 Easy, Yummy, Great Design |
| Review Date: January 6, 2008 |
| Reviewer: Spiralina, San Francisco, CA USA |
We had a Krups combo coffee pot/espresso machine and after several espresso calamities in a row, I gave up and got this Cuisinart. So far it has been great! It seems that there used to be only basic espresso makers or extremely expensive ones on the market, with nothing in between. But the Cuisinart satisfies the coffee connoisseur on a budget by making truly wonderful espresso and more.
One of my frustrations with our last model was the "perfect froth" tip, which was disastrous to say the least. I just need a basic steam wand and I can take it from there, and the Cuisinart fits the bill - it steamed and frothed my milk easily and quickly. Just be careful to use less milk than you might think, because the volume doubles in no time. I'll probably switch to a larger pitcher than the one that comes with the Cuisinart, though it's fine to start out.
A couple tips to get started: the instructions say the heating light should come on right away, but it didn't for me until I switched the small knob to the droplet icon (as opposed to the middle neutral position). I figured this out by watching the video, which I recommend as the instruction manual is pretty bare. It's also good to see how much pressure one should use to tamp the grounds.
The only negative thing I can say is that the warming tray doesn't seem to get very warm, but I do like being able to store my cups on top anyway (more space in the cabinets now, plus a certain café aesthetic is always nice), so I don't mind. Positives are that it's fast, it's quiet, everything is sturdy and well designed (and clicks or locks solidly in place so you know things are seated correctly), and the espresso is truly café quality - an enormous difference from the more basic espresso machines on the market.
UPDATE: Since this review I have had some experiences with clogging. Cuisinart customer service was totally unhelpful, but here's what I do to remedy the situation:
1. As soon as you notice espresso isn't coming out, turn off the machine, take off the basket (you may have to wait for the pressure to subside), rinse it out well, and fill the machine with water.
2. Scrub the underside of the metal grid that the filter basket attaches to with a damp cloth.
3. Reattach just the basket with no filter. Heat water and run that through to get any clogs in the upper part of the machine. I fill up a milk pitcher. Then turn the big black dial to neutral, add the empty filter to the basket, and repeat. As long as water starts running through that ok it should be all right. I hope it works for you! |
Great Value
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| Review Date: February 23, 2008 |
| Reviewer: S. Erickson, Oregon |
| The Cuisinart EM 100 is a true bargain and a great espresso maker. Over the past 15 years I've purchased two Krups and one Capresso in the $250 range. Neither brand was capable of processing an espresso grind. They usually blocked up and let no water past the grinds. I had to resort to using drip grind coffee. The Cuisinart does a great job processing an espresso ground coffee, leaves a fine crema, steamer works perfectly and is a breeze to clean up. Its built like a tank, looks cool and I'm totally surprised and satisfied with its performance. |
Very good machine
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| Review Date: October 29, 2008 |
| Reviewer: Tucker Mac, Omaha, NE |
Use it at least twice daily with both ESE pods and ground espresso. It really is a nice machine. If you are like some other reviewers and have problems with coffee grounds blowing out over the kitchen after you are done then you are likely tamping them too hard or using a grind that's too fine. Easiest way for a first time user is to buy some coffee in ESE (easy serve espresso) pods from the internet and feel it to see how hard the coffee is tamped in the pod. Cut it open and see how finely it is ground. Go to the grocery store and grind a pound of your favorite roast to about the same grind. At my grocery store the second or the third finest setting works fine. You can use your own grinder but a good burr type grinder costs some money and the less expensive blade grinders are useless for espresso. Tamp it to about the same hardness as the pod was. It makes wonderful espresso with lots of crema on top. I've never had an issue with grounds or steam blowing out after I release the pot--even with the machine on and waiting just until the coffee stops dripping to detatch it. I don't see how you could go wrong, but some obviously do.
This one looks nice. It works well. Has a self-priming pump (a good feature that alot don't include). It comes with a tamper, a stainless-steel frothing cup, filter holders for pods, single, and double shots. It also includes 2 tolls to clean the little holes the espresso is pumped through. It comes with pretty much everything you would end up buying for it in the first year. I have a water softener so scale will never be a problem but you would want to descale it once in a while if you don't use distilled water. The only thing I wish it had was a dial thermometer so I could watch the water temp more closely. I believe that it has an aluminum boiler. I would prefer brass but you just can't get it at this price. The pump makes some noise but not more than any other I've used. Steam espresso machines are cheaper, much quieter but burn the coffee and it doesn't taste nearly as good.
Overall, very good product, easy to use and the best value by far at this price. |
Beautiful Machine, Perfect Espresso, Easy clean up
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| Review Date: February 7, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Robin G. Linn, Richardson, TX USA |
| I'd give 6 stars if possible. I've now had this Espresso machine for about 13 months and I can honestly say I've not had any problems with it at all. I use the fine grind espresso, tamping with a medium amount of pressure and have never had any issues with clogging or any other malfunctions at all. It makes wonderful espresso, does an amazing job of frothing milk-you use much less than you might think because it froths really good ;), and it is easy to clean up. It is also great for cappuccino and latte making. The top warms my cups up nicely when in use and provides great cup storage when not in use. I would highly recommend this to anyone who loves a great espresso with minimal fuss. |
We love our Cuisinart Espresso Maker
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| Review Date: February 11, 2008 |
| Reviewer: mimilulu, San Diego, CA |
We've had this machine for about six months, and is our first pump espresso maker. This replaced our steam model, which was frustrating to use. From the day this beauty came home (special deal at Macy's - $[...] less a $[...] gift card rebate!) we haven't touched our coffee maker - well yes, we did make some coffee at Thanksgiving, but that was it.
We've used all the filter sizes with ground espresso and pods. Great crema (even some with the pods), easy to use and easy to clean. The quality of the beans you use will make all the difference in your result. We love Illy medium roast with this machine.
Yes, the steam wand is a bit long but that's not a problem for us - we have the machine placed on the end of the counter. You can produce cafe quality foam with a bit of practice.
The only complaint I have - and it's a minor one - is that the plastic cover on the water tank vibrates quite loudly when the pump is going.
Granted we were thrilled that we were able to purchase this espresso maker for about $[...] off the going retail price. It pays to watch the sales and special rebates. We couldn't be happier with our bargain! |
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