Customer Ratings & Reviews

In this price range this is by far the best espresso maker. It includes both pressurized and a non-pressurized portafilter. This means you can make good espress using the pressurized portafilter without having to work through the grind fineness and pressure required for the non-pressurized portafilter. PLEASE, realize that espresso must be finely ground to provide a reasonably good cup of coffee. You cannot use regular drip grind and expect a good cup, it must be more finely ground. The frothing wand works very well. After just a little practice I have learned to make an excellent cappucino every time with the frother. Just do a little research on the internet and you can easily learn how to do a great job. The non-pressurized portafilter definitely takes a little more finesse. It does not have a directional spout at the bottom and unless you are awfully close on the fineness of the grounds, the quantity of the grounds (8 - 10 grams works for me) and the tamping (spend a few dollars and get a 49MM metal tamper). When you get that right you get a great espresso shot from this machine. Just off with one of those factors and you will get a good shot and a mess because the water did not evenly filter through the ground. But, this is a great means of testing your grind and pressure and then use the pressurized portafilter to make a consistently great shot. Great machine. You would have to spend 200 - 300 dollars more for a better machine. I definitely suggest a good burr grinder (not a rotary grinder). They provide a consistent grind which avoids some problems as well.

We had an much less expensive pump espresso machine for about 4 years. It made a good espresso but we felt we could get a machine which frothed milk much better. After reviewing many machines on the market, and limiting the amount which we wanted to spend to less than $300, we decided on this machine. Pros: This makes a very nice shot of espresso. The pressurized portafilter makes it easy with minimal effort with the grind and tamping pressure. The unpressurized portafilter provides the ability to work on the grind and pressure to get a good shot. This WILL take practice if you have not had experience with it before. This machine does a wonderful job frothing milk Cons: I do not like the fact that the socket the portafilter twists into is plastice. I am concerned that it will break sooner that I would like. For the unpressurized portafilter, be prepared to clean up lots of coffee. There is a reason that real Baristas are trained and still need to practice. Getting the correct grind and tamping pressure is required to get a clean shot with not spray from the unpressurized portafilter. I have been working at it for a little while have am able to pull a good 25 second shot with no spray about 1 in 4 times with this portafilter. I definitely recomment an aftermarket tamper (49mm). A good coffee grinder is necessary (burr grinder). But they can be expensive to get a really good grinder. Overall, I really like this espresso maker. I make my wife and I a cappucino every morning and my wife has been saying they are much better than the popular coffee franchises in the US make. I agree with her although my opinion is probably prejudiced. If you get this machine, get a good grinder and a metal tamper. The practice and research how to make a good shot of espress and how to properly froth milk. You will be very happy with the results.

The Capresso EC PRO has some nice reviews, several videos available. I have found it easy to use, clean, and maintain. So far, I've no complaints about the machine - it is a manual machine, so if you are looking for something a bit more automated there's other machines you'll want to look at.

First, I have owned Capresso products for 18 years and love them...but, I am going to have to pass on this machine. Very cheaply made. Not sure what would go first, the drip tray or the water tank. Cheap plastic just waiting to fall apart or break. I have been making home espressos for over 18 years so I know about the grind, tamp, etc...my current 10 year old Capresso machine does 10 times the job and it's on it's last leg. So Capresso, hate to say but this machine is a slap in your face!