I received this adorable little espresso maker as a housewarming gift when I had my first apartment and I thought it was the best thing ever ... until I used it. It's a great novelty item and great when you have friends over for dinner and want to offer them a real espresso drink for after dinner, but for everyday use it's just not reasonable. It does brew the espresso well, but the milk steamer always seems to spray hot milk out of the steaming vessel and onto my hand which is never fun. It's also incredibly difficult to clean. There always seems to be a milk residue on the steamer part no matter what I do. It's extremely annoying. The carafe is easier to clean, but the part where you put the espresso grounds is difficult to clean as well and I always have little espresso grounds stuck everywhere in my sink when I'm finished. Once you get the hang of it this is quite easy to use to brew espresso but don't plan to use it every morning since it is rather time consuming.

capers01

Vernon Rockville, CT

I wanted to try an espresso maker and decided I would be cheap and try this one. I could never get the foam to come out right, I believe it is because it would never get hot enough to make the foam. I thought the product may be defective, so I exchanged it for the same one. I was wrong because the second one did the same thing. I cant say that I blame the machine, it was a low end, inexpensive espresso maker and it would make okay espresso, just not what I was looking for. I believe you get what you pay for so it is worth spending the extra money for a better machine. Brew Performance The foam would not come out very foamy at all, it was more like a hot milk. Ease of Cleaning It is not the easiest to clean, but I don't think any espresso machine is. Ease of Use It is not the easiest to use and with the milk not getting very hot, it makes you believe you are not doing something correct. Design The design is nice and small so it fits well on the counter if you wanted to use it everyday.

karra1031

USA

my husband always wanted an espresso machine so i had bought the krups 4 cup steam espresso machine for him last christmas. he loves it so so much. he makes his espresso every morning. i never hear him complaining about this machine. it is so easy to operate and it is such a convienent size. i didnt want one that would take up all of my baking space and this one fits well without taking all my space. it is very nice looking. it looks like we spent a bunch of money on it but the price was very reasonable. it is easy to clean up. the tray is removable which makes clean up easier. it was very easy to set up. we have never had a problem with leaking or spilling. i dont drink much espresso but the times i have tried it it tastes wonderful. brewing up a cup of espresso takes very minimal amount of time. it took a minute to read through the manual but after that i got it all figured out. it has been a great buy for my family

kassi0586

USA

I bought this unit as a gift for my son, who LOVES espresso. I cannot speak to the quality of the coffee, since I do not drink it, but according to him, it is primo. It is super simple to use, however, so I know that is a great feature. My son raves about the taste and shares with his friends who enjoy espresso as well. They all seem to be impressed as well. It seems quite durable, and it is small enough to keep it on the counter top with other appliances, or to squirrel away in a small cupboard space, and grab it whenever the espresso mood hits. All around, a good buy and a reliable product. Durability We haven't had it all that long, so I can't say how durable it is...if it is as durable as it SEEMS to be, I would give it an enthusiastic 5.

MissyLowe

Ft Mitchell, KY

Having tried the Krups 4-cup Espresso Machine I totally enjoyed my cup of espresso. In addition to drinking regular coffee I enjoy a good cup of espresso frequently. I can spoil myself any time of day with a quick espresso. Especially on Sunday when I have my quiet time sitting on the patio enjoying the silence. I served it at my dinner party also and guests were impressed at the quick cup of espresso I served up with my fabulous desert. It fits right on my counter top so I do not have to store it where I have to dig it out every time I want to use it. The clean up is quick and easy. It also looks great on my counter and everyone that see's it likes the way it coordinates with my other appliances.

babydh44

Fraser, MI

We have had our espresso machine for about 15 years and it still works very well. The drinks that it makes are delicious and it has saved us a fortune since we don't need to buy as many lattes and specialty drinks at coffee shops anymore. You should be warned though it is pretty complicated to operate and when I haven't used it for a while I have to double check the directions. It also takes about 5-10 minutes to steam up the milk which can be pretty annoying especially since you have to stay with the machine the whole time or you will burn the milk. Since it takes so long to make we really only use it when we are off from work as it takes too long to use on a daily basis. It is pretty easy to clean and the steamer has only gotten clogged on us once, and we were able to fix it by poking a needle through the hole.

estherntn

Elizabeth, NJ

I received one of these espresso makers as a gift a while back. At first it worked well. However, the steam function never seemed to work the way that it was supposed to. It was hard to use and even worse to clean. The plastic pieces started to break when I only owned it for a couple of months. I finally had the glass part of the machine break a couple of years back, so into the trash it went. This model is cheaper than other brands, but you get what you pay for. The higher end models have more features and are easier to clean. This model is okay if you are trying to save money, but don't expect it to last too long. If you have the money I would suggest buying a better brand/model.

wvmommy

Huntington, WV

I understand that this is a pretty bottom-of-the-line espresso machine but it takes me a good 10 minutes to make one latte. For the price you pay, it works fine. Next time, I would pay more money for a better quality espresso machine. Ease of Cleaning Hard to clean the steam wand, gets very crusted with milk. Durability Seems that parts that are replaceable can break easily.

LaraSeebeck

USA

Being a caffeine freak, when my husband and I received this as a wedding gift I was more than thrilled! I couldn't wait to use it. My father-in-law had created this amazing caramel thing using his Krups espresso machine when I first met my husband's parents and ever since, I've been addicted. I had to have the machine! Now that I do, I love showing it off at get togethers, making delicioius creations for friends and family. I was very intimidated by it at first as I had never used one before but it was very simple to put together and figure out. Once I got the hang of it, I felt like my very own barista! :) My favorite thing to do with it is froth. I LOVE frothing and this machine makes it simple and easy to do so. It's also very easy to clean. I only wish that it didn't take so long to create one drink...but it's worth the wait because the creations are phenominal!!! If you're in the market for one, get one. Mine has lasted me 8 years already and I'm so happy to be a proud owner. Enjoy, coffee lovers!!!

jaimeh

Roselle, IL