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I had one like this before and when it came time to replace it I bought another brand which was not nearly as good as this machine. Makes great espresso and lattes and more. This is a terrific little machine. In the future I will buy it again if it is still available.
I recommend but not for a crowd. However, if you are looking for 1 - 2 espresso's at a time this machine is great. I love this little machine for the price. I have used professional machines and, of course, this does not compare. It also made excellent froth.
This is a good espresso machine for a starter, but don't expect it to last for too long. I am in the process of buying a higher end espresso machine right now. I have cleaned it multiple times and it doesn't do any good. About 9 months to a year ago the espresso started to get bitter, and taste burnt. 2005. I received this machine as a b-day present in Dec. For the first 1-2 years I worked great for lattes, that is all I used it for. When I make it I might get 1 shot of "good" espresso but it starts to get a burned taste after that.
If that still doesn't work try a different fineness of grind. It is easy to keep clean, has a small footprint on the countertop and does its job well.However, if you are new to understanding home espresso and cappuccino machines please realize that these steam driven ones have their limitations. At this point the top of the coffee is level and uniform, and is a scant 1/16 of an inch or so below the top of the filter basket. Then I tamp it down firmly but not hard. First, and nearest the surface, is a zone that entrains air into the milk and makes a stiff foam. Some, like myself, judge by feeling the warmth of the outside of the mug or pitcher.Now steaming as you are brewing has another positive effect with this machine. Top of the line espresso machines are designed with a lot of attention to detail and complexity regarding these considerations. If you are interested in what those limitations might be and how to get the best of what can be expected of this device, I invite you to read on.
But the Devil is in the details as to how that is accomplished.Fancy (read expensive) espresso machines force water at just below boiling through the ground coffee held in the "portafilter" (aka basket and holder) by using a pump. I do not pack it very hard at all. I fill my basket to the top, then level and pack it gently with the tool provided. If you are one of those people for whom espresso is an art form and a lifestyle, you will never be happy with one of these simple steam powered pots.but if you just want to be able to get your morning java with a nice bit of steamed milk like they do it at Starbucks without having to leave the house (or without paying $5 plus a cup) you can get fine results with this device.
In fact, unless you have a really good coffee shop around your place, or have a friend who is a good amateur barista, you might not even recognize this stuff as foamed milk at all. Super java-heads and professional baristas will go on for hours and hours about finessing the grind, the amount of coffee loaded into the portafilter, (aka dosing,) and the way the coffee is packed or tamped down. At that point I can usually sneak in a little bit more coffee. The additional coffee brewed into your standby mug is waste. Start with cold 1% milk.
Some people use thermometers to determine the perfect temperature at which to stop warming the milk. There are three zones you want to become familiar with while frothing milk. It isn't properly called espresso because of the way it was made, though most of us would call it that. It should start as a very dark stream. As for frothing the milk. To start off with, the amount of coffee you put into the portafilter, the fineness of the grind, and the way you tamp it effects the rate at which the water goes through it. What is in the carafe is a very acceptable tasting brew of strong coffee.
But there is a trick that can help. Fill a mug (or smallpitcher if you prefer) about 1/3 full with this milk. Be careful to observe the volume changes as you foam like this because that is the only clue you have to the process being pretty well finished. Throw it down the drain.If you never get any crema appearing in the carafe, or if the brew goes blonde very early, try tamping a bit tighter and/or using more coffee. Learn to froth without using the extra helper device on the wand. Serious espresso aficionados turn their noses up at any of these steam driven devices eschewing them in favor of expensive and usually complex espresso machines priced into the thousands of dollars. When the water gets too hot, the coffee comes out tasting nasty.
No further foaming occurs. Enjoy. True Believers in the Religious Experience of Espresso turn their noses up at this sort of foam, but it is precisely that stiff head of foam that some of us like, so don't let anyone tell you it is "wrong." The second zone, just a little deeper into the milk than the first is a point that produces "microfoam" or bubbles so small they are barely noticeable as bubbles at all. If that sort of thing is of interest to you I suggest you check out "http//www.coffeegeek.com" for additional information and how-to articles. In a nutshell that is all there is too it. This sort of microfoamed milk is delightful in lattes. Unfortunately most serious coffee types seem to have a penchant to be verbose, so plan to do a lot of reading for relatively little solid information.it is, however, enjoyable and fascinating reading. This is called "blonding." As soon as you notice the "blonding" remove the carafe and replace it with your standby mug.
