Espresso Club » coffee machines

Nespresso E350 Romeo Espresso Machine

admin — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 19:05:26 +0000

Today I am writing about the prestigious Nespresso E350 Romeo Espresso Machine. This coffee machine is designed for the Nespresso capsule system. So what are the cool features of this machine, besides its beautiful design?

Nespresso E350 Romeo

Like all Nespresso coffee machines, it uses a 19 Bar pressure pump with the Thermoblock system, that helps produce that perfect espresso.
A programmable dosing system lets you set the exact amount of water for your espresso, so you always get the same dose and don’t have to press a button to stop the water flow.
A fully automatic capsule placing mechanism sets the capsule into its place and ejects it to a used capsules container. When the container is full of used capsules, the machine will indicate it so you know when to dispose of the capsules.
A visual control lets you know when the drip tray is full of water so you can clean up before it gets messy.
Keep the espresso cups warm just before making the drink with the warming plate for 5 espresso cups.
An AutoCappuccino steam nozzle lets you connect any milk container to the nozzle with a plastic hose, so that you can get the steamed milk straight to your cup without needing to use the steam nozzle manually.

Over all this is a great looking machine with some extra cool features to show off. Enjoy!

Check out price comparisons and user reviews on Nespresso E350 Romeo Espresso Machine.

Antique Coffee Machines at Coffee Weekend

admin — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 19:59:10 +0000

In my last post I told you about the Jura booth at the “coffee weekend” show I attended. This time I want to share some photos and impressions about a beautiful showcase of antique and original looking coffee machines by Elektra, La Cimbali, and more. I only took photos of some but you don’t see these every day so enjoy.

Elektra Belle Epoque (1997)

This is just an old world styled espresso machine. Selling for around 11,000 GBP, the Belle Epoque is a machine in a class all of its own, where beauty, functionality and reliability merge together. The brightness of its metal, shaped to a design with the fascination of the past makes an immediate impact and provides a striking finishing touch for elegant, refined premises (excuse me if some of the text is from the website, it just sounds exactly like what I was thinking).

Elektra Belle Epoque

La Cimbali (1950’s)

Two lever system espresso machine from the 1950’s by La Cimbali:

La Cimbali 1950

Mystery Espresso Machine

I have no clue what machine this is but here it is for you:

Oldie

If you recognize this last machine, please tell me what it is

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Jura Impressa Z5 Bean to Cup at Coffee Weekend Show

admin — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 16:00:11 +0000

So I took my camera to a mall in a nearby town, that had a coffee weekend show, where different coffee machines – mainly Jura and Gaggia – were showcased. Here are the photos and videos, as well as my impressions, from the Jura booth.

Jura Booth

First I had to look at the monsters, the Z5 and J5. You can see the Jura Capresso Z5 in action here, right after the steamed milk was poured to the cup, the espresso dose flows to the cup without having to move it.

Jura Capresso Impressa Z5

The Jura J5 surprised me with it’s amazing design. I really love the white color on this machine. This is the machine that won the red dot design award in the category of product design in 2007, competing against 2,548 products from 43 countries. That says something…

Jura Impressa J5

The other bean to cup machine that surprised me was the was the Jura ENA5 Jura brought 3 ENA5 machines in red, green and silver colors. That was enough to keep me staring at them for a while You can see the AutoCappuccino device on the right side of the machines. The plastic hose goes into the milk carton, and then gets sucked in to the frothing device, so you don’t have to do it yourself.

Jura ENA5

I also shot a few short videos for you so check them out. First the Jura Impress J5 and Jura Impressa C5:

The second video is of the Jura ENA5 machines in three striking colors :

The last one is of the Jura Impressa Z5:

Coffee Grinders Roundup

admin — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 22:31:41 +0000

I gathered for you some information on available coffee grinders. If you are using a traditional ground coffee espresso machine or would like to get one, you should consider buying a coffee grinder to grind the coffee beans mixture of your choice. Here are some nice options, ordered by cost:

Krups Fast Touch

This grinder has twin cutting stainless steel blades which whirl and chop the coffee beans. You can use it to grind other spices as well. The capacity is pretty large with up to 15 cups of coffee / 85 g of coffee beans. The grinder has 180 Watts power and a lid activated safety switch to make sure the grinder is not working until lid is locked in place.

