Reviewer: EAM
Rating: 5,0 de 5 estrelas
Title:
Review: I’m normally an I hate mornings, get me my coffee quick Keurig kind of guy. Occasionally, I’ll get a bit more serious and pull out my Timemore Chestnut grinder and do a nice pour over or use my moka pot. I’m almost done renovating our kitchen and this Cuisinart Espresso Bar fits perfectly in the corner between our stove and pantry cabinet.This machine makes having a perfect espresso almost as easy as using the Keurig. Just place the portafilter with either the single or double shot basket into the grinding cradle with the dosing guide on top. Press the single or double button and wait for the appropriate amount of coffee to drop in. The only thing that takes any extra effort is removing the dosing guide and getting the coffee flattened enough to tamp it. Once you get that done, just place the tamping puck on top of the portafilter, place it back into the cradle, and pull the lever down to complete the tamping. Move the portafilter under the brew head and press the appropriate dose size button. If you’d like more water, just place the cup under the steam wand and move the selector to hot water instead of steam. Or use the steam wand to froth your favorite type of milk. It takes a bit of practice with the settings to get it dialed into your preferences.The machine has a 1/2-pound bean storage and conical burr grinder on top. You can choose from 16 grind sizes. The water reservoir can be filled from the top or pulled out for easy filling from filtered water. There is a charcoal filter in the water reservoir. The top has a cup warming spot on the left. You can choose from single or double settings and even reprogram the buttons to add more water for each. The grinder is in a small basket that is removable for easy cleaning and there is a descale setting as well. The baskets and dosing guide can be stored under the machine in a basket behind the tray. I would not put the puck in it as it got a bit stuck when I did. One thing I have noticed is that if there is a bit too much coffee in the basket, you will have trouble turning the portafilter in the brew head. It will become almost impossible and feel as though you’re going to break it. The easy way to avoid that is to pay attention to the tamping puck. If it bottoms out on the basket when you’re tamping the coffee, it will turn in the brew head.Overall, this is a fantastic machine and although it’s fairly expensive, it is not too expensive for what you’re getting. It feels like a commercial appliance and exudes quality. It weighs 35 lbs. At the moment, the Amazon price is about $50 cheaper as compared to the Cuisinart website.I cannot recommend this espresso maker more. If you love coffee and are willing to pay for it, get this machine. If you spend a lot of money at coffee shops and it’s about coffee and not the social scene, get this machine.

Reviewer: David P
Rating: 5,0 de 5 estrelas
Title:
Review: Years ago I messed around with espresso and cappuccino. I had some small well known brand of espresso cappuccino maker that cost less than a hundred dollars and was about the same size as a regular coffee maker. I ground the beans using a small electric grinder. Nothing fancy. Wait until the grinding sounded about right and tamp the coffee into the handle for inconsistent results. The milk foamer ran a bit too hot or cold. I eventually gave up on that and stored them in the cabinet of failed kitchen toys.Then I got this beast. I know it is not the super-expensive professional Italian model you find in coffee shops, but it is a real upgrade to what I used in the past. I have fallen down a rabbit hole full of espresso gurus. “What do you mean you are not weighing your beans?” or me frantically Googling, “Why is there water on top of my puck?” Obviously, you do not need to get that fanatic about your coffee. I just like having these types of obsessions, I mean hobbies. The machine allows you to choose between 16 grind settings. It allows you to use the default settings for a pull. It also allows you to program the time for the pull and grind duration. So, once you find the perfect combination of bean, grind, and pull duration you can use those programed settings over again. Luckily, it is also easy to go back to the default settings because the instruction manual is short, illustrated, and legibly written. There is a place on top of the machine to warm my double walled hand blown with a cute little spout espresso cups – NOT included, but what’s the use of having this fantastic machine if you are not going to go all out? My wife can confirm that I have made 6 cups in a row, marking the specific variables in a spreadsheet of course, to find the best combination for the perfect espresso. Now I will get another brand of coffee bean and start the process again. I am not being sarcastic when I say the entertainment value of making espresso for company or alone makes owning this machine worth it. Now, if I could only figure out the best technique for foaming the milk. I have a couple of gallons of whole milk in the fridge waiting for me. I’m excited to get back to it. I’ve had it for about a month and enjoy using it every day. It is by a well known trusted manufacturer as well, so just get it.

