Excellent quality without taking a loan on your house
Positive Product Points
Lives up to cafe quality taste
Negative Product Points
Filter removal could be easier. Tricky getting the holder aligned to release, can cause spillage with a soupy puck.
Detailed Commentary
I’ve read several reviews good and bad on this unit. I can’t comment on machines that are actually defective, but I have learned some tips that might account for disappointing experiences by other owners.
Tamping is probably as important as getting the grind right. Since Krups provides no tamper with its machine and finding a tamper that fits is rather difficult, I suspect that many folks have had to improvise and this can easily lead to disappointing results, especially when you combine this with never having tamped espresso before.
1) The tamper size is 53mm which is hard to find because most are 50 or 58mm. Being warned in previous reviews, I experimented with the least pressure, graduating to firmer and firmer pressure and found one that works right every time. (It is true that too tight a pack will block the puck from passing the brew.)
2) Getting the right grind is all important and it’s very easy to overgrind. Even the best of home grinders can make too fine a powder if left on for just a couple of seconds longer. Looking for some granularity and avoiding the powdery appearance is key.
3) Expect the puck to be consistently soupy if ejected too soon after a brew. If you wait about five minutes or so with a spare cup under the filter holder, the puck will drain and allow removal without a mess.
4) Cleaning. I try to clean the filter holder, filter, head gasket and surface within about 10 minutes of my last brew (and also between consecutive brews.) Coffee does a number on rubber or plastic-rubber seals, so I always use a dishrag with soupy but very mild detergent, then rinse a couple of times.
I’ve had great success with this procedure and consistently good pulls without explosions or mess.
