Capresso Ultima Coffee and Espresso Review

I enjoyed the taste of lattes having lived in San Francisco for many years and found myself in withdrawal when I had to return to St. Louis rather unexpectedly.I purchased the Capresso Ultima about the end of 2002 or early 2003 and was and have been fairly satisfied with this product from the get go.Here are a few things I've found in having brewed well in excess of a 1000+ cups and probably 75+ or more pounds of coffee in this machine:
1.Your coffee selection is key.If you like the Starbucks or Peet's or Border's latte taste, purchase a good dark roast.
2.Buy a burr grinder so you can get the right grind, not too fine and certainly not course. I use the DeLonghi. One word of caution, after using the finest turkish grind on my burr grinder for several cups, one day I discovered the coffe would not flow no matter how long I left the pump on.By the way, don't do this because your excess coffee simply flows into the overflow tray and gets wasted.To fix the problem I called the factory in New Jersey (I think) and was told to just return the central unit--nothing else.For $65, my charges, they sent back a new unit even though I had almost 2 years of use on it.It was returned within about 10 days.Excellent customer service.
3.If you like milky, thick foam then stick with 1 or 2 percent to get the best froth which you cannot get with whole milk or soy or rice milk for that matter.
4.DO NOT OVERHEAT THE MILK!!!This breaks down the fat molecules within the milk making it impossible to build a good froth.
5.Use a small colletor to gather the espresso and not the cup you used to steam the milk. I use this to collect the espresso and then pour it into the steamed milk.After a few cups you will quickly determine how much coffee to brew.Also, if you want an absolute great surprise, make a cappacino and let the machine brew the "crema" that seems to be the rage in espresso circles.The Ultima does an excellent job making crema.
For those who don't know, it's the tasty lighter coffee that is brewed at the end of the brewing cycle and has a wonderful milky-coffee taste.
6.The coffee is always HOT, HOT, HOT so please be careful when initially drinking it.
7.The hot water heater works wonders for the likes of hot chocolate mix.
8.I should add about the frother that you will experience a lot of steamiing water which probably shouldn't be there and disappears if you let the steamer run for a few minutes--do this in a separate container and dump the water, the steam will follow.Also the frothing wand is a two stage affair that generally heats the milk at first and then after a slight adjustment on the wand will produce a thick froth.Also, I move the cup with the milk around the wand to get good even heat to the milk.
9From a cold start, to finished cup takes about 3 minutes--the heating element works extremely fast.
10.Always use distilled water not tap.This will result in a calcium deposit which will destroy the unit.If you drink a lot of this coffee, I'd recommend buying your own countertop water distiller.
11.All in all, I could not be more happy with this machine.My son who lives in Brooklyn uses a much more expensive model, over $1,000, and it produces a great cup of espresso---the Capresso Ultima does the same at almost one-fourth the price.
12.It is because of the water wastege that I gave this unit a four star rating.
13.To ensure consistent coffee taste, do take offthe top, very easy procedure, and then rinse it under the faucet.The black, grounds container on the bottom tray should be emptied and rinsed daily after
each use.
14.If and when the time comes to replace, I'll go right back to the same unit--Love it, love it.
15.Finally, the plastic water container holds near perfect amounts of water to make approximately 7 cups of coffee.


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Product Description:
Capresso "Ultima" eliminates all the inconvienent and sometimes difficult steps of conventional espresso machines: no more complications with filling, cleaning and rinsing baskets, tamping and hot filter holders. Just fill in pre-ground coffee to your liking (7 to 15 grams), pull the coffee lever down and turn the pump on. Within seconds the Capresso "Ultima" brews any size cup from one espresso to two six ounce cups of coffee always with wonderful crema on top. The double coffee spout even adjusts to accommodate different size cups.

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Jura-Capresso 13531 Impressa C5 Fully Automatic Coffee Center, Piano Black Review

I have purchase the new Jura-Capresso Impressa C5 before it had been released. So I had to wait for several weeks for its delivery. Once it arrived it took a good couple of hours to read through the manual, (the machine operation is not intuitive). It had all kinds of warnings for grinding: no oily beans, no flavored beans, and so on. (You could grind such beans in separate grinder and use it in the grinded beans compartment. I have not tried this yet). So, I have followed the instructions closely, and for about 5 to 7 days it worked fine. However, one morning, after the first cup of coffee I made, I could not make a second one. (There was no coffee coming out of the spouts). I try different approaches to solve the issue myself, however eventually called the company. The representative had walked me through some steps, basically squandering more and more of my good beans, but was not able to solve the problem. To his credit, once he realized he can not resolve the issue he offered to replace the body of the machine. The way it worked; the company has sent the new body and a label to send the old one back. (I had to remove all the removable parts: water tank, spout for cappuccino, and such)It took about a week for a new one to arrive. On arrival, I have noticed that the spout on the new one did not feet as well as on the old one, but I did tried to froth the milk yet. (I hope it works)
As far as quality of the coffee it makes, it is not bad; it is still not a commercial quality, but the machine makes a creama that is somewhat resembling of a good European café coffee. I have tried several different kinds of beans and came to the conclusion that quality of beans make a bigger difference than the machine itself. (I tried the good beans in the cheap espresso machine and the coffee was almost as good).The best beans I found were at the "Whole Foods" store.
Overall, I think it is way overpriced, and I would not purchase it again.



