. I use a 20 oz Krups pitcher, and it works all right. It is shorter and wider than some of the others. I think a smaller pitcher might work better. I use a thermometer to keep from scorching the milk. I like to mix a drink that I found online called a “flat white”. After you steam the milk, stir the froth into the hot milk in the pitcher to make a uniformly velvety thick mixture and pour this into the cup. I always like to make milk drinks in a clear glass cup. The appearance of the layering of foam, milk and coffee is impressive. I steam the milk, make the espresso in the clear cup, and then pour the foam over it. That way, the crema from the espresso, with a lot of the flavor, stays in the cup instead of sticking to the wall of the shot glass.

Experiment with how much coffee you put in the filter. Do not overfill the filter, but I find that experimenting with the amount of coffee I use has improved the quality of my espresso. The amount used can vary according to the type of coffee, roast, and grind. I use less of a darker roast, for example, to avoid a bitter flavor.

The keys to quality are 1) The coffee and roast, 2) the grind, and 3) the time spent brewing.

THE COFFEE:

I used to drink dark roasted coffees like Starbuck’s. I found that purchased dark roasted coffees taste burnt and bitter when made into espresso. A lighter roast is called for. I decided to start roasting my own green coffee. I use my long-disused hot air popcorn popper for the task. I found good instructions for roasting and a good selection of green coffees at Sweet Maria’s on-line. Their espresso blends or Timor Maubesse (Indonesian) beans roasted to Vienna roast, a shade lighter than French roast, made fine espresso with good crema. It is very easy to control how dark your roast is. You do need good ventilation.

If you do not roast your own, the beans you buy should not be the darkest roast available. The finest coffees available are arabica beans grown at high altitudes. The robusta coffees are bitterer and have much more caffeine; they make up large part of the canned coffee blends on the market. While the arabica beans are much better tasting when brewed into coffee, by themselves they do not produce as good espresso as a blend of quality arabicas with 10-15% good quality robusta added for its taste and crema producing qualities. The green espresso blends that I buy have a small percentage of robusta added. For the reviewer I read who thought that the espresso she made did not have enough of a jolt, a blend containing some robusta might take care of that problem.

THE GRIND:

A friend of mine who has made espresso for decades has never bought a fancy grinder; he uses a blade grinder and grinds very fine. I do not recommend this for this machine with its pressurized portafilter. Fine particles of an uneven or very fine grind can plug the filter; it can sometimes be hard to unplug the filter.

I bought a Capresso Infinity grinder from Amazon. For under 0, it produces a fairly consistent grind. You do not need to tamp the coffee hard in the portafilter. The quality of the brew is determined by the fineness of the grind. I experimented a bit with grind. I found a grind that occasionally plugged the filter. Set one notch coarser it produced a consistently good espresso without plugging the filter. So I think that the finest grind you can get without plugging the filter is probably best.

When experimenting with grind, be careful. One detractor who gave a poor review to this machine says that there is danger of the machine exploding. If you do not see coffee coming out of the portafilter within a few seconds of turning the dial to the right, shut off the machine and clean out the filter. Then use a slightly coarser grind.

If the machine does not deliver coffee and the pump is left on, a messy explosion seems likely. This seems like common sense to me. The fact that the detractor experienced an explosion is a testament to the amount of pressure the pump delivers.

AMOUNT OF TIME SPENT BREWING

If you do enough research on line about espresso, you will find a reference to the “Golden Rule”. This rule states, as I understand it, that drawing a double shot should take 20-25 seconds. If it takes less time to draw a 2-2 1/2 ounce shot, it will be weak; if it takes longer, it will be “over-extracted” and bitter.

If you have an expensive machine with a commercial non-pressurized portafilter, the proper combination of tamp pressure and grind to get this brewing time will produce good espresso. With a pressurized portafilter on this machine, tamp is fairly unimportant. The extraction time is therefore controlled by the fineness of the grind. I have found that if I adjust the grind as explained above, it does take 20-25 second to get the shot.

