Buy Pump Coffee Machines

Review by Kevin T. Quinn:

Despairing of ever finding decent espresso in the Midwest, I finally broke down and decided to get a home espresso machine. I had worked as a barrista, and had sipped espresso in Italy, so I had some idea of how it should taste.

Being relatively poor, I wanted a machine that would deliver a decent espresso, at a decent price. Though I was willing to consider a system with proprietary coffee pods (K-cups, Tassimo, etc), it would have to be cheap enough that I wouldn’t mind shelling out the extra bucks for the coffee itself. And I also wanted to make sure that it was pump-driven, not steam-driven.

After checking reviews and looking around, I finally settled on the DeLonghi BAR32. It’s a pump-driven maker, not steam driven, so it’s not scorching the grounds as it brews. And it comes with a single and a double espresso filter.

The DeLonghi uses either ground espresso, or E.S.E. espresso pods. The E.S.E. pods are not proprietary – any company can make them. The DeLonghi comes with a package of 18 Illy pods (retail – ). The pods are convenient, but still expensive.

I’ve had the espresso maker for several days, and I’m happy with it so far. With the pods, it pulls a good single espresso with a satisfactory crema. Sugar floats on top of the crema for about 2-3 seconds, and it has a nice golden color. The espresso tastes very smooth.

Pulling a good single espresso, either with the pods or loose coffee, is pretty easy. Use the pods as a good judge of how tightly to pack the grounds in the filter. Use a level, loosely packed scoop of coffee for a single shot.

Pulling a good double, on the other hand, still eludes me. The best I’ve come up with is to use 2 scoops, 3/4 full and loosely packed, and pressed looser than for a single. Even then, it still dribbles out slowly, with a less-than-satisfactory (though present) crema.

The steam wand works very well. I’ve made several excellent cappuccinos and lattes with it. It’s a little cramped to use, so I pull mine to the edge of the counter so that I can get a good mug under it. I steam straight into the mug of milk, and then add the espresso. Make sure to blow some steam through it to clear out condensation before putting it in your milk. Start with the steam wand nearly submerged in the milk, and then slowly pull it out (lower the mug) until you hear a gentle “sipping” sound. That means that it’s frothing. If you see noticeable bubbles on top of the milk, that means you’ve pulled it out too far – dip it back in slowly and you should be able to whip the bubbles into froth. Once the froth is just below the level you want it, submerge the wand back into the milk to finish heating it. Listen again – once the milk starts to sound “hollow,” it’s nearly hot enough. Let it go for a few more seconds, then shut off the steam, and remove the mug. The wand will drip a bit, so put it over the drip tray or an empty mug.

Making espresso is fairly easy. Turn the machine to “Heat” to start heating the water and priming the pump. Make sure the filter holder is screwed into the machine. Once the “Hot” light comes on, run an espresso cycle without coffee into the cup you’ll use – pulling espresso into a cold cup will ruin the flavor. Fill the cup half-way with hot water, and turn the machine back to “Heat.” Empty and quickly dry the espresso cup. Put the E.S.E. pod or ground espresso into the filter (tamp down the loose espresso) and twist it into the machine. Turn the machine on, and wait until you’ve got your cup of espresso. A single espresso should be 30-40ml, or 1-1.5oz. I used a measuring cup to see what that looked like in my demitasse cups.

Looking back over what I’ve written, I suppose I do make it look a little complicated. And it is a little bit more complicated that popping the K-cup into the machine, and hitting “Go.” But it really is pretty easy, and less than 5 minutes pass between “You know, I could go for a cappuccino,” and “Man, that’s a tasty cappuccino.”

Pros:

- Inexpensive

- Good pressure

- Easy to make a good single shot of espresso

- Uses pods or loose grounds

- 2 dials + 0 buttons = easy to use

- Outstanding steam wand

- 32oz water reservoir lets you make 3 or 4 cappuccinos, or 6 to 8 espressos, without refilling

- Built-in tamper means one less part to lose

- Pre-heat cycle helps make good espresso

Cons:

- Hard to make a good double espresso (might just be me)

- Steam wand leaks slightly (usually at the start of a brewing cycle – I just keep mine over the drip tray)

In the end, the machine makes a good espresso, especially for the price, but remember that you’re not going to be running a coffee shop with it. I definitely recommend it for anybody who wants to make their own espresso, but wants to do it for under 0.

