December 15, 2008
The Jura Capresso ENA 5 is a super automatic coffee center that is big on performance with a smaller footprint both physically and energy-wise. The compact unit offers you the capabilities of the typical super auto in a smaller package giving you back a significant chunk of counter space. The ENA5 also has a zero energy switch that takes it down to a no power draw state. In am era when households have more and more appliances taking a trickle flow of electricity adding up to hundreds of kilowatt hours a year the zero energy state is a nice step in the other direction.
Like most people though I want pretty comparable performance out of this little wonder making few tradeoffs for the green advances and smaller footprint.
Continue reading: "Jura ENA-5 Super Automatic Espresso Machine Review"
October 26, 2008
The Nespresso Le Cube Black colored edition came in for review recently and we are are pretty happy to check this one step easy espresso brewer out. The Le Cube is one offering in the line of Nespresso capsule based brewers that at their heart have ease of use and high quality brewing at their very core. The recent line refresh includes the New Black version of the Le Cube. The Le Cube is a simple design statement that fits in a small footprint on the counter with some bold lines and innovative design elements making it a great looking unit as well as a highly functional one. It's got a 1-liter reservoir, has cup holder space for up to 6 espresso cups and a chamber that holds up to 15 spent espresso capsules. The 19-bar pump driven extraction is impressive for its crema creation, while its 1260 watt thermoblock heating element powers the unit. Le Cube retails at $349.
We took the Le Cube for a spin while we were trying out our Jinogalpa Special Club Capsules that are offered as a limited time offer, it's been fun mixing them in with a lot of our standards.
Continue reading: "Nespresso Le Cube C185 Full Review"
September 19, 2008
Jura Capresso has been listening at its focus groups and has the ENA 5 a thin powerful super automatic that is loaded with features but won't load down the countertop with a huge machine. At just 9-inches wide, and 17 inches deep it's about the size of a legal pad. It's also now available at Amazon.
Eco-Friendly Green is in - We all are pretty aware that conservation is a good idea, and the Ena comes with a Zer o Energy Switch, which fully disconnects the unit from the electrical grid, drawing zero power. Some people aren't aware of all the power consumed by those components around the house which by staying in "standby" mode, still gobble up power. Not the Jura Capresso Ena 5.
While slim, it doesn't miss out on the features though:
Programmable to 3 strengths, 1-16 ounces, and two brewing temperatures.
Grinder with 5 fineness settings
Stainless thermoblock heater
37 ounce water reservoir
7-ounce bean hopper
Water filtration built in.
1450 watts
14 in. high, 9 in. wide, 17 in. long
Weighs 20 lb.
At Amazon - Jura Capresso ENA 5
September 18, 2008
Maybe it's the weak dollar, maybe it's the meltdown on Wall St, or maybe it's just our luck, but the Handpresso is now just $129.
We enjoyed getting our Handpresso in January, covering it with an Unboxing of the Handpresso, and then a First Impressions post quickly after that.
I still use it at work to get some good espresso in a land that doesn't have much in the way of strong coffee.
at Whole Latte Love - the Handpresso Wild
August 26, 2008
The Brunopasso PD-1 is not a Formula 1 race car, it's a finely tuned espresso machine. The look and feel of the machine has got to be just as precise and just as high quality. The price is pretty steep at about $850, but with a 15-bar pump to drive this machine, the stats look pretty good. I like the dashboard look of the control panel and the fine wooden handle to engage the pod holder. Yes, it's an ESE pod machine, and you had better enjoy the beauties to invest in this. Oh, yea, and you will need to order from Sweden.
August 18, 2008
The espresso capsule entrant from Francis Francis is now shipping, bringing their style and quality to the market in a retro look that is a pretty cool addition to the line. The black unit with chrome accents is less than eight inches wide with a 15-bar pump inside to crank out the crema topped espressos day in and day out.
The patented capsule houses more than coffee, but quite a bit of technology as the full brew process takes place there, while the espresso never touches the machine - very easy for clean up. The two-stage capsule brews then emulsifies the oils, water and air to get a crema that is tall, full-bodies and long lasting. The capsules are available at Illy.com.
