Capresso 116.04 Pump Espresso and Cappuccino Machine EC100, Black and Stainless, 46 oz

I worked near a Blue Bottle coffee for several years and came to appreciate the "Gibraltar", which is basically a cortado. And I travel somewhat frequently to Europe and always come back thinking "I should get an espresso machine". This year I actually did it. After reading too many reddit posts, I chose this machine, and after a week have no regrets (yet!). I've still got a ways to go on latte art and dialing my shots, but so far the cortados I make are taste approximately vaguely in the ballpark of Blue Bottle ones, which is about as much as anyone with a used $65 machine (and a $10 basket, see below) should be able to hope for. I like the simple controls -- time your own shot, whether you like it or not; but I like it. Foamer works great. The only real upgrade I might want would be a temperature control but that's some advanced-level stuff. I got an Amazon returns one for approximately half-price; it was missing original packaging and had a few cosmetic scratches to the black under-tray. The delivery was also slow; it was three days later than estimated, and kept moving back ("your espresso machine will be there tomorrow . . . no, tomorrow . . . er, no, tomorrow"). But, for the discount, I'm not really complaining. It's here, and it works like new. This comes with pressurized baskets, which are forgiving of grind but produce mediocre-tasting shots. If you have a grinder that can dial in an espresso shot (deep rabbit hole there for you wander into; I'm using a Capresso Infinity with the burr screw slightly loosened, which works, but not sure I would recommend if you didn't already have one), you want to get yourself this unpressurized basket: [[ASIN:B07JM8F4YS]]. Drops right in. The little holder thingy on the Capresso portafilter is helpful for holding it in while tamping and knocking it out. A metal tamp will work much better and they are strikingly cheap, I like this one: [[ASIN:B09J7TQ36B]] One small failing of this machine is it seems like the shower head output is a bit uneven, so pucks end up with holes that might be causing channeling. I've been cutting out coffee filters stenciled with the tamp and putting them on top; it seems to help and also helps pucks fall out more easily. Cutting them out gets a bit wearying so I've also bought some 51mm filters: [[ASIN:B0CM6LLKNS]] A dosing funnel e.g., [[ASIN:B0D2D4DL2N]] helps get grounds in. If you want more height to fit a larger cup in, I've taken off the metal plate on the drain and put in a platform Lego, works fine. You can also take the whole drain out and just stuff a rag next to the drain output. The main other one around this price point was the Casabrews one. The main thing that swayed me is that Capresso has been around for a while, my Capresso Infinity grinder is still going after what must be 10 years, and the discounted price from getting an Amazon returns one.

I wanted to try a pump machine, after many years of using steam machines always with a more-or-less bitter tasting coffee. This Capresso sounded good in the descriptions, but I had some doubts because of other reviews, although several of them sounded like they might not have been running the machine properly - lots of "leaks" but never where the leak was coming from, etc. So I bought one to try it out, and have used it regularly for the past few weeks. I am VERY happy with it. It took several days of mess and experiment to understand how it works - and I actually read the manual, surprise surprise. It is well-wriiten, much easier to understand and much, much more complete than the usual foreign-languag-ey kind of thing. The machine makes excellent espresso, and its foamer works beautifully, makes a nice long-lasting foam - I don't know how it works, my experience with the old inexpensive steam machines was pretty bad. One of the best things about the Capresso is that you can make as many capuccinos as you want, one after another, without waiting for anything to re-heat or cool down or be cleaned and refilled!! They have some kind of internal hot-block and they pump the water through it in one way to make the espresso and in another way to make the steam for foaming - there's no "boiler", when you shut off the steam it just stops!! And that's where the "leak" review must have originated. Because there's no boiler (so you can keep making them one after another until you need to replenish the water tank!) what they do when you shut off the foaming is to release the steam pressure in the foaming pipe into the drip-tray - so you get the last puff of steam and hot water into the tray. After 2 or 3 capuccinos the tray is full. Since I have to put fresh coffee grounds in for each new cup (duh!), I just empty the tray at the same time - saves thinking about it. Anyhow, I don't know how sturdy it is, etc etc, but it doesn't seem to be fragile or flimsy, so I have hopes that it will last. In the meantime, we'll just enjoy the coffee!

