DeLonghi ECO310BK 15-Bar-Pump Espresso Machine, Piano Black

Review DeLonghi ECO310BK 15-Bar-Pump Espresso Machine, Piano Black

DeLonghi ECO310BK 15-Bar-Pump Espresso Machine, Piano Black Overview

          Enjoy delicious cappuccinos, lattes, and other frothy coffee beverages from the comfort of home with this user-friendly espresso machine. The appliance features simple push-button controls with easy-to-understand icons and indicator lights, a 15-bar pump, self-priming operation, and a stainless-steel boiler for long-lasting performance. Even more, it provides a patented dual-function filter holder. When used with ground espresso, the unique filter mixes air into the brewing process to produce authentic espresso, complete with perfect caramel-colored crema on top. The filter also accommodates ESE coffee pods--handy for guests who prefer decaf after dinner. For added convenience, the machine comes equipped with a patented cappuccino frother that combines steam and milk to create a rich creamy froth. Two separate thermostats control the water and steam separately to ensure the perfect temperature for both. Other highlights include a 48-ounce removable water tank for easy filling at the sink, a built-in tamper (no need for a separate tool), stay-cool handles, a "coffee" or "hot water" button, an "on" indicator light, a cup-storage tray for warm ready-to-use cups, and a removable drip tray for quick cleanup. Sleek and stylish, the espresso machine measures approximately 10-1/5 by 9 by 11-4/5 inches and carries a one-year limited warranty.

• Use convenient pods or ground coffee with the patented dual function filter holder. It makes espresso preparation simple and fast.
• Easily prepares latte and cappuccino with the patented "Cappuccino System" frother. It mixes steam and milk to create a rich, creamy froth for perfect drinks every time
• Eliminate annoying start-up preparation with the self-priming operation
• Always brew espresso or cappuccino at the perfect temperature with two separate thermostats, which allow for water and steam pressure to be controlled separately
• Enjoy delicious espresso for years to come with the durable, high-quality stainless steel boiler and 15 bar pump pressure

DeLonghi ECO310BK 15-Bar-Pump Espresso Machine, Piano Black Review

          I had the same leaking problem with the DeLonghi 270 that so many others seemed to have. I had it fixed, but decided to give up when the frothing nozzle melted onto the unit and could not be removed for cleaning (right after the one year warranty expired). The DeLonghi ECO 310 seems to be a much better design. It has a larger water tank, easy to remove frothing cover and nozzle, makes a large cup of espresso fairly quickly, and doesn't look chintzy. Hopefully, it's built for the long term. The only drawback I found was that there is only 3.5 inches between the cup tray and the filter holder, so most large mugs don't fit. That seems to be common with these machines, however. Also, I would like to mention that the measurements in the product description are slightly off. It is 10 3/4 inches deep x 9 3/4 inches wide x 12 3/4 inches high (to the top of the steam knob).

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 DeLonghi ECO310BK 15-Bar-Pump Espresso Machine, Piano Black

*** Product Information and Review : Sep 29, 2011

Gaggia 14101 Classic Espresso Machine, Brushed Stainless Steel

Review Gaggia 14101 Classic Espresso Machine, Brushed Stainless Steel

Gaggia 14101 Classic Espresso Machine, Brushed Stainless Steel Overview

          Consumers Best Buy! The Gaggia Classic is one of our best sellers for several reasons. Commercial grade quality: Rugged construction of heavy duty materials for longevity. High performance: Forged brass components to stabilize temperature with a three-way solenoid valve and independent expansion valve. Gaggia is in the process of rolling out a new Turbo-Frother wand replacing the metal frothing wand and sleeve. The Gaggia Classic turns anyone into a "Barista" in their own home. Includes two stainless steel filter baskets (single and double shot), coffee tamper and 7g measuring scoop 

