Espresso at home as good as (or better than) "4 bucks"
Written: Jan 24 '07
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Easy to use, fast cleanup, outstanding espresso.
Cons: A little noisy, hot water shoots out of the wand at 18bar!
The Bottom Line: If you want to make good latte at home, skip the steam based machines. The Espresso Classic should be at the top of your list.
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| cspu's Full Review: Jura-Capresso EspressoClassic Luxe 114 Espresso Ma... |
I have become somewhat of a coffee snob in the last couple of years. I used to think that all coffee was the same, but now I know better. Along with my new appreciation came an expensive habit. I'd become addicted to the local coffee shop's lattes. Well $3.50 each adds up pretty quick so I only got one once per week. My friend was making his own at home on his $700 espresso machine and I knew I didn't like espresso THAT much, but a $150 machine was right up my alley.
Why the Espresso Classic?
I had read that the steam based espresso machines that are commonly available under $100 made inconsistent espresso shots. With that knowledge I determined that if I was going to spend the money I was getting one with a pump that forced the hot water through the grounds. The Espresso Classic has an 18bar (261psi) pump so the water pressure is constant and does not rely on steam pressure build up.
What's in the box
The Espresso Classic came with a small but very useful instruction pamphlet that shows what all of the parts are and what the different switch positions do. There are two sieves included, one is for a single shot and the other for a double. There's also a coffee scoop with a flat end for tamping the grounds into the sieves. No glasses or pitchers are included so you'll have to acquire those elsewhere or just use coffee mugs like I do.
Making Espresso
Making espresso is really easy with the Espresso Classic. Just fill the reservoir with water and flip on the power switch. After a minute or so the light on the front will come on which indicates that the machine is ready. Fill the sieve with grounds and reattach it to the machine, place a cup under the sieve, and turn the switch to the picture of the coffee cup. In about 15 seconds you'll have a rich cup of espresso with a nice thick layer of creme' on top. Turn the switch back to off and you're ready to start all over.
Using the steamer
Some people don't like straight espresso so for people that like a little milk in their shot the Espresso Classic includes a steaming wand. The wand serves two purposes, there is a switch at the top that toggles it between "steam" and "hot water". In the steam position the wand is used to heat milk with water vapor. There are two wand positions, one just steams the milk, the other froths the milk (for capuccino). The wand has a sleeve on it that moves up and down, in the up position it steams and in the down position it froths. Turning the selector switch on the front counter clockwise activates the steaming wand. It takes about 30 seconds for me to steam a half cup of milk. I don't use a thermometer so I don't know if it takes less time to reach "ideal" temperature (I'm not that much of a snob yet). Combine your steamed milk and espresso and viola, home made latte.
Cleanup
When you're done with the steamer you need to flip the switch at the top to the water position and run some water through it to wash out all the milk.
When you turn of the power, the Espresso Classic purges any water that was left inside the heating chamber. That water is dispensed into a removable tray under the espresso sieve (where you set the coffee cup). You'll need to empty that on occasion to avoid overflow.
It's probably a good idea to run an internal cleaning just like any coffee pot, but I don't make espresso every day so I don't think it would be necessary very often.
Final Thoughts
The Capresso Espresso Classic is a great machine. It makes espresso based drinks quickly and they taste just as good as coffee shop coffee (better than some I've had at national chain shops). Cleanup only takes a few seconds so there's really no downside. If you're spending $4 for a latte at the shop you can pay for this machine in no time and you don't have to leave home to get your espresso fix!
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
cspu
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 in Electronics |
 - Top 500 |
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Location: The Island of Misfit Toys (Alabama)
Reviews written: 116
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About Me:
Sarcastic car audio enthusiast, motorcycle rider, and hunter... and I make NO apologies for it!
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