I had a Krups espresso machine for years -- it was a real workhorse but finally the power switch got flakey. So I started looking for another machine of the same size (many of them are just too large, regardless of features). I finally chose the Capresso and, thus far, I could not be happier. The machine has a generous water tank, is straightforward to use (although I have not used the frother as I bought a Souvia milk frother on Amazon in late 2018 and love it), and makes a great espresso for my morning latté. A nice rich flavor, excellent crema, and nice and hot. I will write an update later but my first impression is that this is a terrific value and a solid machine. UPDATE April 23, 2021 I have now used this machine at least daily for my lattés. It is just fabulous! It heats up quickly, makes fabulous rich créma without fail, has such a generous water tank, and is easy to maintain. I'm sorry I didn't make the change sooner! BTW I use a Gourmia frothing machine (on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/Souvia-Automatic-Frother-Steamer-Machine/dp/B08X6D8ZR9/ref=sr_1_3?crid=DU7QOAJP2SVP&dchild=1&keywords=souvia+milk+frother&qid=1619201636&sprefix=souvia+milk+%2Caps%2C212&sr=8-3), which has only two reviews but I have had mine for 2-1/2 years and it is also fabulous. The frother allows me to froth milk while I'm brewing the espresso, and I am a happy camper!

SECOND UPDATE - 3/2015: The machine was in the repair shop for two months. The owner said he could not locate a replacement thermostat. I looked on line and found many thermostats for coffee machines. They all looked similar - like enlarged watch batteries. I took a chance and ordered one for $15. I picked up the espresso machine from the repair shop. At home I decided to figure out how to get inside to if the thermostat that I ordered would work. It was not a problem to open the machine. Under the stainless plate on top are four plugs with screws under them. I removed the top and located the thermostats. Much to my surprise while looking around I found a loose connection at one thermostat. I replaced the push-on connection that was loose with a new connector (no soldering needed) and tried the machine. IT WORKS GREAT! The thermostat has not arrived yet but I do not need it. Bottom line, aService has NO customer service and could not be bothered with me, and the repair shop evidently did not even look inside the machine. This shop could have picked up an easy $25 - $35 in repair charges for 5 minutes work. The machine is making great espresso with crema every morning, the steamer is fast and makes lots of foam with cold 2% milk. The machine is simple and cheap, but now works five stars. I cannot raise my rating to more than three stars due to the loose connection and the bad customer service. I am in the market for a grinder and found exactly what I wanted. When I checked the suppler on the Amazon site it was "aService" - no thank you. Not again in my lifetime. I bought the grinder elsewhere. UPDATE: The machine was working great, then several days ago it produced only warm coffee. When the machine was working it was every bit as good as I said in this review. The machine now produces steam, so I think the thermoblock heater is OK. With the low cost of this espresso machine, it is probably not worth repairing. I received very little value for money spent. I wish it was still working and I was attempting to locate repair parts. I inquired to aSavings, the Amazon seller about where to buy parts. My inquiry to aService was simply asking for help locating repair parts. I also asked them if they have encountered this problem with other units. I believe aSavings DID NOT BOTHER TO READ MY INQUIRY! I received a form letter e-mail from aService saying the unit was "out of warranty" and there was nothing aService will do for me. I was not asking aService to return item or for warranty repair because I know that the warranty is expired. I liked the machine very much and wanted to see if it could be repaired at reasonable cost locally (if parts are available). I tried looking on the Capresso web site and there were no parts listed. I thought aService would help me. aService evidently considers the form letter as "customer service". If you are searching for a simple machine that will provide good cappuccino, this might be for you. In the past 5 years I have spent around $1,500 on espresso machines. My first was Breville 650EXL (perhaps not exact model - trashed long ago). The circuit board went out and this was a big deal for the shop to order part and repair. The repair took so much time I bought another Breville (Stupid, I know!) This new machine worked for a short while and then a small plastic pressure relief valve on the pump broke and the repair people said, "the part is no longer available." Nothing now but a high tech door stop. I continued to use the repaired Breville that I bought first, but the "die cast" finish completely fell apart. First there were little pits that looked like dirt and then it became worse and worse until it looked like dumpster trash and so that is where it went! I bought a Cuisinart 200 and loved it at first. It is a good machine, but I am experiencing the same problem as others that own the Cuisinart 200. The machine has a tendency to develop an internal leak that directs water under the drip tray and on to the counter. No one seems to have a solution and Cuisinart is no help in the matter. The Cusinart 200 costs about one-half of the overpriced, piece of crap Breville. The Cusinart still works, but cleaning up the leaking water after making coffee is not something that I should be doing. So, I started searching again for a machine and read the comments and criticisms on the Capresso EC100. This thing is cheap compared to the "status brands" that have proven to me to be poor value for money. I recently received the machine from a seller on Amazon. Of course if you want to compare the appearance of this machine to the pealing heavy die cast Breville or the heavy leaking Cuisinart, you will conclude that this is light and rather "cheap" looking. This little machine costs one-fourth that of Breville and one half that of Cusinart. The stainless steel on the Capresso appears to be REAL stainless steel and the rest of the machine is black plastic. The small filter cups for the coffee are designed for coffee that you grind or for pods. Here is what I received: A little espresso machine heats in about half the time of the other machines. It produces a good amount of creama and the pump is VERY QUIET. There is no "grinding" and "pulsing" like the "high priced spreads". Now, when I switch to steam it produces lots of steam very quickly. It seemed like a great machine for the money and previously rated at 5 stars. To my surprise after two months of use, the machine is now useless junk; and I cannot find, or get help to find, repair parts. BECAUSE OF UPDATE ABOVE, I CAN NO LONGER SUGGEST THAT YOU CONSIDER THIS MACHINE AS GOOD VALUE OR EXPECT ANYTHING OTHER THAN A FORM LETTER FROM aService. I sincerely hope this information helps you.

