I purchased this machine at a Kohl''s for roughly $220. I think it''s of an exceptional quality for the price.
Positives: #1 Well built (it''s actually quite heavy)
#2 easy to use, filters allow for a single or double shot to be made also comes with a pod filter but I''ve never used it
#3 large water reservoir that has allowed me to make 4 or 5 espressos and steam milk too
#4 comes with a DVD that teaches you how to use it (much easier than reading the booklet) this is especially helpeful if you''re new at making your own drinks
#5 easy to clean
#6 has a warming plate on top (good if you need to make more than one double shot cups or two single shot cups
#7 espresso has a good taste (although I think this has as much to do with the quality of the coffee you''re using) The machine actually does produce a good amount of crema for the price you pay
#8 Stainless steel frothing picture is just the right size for one latte or two cappucinos
#9 15 bar pump allows for more than enough pressure and for great taste.
#10 has a feature that allows you to get plain old hot water too if someone isn''t interested in the espresso and wants tea/cocoa/whatever
Negatives: #1 the steam nozzle is too long you kind of have to tilt the pitcher to get the nozzle out this isn''t a problem so long as you know so you can use less milk or you can place the machine so the nozzle can be used on a non-countered space. The nozzle has a good range of movement so this does help counteract.
#2 the distance between the portafilter (where the coffee comes out) and the drip tray is not very tall I''ve found that I have to use a smaller cup to brew and then dump it into a larger cup if I''m going to make a latte and want to fit in a decent amount of frothed milk.
#3 you have to be really careful to not overtamp your grounds or you''ll end out with coffee everywhere this machine is a little pickier than I expected (and pickier than the really cheap machine this replaced). But, with that said, the taste is 100x better. You can catch it if you overtamp too so long as you closely monitor and make sure the water is coming out of the portafilter at a decent rate. If you overtamp, barely anything drips out. After a while you figure out how much is too much.
#4 my biggest complaint, and this one is quite dangerous There''s not a great way of knowing that pressure has been released this means that once your espresso is made and you''re ready to clean out the coffee grounds you have to be really really careful or it''ll explode the hot coffee grinds all over you and your kitchen. I''ve been seriously burned a couple of times. It might not be a problem if you''re used to espresso machines (I wasn''t when I first bought this one) or you learn to be super extra careful always.
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!
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I like my coffee. In fact, I freely admit to being a coffee addict. And before I say anything else, let me say that this machine makes great coffee. With the right beans and a bit of practice, you can beat the taste of any coffee shop with this.
That said, I am glad, I still have my french press, because sometimes this machine decides to be difficult. It usually starts if you tamp your coffee too hard. The coffee maker is then unable to pass water through and ceases up completely. Make sure you watch what you are doing, so you can stop it from trying if necessary. Now, the real problem with this is, that you will have a very hard time removing the basket, as long as there is still pressure inside. It takes somewhere between 5-10 minutes at least, before the pressure has gone down enough, that you can pry the basket off (watch for exploding coffeegrounds, if you didn''t wait long enough).
To make matters worse, the machine seems to have a hard time recovering after an incident such as this. It seems to get even pickier, with what it will accept, and it will be easier to resort to the backup plan, and let the espresso machine recover.
I would rate the EM-100 a 5/5, if it weren''t for this problem. I hardly apply any strength, when I tamp my coffee, and I still run into trouble from time to time. In fact, the first one I had got so picky, that I took it back to the store and exchanged it.
To minimize my risk, I take great care to clean every bit of the coffee maker after each use. If you can live with this issue, the coffee that comes out of this machine really is to die for.
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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.
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To start with, the machine leaked water out of the bottom from the beginning.
A couple of months before the 1-yr warranty was up, the plastic (!) piece holding he steaming wand broke and sent the wand shooting under pressure. Cuisinart agreed to replace the machine, but I had to pay return shipping AND new shipping. I believe they sent me a refurbished machine, as immediately the wand would barely release steam and no water stream through the wand at all. The front knob would get so hot under all of the pent-up pressure, that it was too hot to touch! A couple of times the wand came shooting off. I called back, but Cuisinart told me now the warranty was up, even though they just sent me a faulty machine! Told me they might make an exception, but again I would have to pay shipping both ways! What?!?
No more Cuisinart for me.
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