Never leave the cup under the spout after shutting the pump off. After you shut off the pump, the coffee that flows from the machine is not extracted under pressure and will taste like bilge. Let the coffee extract under pressure for the full 20-25 seconds, move the cup from under the spout as you shut off the pump. The last few drips should go into the tray.

PROBLEMS

I gave it four stars only because there were enough very soluble glitches to make learning how to use the machine a bit trying. I destroyed a gasket before I realized that tightening the group head more did not prevent the first shot from being a total bust. Unless you warm up the machine for at least 10 minutes, run a blank shot through the machine, because all you will get is steam and espresso that tastes like dishwater. After destroying the gasket, I found the service number for Lello Appliance: 201-939-2555. They acknowledged that the original gaskets were not very good and sent me 2 new ones via priority mail; I got these in two days.

Another minor glitch is that not all of the water draining from the machine goes into the drip tray. Some water ends up leaking under the drip tray; but as long as the drip tray is emptied timely there will not be enough overflow to leak onto the counter.

The cup warmer is a joke. Have some hot water going near your machine to preheat cups. This is especially important when making milk drinks, which is a longer process.

It is now 4/14/2009 two years and change since I bought the machine. I use it every day for an average of 3-4 double shots per day. It still makes the best espresso I have had. Except for the leaking drip tray, it gives me no problems. Part of the quality has to do with the gourmet green coffee beans I buy from [...] and roast at home in a hot-air popcorn popper. The rest has to do with the machine. My cousin has a Rancilio Silvio, a highly rated and expensive machine. My machine is easier to use and pulls a tastier shot.

Review by Kevin T. Quinn:

Despairing of ever finding decent espresso in the Midwest, I finally broke down and decided to get a home espresso machine. I had worked as a barrista, and had sipped espresso in Italy, so I had some idea of how it should taste.

Being relatively poor, I wanted a machine that would deliver a decent espresso, at a decent price. Though I was willing to consider a system with proprietary coffee pods (K-cups, Tassimo, etc), it would have to be cheap enough that I wouldn’t mind shelling out the extra bucks for the coffee itself. And I also wanted to make sure that it was pump-driven, not steam-driven.

After checking reviews and looking around, I finally settled on the DeLonghi BAR32. It’s a pump-driven maker, not steam driven, so it’s not scorching the grounds as it brews. And it comes with a single and a double espresso filter.

The DeLonghi uses either ground espresso, or E.S.E. espresso pods. The E.S.E. pods are not proprietary – any company can make them. The DeLonghi comes with a package of 18 Illy pods (retail – ). The pods are convenient, but still expensive.

I’ve had the espresso maker for several days, and I’m happy with it so far. With the pods, it pulls a good single espresso with a satisfactory crema. Sugar floats on top of the crema for about 2-3 seconds, and it has a nice golden color. The espresso tastes very smooth.

Pulling a good single espresso, either with the pods or loose coffee, is pretty easy. Use the pods as a good judge of how tightly to pack the grounds in the filter. Use a level, loosely packed scoop of coffee for a single shot.

Pulling a good double, on the other hand, still eludes me. The best I’ve come up with is to use 2 scoops, 3/4 full and loosely packed, and pressed looser than for a single. Even then, it still dribbles out slowly, with a less-than-satisfactory (though present) crema.

The steam wand works very well. I’ve made several excellent cappuccinos and lattes with it. It’s a little cramped to use, so I pull mine to the edge of the counter so that I can get a good mug under it. I steam straight into the mug of milk, and then add the espresso. Make sure to blow some steam through it to clear out condensation before putting it in your milk. Start with the steam wand nearly submerged in the milk, and then slowly pull it out (lower the mug) until you hear a gentle “sipping” sound. That means that it’s frothing. If you see noticeable bubbles on top of the milk, that means you’ve pulled it out too far – dip it back in slowly and you should be able to whip the bubbles into froth. Once the froth is just below the level you want it, submerge the wand back into the milk to finish heating it. Listen again – once the milk starts to sound “hollow,” it’s nearly hot enough. Let it go for a few more seconds, then shut off the steam, and remove the mug. The wand will drip a bit, so put it over the drip tray or an empty mug.

