Maybe I'm just a Kwality kind of gal

Author's Rating:

Pros: Good strong espresso multiple cappuccinos at once durable Good frother

Cons: Ugly Broke after 6 years

The Bottom Line: 
Good cappuccino maker, reasonably durable, easy to use, and fast.

Author's Review
But, this has been a very good espresso maker for us. We had it for 6 years until it broke last weekend. We made cappuccinos in it every day for those six years, and loved them. The cappuccios we make are not weak, in fact despite using starbucks beans, our espressos from home are always orders of magnitudes better (and stronger) than what we get down the street. The coffee is not burnt, and you can adjust the amount of water you put in, just don't fill the carafe so full (seems obvious, right?)It is true, there is little crema. However, I just bought a new one that made lots of nice crema but is weak, weak, weak! Back to the Krups, the froth is good and simple to clean. Also, the plastic did not prove a problem until this weekend, and at that point I think it was the plastic that killed our cappuccinos. The knob for the steamer appears to have basically twisted off, so, that's that.

All in all, this has been a very good machine for us. We've decided to up our coffee snobbery and get a better machine. However, now we're in that pursuit, I'm finding it's not so easy. I just bought the $450 Breville one which is beautiful but as I said, doesn't make good espresso, leaves a big mess of sludge in the filter, and appears likely to be permanently clogged. So, I'm returning it. Now after doing more research though, I feel I must find what it is I'm missing. I sure hope it's not getting a coffee like at Starbucks though, b/c that's not what I'm after (I prefer strong flavorful espresso). I'm a little worried that I am setting off on what will be a very expensive wild goose chase. Already I am yearning for the simplicity of our old Krups (but with the beauty of the Breville).