Review by Gian Luca Diana:

I have purchased this machine from Amazon on June 2006, that’s 16 months ago and I have been using this coffee maker every day, usually 2 to 3 times a day. A few words about me, I grew up in Italy, lived there for over 20 years and I still go visit my country for at least a month every year so I should know about coffee, right? DeLonghi is considered a good brand in Italy, I’m not sure about customer service in the U.S. since I never had to contact them; my aunt in Italy has an identical machine with no complaints. I’m not sure about the complaints I read here. Some people say it takes too long to heat up the water… I usually turn it on 15 minutes before making the espresso and the water gets really hot, if you think that’s too long then you’ve never used an espresso machine before, it’s very average as a matter of fact. Sorry, but that’s not the machine’s fault, it’s the way it is with all machines. Coffee shops machines need one hour sometimes longer to heat up. Others have complained about the steamer leaking a bit… NO KIDDING! It’s called vapor condensation, if you think that’s a machine issue I recommend going back to school and taking Physics 101. Not usually a big deal for me, just keep the steamer over the tray and the problem is solved… it’s only a drop or two anyway.

Some have written about the coffee not being very strong, true it could be stronger but if you make the right dose it’s ok. I get my coffee in Italy and, you want to trust me on this, if you’re not using good ground coffee to start with you’re not going to get a good espresso. Forget that Starbucks junk, this machine makes a much better espresso if you use it right with the right coffee.

I’m not saying it’s perfect, but for this price it gets really good, hard to find better. Forgive me for my somewhat sarcastic remarks, but I have the feeling that most of the people who complained about this machine have issues related to “Operator’s Error” and not the machine itself.

One note though about the frother (I’ve seen better construction), remove the plastic part and it works much better.

I used both Illy pods and ground coffee and I like both. Illy is considered a high quality coffee.

For the past 16 months it has worked great for me and I’m sure it will again tomorrow morning. Remember not to let the water reservoir go dry or you will burn the pump, again “Operator’s Error” not machine’s.

To the guy who grinds his own beans not espresso fine… Operator’s Error! Espresso machines need espresso ground coffee not larger grains. I still have to find a grinder in the US that can make fine espresso ground without costing an arm and a leg. One more thing: make sure you use bottled water (I use spring water) because tap water contains more limestone and can ruin the pump in the long run.

By the way, all the customers images are mine (as of today October 8th 2007), glad to see so many people enjoyed them.

Update: October 24th

Over 2 years, and still working great! I used it about twice a day.

Review by Joe Corbett:

I 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 -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.

Review by Seattle N:

I never thought I would go for this machine, I am a little purist and cranky about my morning cup of wonderful – however, I indulged the Nespresso rep at a local Sur La Table – and, wow.

This little combo worked better than The Cube in my opinion, and I love that frother!

Yes, you need the little capsules, but the darker roasts and the “Special Club” are pretty good, and I have many more to try. it helped that the rep tossed in like 5 extra packs of them for me. I found them online here at Amazon for about a sleeve and with my Prime membership it was free shipping. And the rep told me next time I see her she will let me “try” a couple other flavors as well – bonus.

I have made chocolate milks, coffee blends with liqueurs for desserts, decaf cap’s at night as well as my new fancy morning beverages.

I have had it for a month and adore it. Sure, a little pricey, but I think I have saved about already in morning coffee shop trips. So that pays for itself pretty fast.

The coffee button has to be programmed for the small and large size you prefer on the “pull” time. Hold it down for the length of the “pull” you want then release. It will “remember” it for the next time you tap that button.