• Coffee/espresso machine with 72-ounce removable water reservoir
• Stainless-steel housing; brass portafilters and grouphead for temperature stability
• 17-1/2-bar pump with high-voltage boiler; hot-water dispenser; frothing wand
• Single- and double-shot stainless-steel filter basket, tamper, and measuring scoop included
• Measures 14-1/4 by 8 by 9-1/2 inches

Gaggia 14101 Classic Espresso Machine, Brushed Stainless Steel Review

          This is a superb machine if one takes into account its very modest price. It is remarkably small considering its high wattage and strong pump -it will fit practically anywhere in a normal kitchen. Very well made and simple to use, it produces good espresso. Its frothing capacity is obviously limited, but for someone looking for no more than a couple of cappuccinos at a time it is quite adequate. With proper care it should last a long time. Someone seriously looking for something better should skip the Rancilio Silvia and move directly to a double boiler machine, say a Dalla Corte Mini. Of course the difference in price is close to $ 2,600.  

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 Gaggia 14101 Classic Espresso Machine, Brushed Stainless Steel

*** Product Information and Review : Sep 28, 2011

Nespresso C100T Essenza Single-Serve Automatic Espresso Machine

Review Nespresso C100T Essenza Single-Serve Automatic Espresso Machine

Nespresso C100T Essenza Single-Serve Automatic Espresso Machine Overview

          Nespresso has developed a unique extraction system specially adapted to capsules. It controls every vital setting when preparing a perfect espresso. Nespresso machines have been designed with renowned partners and designers, and bring out the taste and aromas of coffee by combining quality of design with ease of use. The Nespresso C100 Essenza Automatic Machine is part of our compact line, which features a modern, compact, and practical design. The machine deploys technology essential for preparing an outstanding Espresso, and is exceptionally easy to use: Automatic control of the amount of coffee in the cup. A high pressure pump (19 bars) extracts all the aromas and develops a smooth crema in the cup. A thermobloc which heats water to 187°and 196° during extraction and empties the remaining water after each use so that the water is fresh for each preparation. A simple system which perforates the capsule and soaks all the ground coffee to optimally filter the coffee. A functional handle system, which allows for easy coffee preparation. Automatic ejection of used capsule. Removable water container (34 oz). Tray for used capsules. Back-lit control button

• 1200-watt single-serve automatic espresso machine designed for capsules
• 19-bar pump; ThermoBlock heating system; electronic temperature regulation
• Compact ABS housing; backlit control button; removable 34-ounce water tank
• Capsules eject semi-automatically into collection container; 12 capsules included
• Measures 10 by 6-1/2 by 11-1/2 inches; 1-year limited warranty

Nespresso C100T Essenza Single-Serve Automatic Espresso Machine Review

I have a number of machines including the Starbucks Sirena/Keurig and the C100T.

I purchased the Nespresso about a year ago after trying it at a local Williams and Sonoma store. It seemed a bit "fadish" at the time but it worked easily and I liked the product it produced. Now at a year of use, I think I can comment on the gizmo a bit better.

The Starbucks Sirena Machine at $400 is a dynamite machine but requires a learning curve to get the hang of. Sirena makes an awesome espresso/cappuccino but does require technique and ability to operate well. You might do well to get a training session from an experienced user.

The Nespresso machine however (C100T) works well for the absolute rookie. The quality of the drink is top notch and the foam indicates a near perfect espresso brew. Complaints about "not being hot" are ridiculous as any espresso machine that is operating correctly is within a couple degrees of any other machine. Fact is, you need to warm any espresso cup if you are wanting to keep a few scant ounces of fluid hot. A coffee mug will cool any normal espresso shot rather quickly (get some espresso cups and pre-warm them).

Noise: It sounds like a "mini Keurig" and is certainly quieter than many espresso machines. Just can not pump hot water at 19bar without some noise.

