Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Stylish, gorgeous coffee......, 12 Jan 2007
I've had my cream Artisan Espresso machine for about a month now and I'm delighted with it. I had wanted to move on from stove top mocha express devises and had been researching pumped Espresso machines for a while, the KitchenAid took me with a first glance! This is a stunning piece of industrial design, infinitely better looking in the flesh than in pictures and if you fall for it's looks than nothing else will do!
So how dose it perform? Wonderfully well! The very first shot of Espresso pulled was just great including a near perfect creama, what more could you ask for? There is no point in me regurgitating the technical specifications of the machine but I'm sure that the twin boilers are a considerable asset because the brew water is never over heated while you have steam ready all the time and of course once you are adept you can brew and steam at the same time. I'm inclined to think that a commercial grade 58mm chrome plated brass portafilter is essential as this really dose hold its temperature and leads to greater consistency. The supplied tiny plastic tamper is really quite inadequate other than to get you started, I've now purchased a Reg Barber one which is an immense improvement allowing the ideal compacting of any grind of coffee into the portafilter, this is important as it's one of the greatest influences on the extraction of the coffee. The supplied milk jug is nice but a little on the small side, only suitable for single helpings of Cappuccino, no big deal really as a twin shot of Espresso makes one Cappuccino!
Negatives! Right, the largest hassle with the Artisan is the change from steam to hot water and this dose take a bit of time, your expecting water but end up with spitting steam, the manual dose remark on this but it's a pain, you need a largish jug to dump this into because it's quite messy, no, very messy! I was making Americano the other day and got this wrong, we are talking coffee everywhere here! This is something I have not as yet sorted out, again no big deal as a kettle is simpler anyway!
In conclusion this is a great Espresso machine and I am recommending it, there is also a matching coffee grinder that I will be purchasing soon, these will look beautiful together and I will post my experience with it soon.
If you are considering a pumped Espresso machine and you like the look of the KitchenAid, just go for it! It is the real thing!
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16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Trust they are getting it right!, 13 Feb 2008
We are on our fourth unit and are, finally, getting rid of it.
Yes - it looks good but KitchenAid have dived in here, in the UK, at least, with a product not well researched enough even with the help of Gaggia. I think that the advantage of two boilers is questionnable (certainly with this design) and it seems that one can get cavitation problems at the brew head if the steam one runs dry. A bit of balancing is needed. Much worse is that we have been at the receiving end of continuous leaks - gauges steaming up and water escaping through the main housing horizontal joints. KA have, happily, taken these back without a quibble but we are now tired of these problems - water has started to escape through the joint again so we are calling it a day!
We have had considerable experience with Espresso machines (Domestic and commercial) as previous owners of an Italian Restaurant and a wine bar where we had Gaggia and Brasilia machines, all obviously, with one big boiler - we never ran out of steam. I understand the logic of trying two boilers for domestic use but am not convinced that it is the answer although, perhaps, the only compromise to make it relatively small!
Other reports indicate that we are unlucky - KA did have major problems early on where they switched factories to eliminate them and, apparently, they have sorted things out. Our patience has, however, given up first and we are buying something else.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Day 1, and I already love it!, 6 Aug 2008
The KitchenAid range was recommended by a friend and as soon as I saw pictures I wanted one. I was concerned by some of the online reviews, after all these years of waiting and at this price I didn't want to be disappointed. I took the plunge and mine was finally delivered today.
So, I followed the instructions and set up; I met with problems from the word go. I started to clean the two boilers as instructed. The machine was so noisy and loud when I switched on the pump I was sure something wasn't quite right. I pressed on though, first cleaning the brewing boiler which although loud seemed to work. Next I tried cleaning the frothing boiler but I had no luck with this at all and whatever I tried could not get any water out of the frothing nozzle. This problem had been noted in many of the reviews I'd read. I gave up in the end and decided to froth some milk and make my first coffee.
I'd never used an espresso machine before and my first attempt was poor, tasting nothing like the coffee house cappuccino I love. The milk frothed ok, but the espresso shot was weak and my cappuccino tasted equally watery. I read 'troubleshooting' again and decided it must be to do with the siphon hoses. BINGO! The noise disappeared and a second attempt at dispensing hot water was an instant success. The key here seems to be to make sure the clear siphon tube (not the black one) touches the bottom of the water tank. My machine was delivered with the tube about half way into the tank (which I thought was odd) - a gentle pull cured this and now the tube rests on the bottom.
Brilliant, my second cup was much improved and really smooth. I even managed to get the elusive crema and I have high hopes of improvement with some more practice.
I agree that the accessories provided with the machine are only a basic starter kit and I will be investing in a tamper, a larger jug and a milk thermometer really soon.
Until then it's practice makes perfect (I won't be sleeping tonight - I' buzzing with caffeine!!). I'd say go for it and I'm looking forward to enjoying my machine.
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