Review of Capresso Ultima Coffee and Espresso / Cappuccino Machine

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(More customer reviews)I enjoyed the taste of lattes having lived in San Francisco for many years and found myself in withdrawal when I had to return to St. Louis rather unexpectedly.I purchased the Capresso Ultima about the end of 2002 or early 2003 and was and have been fairly satisfied with this product from the get go.Here are a few things I've found in having brewed well in excess of a 1000+ cups and probably 75+ or more pounds of coffee in this machine:
1.Your coffee selection is key.If you like the Starbucks or Peet's or Border's latte taste, purchase a good dark roast.
2.Buy a burr grinder so you can get the right grind, not too fine and certainly not course. I use the DeLonghi. One word of caution, after using the finest turkish grind on my burr grinder for several cups, one day I discovered the coffe would not flow no matter how long I left the pump on.By the way, don't do this because your excess coffee simply flows into the overflow tray and gets wasted.To fix the problem I called the factory in New Jersey (I think) and was told to just return the central unit--nothing else.For $65, my charges, they sent back a new unit even though I had almost 2 years of use on it.It was returned within about 10 days.Excellent customer service.
3.If you like milky, thick foam then stick with 1 or 2 percent to get the best froth which you cannot get with whole milk or soy or rice milk for that matter.
4.DO NOT OVERHEAT THE MILK!!!This breaks down the fat molecules within the milk making it impossible to build a good froth.
5.Use a small colletor to gather the espresso and not the cup you used to steam the milk. I use this to collect the espresso and then pour it into the steamed milk.After a few cups you will quickly determine how much coffee to brew.Also, if you want an absolute great surprise, make a cappacino and let the machine brew the "crema" that seems to be the rage in espresso circles.The Ultima does an excellent job making crema.
For those who don't know, it's the tasty lighter coffee that is brewed at the end of the brewing cycle and has a wonderful milky-coffee taste.
6.The coffee is always HOT, HOT, HOT so please be careful when initially drinking it.
7.The hot water heater works wonders for the likes of hot chocolate mix.
8.I should add about the frother that you will experience a lot of steamiing water which probably shouldn't be there and disappears if you let the steamer run for a few minutes--do this in a separate container and dump the water, the steam will follow.Also the frothing wand is a two stage affair that generally heats the milk at first and then after a slight adjustment on the wand will produce a thick froth.Also, I move the cup with the milk around the wand to get good even heat to the milk.
9From a cold start, to finished cup takes about 3 minutes--the heating element works extremely fast.
10.Always use distilled water not tap.This will result in a calcium deposit which will destroy the unit.If you drink a lot of this coffee, I'd recommend buying your own countertop water distiller.
11.All in all, I could not be more happy with this machine.My son who lives in Brooklyn uses a much more expensive model, over $1,000, and it produces a great cup of espresso---the Capresso Ultima does the same at almost one-fourth the price.
12.It is because of the water wastege that I gave this unit a four star rating.
13.To ensure consistent coffee taste, do take offthe top, very easy procedure, and then rinse it under the faucet.The black, grounds container on the bottom tray should be emptied and rinsed daily after
each use.
14.If and when the time comes to replace, I'll go right back to the same unit--Love it, love it.
15.Finally, the plastic water container holds near perfect amounts of water to make approximately 7 cups of coffee.

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Product Description:
Capresso "Ultima" eliminates all the inconvienent and sometimes difficult steps of conventional espresso machines: no more complications with filling, cleaning and rinsing baskets, tamping and hot filter holders. Just fill in pre-ground coffee to your liking (7 to 15 grams), pull the coffee lever down and turn the pump on. Within seconds the Capresso "Ultima" brews any size cup from one espresso to two six ounce cups of coffee always with wonderful crema on top. The double coffee spout even adjusts to accommodate different size cups.

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Review of Pasquini Livia 90 Automatic Espresso Machine

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(More customer reviews)Recently my La Pavoni broke down after 3 years, so I had to look for another machine. My machine of choice for espresso has always been Cimballi, but I was not impressed with any of their machines, which did not require a water line. After some searching and recommendation from a friend I happened upon the Pasquini Livia 90.

As far as espresso machines go, the Pasquini Livia 90 is the best unit that does not require a water line.The water resevoir holds a very large amount of water and the espresso made with this machine is simply amazing.

A good espresso should have a thick layer of creme on top (goldish brown in color) which will hold the sugar poured in to the coffee afloat for a few seconds.The Pasquini Livia 90 was the first machine I've owned to accomplish the feat.I've owned a $700 Krups Fully Automated Machine, used a $3,000 Fully Automated Machine and owned the La Pavoni fully manual machine.However, the Pasquini was the only machine to provide the perfect creme.

The steam produced by the machine will froth milk for any of the popular espresso drinks and the ability to draw hot water from the unit is also a nice touch.Unlike some machines you can leave the unit on for long periods of time without having to worry about burning out the machine.

Best machine in its class.