I don't normally write reviews, but feel compelled to do so with this particular product because it involves safety. We had two Capresso machines in the past and liked them. So when this new model came out, I eagerly checked out the features, read the reviews and viewed the demo video. I decided it was a good product and bought it as Valentine's Day gift to my husband. It worked well for a couple of days and the cappuccino tasted good, although we weren't crazy about a couple of things - the porta filter is only half of the size of the previous model we had; it doesn't come with a glass carafe so we had to use the one from our old machine. When I was brewing an Espresso the first weekend it arrived, I noticed that it took forever for the coffee to drip. As I was leaning in to check on it, it suddenly exploded! The porta filter flew a couple of feet away, smashing the glass carafe in the process and spilled coffee and grind all over me and the kitchen counter. Luckily I didn't get hurt! (I will upload a picture of the mess later.) I was totally shaken up by the incident. I called Capresso Customer Support, and they told me to email them the pictures and said a supervisor would get back to me. Since I bought it from Amazon.com, they told me to contact Amazon.com to return the product. So I did. The Amazon rep was super helpful, caring and gave me clear directions to return the unit free of charge for refund. Capresso finally emailed me back 5-6 days later questioning if I inserted the filter properly which I know I did. I am one of those suckers who do everything by the rules. They also asked me to send the unit in to them for investigation. By then, I have already returned the unit to Amazon.com. I forwarded them the Amazon.com return label so they could track down the unit, but they said they couldn't. That was the last I heard from them. I hope the incident will prompt them to look into potential problems with the model. In the meantime,I recommend that folks who have this model be vigilant when using the unit and don't stand too close while it is brewing. I sincerely hope this was an isolated incident and won't happen to any others.

I got this for a family member's birthday present. They have told me many times how much they love it and how good the lattes are but I finally got a chance to try it for myself when I visited recently and they were definitely not exaggerating. The espresso comes out looking and tasting just like at a cafe- rich, strong, dark, with lots of crema. The milk steams up with a smooth, creamy froth that is absolutely perfect. The coffee comes out quickly and the milk steams fast. All told, a latte takes maybe 5 minutes to make. I'm thinking of getting one for myself now! I read all the reviews before buying this and to respond to a couple criticisms: Yes, large mugs do not fit beneath it. But a teacup would. And, of course, small espresso cups that you can empty into a larger mug or glass if you want. You can usually find little espresso cups at thrift stores for super cheap if you want to save money on this. You do need to stay near the machine and watch as it makes your coffee because there doesn't appear to be an automatic shut off function. You need to switch it off when your cups are full or they will overflow, which is fine because it only takes a couple of minutes. Remove the cups quickly after you turn the dial to "off" because the machine will pump any extra water left in the "pipes" out and you don't want that in your coffee. It will fall into the little collection box underneath the metal grate that holds the cup. This box will need emptying and cleaning every two or three brew cycles or it will overflow onto your counter. This is the only drawback I can see to this machine, but it's not a big one.

