Former Barista gave it 4 stars, but now it died after 2 months
I wrote the review below when I got the machine. Now two months later it won't steam. I've tried everything and it wont' work. Even though this was a gift, I guess you get what you pay for with this machine.
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After working as a barista at several private coffee shops I was worried about getting an espresso machine that would fit my budget and my coffee tastes. I got this machine a few days ago as a Christmas present and have had no problems with it. It heats up quick and is fairly easy to use. It does take a little getting used to some things though. It does take longer to steam cold milk than what I was used to, and I discovered that it was harder to tamp the coffee grounds down, but it makes a decent mocha or latte. I liked that it did froth the milk very well so there was a nice foam and brews the espresso with a nice crema on top. I'm going to...
Good value, there are easy fixes for common issues!
This machine makes great espresso for a great price. The crema (foam on top) is always impeccable. BUT there is one extremely common issue with this machine that is also extremely easy to fix.
PROBLEM: machine fails to pump out any water (even with full tank & green light on)
SOLUTION: you are tamping (pressing) the coffee grounds down TOO tightly in the basket! Take the grounds out, shuffle them around to break up clumps, and place back in basket with decreased tamping pressure. Works like a charm.
Good pump espresso maker - when you learn its tricks
I've had this Krups espresso machine for about a month, got it on Woot for $65 delivered (it's on sellout.woot again today).
People have commented that it doesn't produce the same strength of coffee as a steam unit - that's because it's not supposed to. Steam units overcook the coffee, that's why I finally upgraded to a pump. You may want to choose a stronger, darker-roasted coffee if you liked the strength of a steam-driven unit. (I still use a stove-top steam pot for camping.) Some coffees that were just too strong in my Bialetti stove-top steam pot are great in the Krups, with better coffee flavour than the beans that I use with the Bialetti.
Another tip - if you like stronger espresso, don't run the pump too long, once the best of the coffee has been extracted it will just water it down if you keep pushing water through the coffee. It took me a week or two to learn the balance. I do really love the wonderful crema that this machine produces. Steam pots just...
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