Making espresso is fairly easy. Turn the machine to “Heat” to start heating the water and priming the pump. Make sure the filter holder is screwed into the machine. Once the “Hot” light comes on, run an espresso cycle without coffee into the cup you’ll use – pulling espresso into a cold cup will ruin the flavor. Fill the cup half-way with hot water, and turn the machine back to “Heat.” Empty and quickly dry the espresso cup. Put the E.S.E. pod or ground espresso into the filter (tamp down the loose espresso) and twist it into the machine. Turn the machine on, and wait until you’ve got your cup of espresso. A single espresso should be 30-40ml, or 1-1.5oz. I used a measuring cup to see what that looked like in my demitasse cups.

Looking back over what I’ve written, I suppose I do make it look a little complicated. And it is a little bit more complicated that popping the K-cup into the machine, and hitting “Go.” But it really is pretty easy, and less than 5 minutes pass between “You know, I could go for a cappuccino,” and “Man, that’s a tasty cappuccino.”

Pros:

- Inexpensive

- Good pressure

- Easy to make a good single shot of espresso

- Uses pods or loose grounds

- 2 dials + 0 buttons = easy to use

- Outstanding steam wand

- 32oz water reservoir lets you make 3 or 4 cappuccinos, or 6 to 8 espressos, without refilling

- Built-in tamper means one less part to lose

- Pre-heat cycle helps make good espresso

Cons:

- Hard to make a good double espresso (might just be me)

- Steam wand leaks slightly (usually at the start of a brewing cycle – I just keep mine over the drip tray)

In the end, the machine makes a good espresso, especially for the price, but remember that you’re not going to be running a coffee shop with it. I definitely recommend it for anybody who wants to make their own espresso, but wants to do it for under 0.

Review by Gian Luca Diana:

I have purchased this machine from Amazon on June 2006, that’s 16 months ago and I have been using this coffee maker every day, usually 2 to 3 times a day. A few words about me, I grew up in Italy, lived there for over 20 years and I still go visit my country for at least a month every year so I should know about coffee, right? DeLonghi is considered a good brand in Italy, I’m not sure about customer service in the U.S. since I never had to contact them; my aunt in Italy has an identical machine with no complaints. I’m not sure about the complaints I read here. Some people say it takes too long to heat up the water… I usually turn it on 15 minutes before making the espresso and the water gets really hot, if you think that’s too long then you’ve never used an espresso machine before, it’s very average as a matter of fact. Sorry, but that’s not the machine’s fault, it’s the way it is with all machines. Coffee shops machines need one hour sometimes longer to heat up. Others have complained about the steamer leaking a bit… NO KIDDING! It’s called vapor condensation, if you think that’s a machine issue I recommend going back to school and taking Physics 101. Not usually a big deal for me, just keep the steamer over the tray and the problem is solved… it’s only a drop or two anyway.

Some have written about the coffee not being very strong, true it could be stronger but if you make the right dose it’s ok. I get my coffee in Italy and, you want to trust me on this, if you’re not using good ground coffee to start with you’re not going to get a good espresso. Forget that Starbucks junk, this machine makes a much better espresso if you use it right with the right coffee.

I’m not saying it’s perfect, but for this price it gets really good, hard to find better. Forgive me for my somewhat sarcastic remarks, but I have the feeling that most of the people who complained about this machine have issues related to “Operator’s Error” and not the machine itself.

One note though about the frother (I’ve seen better construction), remove the plastic part and it works much better.

I used both Illy pods and ground coffee and I like both. Illy is considered a high quality coffee.

For the past 16 months it has worked great for me and I’m sure it will again tomorrow morning. Remember not to let the water reservoir go dry or you will burn the pump, again “Operator’s Error” not machine’s.

To the guy who grinds his own beans not espresso fine… Operator’s Error! Espresso machines need espresso ground coffee not larger grains. I still have to find a grinder in the US that can make fine espresso ground without costing an arm and a leg. One more thing: make sure you use bottled water (I use spring water) because tap water contains more limestone and can ruin the pump in the long run.