At Sur la Table - FrancisFrancis! X8 Espresso Machine
August 12, 2008
A quick check of a few students heading back to school and they are looking for Combo Coffee units for their dorm room. Blame it on all those lattes at Starbucks or the local coffee shop in High School, but this batch of students likes coffee and likes good espresso. This means getting a decent maker, and on the espresso side, that means a pump driven machine.
The Krups Caffe Centro 10-Cup Coffee/Pump Driven Espresso machine might just be the reasonable combo unit that will look good and perform well late night, cramming for the next exam. There are a couple of things I like in the unit that make a lot of sense:
- Espresso and Coffee Maker in one space saving unit.
- It's a 15-bar pump driven espresso machine - better flavor and extractions
- The Espresso side has a 37-ounce reservoir - plenty for a lot of shots.
- The 10-cup coffee side is a nice bonus when you want straight cup of "Joe"
- Coffee Maker has a 2-hour timed shut-off safety feature
- Coffee Maker has a pause and serve type switch that allows you to grab a cup of coffee while still brewing.
- Finally - the Price. At the price just over $100, it means that you qualify for a special $20 off deal for items over $100; at this writing: $104 - $20 = $84. THe $20 deal requires you to use Bill-Me Later. If you don't want to use that, the $104 is a great price anyway. This is a pump driven machine and at this price point, you usually only get an inferior steam driven machine.
At Amazon - Krups Caffe Centro 10-Cup Coffee/Pump Driven Espresso Maker
August 5, 2008
I ran into this the other day, and needed to reset my Essenza C100. After digging out the manual from a pile of papers, I figured I would save someone else some time.
Factory Reset Nespresso Essenza C100
1. Switch the unit off.
2. Press and hold the Big Cup Button.
3. Switch the unit on - that's it.
Programming the fill level is easy too. I was playing around with the buttons and such and messed mine up, so here's another easy set of things to do to get everything aligned again.
Program Fill Level Nespresso Essenza C100
1. Lift Lever and insert capsule.
2. Press and hold the button (which ever one you want to program) for at least 3 seconds
3. Release the button at the desired fill level - Done!
If you need the manual, you can download the very graphic, very basic manual at Nespresso (PDF Link).
August 4, 2008
Jura Capresso broke the molds and started over with this one, the Jura Capresso ENA 5 has a lot of innovation packed into its slim shell. At less than ten inches wide, the unit is the slimmest Auto Coffee Canter on the market, offering a full bean to brew capability while only taking up inches of counter space.
Eco-Friendly Green is in - We all are pretty aware that conservation is a good idea, and the Ena comes with a Zer o Energy Switch, which fully disconnects the unit from the electrical grid, drawing zero power. Some people aren't aware of all the power consumed by those components around the house which by staying in "standby" mode, still gobble up power. Not the Jura Capresso Ena 5.
The unit also has a multi colored text display that allows you to quickly figure out what mode you are in: Red for a warning message, Yellow for programming and Green - ready for coffee.
While slim, it doesn't miss out on the features though:
Programmable to 3 strengths, 1-16 ounces, and two brewing temperatures.
Grinder with 5 fineness settings
Stainless thermoblock heater
37 ounce water reservoir
7-ounce bean hopper
Water filtration built in.
1450 watts
14 in. high, 9 in. wide, 17 in. long
Weighs 20 lb.
At Amazon - Jura Capresso ENA 5
July 10, 2008
I have had the Cuisinart EM-200 for a while now, and have pumped hundreds of shots through it while playing with it and testing it. The Cuisinart EM-200 is a semi-automatic espresso machine that has a lot going for it. The unit has a great look backed up by the guts too; 15-bar pump 1050 watt boiler, and a pretty big reservoir.
The nice thing about the Cuisinart EM-200 is the semi-automatic capability that allows you to hit a button, and watch the unit brew right before your eyes, while you do something else; seconds later it will shut off leaving you with a good shot in your favorite cup time and time again. The EM-200 comes with three portafilter inserts, a single, a double and a pod holder. This makes for a good differentiation between what you are making and offers some good control over strength. the downside is storing the little buggers; I drop them in the drawer below the Espresso maker and fish around in there for them when I need to change.
See my Unboxing of the Cuisinart EM200 and my First Impressions Review of the EM200 for more information.
Continue reading: "Cuisinart EM200 Espresso Machine Review"
Jura ENA-5 Super Automatic Espresso Machine Review
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