Cuisinart EM-100 1000-Watt 15-Bar Espresso Maker, Stainless Steel
|
List Price: Our Price: $126.79 You Save: $198.21 (61%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $68.95 (click here) Category: Kitchen See more product details |
|---|
Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of Cuisinart EM-100 1000-Watt 15-Bar Espresso Maker, Stainless Steel
Customer Review: good value
Summary: 4 Stars
Love my new machine! Nice big water reserve and the 3 different holders for the varying pod sizes helps a ton. As a person who actually works for Starbucks, I have played with a way better machine. Obviously. So here are a few things to keep in mind when buying this:
I cannot imagine tampering the espresso so hard that water won't even run through it and then the pressure forces one to not be able to brew for 20 minutes. I have no idea how someone could accomplish that. There is a point that the grinds will be a little too soaked so that is the only indicator that that I applied to much pressure. There are 2 significant problems with this machine though: 1) the steaming feature sucks! If the water reserve is full, it will just endlessly pour hot water into your milk. That's what this machine does by the way, not steam, but just pour water into your milk to heat it up. Bad foam action..
2) The espresso will not stop pouring into the desired amount unless you turn it off yourself. I am used to the machine knowing when to stop so keep a timer on you! It should be around 20s for 2 shots to pour. Anything over that is just an Americano.
Customer Review: Had a few bumps...
Summary: 4 Stars
I got this model as a birthday gift about 4 months ago... within the first 2, the steam wand began leaking from the base preventing it from steaming fully. It still worked, it just took a bit longer. Rather than complain (no one likes calling Consumer Services) I dealt with it until 2 weeks ago, the power button stopped working. By that I mean, it would turn on if you held down the button and sometimes at random if you kept pushing it. For someone who uses it first thing everyday, this is no way to start the morning.
I sucked it up and called the warranty hotline. I was surprised to learn that it has a 3 year manufacturers warranty. Anyway, the phone call lasted about 8 minutes, a new machine will arrive in 7 - 10 days and I use the box it comes in to send my old one back. Shipping is $10 each way but they waived the first charge on account of it being a birthday present.
All in all, my morning latte is delicious and my only complaint is that I'm unable to make espresso and steam at the same time. But hey, maybe that's why this machine doesn't cost more than it does.
Customer Review: Good Machine w/ Slight problem
Summary: 3 Stars
This is the 3rd Espresso Machine I have used and the first one I purchased. My two previous roommates had krups machines that worked great and produced a good espresso w/ good crème. This machine is very good as well. It is relatively small, which works nicely cause I am limited on counter space. It heats up quickly (~ 1minute), steams milk quickly and easily and produces a good shot of espresso. My problem with the machine and reason for giving it a 3 star review is the beginnings of the espresso are watered down. I am using pods and for some reason when I first flip the switch and the machine begins producing espresso the first 3-5 seconds the liquid is almost clear. After a few seconds the liquid changes consistency and you can noticeably tell the difference. So, what I have been doing is just let the machine run for a few seconds before I slide my cup underneath. Using this method I get a fairly consistent shot w/ good crème. The more espresso shots you make the better/darker they become. My only problem is getting the first one to be as dark as the 2nd or 3rd.Customer Review: Great Machine for Beginners
Summary: 5 Stars
I like to drink a latte daily, but at nearly $4 a pop it was getting to be quite a pricey habit. After performing a lot of research on machines, and keeping my budget of ~$350 in mind, I decided upon the Cuisinart and couldn't be happier.
Having never made my own espresso I was looking for a simple but quality machine -- the Cuisinart is exactly that, and even comes with an instructional CD for us newbies. After only a couple uses I have this down to an art, and enjoy a delicious latte every day.
I read through the current reviews, and haven't had any of the problems people have described (i.e. leaking water reservoir, "exploding" grounds). The steam wand is a little long, and the warming tray isn't overly effective, but for the cost and the quality of the product these are minor inconveniences at worst. A nice crema is produced, the steaming wand works well, and it's pretty easy to clean.
I highly recommend this machine. It's actually a pragmatic buy... ~$35/month making my own latte vs. ~$100/month purchasing in stores!
Customer Review: Great Machine. Makes great espresso, nice crema.
Summary: 5 Stars
I love this thing. It's pretty easy to make a very flavorful espresso with nice crema. Beware of getting the coffee grind too fine; it will clog the tiny holes in the portafilter basket and jam the machine. To fix this, I turned off the machine and repeatedly shifted the knob to coffee brewing position and back to off. This released the pressure and allowed me to remove the portafilter. Then I blew into the coffee basket backwards and that seemed to help. This happened when I ground the coffee at the grocery store in their commercial grinder set to "espresso." You want to get it pretty fine but not powder fine. Also note that you need to run a little bit of water through the portafilter just before brewing, then remove it and clean out the grounds that it flushed out. (some grounds usually stick to the brewing head above the basket) It's really not hard to do and it ensures that you won't get any old grounds in your current brewing.
Someday I may buy one of those $600 machines but it's hard for me to imagine the espresso being that much better.