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Product Description:
Pasquini Livia 90 Automatic Espresso MachineFeatures & Specifications Pasquini Livia 90 Automatic Espresso Machine Where else but from Italy wouldthe most popular espresso machine come? The Pasquini Livia 90Automatic has been making headlines in the espresso world forits combination of excellent design, sturdy construction and mixof both traditional and modern features.With many of the innovationsand features of the Pasquini commercial line of espressomachines, the Livia 90 is designed for the home, office orrestaurant/cafe setting. It has all the great brewing featuresof the Livia 90 Semiautomatic but provides push button controlso that your espresso can be brewed and poured while you aredoing something else. Another time saving feature is that theLivia 90 is a genius at brewing and steaming milk all the sametime. A great convenience and excellent for commercial use, bothof the features make coffee production quick and reliable. TheLivia 90 also carries a NSF Sanitation Certification, oftenrequired for professional use.DetailedProduct FeaturesOne-touchControl, Programmable Automatic BrewingWith just a push of a button on the Livia 90, youcan choose either a single or double shot of espresso. Once youselect the cup size amount you want, the Livia 90 Automatic willbrew a rich, aromatic cup of espresso, just the way you askedfor it. You can also program the button tobring you your favorite style of espresso, every time. Want evenmore? You can brew any size coffee on the Livia 90 by switchingon the manual override feature.Simple to use and easy to read controls makebrewing with the Livia 90 a joy. Heavy-dutyrocker switches and

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Review of Capresso 121.01 Ultima Semi-Automatic Coffee and Espresso/Cappuccino Machine

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(More customer reviews)About a year ago I wanted an espresso machine that was easy to use, however I was unwilling to pay 1k or more for a fully automatic machine. The Capresso turned out to be an excellent value, providing ease of use with semi-automatic ground disposal and a reasonably sized water container.
In fact, we have experienced only two problems with the Capresso since we bought it: a torn o-ring and clogging. The o-ring tore because I did not clean the rotation mechanism for several months. The accumulated grounds eventually tore into the o-ring, breaking the pressure seal. However, when I called the Capresso help line to discuss our broken o-ring, the help desk agent immediately sent us two replacements in the mail with no questions asked. Total down time for the machine was a mere two days. The clogging was fixed with a complete cleaning, and if truth be told, it did say in the instruction booklet not to use very finely ground coffee.
Our last espresso machine, besides breaking after two years, was so difficult to use and clean we only made espresso on special occasions. The Capresso is convenient enough that we use it all the time. In fact, we have used our Mr. Coffee only twice (note the broken o-ring comment above) since we bought the Capresso.
After a year of use, I can still strongly recommend this product.

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Product Description:
The best of coffee culture in one convenient package. Eliminating all the strenuous steps of conventional espresso/cappuccino machinestamping, hot filters and stubborn sievesthis all-in-one center lets you pour in the coffee, switch on the pump and enjoy! One-year warranty. Model 121.

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Review of Saeco Talea Giro Fully Automatic Espresso/Coffee Machine

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(More customer reviews)I received my coffee maker and loved it for almost a year, until it stopped dripping the coffee.I had followed all the directions for cleaning and servicing the machine.I called the Arabee company from whom I purchased it.

They promptly made arrangement for me to get it back to them, as it was still under warranty.They have now had it for over 4 months and I can't get a proper response from them.I have been told that it took 6 weeks in the queue to get to service, then they needed a part, which may or may not have had to come from Italy.Now they won't even return calls or answer when I call.The next step, I guess is a legal one to get a new coffee maker or some form of recovery.

Loved the coffee maker while I had it.

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Product Description:
Saeco Talea Giro Fully Automatic Espresso/Coffee Machine Features & Specifications Saeco Talea Giro Fully Automatic Espresso/Coffee MachineThe new Saeco Talea Giro Espresso Machine is agreat choice not only for its innovative design but also for its easy operationand great price. The innovation is in the control panel with the new coffeecontrol ring that allows you to regulate the quantity of coffee poured into eachcup with the simple turning of a knob to make any type of coffee. Simple, butstylish, the Talea Giro will have you conjuring up fabulous espressos,cappuccinos, mochas, lattes and all of your favorite coffeehouse drinks with thetouch of a finger. All this by just pressing a button? Absolutely!Detailed Product Features:The New Saeco Brewing System - "SBS"The Talea Giro offers the new Saeco BrewingSystem that allows you to make an endless variety of coffees with just oneautomatic machine and the simple turning of knob.Whether it is a strongItalian coffee (turning the knob to the right) or an American-style long coffee(turning the knob to the left) SBS concentrates all the aroma in the cup,offering a truly full flavor and all the pleasure of a splendid creamy coffeethat is perfect every time. Fully Automatic Espresso & Coffee Brewing Do you like to start your day with an espresso,but dont want to have to clean up the mess? Just press the button and the TaleaGiro will automatically grind your coffee beans, and dispense freshly brewed,rich and flavorful coffee into your cup. This machine allows you to choose thevolume and strength of your coffee or espresso by simply pressing buttons on thecontrol panel. Then it cleans up and is ready for the next order in less than 30seconds. Press the brew button once for a single espresso or coffee. Pushing thebrew but

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