Krupsxp2070 Combination coffee/espresso maker
348029
This machine is easy to use, easy to clean, makes good coffee and expressos.  The wand is easy to utilize.  Only issue is the top of the carafe:  The lid and its hinge are not extremely durable and the hinge has broken, allowing the lid to fall-off for the unaware person. I would buy this machine, again. Would want a grinder within this machine for under $500......
2263760
I would give this product 4 out of 5 stars except for the fact that I didn't like that the maker came with only a 30day warranty because it was a christmas gift for my father who loves fresh espresso. The other complaint with the maker is that when the machine is brewing your espresso you have to hold the machine in place because it rattles up and down on the kitchen table and the cups rattle around. other then that this was a great bang for the Buck!
2185589
Read all the reviews before purchasing this unit.  For the price it makes great espresso with the crema and all. I did buy the tamper as some suggested as the built in one does not work well.  The frother works great also making thick hot cream for capucchinos. It did not take long to learn how to work it.  I do think it is important to preheat at least 15 minutes.
3085411
I've had the machine for almost 3 months.  I previously owned an ancient cappuccino maker 15 years ago and a Starbucks Barista espresso machine for the last 12 years.  If I hadn't had experience with other machines, I might have sent this one back since it always seemed to be spewing out of the frothing/water wand or the brew head when I didn't expect it.  It took a while of having to get the instruction booklet out to figure out what was automatically happening so be patient.  PROS:  It's a good looking machine, the espresso is excellent with a luscious crema.  The froth for my lattes is thick and lasts a long time.  The frothing process is faster than what I had before.  I really like that I can press the espresso button twice and have successive shots of espresso brewed without having to wait for a light before pressing the brew button again.  Automatic grinding of beans is a wonderful feature.  Fast frothing, not having to fill a brew head with separately ground beans, and double espressos make it a little faster getting out the door in the morning. Automatic dumping of the grounds into a separate compartment is convenient but it only holds a few, perhaps 5-7 before the machine instructs you to empty the bin before it will continue.  The machine was well packed for shipping and a great price compared to other online merchants and stores.  The hot water for tea is useful.  I haven't made regular coffee with it.  CONS:  Learning curve, but there is obviously some learning time expected with such a machine.  The wand is not the easiest to clean after frothing milk since you have to physically take the bottom part off as well as the rubber part to clean it well.  I suspect the rubber part will get stretched out or cracked after a while with the constant removal.  The instruction booklet is not designed well and I really didn't need them in 8 different languages. A frothing pitcher would have been nice to have included with the machine.  I wish the machine would give me a warning that it needs to be cleaned soon.  It's frustrating that I have to pull out my instructions for the descaling process when I'm trying to get out in the morning.  Really, if I got a warning, I would descale when I got home!  The espresso is so good with this machine that I stopped adding the tiny amount of flavored syrup that I used to add with my old machine.  oh, I've also used it to make the espresso for a Chocolate Espresso Martini!
2036294
This is one of a few coffee makers recommended by the Specialty Coffees Association of America (SCAA).  It has few features so it is more affordable than some of the other highly rated makers.  If you want 6 to 8 cups of really well brewed coffee and don't mind a little preparation poor to use and a relatively short wait, then you will not be disappointed. It was a good match for our coffee consumption and usage life style. I had considered the Cuisinart that was highly rated in Consumers but several people complained about the hinges breaking and the quality of the plastic parts.  This one does have plastic, but it is well designed and constructed
313537
I've finally become used to some of the quirks of this machine making espresso. I've come from a Krups and there are some usability issues with this machine where the Krups design is superior. However, this machine makes excellent espresso - Crema is plentiful, maybe a bit frothy, but still good. I plan on a blind taste test in the near future. The machine's clear usability advantage over the Krups is a significantly larger water reservoir. The Saeco stainless is also better looking....

However, I have one main and a few minor complaints about usability (and safety) design.