The rate of the temperature controlled water passing through the coffee is affected not only by the pump but also by the density with which the coffee was packed into the portafilter and the fineness of the grind. When the brewing gets going insert the tip of the wand into the mug of milk and tilt the mug slightly. At first paying attention to the brew as you steam the milk may seem difficult, but with practice it all gets to be second nature. Here the only thing that happens is that steam warms the milk.
In fact the milk looks hardly changed, except that as you are steaming, it grows in volume. Watch the coffee coming out of the little spout on the bottom of the portafilter. Only a moderate packing here, not major compression because too hard a tamp and the water will not be able to penetrate the coffee until the pressure, and therefore the temperature, gets too high. The build quality is good, the durability is excellent, and for what it is and can be expected to do, I rate it tops. The problem is that by the time the water has boiled and built up steam pressure it is already above the "perfect" temperature to make a cup of espresso. In about 30 seconds you will notice a little of that foamy head called "crema" forming in the carafe. The water itself is carefully heated to a pre-determined temperature taking into account any further effects that the "grouphead" (aka the part of the machine that holds your portafilter,) is expected to have on the water temperature as it passes through it.
Fill the water tank and turn the machine on to start the brewing process. Once the volume doubles you are done microfoaming.In either case, microfoam, or stiff foam, the last step and the third zone to know, is to sink the tip of the steamer deep into the milk near the bottom of the mug or pitcher. Releasing the steam into the milk also reduces the pressure in the boiler tank, and thereby keeps the water temperature lower as the coffee is brewing. If you know about these steam espresso makers and know that this is what you are looking for, the Capresso Mini is a good one. Listen for changes in the sounds as you do this. Furthermore the grouphead temperature itself can also be effected by either several shots of espresso being processed through it in a short period of time, or by long periods of sitting idle.
Instead it is more properly called "moka." (Not "mocha," which is chocolate and coffee). That trick is to have an extra empty mug handy as you start to brew. Mine is getting a little beat up through the bumps and scratches of operator misuse and abuse, but it is still functioning fine. You should be able to get about ½ of the carafe full before this happens. Here is how:Good espresso is achieved by first using only quality espresso ground coffee and then carefully controlling both the rate at which water is passed through that coffee as well as the temperature of the water. This Capresso Mini steam device (and all others like it) use steam pressure to force the water through the coffee in the portafilter instead of a pump.
Soon after that the coffee coming out of the bottom of the portafilter will appear markedly lighter in color. Flip the valve to steam and move the mug downward to draw the tip of the wand closer to the surface of the milk. The trick to getting good results with this machine is understanding that by the time the carafe has fully filled with the brewing coffee the runaway temperature/pressure thing has happened and your pot of coffee is probably spoiled. I have had one of these little steam pots for making my morning lattes and cappuccinos for years now. Also, if you remember any high school physics or if you use pressure cookers in your kitchen, you will also realize that as the pressure builds up, the temperature at which the water boils also increases. This little device has plenty of power for that.
Like that Master-Card ad says - Cost of the machine $xx.xx.cost of the coffee grounds - $yy.yy.cost of the paper towel to clean up the mess after the brewing process - &0.zz.cost of enjoying a hot refreshing cup of espresso/cappuccino/mocha/what ever it is that you like with in the comfort of you house - PRICELESS (with a halo on my head and a huge smile on my face).Hope the halo doesn't turn into horns and the the smile into a frown anytime soon. The below average reviews I read before I bought this product in general complained about it dying on them after a few months of use. This espresso/cappuccino machine works like a charm. Of course, I've only been using it for about a week now. So, if you don't see a follow up it means it's still going strong.As for the machine, I love the taste of freshly brewed espresso and the cappuccino I can make at home.
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