Product Description

Capresso.01 Ultima Semi-automatic Coffee Maker and Espresso Cappuccino Machine - Capresso 121

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3337 in Kitchen & Housewares
• Brand: Capresso
• Model: 121.01
• Dimensions: 13.90" h x 14.10" w x 17.50" l, 11.00 pounds

Features

• Measures 15 by 16 by 12-inch; 1-year limited warranty.
• Steaming wand froths milk for cappuccinos and caffe lattes
• Removable 53-ounce water tank; double brewing spout fills 2 cups at once
• No-mess, no-fuss: automatically tamps coffee and discards used grounds
• Brews from 1-1/2 to 12-ounce of espresso or regular coffee in seconds

Amazon.com Review
By eliminating the usual fuss and mess, this 1,200-watt machine makes it easy to brew espresso and make cappuccinos and lattes at home or in the office. It's semiautomatic because all that's required is to fill the water tank, place ground coffee into a receptacle, and pull a lever. Within seconds coffee flows from the double spout, which adjusts for different cup heights, into one or two cups. No tamping is required because the machine tamps the coffee precisely and automatically. Nor is it necessary to clean used coffee grounds out of a messy filter holder, because there is no filter holder, and the machine automatically discards grounds into a waste tray. The tray also catches overflows, and a light shows when it needs emptying.

For steaming and frothing milk to make cappuccinos, lattes, and hot chocolates and for delivering hot water for tea, there's a wand that rotates out to fit inside a pitcher or cup. The coffee receptacle accepts 7 to 15 grams (one or two fillings of the included scoop), and the powerful pump supplies enough hot water each time to fill cups from 1-1/2 ounces to 12 ounces, which means it will make a big mug of regular coffee as well as an espresso. The 53-ounce water tank is transparent for water-level monitoring. Water heats quickly thanks to the 1,200-watt heating coil, and a thermostat light shows when the water is hottest. The machine has internal storage for the power cord and comes with clear instructions, drink recipes, and a one-year warranty against defects. --Fred Brack

Customer Reviews

Excellent value for the price
About a year ago I wanted an espresso machine that was easy to use, however I was unwilling to pay 1k or more for a fully automatic machine. The Capresso turned out to be an excellent value, providing ease of use with semi-automatic ground disposal and a reasonably sized water container.

In fact, we have experienced only two problems with the Capresso since we bought it: a torn o-ring and clogging. The o-ring tore because I did not clean the rotation mechanism for several months. The accumulated grounds eventually tore into the o-ring, breaking the pressure seal. However, when I called the Capresso help line to discuss our broken o-ring, the help desk agent immediately sent us two replacements in the mail with no questions asked. Total down time for the machine was a mere two days. The clogging was fixed with a complete cleaning, and if truth be told, it did say in the instruction booklet not to use very finely ground coffee.

Our last espresso machine, besides breaking after two years, was so difficult to use and clean we only made espresso on special occasions. The Capresso is convenient enough that we use it all the time. In fact, we have used our Mr. Coffee only twice (note the broken o-ring comment above) since we bought the Capresso.

After a year of use, I can still strongly recommend this product.

Extremely fast&easy to use, excellent coffee
I bought this machine after looking around for the perfect one for quite some time. This Espressomaker is unique because of a clever semiautomatic mechanism that doesn't require the usual, messy tampering and cleaning innate to traditional machines. This device comes at a fraction of the cost of the fully automated ones, but is almost as easy to use. The only little flaw I noted is that the frother will spill a relatively large amount of water (5cc or so) during the first couple of seconds before the full steam gets going. Usually no big deal, but if you froth a small amount of milk, you may want to "catch" these first cc's first. Otherwise, this machine is perfect. The pump is very strong 18bar, I think) and the crema is excellent. Baseline: If you want a traditional machine, go for a Gaggia or something similar; if you are a (lazy) millionaire, consider one of the fully automated machines ($1000-2000). Otherwise, there is currently no alternative to the "Ultima".

The only cappuccino machine you'll ever want to see at 5am
If the technical aspects of a cappuccino before the crack of dawn have you actually contemplating drip coffee again, check out this machine. You'll have to re-learn how to make a cappuccino, but once you get the hang of it, you can break speed records. For double caps, two scoops of pre-ground espresso go in the coffee spout. Turn the bizarre looking top a quarter turn, push down the lever and turn the pump on. You'll instantly get a perfect espresso with more crema than I was able to get with any kind of consistently from our many previous machines. And it takes less than a minute for the water to heat in the unit for making coffee or arming the frother with steam in this sturdy machine. The best part comes in the clean-up. When you're ready to make the next cup, turn the lever on top a 3/4 turn and it will simultaneously dump your old grounds in a hidden bin and stage itself automatically for the next cup. That's zero coffee grounds on the sink and the ability to crank out a cappuccino every two minutes.