This is a usability-safety issue. This machine has the power button on the side, which makes it more difficult to see/observe. On the Krups the power button is a toggle switch on the front and it's position is very clear as to being on or off. Furthermore, the Krups indicator light while on has two states - blinking (on and heating) and solid (on and ready). If the indicator light is off, then the machine is off. However, on the Saeco, the indicator light while the machine is powered on has two states; off (on and heating) and solid (on and ready). Unfortunately "on and heating" looks the same as completely off. So it is too easy to look at the machine and think it is off when it is in fact on. I'm careful, but this could be easily fixed/improved and it would make it far harder to leave the machine on and not know it - a potential fire hazard.

Second is a clever trick the Krups uses in making espresso - when you set it to start making the espresso, it first pumps heated water for no more than about 3-4 seconds, no coffee drips out, waits about 5 seconds, then proceeds to pump heated water until you turn it off. The heated pre-charge of the fresh grinds seems like a good idea from everything I've read. The Saeco is missing this "automatic" feature, but it can be easily duplicated manually with a bit of counting and a few seconds of attentiveness.

Third is a minor complaint about the Saeco design - getting the spent coffee grinds out of the portafilter is more difficult than with the Krups. The plastic bin with wood knock-block is incapable of dealing with the packed grinds after making the coffee. You need to use some kind of device like a popsicle stick to get the grinds out. The Krups has a clever portafilter design that allows one to push a button that ejects the grinds without bashing the portafilter or some block of wood (and waking any sleeping partners). Very convenient.

Another minor comparative knock against the Saeco is the ridiculous flimsy plastic coffee grinds measure they supply. This will break in a half a year of using it every day. The Krups supplies a metal measure that also works well as an impromptu tamper. Furthermore, the Krups has a perfectly shaped and placed location for storage of their measure under a top access door. Beautiful little user design feature on the Krups.

Finally, the Krups portafilter has another very clever design element that allows one to place only a single 2Tblsp serving in the portafilter and rotate the portafilter until the grinds are properly tamped and then lock with a ratchet. It's brilliant but I barely ever used it. I always drink a double. Who has the discipline to only make a single when one could make a double? :-D I guess the German designers - not me.

Ultimately it's about the Espresso - how is the flavor and sensual experience? I'm pretty happy with the Saeco on this front. But we need a blind taste test....
501330
This is a great little coffee maker. I love coffee gadgets and was willing to give this a try. Easy to use and makes a pretty good shot of espresso. I'm looking forward to using it when traveling! It's very easy to set-up and use, and easy to clean with a quick rinse under water to chase out any stray coffee grounds. I did have a small problem with the lower section getting cross-threaded, but after contacting the company they offered to send me a replacement right away!
207816
I just got mine hours ago after reading plenty of reviews for this machine. I'm replacing a much cheaper coffee/espresso unit.

It is definately aesthetically pleasing and comes with everything you need including two stainless steel mugs with plates, two different sized filters and a filter cleaning tool which was unexpected. That was great! Its funny to note where the time was put in on Breville's side. Everything is matching except for the really cheap injection molded scoop/tamp combo. I wish every part of the machine and accessories were unified.

One of the things that I miss about my old machine is the audible process it made. I typically make my drinks at night and not in the morning. It was great to hear the gurgling of the water heating up and the pitter patter of the espresso dripping into the measured container. I felt like there was more trial and error in it, so you had more room for variety.

This machine is great for someone who wants their drink immediatly. It heated up the water almost instantly, and then as soon as you turn it on it  pours out the espresso and you turn it off once the mugs are almost full. Also it is noisy when it forces out the liquid. The traditional sounds of a cafe are lost by loud electronic pumps. The same pump noise is present when frothing milk. Another small disappoitment was that the switches are either on or off, there is no adjusting. So for somone who likes a good consistant espresso very quickly its a good bet.

After the instantanious procedure, I felt a little unsatisfied that the process was lost for a quick drink. Having the ability to learn how make the perfect espresso yourself is the rewarding part of owning these machines.