Cost wise, it is cheaper to run the Starbucks but the $400 in initial investment might just offset that a bit :) I have found the Nespresso to be easy to operate, mostly cost efficient to operate at up to $.63 per serving for premium cartridges and the most user friendly of all my machines. Even the Keurig can not compete with the speed and ease of use (hard to believe).

Where I think this machine might really shine is in a small private office. A big coffee machine is impractical but an daily dose of espresso is wanted? awesome choice due to small footprint of machine and ease of use.

Not to leave out the Keurig, it works marvelous although the coffee can tend to be a tad on the weak side (for the espresso lover). The "Tea" produced by the Keurig has the machine in a league of its own. K-cup tea is good for 2-4 cups and is marvelous.

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 Nespresso C100T Essenza Single-Serve Automatic Espresso Machine

*** Product Information and Review : Sep 27, 2011

The Coffee Recipes

Coffe to martinique
Prepare the coffee 'and pour into a container that can withstand the heat, sweetened with a little' sugar cane.
Just before serving add rum to the coffee you have heated in a saucepan.
When it is on the table, flambe.

Irish coffee
Put 40 g in each cup of brown sugar and add 20 g. of Irish whiskey. Then pour the hot coffee good up to about 2 cm from the edge.
Finally add the cream. Serve without stirring.

Viennese coffee
Reserved for the colder months: three-quarters filled porcelain cups of good coffee 'a little' long, taking care that it is hot. Sweetened to taste.
Add the whipped cream and garnished with a roasted coffee bean or a sprinkle of cocoa.

Russian coffee
The version of 'Soviet' coffee ': Pour a glass of vodka in a coffee' hot, small, sweetened with brown sugar, then serve with the addition of a teaspoon of unsweetened condensed milk.

Coffee grog
Need to prepare a spoonful of sugar, coffee 'hot, warm a tablespoon of Cognac and lemon rind.
Pour into the glass of grog, fire and serve.

Irish punch
For the punch needed Irish whiskey, sugar, cinnamon, coffee 'hot and clove powder. Heat pan in a special whiskey you will added sugar, cinnamon and clove powder.
When the drink is hot, add the cup of hot coffee.
Serve guests in a glass of punch.

Gaggia for Illy Espresso Machine

Review Gaggia for Illy Espresso Machine

Gaggia for Illy Espresso Machine Features

• The Gaggia for Illy Plus has dedicated on/off, cup-volume, and steam controls; The programmable cup-volume button allows you to adjust the amount of espresso brewed, ensuring the perfect cup every time
• While many single-serve machines do not have steaming and frothing capabilities, the Gaggia for Illy Plus has an integrated steam wand and hot water dispenser, making milk-based beverages and teas a breeze to prepare.
• Mavea Water Filter - Uses a four-stage filtration process to purify tap water and reduce scale and mineral buildup
• Capsule container can hold up to 12 spent capsules
• Stainless steel boiler

Gaggia for Illy Espresso Machine Customer Review

           What a great espresso machine this is. I have used it for a few days now and it works great, and puts out an amazing shot of super rich espresso. It uses illy's new coffee capsule called "iperespreso". At about .70 cents a cup it costs about double the price of ground or whole beans, but the convenience and ease of clean up more than make up for it. The other night I pulled 7 shots in a row without it breaking a sweat. Hit the brew button and about 20 seconds later you have a perfect shot of espresso. The turbo frother makes great steamed froth, but I found it hard to use, so I choose to just nuke my milk for a rich hot latte, or over ice for a chilly cold latte. My first maker, I bough a few years back, was a Francis Francis X3. It made zero crema and was a pain to grind, tamp, and clean, so I sold it. This unit makes incredible thick rich crema time after time with very little effort and zero clean up.

UPDATE: I have used this little gem for about 2 weeks now and it still works amazing. It still pumpes out 6-7 shots in a row with ease and they all come out great time after time. I do wish they sold the model without the frother here in the USA, for people like me that don't want to froth or find it too difficult to use. Gaggia does sell a basic frothless model in Italy but only imports the "plus" model here. Other than that I have no problems with this machine.