Estimated price: 20 USD.

DeLonghi DCG39

This grinder holds up to 84g of coffee beans capacity, but you can select to grind between 4 to 12 cups worth with the cup selector. It has a stainless steel grinding blade and a grind selector so you can choose consistency of coffee from coarse (percolated), medium (filter) or fine (espresso). Green LEDs indicate grind consistency of beans.

Estimated price: 32 GBP.

Braun KSM2

The Braun Gourmet coffee grinder (KSM2) grinds 60g of beans quickly and easily. A powerful motor combined with a stainless steel blade and ribbed lid provides optimal circulation for a fast, even grind. The motor has 150 Watts.

Estimated price: 25 USD.

Krups GVX2

Krups Burr Grinder GVX2

This grinder has a 200g bean container and a 100 Watts motor. Choose out of 17 settings coarse to fine grinding. Choose number of cups with the cup number selector (2-12). The grinder will switch itself off when the required quantity has been ground.

Estimated price: 60 USD.

Capresso Infinity

The Capresso Infinity grinder comes in professional-looking silver. It has a bean capacity of 8 1/2 ounces. Its 16 options for grinding, ranging from fine to coarse lets you prepare the ground coffee just like you want it.

Estimated price: 140 USD.

KitchenAid Pro Line Burr Grinder

KitchenAid Pro Line Burr Grinder KPCG100

The KitchenAid Burr Coffee Grinder is a beautiful grinder. Its all-metal construction produces the finest ground coffee and there are fifteen consistency settings to choose from. It has a 198 gram capacity glass bean hopper.

Estimated price: 175 USD.

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Jura Machines Reviews and Coffee Machine Buying Guide

admin — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 18:59:18 +0000

Just a quick post to let you know I am working on several reviews for the amazing bean to cup coffee machines by Jura. These are considered by some to be the top choice, especially if talking about home coffee machines. I’ll try to bring you some real close-up photos and inside information that you won’t find in other places. So wait for this

Subscribe to my RSS feed and be the first to get informed !

Also, I am working these days on an interactive espresso machine advisor, to help direct you to some of the best fitted options for you, according to several important questions, like what is the main use you require of the machines, how much you want to invest, etc… I will post it here in my blog as soon as it is ready.

Nespresso Capsules – Where to Buy

admin — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 20:30:08 +0000

If you recently bought a Nespresso capsule system machine, or looking to buy one, you will need a supply of capsules from day 1 if you want to use the machine. Nespresso has great online service. All you have to do is register online and you can start ordering capsules online. It usually take 2 days to arrive.

Nespresso Capsules

Online

Get them at the Nespresso website.

Prices

Each capsule costs 0.55 USD. Capsules are ordered in multiples of 50 for packing reasons.

Tassimo T-DISCs – Where to Buy

admin — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 19:07:12 +0000

I know this can come in handy so here are links to where you can get T-DISCs for your Tassimo capsule system based machine.

Tassimo T-Discs

Stores

Use the following link to locate the nearest store to your home.

Online

Get T-DISCs online at one of the following options:

Each T-DISCs pack consists of 16 capsules (for milk based flavors, 8 of the capsules are milk and the other 8 are the actual coffee, chocolate, etc.).

Prices

About 4 USD per pack of 8-capsules (sometimes sold in packs of 16 or 32 capsules).

The Nescafé Dolce Gusto System

admin — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 21:18:39 +0000

NESCAFÉ’s Dolce Gusto™ is Nestle’s answer to the Tassimo system and is a hot beverage system with its own unique coffee machine and capsules that produce hot beverages like espresso, cappuccino, latte and hot chocolate. The machine for the system is the Nescafe Dolce Gusto. The capsules are made by Nescafe with a variety of flavors, including milk based beverages. You can find the capsules at major stores or get them at Amazon.

Dolce Gusto Capsules

The machine works in a similar way to Nespresso system machines using thermoblock. However, unlike the 19 bar pressure used in Nespresso machines, in the Krups machine 15 bar is used. The high pressure and the capsules are designed to deliver an even distribution of water and pressure over the coffee to ensure that flavor is maximized. For comparison, in traditional filter coffee makers (drip machines) water flows through the coffee grounds at just 1 bar of pressure.

Warranty is given by Krups for two years.

