Capresso 3011.01 4-Cup Glass Replacement Carafe with Lid for Mini Espresso Machine
by Capresso

List Price: $440.00
Category: Kitchen
See more product details

(Click here)

Product Summary

• Measures 15 by 16 by 12-inch; 1-year limited warranty.
• Steaming wand froths milk for cappuccinos and caffe lattes
• Removable 53-ounce water tank; double brewing spout fills 2 cups at once
• No-mess, no-fuss: automatically tamps coffee and discards used grounds
• Brews from 1-1/2 to 12-ounce of espresso or regular coffee in seconds

• Nigella Lawson Cappuccino Cup/Saucer Set/2 Black
• Capresso 560.01 Infinity Burr Grinder, Black
• Capresso 503.05 Stainless Steel Cool Grind Coffee Grinder, Stainless Steel
• Capresso 201.01 FrothXpress Automatic Milk Frother, Black

Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of Capresso 3011.01 4-Cup Glass Replacement Carafe with Lid for Mini Espresso Machine

Customer Review: I could not be happier with this machine
Summary: 5 Stars

If you are buying this for an office like I did, it is noisier than a Mr. Cofee machine, it's probably on par with the noise from a dishwasher: it's fine for a lunchroom or a file room where a door can be closed, but I wouldn't recommend it in an open area in which people work. For home use, it should be OK.

Where this product really shines is the cleanup. It really takes very little time to keep this unit clean, which was my biggest fear when buying one. I wipe the frother (the spout where the steam comes out) with a sponge after each use (takes all of 5 seconds). After 5-6 uses, a light comes on telling you to pour out the used coffee grinds, which takes all of 10 seconds. After about 10 uses, I remove the top, rinse it in the sink, wipe down the exposed inside, and then rerinse the removed top. During this time, I soak the frother and then reinstall everything back into place. It sounds complicated, but it isn't, and it takes about a minute or two per week. You'll save more than that even if you work next door to a coffee shop.

This is my first cappucino machine, and I've had it for over a year and use it twice each workday. I'm really happy with it and would recommend it to anyone interested in a cappuccino machine at this price point. It's a consumer product, not a $700 industrial-grade machine you can expect to smash around, but it's priced accordingly and the ease of use and quality of coffees it produces makes it a real value. It allows me to use water-process decaffinated coffee that no coffee shop will use because it doesn't taste as good as standard decaf, but doesn't have the chemicals that I don't want. And, it's much faster than going to the coffee shop, which in my case, is only 3 doors from my office building. And when it is raining out, who wants to walk even 3 doors away to a coffee shop?

I had some complaints, but they really had more to do with my inexperience. Now that I have had the thing for a year I upped my rating to 5 stars from 4. 2 double-size cappuccinos per day x 200 work days x $3 = $1200. The $300 it costs, plus $150 in coffee I've spent (Peets most expensive blend) + $50 in milk means I've saved $700 in the first year, and a whole lot of time. After a year of use, it still works perfectly, but if it broke tomorrow, I'd buy another one.

Description of Capresso 3011.01 4-Cup Glass Replacement Carafe with Lid for Mini Espresso Machine

For steaming and frothing milk to make cappuccinos, lattes, and hot chocolates and for delivering hot water for tea, there's a wand that rotates out to fit inside a pitcher or cup. The coffee receptacle accepts 7 to 15 grams (one or two fillings of the included scoop), and the powerful pump supplies enough hot water each time to fill cups from 1-1/2 ounces to 12 ounces, which means it will make a big mug of regular coffee as well as an espresso. The 53-ounce water tank is transparent for water-level monitoring. Water heats quickly thanks to the 1,200-watt heating coil, and a thermostat light shows when the water is hottest. The machine has internal storage for the power cord and comes with clear instructions, drink recipes, and a one-year warranty against defects. --Fred Brack

Coffee, Tea & Espresso

• Kitchen & Dining > Coffee, Tea & Espresso