KRUPS TT6190 2-Slice Digital Toaster with Stainless Steel Housing, Silver

Good, but not perfect
Overall I'm pleased with this toaster but it's not perfect. While it toasts evenly and is easy to use, the slots aren't long enough for some breads I've found. These aren't special breads, but normal loaves from the store. This requires me to lay the slice in length-wise and have about 1 inch stick out of the top (not getting toasted). Bagels can be a very tight fit depending on their size (length and width). English muffins toast perfectly, and are easy to remove. Also, as a nitpick, the buttons for the controls have a cheap feel to them when pressed.

Looks good, but not quite perfect
This toaster is actually the nicest toaster I have ever owned. I struggled between 3 and 4 stars, but really, it's a toaster. If it doesn't do everything you want, you can't really find something else to compensate.

Pros: Love the digital controls and the timer.
Slots are more than wide enough to accept bagels
Toasts my bagels and english muffins to perfection

Cons: As others mentioned, the slots are not long enough to take longer pieces of bread, like a panini
This is the worst for me: the power cord is PAINFULLY short. I don't think it's even 12 inches. If you have a huge kitchen and tons of counter space, you may not see this as a problem. But my kitchen is tiny, and I have a SINGLE outlet to use. Because of the cord's length, I practically have to have this up against the wall (the controls on the side add to this problem, it seems to me every other toaster I have owned has the controls on the front). It's inconvienent, because I have...

Finally a proper defrost setting...
I received this toaster as a gift for my birthday two months ago and have been using it every day (often several times per day). For a decade I've been on a yeast-free gluten-free diet which means I have to make my own bread and freeze it. Long ago I had a toaster that would defrost the bread and then toast. It was a great machine until it died. Since then I have gone through quite a few toasters only to discover the 'defrost' is actually just prolonged toasting which basically means my toast comes out burnt, or burnt on the edges and undercooked in the center. The Krups finally gets it right. For the first time in years my toast comes out perfectly and there is the option to just heat the bread without toasting. It's brilliant! You can actually feel the warmth in the defrost cycle, but the elements do not come on until it's toasting time.

Other advantages are the simple setting via the digital backlit screen. It's lcd screen and stainless finish are quite stylish and...

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KRUPS XP5280 Pump Espresso Machine with KRUPS Precise Tamp Technology and Stainless Steel Housing, Silver

A really excellent espresso machine for home use
I have used Krups espresso machines for over 25 years. This is my third Krups and it is stunningly superior to the previous models I used. (The last one lasted 18 years and was still in usable condition when I upgraded to the XP5280.) The taste of the espresso made by the XP5280 is vastly superior to that produced by the previous Krups model I owned, and to the espresso made by other brands of machine that my friends own. The coffee also arrives in the cup with a wonderfully thick crema. The taste is, I'm guessing, a result of the way the machine carefully controls the water temperature and way the pump and the head work together to control rate of flow of hot water through the coffee grains, in combination with the effectiveness of the auto-tamping mechanism. The auto-tamping is a great feature. (With my prior machine I was lazy about tamping and somewhat deterred from doing it properly by the way the pump seemed to be 'laboring' when I over-tamped.) The auto-tamp gets the...

Works well after 4 months
I purchased this machine at the recommendation of a knowledgeable salesperson at a local cooking store called Great News (Pacific Beach). I really liked the programmable feature, after returning a different model that did not have the preset for espresso pour duration. I also like the "precise tamp" feature as it saves a step and works well. I find that by using a Cuisinart Conical Burr grinder to freshly grind the beans(I use illy beans exclusively), and by following the directions for proper priming(1st use), cleaning, and operation - the resulting espresso and latte drinks are excellent. It consistently turns out great tasting espresso with generous amounts of "crema", and steams milk well(I recommend getting an instant read thermometer for steamed milk which indicates proper heating temerature between 150 and 170 degrees - mine is from a company called CDN). One minor issue is the steam nozzle. Mine did break after about 4 months - one of the clips that hold the nozzle to the...

Great if you only want to make one cup
Being fairly new to Espresso machines I researched reviews on Amazon and elsewhere, and decided on a Krups XP5280. Too bad, no review ever mentioned the fact that, and this was confirmed to me by Krups Customer Service, you need to wait at least 15 minutes between successive cups of espresso, even longer if you used the steam wand! If you don't wait this long the water is diverted to the drip tray instead of the filter holder. WHAT!! Before this was confirmed by Krups itself I could only think I had a defective unit. Upon hearing that this is "normal", I promptly returned it to the seller, of course at my own expense. I didn't like that the machine couldn't be used under cabinets that don't give you enough space to fully pull out the reservoir which needs to be pulled out upwards. But I did like the Krups automatic tamping, the set amount (programmable) amount of espresso delivered, and the puck ejector in the filter holder. I only wished someone had mentioned in a review the problem...

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KRUPS XP3200 Opio Pump Boiler Espresso Machine, Black

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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