By the way, all the customers images are mine (as of today October 8th 2007), glad to see so many people enjoyed them.

Update: October 24th

Over 2 years, and still working great! I used it about twice a day.

Review by BernieBear:

I enjoyed the taste of lattes having lived in San Francisco for many years and found myself in withdrawal when I had to return to St. Louis rather unexpectedly. I purchased the Capresso Ultima about the end of 2002 or early 2003 and was and have been fairly satisfied with this product from the get go. Here are a few things I’ve found in having brewed well in excess of a 1000+ cups and probably 75+ or more pounds of coffee in this machine:

1. Your coffee selection is key. If you like the Starbucks or Peet’s or Border’s latte taste, purchase a good dark roast.

2. Buy a burr grinder so you can get the right grind, not too fine and certainly not course. I use the DeLonghi. One word of caution, after using the finest turkish grind on my burr grinder for several cups, one day I discovered the coffe would not flow no matter how long I left the pump on. By the way, don’t do this because your excess coffee simply flows into the overflow tray and gets wasted. To fix the problem I called the factory in New Jersey (I think) and was told to just return the central unit–nothing else. For , my charges, they sent back a new unit even though I had almost 2 years of use on it. It was returned within about 10 days. Excellent customer service.

3. If you like milky, thick foam then stick with 1 or 2 percent to get the best froth which you cannot get with whole milk or soy or rice milk for that matter.

4. DO NOT OVERHEAT THE MILK!!! This breaks down the fat molecules within the milk making it impossible to build a good froth.

5. Use a small colletor to gather the espresso and not the cup you used to steam the milk. I use this to collect the espresso and then pour it into the steamed milk. After a few cups you will quickly determine how much coffee to brew. Also, if you want an absolute great surprise, make a cappacino and let the machine brew the “crema” that seems to be the rage in espresso circles. The Ultima does an excellent job making crema.

For those who don’t know, it’s the tasty lighter coffee that is brewed at the end of the brewing cycle and has a wonderful milky-coffee taste.

6. The coffee is always HOT, HOT, HOT so please be careful when initially drinking it.

7. The hot water heater works wonders for the likes of hot chocolate mix.

8. I should add about the frother that you will experience a lot of steamiing water which probably shouldn’t be there and disappears if you let the steamer run for a few minutes–do this in a separate container and dump the water, the steam will follow. Also the frothing wand is a two stage affair that generally heats the milk at first and then after a slight adjustment on the wand will produce a thick froth. Also, I move the cup with the milk around the wand to get good even heat to the milk.

9 From a cold start, to finished cup takes about 3 minutes–the heating element works extremely fast.

10. Always use distilled water not tap. This will result in a calcium deposit which will destroy the unit. If you drink a lot of this coffee, I’d recommend buying your own countertop water distiller.

11. All in all, I could not be more happy with this machine. My son who lives in Brooklyn uses a much more expensive model, over ,000, and it produces a great cup of espresso—the Capresso Ultima does the same at almost one-fourth the price.

12. It is because of the water wastege that I gave this unit a four star rating.

13. To ensure consistent coffee taste, do take off the top, very easy procedure, and then rinse it under the faucet. The black, grounds container on the bottom tray should be emptied and rinsed daily after

each use.

14. If and when the time comes to replace, I’ll go right back to the same unit–Love it, love it.

15. Finally, the plastic water container holds near perfect amounts of water to make approximately 7 cups of coffee.

Review by Andy Cherk H. Lau:

This machine is a wonderful kitchen appliance. It is so easy to use and the result is always consistent. The pressure steam process is the best way to make high quality coffee drinks at home without paying big dollars and standing in line at a coffee shop. Everyday, we make Coffee Americano (12 oz – 16 oz cup) at home one cup at a time. Each cup takes about a minute or less. The flavor and taste of each cup of coffee sure is a lot better than a cup of coffee from our old drip machine. Cleanup takes about few minutes. Every other few days or so, rinse the top carousel and few other removeable parts. We are very happy with this Capresso machine.