[Updated] I’m leaving my original 3-star review below for my EC100, but this is my update (now 5 stars). After a month of use, the crema is back to what I expected. I am sure it was not the beans, grind, or placebo, since I ran comparisons with my old EC50 in the first week. It seems the machine just needed some break-in time for the seals and parts to settle, and maybe get a little coffee-stained. The manufacturer confirmed the EC50 and EC100 use the same pressure and mechanism. I now love my EC100. (Side note: the portafilter is heavier on the EC100 due to an internal weight and cap that holds it in. Mine keeps falling out, so I set them aside and have yet to decide whether to glue them on. I may not bother since it’s not needed, so no big deal. ----------- [Original review] Capresso EC100 & EC50 have been my favorites since 2014, but every 3-5 I've had to buy replacement when they start leaking. My first to were EC100, then EC50, and just got an EC100. The take up little space, are inexpensive, but what made me a fanboy was the rich crema they made and how it flavored the coffee. Only once before did I order one from Amazon and had to return it for not working, then ordered it from Jura (since they ship after testing). A friend who I recommended it too also had to return what he ordered from Amazon, then bought a different espresso machine that doesn't give him the crema experience. I don't know why they start leaking water during coffee making, taking longer to fill a cup and filling the water tray after 6 or so cups are made. Perhaps because I leave it going beyond a tiny espresso cup so that both jets fill a larger 8 oz cup. But I was hooked on the crema, so I keep buying one of these every couple of years. Now, I just bought the EC100 from Amazon when my EC50 had been leaking for some months. The new one ran quieter than the old one on the first day of use but the crema was much less and it dissipates quickly. The coffee tastes stronger and the bottom of the portafilter feels much hotter than on my older models. After two days of usage, it has gotten noisier, and the crema seems to be even less. I hate going to the trouble of returning it and ordering one from Jura. But my real worry is that the EC100 (and EC50) may have changed pressure, heat or other mechanisms, which diminishes the one thing that kept me being a Capresso fanboy. If I do get another one and the crema is no longer what it was, then I will be trying out other manufacturer models. So sad.

Like so many other posts that I've seen, I was looking to replace an old Krups steam espresso machine that I had for at least 13 years, used every single morning, and loved. So it had been a long time and whatever I bought had big shoes to fill. I thought the pump machines were supposed to be better (and they ought to be based on the prices) but I'm not convinced although my issues may only be because this is different from what I'm used to. It certainly produces more of the crema than the steam machine but the espresso is weaker and I'm using the same espresso beans. Also, if you don't want to use the black frother attachment, the metal pipeline for steaming is very short. I had to search for a slender cup to use so that the milk would come up high enough for the steam pipe. I do like having the reservoir and it does heat up quickly which is nice. It makes the espresso very quickly which is also why I think it may be weaker (it doesn't spend as much time going through the coffee on its way to the cup). It seems sturdy and well-made, certainly doesn't appear cheap by any means. I've switched espresso beans and a stronger brand has helped. I'm just an old dog that doesn't like to try new things I guess.

Todo perfecto y funciona al 100%, Con todas las piezas ademas de que es muy fácil de utilizar y preparar café,

The machine met my expectations. Makes excelent espresso, lots of crema. Deliverey was fast (3 days). I will recomend it to my friends.

Todo salió bien. Mi novia la disfruta mucho. Es práctica, fácil de utilizar, fácil de lavar y de buen material.

For the price this is an outstanding espresso machine!

Works great, no problem so far! We'll have to wait a few months to see if it keeps up! El producto es fantastico, hasta ahora no hay quejas, pero hace apenas 3 semanas que la estamos usando.