I am going to order a set of replacement frother spinners, not because they don’t stick to the top of the frother well (they are pretty magnetic) but because I am afraid they will get washed away by a less careful user (ahem. no pointing fingers… HONEY.)

If you would like a treat for yourself, do it. It wont be comparable to your most fave coffee house or a replacement for a chatty, fun, pierced, “I really want to be an actress/singer/massage therapist.” type barista, but it will save on trips to the coffee shop and maybe keep you from being ten minutes late to your morning meeting because you just HAD to stop on the way in to the office.

So anyway – Froth away! Invest in some pretty cups and some chocolate syrup too! =)

Review by Katrina728:

I received this machine as a gift (thankfully, ‘cuz I wouldn’t have been able to afford it for myself). Before this I had a Capresso CoffeeTEC machine. The Magnifica is so easy to use and to clean, it’s great not to have to deal with filters, grinders, frothers, etc. My husband is a stickler for using freshly ground coffee beans for his coffee. It’s such a joy not to have to sweep up the coffee grinds from the floor now! Anyway, here are some things I like about it:

- Amazing tasting coffee; freshly ground at the touch of a button. Several people have told me that it tastes better than Starbucks coffee

- Machine rinses itself after turn on and before turn off

- Tells you when to clean the coffee grind container (makes ‘em into little hockey pucks)

- Wide range of coffee strengths from which to choose: extra mild, mild, regular, strong, extra-strong

- 3 cup sizes from which to choose. You can change the settings so the cup sizes are customized for you. I use the “Long” setting. If you press it twice quickly, it will make 2 ‘long’ coffees for you

- Love the frothing pitcher. Just attach it, press the cappuccino button, sit back and watch it make you a steaming hot cappuccino with thick froth. Frother puts frothed milk directly into your cup and then makes the espresso and puts it in the cup.

- There’s a pre-ground “bypass” button. I use it when I want to have decaf. I add ground decaf beans and use the frother to add frothed milk.

- Machine tells you everything that it “needs.” “Fill Beans container, descale, add water…etc.”

- You can use the water spout for instantaneous hot water for tea, hot chocolate, etc.

- Starbucks will sell you bottles of their flavored syrups, so I bought several of my favorite flavors for my little “at home cafe”

Update Sep 2008: About a month ago I opened the front door of the machine and it was empty. I thought to myself “who would’ve broken into my house and only stolen the infuser to the coffee machine?” I examined the machine and was able to see that the infuser was stuck in the housing at the top of the machine. An internet search showed that other people had had the same problem but no solutions were posted. I called DeLonghi and went through a few troubleshooting steps with a friendly customer service lady. Finally we gave up and she said I had to send it in to get it fixed. They sent me the boxes, labels and packing materials, which was nice. I sent it to an appliance place in NY. After 3 weeks I called to check the status and they said, “It’s on the shelf; we’ll get to it.” Within a day or two the machine was delivered and working again. It was a bummer to have to ship it out to get it fixed (took a month) and my other gripe is that it came back dirtier than when I sent it (coffee grounds everywhere, etc.). Would’ve been nice if they wiped it down. Anyway, DeLonghi customer service handled it well.

Review by Ute Roesner:

Let me express my extreme unhappiness with the handling of a replacement part order by DeLonghi itself, not Amazon.

Two weeks after we received the coffee maker, one of the three O-rings broke which means that the frothed/steamed milk feature is deactivated ever since.

I ordered three replacement O-rings three weeks ago from their web page, get a link that tells me that I can always “find out the current status”, which is total bogus because the status never appeared on the web page.

I sent an email to this same address 1 week after the order (Dec 11) to inquire what the status is. On the web page and in the phone message under the service number DeLonghi prides itself that any email would be answered within 1 business day. I have not received any reaction to my email.

I called the DeLonghi customer service number on 12/15 to inquire the status of the order. I was told that there are not 3 O-rings available at this point and this caused my order to be blocked. I was told that 1 or 2 O-ring are in stock and that I would get at least 1 O-ring shipped that same day.

