Great Buy
Love this product. I read all the other reviews before buying so I knew it didn't come with a steaming pitcher and ordered one to go with it. However I didn't realize that it didn't come with an espresso tamper either. I would have ordered one had I known now I have to wait for the one I ordered to come in and hope it fits this machine. Would have given it 5 stars but as a former barista I know that to make a good latte I need a steaming pitcher and a tamper. So for an espresso machine not to come with these items is like getting a pair of sneakers with no laces. I have had no problem with leaking and as long as the user READS THE INSTRUCTIONS they shouldn't have any problems either. For $40 I've already gotten my money's worth in the last week. And anyone interested in buying I would say "GO FOR IT!!!" but order a steaming pitcher and espresso tamper along with it.
Note: P.S. Get a 49mm espresso tamper to go with it. Doesn't fit "perfectly" but its as close as I could find that wouldn't be too big.
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Capresso 303.01 4-Cup Machine
For the money this is an excellent machine for non-commericial use. My spouse is totally hooked on lattes. We usually make 2-20 ounce lattes at one time; although we have made 3 sets of 2-20 ounce lattes back to back. The Capresso is fast. The espresso is flavorful and hot. The steamer quickly heats the milk to perfection and creates as little or as much froth as you prefer.
During the last 20 years we have had 6 or 7 different espresso machines ranging from $40.00 to $180.00 in price. This one which retails for $105.00 (we paid less on Amazon)is the best. It is easy to use and creates exceptionally good coffee drinks.
A word of caution for any machine you purchase: READ the INSTRUCTIONS. The directions for each machine differ slighty. My caffeine addicted hubby overfilled the water chamber on a very expensive espresso/cappuccino machine and broke it.
The Capresso 301.01 is the machine I would recommend to friends and family. We are extremely happy with this machine.
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Best value for the money - Awesome coffeeI was initially reluctant to buy this based on the fact that they use proprietary pods. Had that reluctance stuck with me I probably would've spent a few hundred more on a high-quality manual espresso machine or over a thousand on an automatic machine. $.52 a cup is reasonable when you consider that grinding your own works out to about $.30 a cup but yields a greater mess and requires more soap and water for cleanup each time. With two little kids at home - who has time to clean? I was absolutely giddy the first time I used both the machine and the frother. Separately and together both machines match or rival what all too many of us pay $3-5 for from the local coffee shop. I'm convinced that our friends will like us more if we decide to share some of this with them. I bought this at Williams-Sonoma based on loyalty as I had sampled it 3 times over a two week period and finally couldn't take it anymore. I had to have one! Consumer reports also ranks this machine highest in its class. The only machine that offered comparable taste was larger cost about a grand and requires more cleaning.
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