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 Gaggia for Illy Espresso Machine

*** Product Information and Review : Sep 24, 2011

Jura Impressa Z7 One-Touch Automatic Coffee Center

Review Jura Impressa Z7 One-Touch Automatic Coffee Center

Jura Impressa Z7 One-Touch Automatic Coffee Center Features

• Latte macchiato or Cappuccino at the touch of a button
• Adjustable conical burr grinder
• Thermoblock heating system
• High performance 15 bar pump
• Water filtration

Jura Impressa Z7 One-Touch Automatic Coffee Center Customer Review

I was really tired of waiting in line at my local Starbucks for an espresso that wasn't perfect. So I looked at what I've spent over the last few years for satisfactory coffee, and created a budget.

Turns out I got top of the line results, under budget and memorable espresso. I have yet to have a bad or inconsistent pull. Quick, quiet and consistently great quality, it's everything I wanted.

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 Jura Impressa Z7 One-Touch Automatic Coffee Center

*** Product Information and Review : Sep 23, 2011

Gaggia Accademia Espresso Machine

Review Gaggia Accademia Espresso Machine

Gaggia Accademia Espresso Machine Features

• Adjustable telescopic coffee dispenser with a maximum height of a little over 6-1/2-inch to accommodate a wide variety of cup sizes
• Ceramic burr grinder with integrated bean hopper and double lid aroma saver
• Integrated coffee grounds container, removable from the front
• Programmable coffee quantity - from 7 to 10-cup
• Pre-brewing system for maximum flavor extraction

Gaggia Accademia Espresso Machine Customer Review

I have had this machine almost 3 months now, and it has gotten twice daily use (some days 3-4) since then. I think it's likely the best super-auto out there. My complaints are the same as other reviewers:

* The milk doesn't get quite hot enough using the automatic steaming/frothing carafe. I find if I use hot water (from the machine) and warm my cup for at least a couple minutes before making my drink, it does help the drink stay warmer longer. I purchased this from another website, and their sales guy recommended heating the milk slightly (to take the chill off) before making the drink, but I just don't have the patience to do that.
* I have to empty the internal drip tray at least once a day, sometimes more. The machine's auto-rinse features when it starts up and goes to sleep fills this container easily. It would have been nice to have a larger drip tray for this purpose.

One feature I wish I had is the ability to make a drink on the fly, using the cappuccino setting, without changing my programming. There are days I want my caps a little drier, but if I go through the on-the-fly programming option, it changes my drink to default to the new settings. I would like to be able to brew my coffee and froth the milk using the auto settings without it affecting any programming. I haven't seen that this is possible in the manual, though I suppose it's possible I'm missing that option.

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 Gaggia Accademia Espresso Machine

*** Product Information and Review : Sep 22, 2011

Saeco Focus Automatic Espresso Machine

Review Saeco Focus Automatic Espresso Machine

Saeco Focus Automatic Espresso Machine Features

• Front access to all features allows you to add beans and water and clean the machine without ever having to pull it out from under your cabinets
• Short or long coffee with one touch, your favorite drink preferences are easily stored with the memo option
• Nine different icons are used on the LED display help to easily identify the functions of the machine
• Adjustable built-in ceramic disc grinder is quiet and features automatic shut off
• Features water filtration, and air-tight and UV protected coffee bean hopper as well as sound insulating technology

Saeco Focus Automatic Espresso Machine Customer Review

           This is one of the best espresso machines that I have tested. I love the set up and the high quality espresso that this machine produces. The compact design is great for smaller kitchens and the stainless steel casing is very easy to clean and doesn't show any fingerprints on it. The digital interface is very intuitive and easy to read, it even changes color depending on the operating status. A green color means it's ready to go, yellow shows when it's operating, and when you see red there is an operating error. The actual espresso that this machine produces is very tasty with a lot of crema and a nice body. Overall, it's a wonderful investment if you enjoy high quality coffee.