I think I'm going to return it, not sure which one is next.
1430439
I recently bought the Krups D50 coffee pot and love it! However, at the suggestion of "what others bought," I also purchased the Medelco #4 cone gold filter. Warning: this fits the Krups but only if you plan just to make 8 cups of coffee. Otherwise it is not large enough. The correct filter is the Krups No. 053-33. It costs a little more but will allow you to use your coffee maker to its full 12 cup capacity.

When it arrives, snap in the little basket handle. Then when you put it into the maker, there is a little notch just to the left of 12 o'clock that the outer edge of the basket handle fits into. That will keep the filter level and at the right height. Otherwise, it will sit crooked and not work properly.
3541479
I received Mr. Coffee Programmable Coffeemaker BVMC-SJX33GT in good condition and working well.  Only problem I have is the coffeepot drips when pouring coffee otherwise, it works very good.
1338149
Couldn't be more happier with this machine. Ever since krups gave up on their functional design and started focusing on the look of the product instead of the workings, i've been looking for something to replace my trusted old krups machine.  You need to make sure the pot is seated well on the warmer and under the coffee basket. This is easy to do as you can feel it click into place, but a sleepy user may not be paying close enough attention. I've had this Cuisinart for about a year and a half and it has worked flawlessly with the minor exception above. I highly recommend it.
3829753
It makes a very good espresso and very easy to use. I was not intimidated with the coffee making process. The instruction comes with photos and text. To clean up, you just take everything apart, dump the coffee grind, and rinse everything. I also really like it for its size.
1743775
I am really pleased with this machine.  It makes a wonderful cup of regular coffee and using it for espresso and cappuchino is quite easy.  When I opened it I was a little concerned because it looks complicated - but its not.  Directions are clear.  My purchase experience was great as well.  I recommend it.  Its a tidy package and I don't have to litter my counter tops with several coffee machines - this does it all.
4086867
I spent a lot of time thinking about buying this machine as we were used to the norm of brewing a big pot of coffee and drinking over the course of the morning and wasn't sure a machine like this would satisfy our usage. Our old coffee maker, a Krups with a thermal carafe didn't keep the coffee hot very long so by the end of the pot, so the idea of brewing a cup when needed seemed like a good way to resolve that. The Espresseria has turned out to be great and makes a very satisfying cup of coffee - Lived with it for about a month now and have made over 100 cups of coffee.

I was concerned about the complicated mechanism in a fully automatic, but the good reviews and comments on the service being in the U.S. gave me the confidence to try it out. Here are the thoughts of someone fairly particular about coffee (and products), but not particularly into espresso ( I enjoy it but coffee is my lifeblood):

-I started using the machine with  regular beans from our local cafe, we used to use dark roast but because the manual suggests avoiding dark roast we wanted to see how it was. Because there is no strength setting other than the grind coarseness, I didn't think the coffee was strong enough. I solved this by making an espresso shot and then a coffee. Once I switched back to dark roast, the coffee was great, even on medium grind setting. The dark roast we use flows fine without the insert part btw.

-The machine is very easy to use and tells you clearly what to do and when to do it. The interface is pretty basic which is a good thing.

-The dial knob feels a bit cheap, I was expecting something a bit more substantial especially as the main interface item. Very minor, and wouldn't keep me from buying the product It is also a bit annoying as the dial does not cycle from bottom to top of the menu or vice versa- you have to turn it in the correct direction to get it to go up or down. I'm not sure this describes it well, but it is a minor interface tweak that would have made the experience much better.

- The fit and finish of the product is good, it is pretty handsome compared to most of these machines. It is all plastic which is a bit unfortunate, but I can only assume and hope the money went into the internals. Time will tell.

- the steam wand is a bit too short so is a bit annoying to use. I don't use it much, so it is nice that it tucks out of the way, but something to consider if you plan on using it a lot.
4581243
This is a very good coffee maker.  If you just want to make a quick cup of coffee or a pot of coffee for guest, this product is for you.
375043
Cuisinart Grind & Brew works great.  Not really happy with the noise level of grinding!  Review of
3568879
A great combo machine making great espressos and superb lattes and capuccinos in just seconds. This combo is a great value. I purchased a second one for the office and many of my co-workers are enjoying it too. You'll absolutely love it.