Review on ☕ Capresso EC300 Stainless Steel/Black Cappuccino Espresso Machine - 42 by Jeff Gopala

What I love about espresso machines is the simplicity and ease of use. This Capresso does just that and (my favorite feature) it has a drip tray that extends all the way out so you can use regular sized cups. If you like your espresso the way it is, straight from the source, then none of the following paragraphs apply to you. My last DeLonghi didn't have a hinged drip tray and it drove me crazy to have to use a smaller cup or shot. Shot glasses then have to be poured into my mug and waste precious heat, and I'm happy to skip the entire preheat cycle. I always make cappucino so this feature is very important for me to avoid using different containers to steam/froth milk to make shots. First I steam the milk in my cup and then I make the shots. You can count the seconds by drinking two cups first and this will give you a guide as to when to stop the car. It takes about 18-20 seconds but I was able to increase it to 25-30 seconds and it's still tasty depending on your taste of course. This machine maintains a very stable pressure when switching from frothing to brewing, but they recommend letting the machine cool for five minutes. I haven't waited that long but still have good results with espresso quality/flavor but I only make one cup. If several people are drinking cappuccino, it's probably a good idea to prepare all the portions first and then froth the milk in a separate container, since you'll need more anyway. to hide when not in use. I didn't like the plastic frothing sleeve they provided so I took it off, one less item to clean. It still froths the milk a bit if you hold it in the right spot high up on the rim of the milk, but if you like thick, dense froth, you need a case. The water tank is on the back, which is nice from an aesthetic point of view. but you have to pull out the machine quite often to check the water level as the minimum fill line really means it will run out soon; I always seem to forget it until I hear it running dry, I'm pretty sure that's bad for the machine. The only downside I would mention has nothing to do with the superior machine, it's the cheap plastic shovel/masher they include. You shouldn't have bothered. The scoop is too big to gently scoop the coffee into the portafilter/strainer, you need a narrow spoon and the tamper is too light and awkward to use with the scoop on the other end. However, it will get the job done if you don't have another handy, most likely for a short time as it probably won't last long. If you've never tamped before, simply gently dip the tamper into the coffee, line it up, press harder, and twist before releasing. Shake off any coffee beans on the rim of the portafilter before inserting it into the machine. I will definitely update if I run into any problems in the future.