Coffee Machines

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful.
Consistently good coffee
By Tim
This automatic coffee machine is a very elegant device which, despite its substantial presence, takes up no more work-surface space than my previous espresso machine (a much more basic De'Longhi EC270 15-Bar Pump Espresso Machine) and a separate coffee grinder.After adjusting the grinder to a slightly finer setting than the factory default, I have found this machine to produce consistently good espresso with a nice crema. A trained barista might trump it, but this is as good an espresso as one is likely to get at home without spending an awful lot of time and effort learning to use a manual machine properly. My previous, more basic De'Longhi espresso maker is capable of producing similarly good coffee, but is much more variable in its output and requires a lot more effort to produce each coffee (transferring the beans, cleaning out the portafilter, wiping spilt grounds off the work-surface, etc.). The speed and convenience of the Perfecta ESAM5600 are its key selling points, especially if you want to produce multiple cups at a time.By using loose beans, the running costs and environmental impact of this machine are considerably lower than for a pod-type system such as Nespresso.The milky drinks it makes are also very good. A traditional steam wand on a manual machine may produce a somewhat finer foam, but at the cost of a lot more effort. With this machine, you simply plug the milk container in (it can be stored in the fridge between uses), press a button and wait. The output is perfectly acceptable. A simple cleaning routine clears the machine's pipes of milk, and the container can be returned to the fridge for next time.My biggest grumble (and it's a pretty minor one) is that switching between a capuccino and a latte, say, requires not only the correct button to be pressed on the machine, but also a plastic lever to be adjusted on the milk container to change the mix of air and milk. For a supposedly automatic machine, it's a bit of a disappointment that the one, elegant button on the main console can't automatically result in the correct froth from the milk container.The instruction booklet gives the impression that cleaning the machine is a daunting and complex task. In truth, this is not the case: it is very quick and simple to empty the drip tray and grounds container. I struggled to remove the brew-unit, which is very stiff, but this only needs to be cleaned very occasionally. The instructions could be better written, but the user interface on the machine itself is fairly self-explanatory.There is no escaping the fact that this is a costly machine, with a price tag around ten times that of De'Longhi's more basic espresso makers. The coffee is not ten times better, but it will save the regular coffee drinker a lot of time, especially if you like milk-based drinks. It also produces consistently good results. It is therefore ideal for someone who drinks several coffees a day. I imagine it would work very well in a small-office environment.-----UPDATE----------There seems to be a problem with the frequency with which the "Empty Grounds Container" message appears: it is supposed to appear when the container is full (presumably after a set number of coffees) or if the machine hasn't been used for 3 days. However it appears if the machine hasn't been used for a day-and-a-half, even if the container is nearly empty (e.g. after just two coffees). This may not be a problem for a machine in constant use, but it is rather irritating otherwise, as there is no alternative but to open up the machine, take the container out and then replace it, before it will allow you to continue. This could possibly be a fault just with my machine, but since it seems to be a software bug it probably affects all machines in the same way.

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful.
A real statement piece
By D. Harris
I'm not sure that I'm the right person to review this machine - while we have previously used capsule machines such as Nespresso CitiZ and Milk by Magimix we have never used one that worked from ground coffee, nor one which is so clearly top of the range as this. I'll unashamedly say that we only got this because it was offered by Amazon Vine, and would never otherwise get a machine like this. So you can regard this as an unbiased review, or as an uninformed one - take your pick.So, the machine. Well, it is VERY impressive visually. Taking it out of the box was like introducing a slightly boxy Dalek into our kitchen. It has real presence, and put the rest of the room to shame. I half expected it to begin barking out orders at me. "Decaffeinate!"). I'm happy to say, however, that the fear element was soon overcome and the new visitor proved friendly. Unpack it, set it up, test our water hardness (easily done with the sample stick provided) and adjust accordingly. Then fill with water, add beans, and, basically, you're there.The machine is really easy to use to make a range of coffees at the touch of a button. It has separate hoppers for beans (fill up and leave) and ground coffee (add a scoop at a time) so it serves handily for both my wife (who prefers stronger coffee) and for me (decaff) - as convenient, in fact, as those capsule machines. The milk jug is a thing of wonder: keep it in the fridge, plug in as needed and produce lovely, frothy milk. I saw from one of the other reviews a report of cold milk - I haven't had that all). There's very little to have to clean up afterwards.Of course, as I said, this is a high end machine and you should expect it to be very, very good. Which it is. The only negative aspects I can find (and I have tried) are about cleaning and descaling. Cleaning the drip tray is a little bit of a business: you have to pull it right out, opening the front of the machine in the process (which happens quite suddenly). Not much of a problem if you have only spilled water or coffee, as the tray will take quite a bit and should go a while without needing to be emptied, but a little bit of a hassle if you've over frothed the milk and want to clean it out straight away (as I would). You need to leave a fair bit of space to let the door open, so if you plan to install one of these machines, you may need to declutter your worktop first (if it's like mine). Descaling is simple and automatic (you'll need De'Longhi 5513214841 Natural Descaler for Bean to Cup Machines, sold separately) but takes about half an hour. And there are various fiddly bits inside which need to be cleaned periodically (a handheld vacuum cleaner is useful for cleaing up any preground coffee, which does tend to spill inside the machine).Still, it is a dream to use. Anyone want a cupboard full of spare Nespresso capsules?

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful.
If you really like your coffee...its a good machine
By Mr. Jon Forster
If you really love your coffee and only the best will do, this 'bean to cup' machine is the one to aspire to. Initially the set up seems daunting but persevere. Once completed it is amazingly quick and easy to use. The simple to use graphics just require one touch to deliver a superb cup. No lengthy wait for water to heat up and no irritating need to clean out after every brew. Its all automatic. If you want cappucino or latte, the milk dispenser is simple to attach and creates a perfect foam. Easily on a par with coffee purchased in any Costa or Starbucks. You can even experiment to get exactly the strength and amount in your daily brew. Once done your machine will remember your settings and guarantees exactly the same taste time after time.Quite expensive so really for the connosieur who demands exactly how they want their coffee but once tried you'll never want to be without it. Five stars from me