Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Jura-Capresso 13187 Impressa E8 Super-Automatic Espresso Machine, Black



Love It!
I have to say, I *love* my E8! I tried one at a store and, after a lot of research, settled on Jura Capresso because of the cleaning cycle feature (most others you have to remove the "brew group" once a week or so and manually clean it - I was *so* not going to do that!). I settled on the E8 versus other JC's because of the price and the features... the higher-end models' extra features (none of which directly affect the quality of a single cup) were worth the additional cost, especially since I live alone.

I've no complaint about the temperature of the coffee, as long as I pre-heat my cup. A little hot water out of the spiget does the trick. I use a decent coffee bean from a local store and have excellent results. I did have to play around with the grind settings, but I expected that.

The frother (I don't have the fancy add-on) does a better-than-decent job of frothing/foaming milk; however, it's not as good as a coffee-house machine wielded by a pro, with...

I love Miss Anna
OK, this thing ain't cheap. I mean, how can you ever justify spending $1000 on a coffee maker?? I named mine Miss AnniBirthenTine. She was so expensive, that she was my 'Anni'versary, 'Birth'day, and Val'enTine's day gift all rolled into one item! That being said, I admit I have a bit of an unhealthy relationship with my coffee maker. I love her. Fine. I said it.

One thing I have noticed is that Miss Anna is smarter than I am. She tells me when to clean her, fill her with water, etc. And, I love that. She's clean and polite - never demanding. Here and there she does some things I am not sure of, but nothing has been serious. For instance, I also experienced what the reviewer who gave one star said - intermittent coffee - part way through she would just turn off. I did not call customer service, but instead did some troubleshooting on my own. I came to the conclusion that the beans I bought were a bit oily (which is warned against in all the manuals and videos)...

coffee convenience
I bought this machine about two years ago. At the time I thought it was pricey, but decided that in the long run, it would pay off. It has.

PROS:
CONVENIENCE. There is nothing like coming down in the morning, pressing a button, and having a good coffee, which is freshly ground for you while you wait. The separate boilers allows you to immediately switch from foaming milk to producing espresso.
EASE. My partner and parents (who wouldn't touch my Gaggia classic because it was too complicated) all use this machine without hesitation.
DURABILITY. After two years, our well-used machine (2-3000 cups) has not needed a repair.
VERSATILITY. The coffee bypass is extremely convenient, given that my partner and I frequently prefer different roasts - it is very simple for one of us to grind our own and use the bypass to produce our preferred cup.
ECONOMY. The initial price tag for this machine is high. But when you compare it with the cost of buying 1-2...

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