Reviewer: Kris
Rating: 5,0 de 5 estrelas
Title:
Review: They could teach college courses on how to write an instruction manual. I can understand the trend away from paper copies but sometimes it goes a long way, and this is one of those times. I’ve included several photos that I took before I used it for the first time so anyone reading this review can see what it looks like when it’s right out of the box.It comes with everything except the beans and a mug to make your first cup. One nice extra on this is a removable storage compartment that holds all the accessories when I’m not using the machine. The accessories are numerous – a dosing guide, both a single and double shot filter, a bottomless portafilter, a steam cleaning wand, a brush to clean the burr grinder and another brush to clean the chute. It also includes a tamping puck, a charcoal water filter as well as the holder for it, and a frothing pitcher.I might have missed one or two things but the short story here is you don’t have to go out and buy a bunch of stuff just to use this the first time which I really appreciate. They walk the user through it step-by-step on making a 1-shot, a 2-shot, a cold espresso, frothing the milk, cleaning every inch of the machine, etc. They really don’t leave much to the imagination when it comes to figuring out how to use this.If you’ve never had an espresso machine, they make it very intuitive. For instance, the knob to determine how finely you want to grind the beans is very clearly marked on the top. They also state in the booklet that they recommend starting at 8 on the knob and adjusting larger or smaller from there. It literally is a “dummies for making espresso” which I personally appreciate.And…it happens to make espresso that tastes great. It definitely is nice and hot when you’re making a typical hot cup. I haven’t tried the cold yet but then again I would be blending it with ice so that’s not something I’m concerned with. It can easily make all sorts of drinks from a standard espresso to a latte, americano, or anything else that you would expect to be able to make.This is well made but at a fraction of the price of the Lamborghini of espresso machines. Cuisinart makes quality products; we have several already and this holds up their brand very well.

Reviewer: G
Rating: 4,0 de 5 estrelas
Title:
Review: I’ve been using a Breville express for just about five years so I was delighted when Amazon invited me to give this new Cuisinart a try. It has some nice features that should appeal to people who might want something slightly better than a base model without spending a thousand on a dual boiler. It competes with the Breville (Sage) Express, Ninja Café Lux and most other $500 models. This model requires a small amount more knowledge than something like a fully automatic but it’s still very user friendly. First off, this thing makes great espresso, right on par with the Bambino or Barista Express. It has a similar pump, similar features and the same type of conical grinder as the express. It can pump out a double shot in a very short time, no long heat up required. Its also great that it comes complete with a bottomless portafilter, something Breville has yet to implement. Its nice that they decided to go with a standard 54mm size instead of some weird one off size. I am yet to try but I assume it’ll work with the same portafilters that Breville uses, I’ll update this review if not. One important note for beginners, it does not include a pressurized basket. This means you’ll have to dial in each grind and will likely go though a bit of coffee before you get it set perfectly. I much prefer this as it gives you the best possible espresso although it’s a bit more time consuming. I love that the shot buttons are programmable, holding the button down lets you record how much volume comes out for a single press. I’m the type that uses a scale/timer so I won’t be using the pre-recorded setting but it’s nice to setup for people that might not be as particular about espresso as me but still gives them a very close to perfect amount. Another nice thing is the little metal tray that folds down for smaller cups. Its great since bottomless portafilters are notorious for splashing but it’s unfortunately a bit too small to fit any but the smallest of scales. I like the steam wand, its nice and chunky and has good pressure for relatively fast heating/frothing. The thing I very much do not like is the thing that looks like a beautiful steam lever but isn’t. I cannot fathom who came up with this idea. Instead of putting that lever on the right and making it for steam, someone had the bright idea to make it for tamping?! It’s meant to be an idiot proof tamper that can be pulled to compress your puck right after grinding. I don’t like it and use my own, separate, tamp 100% of the time. It’s important to level out your grind after grinding so, for me this always requires: removing the portafilter, tapping, WDT, leveling, then tamping. This also means that the steam side does not have a lever, only a selector switch. Talk about a missed opportunity. Rant aside, this is functionally the same as the Breville Express and Bambino as they don’t have levers either. The grinder is also comparable to Brevilles, the hopper holds a decent amount and it grinds well. Its not a fancy or quiet grinder but, if you want better, you’ll have to spend at least $500. I still recommend only putting a single serving in at a time and weighing your beans for consistency but its nice for regular users. Remember that you might not get a perfectly consistent grind at first as this style of grinder needs to be “seasoned”. Aside from the steam wand thing, it’s a pretty great espresso machine. It has all the other standard features like a removable drip tray with storage, cup warmer and filter. It also has a cold espresso option that sounds immensely unappealing to me but it’s a nice option to have. I guess this option could come in handy for affogato users. If these come down in price, which they should over time, they could be very competitive with other brands. I also think it looks pretty nice on a countertop although it’s certainly the largest espresso machine in the category. All in all, it’s a great machine that makes fantastic espresso.

Reviewer: Sweet T
Rating: 5,0 de 5 estrelas
Title:
Review: Don’t be intimidated! It is very easy to set up and use! Very user friendly. This thing is an absolute beast! I was not expecting how big it is so you will need plenty of counter space. For the cost, this is actually much cheaper than going to Starbucks everyday but you’re getting the same quality, I always buy my coffee on sale and after I figured out the cost of my barista quality oat milk and whole bean coffee on sale or from Sam’s club, this thing would pay for itself in a year of not going to Starbucks and buying one coffee a day during weekdays! If you’re trying to justify the price, I highly recommend doing the math for yourself because believe me, the price for this machine is very much worth it. The space it takes on the counter is very much worth it. I like coffee so much that I made a whole coffee bar around this machine! I anticipate this machine lasting decades! It is super easy to clean, too. I was afraid to try the frosting function but got over my fear very quickly. This honestly makes a better mocha than if I had gone to seven Brew. It isn’t terribly loud in comparison to other machines of this caliber. It heats up and brews extremely quickly. I am just in awe of this quality and Cuisinart has not compromised their standards!This would make the perfect wedding or anniversary gift.