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 Saeco Focus Automatic Espresso Machine

*** Product Information and Review : Sep 21, 2011

Saeco Talea Giro Plus Automatic Espresso Machine, Silver and Titanium

Review Saeco Talea Giro Plus Automatic Espresso Machine, Silver and Titanium

Saeco Talea Giro Plus Automatic Espresso Machine, Silver and Titanium Features

• Saeco Brewing System allows you to choose the strenghth and consistancy of your coffee by turning a dial
• Ceramic disc grinder provides an even grind, allowing perfect dosing and blending, giving you more control over the density and body of your coffee; unit also has a pre-ground coffee bypass doser
• Rapid Steam technology, you can easily froth milk to quickly turn an espresso into a cappuccino or latte
• Touch Lift Technology: Manual drip tray moves up and down to fit any sized cup and is removable for cleaning
• Removable 57 oz water tank with water filter

Saeco Talea Giro Plus Automatic Espresso Machine, Silver and Titanium Customer Review

           I bought what was probably a slightly older model of this machine on clearance at another site in Sept 2009. For the price I paid, it could have broken after a year and I would still have been happy. However, it has never failed me! I've used it about 3-7 times each week, right up thru this morning. If it stopped working, I would buy it again. (Until that clearance sale, I had never even considered buying a machine like this.)

Also, I really haven't been good about cleaning or descaling it.

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 Saeco Talea Giro Plus Automatic Espresso Machine, Silver and Titanium

*** Product Information and Review : Sep 20, 2011

DeLonghi Pump Automatic Cappuccino, Latte and Espresso Machine with Capsule System

Review DeLonghi Pump Automatic Cappuccino, Latte and Espresso Machine with Capsule System

DeLonghi Pump Automatic Cappuccino, Latte and Espresso Machine with Capsule System Features

• Easily prepares latte, cappuccino and italian macchiato with the patented single touch hot milk system; simply slide the milk tank onto front of the machine; clean button makes it easy to maintain
• Convenient illuminated control panel buttons allow you to choose your favorite drink with ease, with 3 milk and 2 coffee selections
• No more mess or measuring with nespresso's easy-to-use patented coffee capsule system; simply load the capsule into the machine and push the button; the machine automatically ejects the capsules after brewing is complete
• Energy-saving with adjustable auto-off timer
• Accommodates latte cups with the unique sliding drip tray

DeLonghi Pump Automatic Cappuccino, Latte and Espresso Machine with Capsule System Customer Review

I've been using the old Nespresso C101 with the Aeroccino Milk Frother. It is a great machine, and there is no question that the Nespresso capsules are the closest thing to great coffee you can get from an pod-type machine. However, my main issues were that it took so long to clean the milk frother. If you didn't clean it thoroughly, the milk would bake on the bottom and lead to pretty bad cappuccinos the next time around.

When I first saw the Latissima+, I was pretty excited since the milk container is built in and had an auto clean button. After using it for a couple of days, I can definitely say this is an upgrade. Its quick to start up, can auto shut down, and most of all its a breeze to clean up. While not zero work - you do have to press a "clean" button for about 10 seconds every time you finish your morning batches of coffee if you use the milk - this is a lot easier than the old Aeroccino. And due to this, I find myself making coffee a lot more often.

A couple other things I wish I knew. The entire milk frother attachment is dishwasher safe (although you have to take it apart). The manual suggests cleaning it this way at least once a month. Like the older machines, you can also program how much coffee and also how much milk is added for each of the four buttons.

To me, this machine is a good upgrade from the earlier machines, and if you are in the market for a first Nespresso machine - this is the one to beat.

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 DeLonghi Pump Automatic Cappuccino, Latte and Espresso Machine with Capsule System

*** Product Information and Review : Sep 19, 2011