I called the DeLonghi customer service number again on 12/20 to inquire the status of the partial shipment. The person on the phone was unable to find out about the real status, was unable to find the supervisor but promised me that she would personally ask the supervisor for help with an expedited shipment when (s)he becomes available again.

Another phone call today, 12/27, resulted in more of the same, more postponing, no explanations.

The DeLonghi web page trumpets the following:

White Glove Service Guarantee (Available in U.S. Only)

“Your choice of the Magnifica super automatic espresso machine reveals that you have the highest standards, and we at DeLonghi strive to always exceed those expectations. Our specially trained DeLonghi espresso experts are here to serve your needs in any way we can.”

Given the history of my order of 3 little O-rings, this sounds like an extremely bad joke.

We are happy with the machine (even though we did not expect its first flaw of a broken O-ring to happen so soon) but extremely unsatisfied with the worst customer support we have experienced in a long time. A real shame given that we paid 00 for a coffee machine “with the highest standards” and I shudder at the thought that I would ever have to ask for more significant customer service than a little black O-ring.

We will never again buy another DeLonghi product!

Review by Supperconductor:

Initial Impression

I was a bit skeptical that I could get a decent shot of espresso from a portable machine. And while it doesn’t develop as much crema as my home machine (and I wouldn’t expect it to considering that machine is over ,500) – this thing is a GREAT way for me to get my espresso fix at work.

Value

The build quality of the Handpresso is top notch, commensurate with its price (i.e. you get what you pay for). It should last quite a while. I was pleased to find that it comes with an extra O-ring gasket.

It’s already paid for itself in savings – I don’t buy espresso at Starbuck’s anymore. It also IMHO brews a way more drinkable shot than Starbucks ever did – they really need to clean their machines and train their alleged “baristas”.

Tips

For hot water, I use my office kitchen’s hot water dispenser – and you really need very hot water to get a good shot, so take some care not to scald yourself. The only downside is I’m getting a lot of requests from co-workers to brew them a shot.

Review by A. D. Barreuther:

I have had this product for a couple of months now. I have a rich history of trying to find something to take with me on the road to the improve hotel coffee situation. I started with a single cup Melitta electric drip coffee maker (remember those!), a Krups, a Velox, an electric Bialetti moka pot, an Aeropress, etc. I hate to go to a hotel, find a maker with coffee filters and think things are fine until 6 AM in the morning when you realize BOTH filters are de-caf! The hotel coffee makers range from OK to horrible! The coffee too!

I purchased the HandPresso out of desperation! I have a semi-professional espresso machine (VBM) and roast my own beans. I was not impressed with the ESE pods, but am VERY happy with them in the HandPresso! I like the idea I do not have to touch grounds in the morning like with the Aeropress. I carry a cup, some pods, and the HandPresso. I boil water (I am still looking for a very small electric boiling pot, but have an immersion coil), pump up the HandPresso, pre-heat my espresso cup and the water cup on the HandPresso, dump both, re-fill the HandPresso, pop in a pod, and in 25-seconds or so have a great shot of espresso! Got carried away one morning and had 4 in a row! WOW!

This device is extremely well made and and will probably last a long time. It will get field testing from me. Hope the TSA does not think it is some sort of nasty device in my bag!! The coffee pods give it away.

Review by Raymond Chow:

Before purchasing this product, I was concerned it would not fit the Torani Syrup bottles I have, but rest assured, they fit exactly. When shipped from Amazon, it will come in its own individually sealed plastic bag. Thus far, I have not experienced any dripping or spillage. Highly recommended for easy dosing of syrups for your favorite beverage.

Review by Bryan C. Dickinson:

I am not sure if I am just not using it correctly, but it seems to get a lot of air in the line. This means you have to pump multiple times to get a significant amount of syrup to come out. However, it does fit Divinci syrup bottles well, and does its job adequately. Not sure if there is a better option out there…

Update: I bought a few more of these and they worked MUCH better. I think I got a dud in the first batch, so that leaves me at 4 out of 5 that worked well. For the price, I guess those odds are not that bad.