Review by M. Steed:

I have had this machine since February and use it nearly every day. This is definitely one of the best coffeemakers I have ever owned, and I haven’t had one single problem with it.

When I was deciding whether or not to buy it, some of the negative reviews had me a little skeptical. But I am SO glad that I took a chance. It was absolutely worth it for me.

I honestly don’t see how some of the reviewers have had some of the problems that they have. Reviewer ‘Joan of Arc’ seemed to have quite a bit of leakage problems. It must have been a defective machine, because ours hasn’t leaked one time — not even a little drop. I’ll go over a few of the issues she and some others had:

- The removable water reservoir (or “bucket” as she called it) for the coffeemaker is easy to remove and replace. If you don’t want to take it out to fill it with water, just pour water into it. It is marked clearly and is easy to read even when stationed on the machine. No problem.

- The showerhead over the filter basket swivels outward to allow you to change the coffee filter. When you’re done, you just swivel it back into place. I don’t see how you can forget to do it, because the lid is designed so that you can’t even close it if the showerhead isn’t moved back into place. It really isn’t even something you have to think about.

- Some people have had problems with the carafe lid. It doesn’t open fully, but opens wide enough for me to clean it with little problem. We haven’t had any problems with it dripping or leaking at all. It’s like any other carafe that I’ve used over the years.

- ‘Joan of Arc’ mentioned that it was easy for her to forget to put the 1st lid on the espresso side before putting down the second lid. I’m not exactly sure what she was referring to, but I think she meant the water reservoir cap and lid. Again, I don’t see how you could forget to screw the cap back on after you fill it with water. I suppose it’s a learning curve. The first few times I used the machine, I referred to the instruction manual to make sure I did everything right. Now I can crank out good espresso and cappuccino in minutes without really even thinking about it. It just takes a little practice, like with anything else.

- Some people wished for a frother that was a little more accessible to make it a little easier to froth milk in a larger pitcher. That would have been a nice feature. It isn’t too difficult to use, however, and seems to work just fine. The milk is always steaming hot, and the froth doesn’t get cold for us.

- The coffee and espresso COULD be a LITTLE hotter. I don’t like scalding hot coffee anyway, so it doesn’t bother me too much, but for someone that does, it might be a small issue. Again, it doesn’t seem like a deal-breaker, though.

- A clock or timer would have been a nice addition as well, but not having it doesn’t affect the quality of the machine. It would have made a good product even better.

We have used both the coffee side and espresso side many times, and have yet to have any problems. I think some people may have received defective machines, but any product can be purchased defective. Some issues can easily be resolved with a little practice in getting used to the controls and operation of the whole machine, but once you do, it’s more than easy to make good quality coffee and espresso.

I would definitely have to say that I got a great deal on a sleek, stylish machine that also works very well and makes good quality coffee. If you ‘get what you pay for’, then I made out like a bandit. Perfectly satisfied and VERY happy I bought it.

Review by Sabad One:

I purchased this coffee maker a few weeks ago, and I enjoyed many good coffees since. I am Italian, and I find the espresso as good as a good espresso prepared with a moka. This is good enough for me, but don’t expect a REALLY good espresso, the kind you can have in that special little bar in a hidder corner of an Italian city. I did not have any trouble with leaks anywhere, so far (as some reviewer complained about). Only small complain, the espesso sometimes has a “metallic” flavor coming from the high temperatures reached by the water container. But no big deal, overall I am happy I purchased this product so far.

P.S. I posted the review in May 2007 and I am writing this PS one year later, in April 2008. The machine still works perfectly, with no leaks. I have also used the milk frother several times, and it makes a pretty good cappuccino! Maybe I should upgrade my rating to 5 stars!

P.P.S. In February 2009, everything still works fine!

P.P.P.S. In February 2010, this appliance is still working great. Indeed I tried to update my rating from 4 to 5 stars but the web site doesn’t let me do it. Oh, well!