Product Description

The retro-futuristic appeal makes the X1 the most gorgeous espresso machine ever made, designed by Italian architect Luca Trazzi. The new brass boiler offers better heat retention while the new brass brewing head maintains the perfect temperature for making espresso. The new professional diameter chrome plated brass brewing handles makes authentic Italian espresso with an even extraction. The all metal machine's powder coat color is baked on. The 18 bar static pressure (8-9 bars of dynamic pressure) pump used to maintain the ideal pressure for extraction will extract oils for a perfect espresso. The great steam pressure froths milk perfectly for cappuccino while the elegant cup rail on top of the machine will keep cups warm and ready to use. The water tank holds 48 ounces of water. Includes two brewing handles that uses either E.S.E. pre-packed espresso pods or loose ground coffee. One year parts and labor warranty.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #329764 in Kitchen & Housewares
• Color: Orange
• Brand: Francis Francis
• Model: X1
• Number of items: 1
• Dimensions: 11.81" h x 10.24" w x 9.84" l, 20.00 pounds

Features

• Ideal for making coffee specialty drinks at home; hot water dispenser for tea
• Temperature gauge provides precise control; steam nozzle heats milk to make cappuccinos
• Circular wire holder on top warms inverted coffee cups
• For use with packaged coffee pods or ground coffee; powder-coated steel finish
• Measures 10 by 10-1/4 by 12 inches; 3-month product warranty, 1-year service warranty

Amazon.com Review
Bright and boldly colored, this espresso machine from FrancisFrancis! is for those who relish sleek, modern design in their kitchen and cheerful colors in their decor scheme. Leave it out on the counter, as it's too heavy to move around much. This machine is designed for use with prepackaged coffee "pods," specifically Easy Serving Espresso (ESE) pods, or with regular ground coffee--handles for both are included.

The machine is 10-by-12 inches in overall size and has an instrument panel look on the front: flip switches, pilot lights, and a temperature gauge to allow for more precise temperature control, which helps prevent overheating the espresso. There's also a pull-out drawer in the bottom section to house the drip grill, a removable plastic bin at the back for the water supply, a built-in cappuccino feature, and a circular wire holder on top for warming inverted coffee cups. --Marcie Bovetz

Editor's note: This item may arrive with water inside from the manufacturer's pressure test. This is a normal occurrence and doesn't point to a problem with the machine.

From the Manufacturer
The X1 was industrial designer Luca Trazzi’s first espresso coffee machine. Presented in 1995 and sold in twenty-eight countries, the magazine WIRED described her design as retro-futuristic. Sturdy and easy to use, the X1 makes her best coffee with the Easy Serving Espresso (ESE) system that uses pre-ground single servings of coffee sealed in filter paper.

The hot water dispenser for tea and the steam nozzle for heating milk to make cappuccinos are also very easy to use.

Features:

• Ideal for making specialty coffee drinks at home
• For use with packaged coffee pods or ground coffee
• Powder-coated steel finish
• Cup-warming feature
• Made in Italy

Customer Reviews

The greatest, orangest espresso machine ever
This amazing, gorgeous machine was a gift from several friends who stayed at our house for a week, and it is hands down the greatest gift we've ever gotten.

First of all, it's orange. Orange! We don't even touch the coffee machine anymore, except when we run out of milk. Second, the espresso is delightful, frothy, thick -- and the foamer foams like nobody's business. And it's amazingly simple to clean up after-- we used to have a Krups that required three times the amount of post-cappuccino cleanup for a drink that was only a third as good.

Also, people marvel when they come over. They gawk and gape, openmouthed. "What is this beautiful orange thing?" they ask. We are the envy of the entire neighborhood. Men covet; women swoon.

Did I mention that there's a picture of little girl with her tongue sticking out on the temperature gauge? They're clever people, those Italian espresso machine makers. Such a delightful sense of humor.

Did I mention we love it?

Good machine with a few minor drawbacks
I bought this machine 7 years ago and since then I use it on a daily basis. It has given me much pleasure and I haven't run into any problems at all. I bought it together with an extra portafilter for using pods (more expensive, but very convenient since no cleaning afterwards is needed).

Pro's:
- design (temperature indicator needs a lot of time to adjust, so it should be considered as decorative only)
- reliable (I can only say its construction is reasonably good and it works already 7 years without problems)
- easy-to-use, no complicated switches/options

Contra:
- cup holder does NOT get warm. This is a serious problem, since you can't drink espresso in cold cups since then the coffe will cool down immediately. I 'solved' this by putting hot water from the espressomachine itself into the cups and then wait for 20 seconds before actually making the espresso. When you want to make 5 espresso's in a row it takes quite some time.
- waterreservoir is at back side, and difficult to reach.
- making one espresso takes about 20 seconds. Other machines can do it in 10 seconds.

Recently I bought an espresso machine for my father and after some thinking I decided not to give him a Francis, but a "Gaggia classic coffee machine" because Gaggia solved the above drawbacks: The Gaggia's construction is stronger and more reliable, and its cup holder does get warm. However, later I discovered that the cups themselves only get warm if you leave the machine switched on the entire day and I don't do that so I still need the water pre-heating trick. Good point is that the Gaggia is fast: 10 seconds for 1 espresso.

My overal conclusion is that the Francis is a machine that gives me pleasure for already 7 years and of course, with any machine you will discover a few minor drawbacks after using it that long. Decide for yourself whether these drawbacks are really drawbacks.

Beauty is Only Skin Deep...
I purchased this unit along with a friend and we were both very unsatisfied by the quality of coffee this beautiful machine produced. I'll keep this review short: it is not powerful, is fragile, and does not make a consistent cup of coffee (I know all of the tricks, I used to be a barrista in Milan). For the best machine under [this price], try the Rancilio Silvia 90. With the extra money you save, you can buy a matching Rancilio Rocky Grinder.