Nescafe Dolce Gusto

Technical Specification

High 15 bar pressure
Free starter pack including Latte Macchiato glass, Cappuccino cup with saucer and more
Ultra fast warm up, coffee in minutes
1.3 L removable water tank for easy cleaning, filling and emptying

Check out price comparisons and user reviews for the Nescafe Dolce Gusto and the Dolce Gusto capsules.

Here is cool commercial for the Dolce Gusto:

Bosch Tassimo TAS4511 Hot Beverage Machine

admin — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 20:06:20 +0000

Today I’d like to give you details about this hot beverage drink machine. It’s the Bosch TAS4511 Tassimo Hot Beverage Machine
, and you can figure out that it uses the Tassimo capsule system. If you haven’t heard of the Tassimo capsule system, you are welcome to read about it first here.

Bosch Tassimo TAS4511

This machine will make you a cup of espresso, cappuccino, latte, hot chocolate, tea or even more hot beverages at a push of a button. The Tassimo system includes special T-DISCs (capsules) with barcodes, which are read by the machine to set the correct water temperature, pressure and brew time for each drink. One of the cool things about the T-DISCs is that they come in known flavors such as Jacobs coffee, Starbucks coffee or Twinings tea. For the milk based flavor, you will have to combine two T-DISCs (for example, a chocolate capsule, and a milk capsule).

You can adjust the height of the cup stand for small espressos or tall lattes, and also manually set the strength of the drink. I really like this machine because it is very competitive price wise, and you get to pick from a large set of flavors for your drink, and not only coffee. It is also easy to find the T-DISCs from major supermarkets, or you can find them online on Amazon or at the Tassimo online store.

I wouldn’t say this is the machine for someone who is looking for an espresso only machine, but if you want to prepare different drinks, and you are on a tight budget, this is definitely a good option to consider.

Technical Specification

Barcode system ensures perfect drink every time
Manual adjustment of drink strength possible
Dimensions (mm): H273mm x W204mm x D334mm
Flow heater technology means virtually no heat up time and minimal waiting between drinks
Easy to use interface with one button
Height adjustable cup stand for different size cups
2 litre removable easy-fill water tank
Automtic de-scaling function
Highly energy efficient due to flow heater
On-off switch on front of appliances
Dishwasher safe parts
Storage compartment for service T-DISC and quick instruction manual
Cable storage at back of appliances

Check out price comparisons and user reviews for the Bosch TAS4511 Tassimo Hot Beverage Machine.

Here is a video by Bosch on the machine..

The Tassimo Capsule System

admin — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 19:26:09 +0000

I’d like to tell you about this popular capsule system. What’s cool about the capsules of this system is that they are not just coffee drinks, but other hot beverages as well, like hot chocolate, tea, and basically more milk based beverages. To get the milk based beverages, you combine 2 capsules (one for the milk and another for the beverage) and you get a tasty hot beverage. Another thing Tassimo did is have their capsules branded by well known brands, so buying “Starbucks” coffee capsules or “Twinings” tea capsules for your machine can be really cool. The machines are also competitively priced so overall it is a pretty cheap and fun hot beverage maker for your consideration.

Tassimo Capsules

I would say that people who are looking for high quality espresso, may look at ground coffee espresso machines, or other capsule systems, since there is really only one machine for the Tassimo system, by Bosch (check out the Bosch TAS4511 Tassimo), or you can also find a machine by Braun, both of which are pretty much entry level machines.

The Tassimo machine works exclusively with capsules called Tassimo Discs (T DISCs), and a unique bar code reading system. When the T DISC is inserted, the machine reads the unique bar code printed on the label. The code specifies the following specification which makes for a perfect brewing, depending on the beverage type:

Bosch TAS4511 Tassimo

Water temperature
T DISC type
Brew cycle (pre-wetting, brewing)
Water quantity
Liquid velocity
Air or Steam Purge

You cannot use any other capsules, pods or ground coffee with the Tassimo machines (made by Bosch), so you are limited to their range of beverages. T DISCs are available at supermarkets, and you can find them online on Amazon or at the Tassimo online store.

Bosch and Braun both provide a two-year warranty on their machines.

Check out user reviews and price comparison for the Bosch TAS4511 Tassimo.

Here is a demonstration video by Bosch: