I dont actually OWN this product, rather, its where I work, and as I use it 3-4 times a day, Im sure I quallify to produce a review!
This is a 'Master Coffee' and is a fully automatic espresso/capuccino machine, and is installed in a bust Ad agency in London, so gets pretty heavy usage.
Usability wise, its push-button in operation, with a digital display where many of the settings can be changed.
It makes generally good espresso, using its own grinder, and has a consistant extraction time of about 10 seconds. The crema seems good and quite dark brown in colour, although its hard to tell when it gets poured into a paper cup!! I really must bring my own cup with me, although im sure ill get some stick for that!
The capuccino, however, isnt quite as succesful, as it has a tendancy to boil the milk, resulting in a burning hot drink, which is impossible to touch for 15-20 mins. Ive tried to have a look 'under the hood' but theres no obvious method of turning the temperature down, which is frustrating. It takes the mild directly from the container from its built-in fridge, which is a really nice idea, especially in the summer where milk can go off pretty quickly.
It seems to have a tendancy to break pretty often, however its ALWAYS a gasket in the pouring mechanism that seems to break, and although the service is quick, its often out of order for at least a day, leaving me to suffer the drip coffee, which is dreadful here!
I certainly would never buy this kind of machine for myself, but then Im not in the market for a pro, heavy-usage machine that needs little input to use. |