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Product Description:
Combining a compact design with user-friendly front-panel controls, this fully automatic coffee machine makes it easy to enjoy cafe-quality coffee drinks from the comfort of home. Its commercial-grade conical steel burr grinder offers six fineness settings for any type of bean for light to dark roasts, while a separate funnel for pre-ground coffee allows for making no-hassle decaf or flavored coffee drinks. To help ensure a perfect cup of coffee, the appliance comes equipped with a 1450-watt stainless-steel ThermoBlock heating system, a 15-bar high-pressure pump, and the Intelligent Pre Brew Aroma System (I.P.B.A.S.). Its I.P.B.A.S. delivers freshly ground coffee beans to the infusing cylinder as a powder from the grinder where it gets optimally compressed. Prior to brewing, the powder receives water moisture, which allows the pores to swell and flavors to be released. From here, aromatic, flavorful coffee dispenses into a cup automatically, complete with a thick layer of crema on top. The unit's variable brewing chamber holds between 5 and 16 grams of ground coffee, making it possible to brew a variety of coffee drinks--from a single 1-ounce ristretto to two 8-ounce cups of coffee at a time; the height of its coffee spout can be adjusted between 2-5/9 and 4-3/8 inches (65 and 111 mm) to fit any size cup. Even more, the machine's Connector System allows for using the Easy Cappuccino Frother, the hot water nozzle for tea or instant cocoa, and the optional two-stage frothing nozzle or the Professional Cappuccino Frother (both sold separately) to make perfect milk foam or hot milk.
Choose between coffee and espresso, and one or two cups, by simply turning the rotary dial (icons illuminate in red), then press the control for coffee in seconds. The rotary dial also offers on/off (standby), maintenance, pre-ground coffee, and steam options, and its three light segments illuminate to indicate the current coffee strength and water amount (turn the dial to adjust). Below the rotary dial and behind a concealing panel door, the machine offers a range of maintenance buttons with corresponding illuminated displays for the water tank, coffee-grounds container, bean container, and the cleaning, descaling, and filter buttons. Other highlights include a removable water tank; a bean container with an aroma-preservation cover; built-in memory that permanently stores settings and activities; self-monitoring rinsing, cleaning, and descaling programs; up to eight-hour automatic shut-off for safety and energy savings; and a Clearyl water-filtration system that purifies water and eliminates the need for decalcification. Accessories include a measuring spoon for pre-ground coffee, a milk pipe, a hot-water nozzle, a CLARIS plus filter cartridge, Jura Auto-Cappuccino cleaner, Jura cleaning tablets, Aquadur test strips, a quick reference guide, and a detailed user manual with recipes. A sleek-looking addition to any kitchen counter, the coffee machine measures 15 by 11-1/2 by 13-1/2 inches.

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Jura-Capresso 13299 Impressa Z6 Automatic Coffee and Espresso Center Review

I recently purchased the new Z6 after seeing one at William's Sonoma around Christmas.I resisted the temptation to purchase until a friend of mine called and told me he found one under the Christmas tree!We both purchased the Capresso 1500 about 3 years ago and thought those were the "Cat's Meow".Now fast forward to 2007 and the Z6 is here as the super automatic on steroids.

After unpacking I sat down and watched the included DVD twice.Once with my wife and once alone as I set up the machine.After you get through the initial setup and programming the machine is very easy to operate and maintain.Making a coffee drink is as simple as pushing one of 8 drink buttons on the front panel. I like the idea of the thermal milk storage tank but it's recommended that you don't store milk in it after use.I find this a little inconvenient to have to pour the milk into another container.With my previous C1500 I just put the plastic milk jug in the refrigerator and used it the next day.

I bought this unit to replace my C1500 for two major reasons. The first was my C1500 struggled to make a really hot coffee drink.I found myself drinking the beverage too quickly to avoid it getting cold or putting it into the microwave to heat it back up.The Z6 makes a hotter beverage that is much improved but still could be a few degrees hotter in my opinion.The second reason I purchased the Z6 was to get a bigger cup under the spouts.The C1500 was limited in what size cup I could place under the spouts and the Z6 allows me to put virtually any reasonable sized cup under the spout.

The Z6 is a beautiful piece to look at sitting on your counter and will be the envy of many a guest.However it has a chrome finish which appears durable but I would caution you to take extra precautions not to scratch the finish as it would be permanent.I place a paper towel on the lower tray when using ceramic type mugs to avoid scratching.

Update on 05/26/2008

I would like to say that the Z6 has been performing flawlessly for the past year and a half.As long as you perform the routine maintenance the Z6 will provide many years of trouble-free performance.I've also been putting the thermal milk container in the refrigerator with milk in it with no issues.

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Product Description:
The Jura-Capresso Impressa Z6 Automatic Coffee and Espresso Center gleams with a high-polish chrome plated metal front housing, a unique mirror LED display and a hand-polished zinc die-cast oversized tray.A coffee lover's dream, the Impressa Z6 has professional technology and one-touch cappuccino system. Beans are ground, and fresh, cold milk transforms into hot, frothed milk and pours into your cup. With high pressure, hot water is forced through the perfectly ground and tamped coffee. Now espresso flows through the thick layer of milk froth: pick up your perfect cappuccino and enjoy. In the meantime the used coffee grounds are discarded and you can immediately start dreaming about another cappuccino, latte, espresso, or any other hot large cup of crema coffee.

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Jura-Capresso 13339 Impressa Z5 Automatic Coffee Review

I have owned Capresso machines for about the last 8 years or so.Just replaced my Z5.It is expensive but if coffee is important to you, it's worth it.
I can't tell you how much coffee we wasted making a pot at a time the old way. That drove me crazy. Single serve is the way to go.I finally figured out how to make capuchino's with the Z5 and it is so easy!I've got a family of 5 and everyone drinks them now so our machine gets alot of use.I'd venture to say 10 cups a day on average.

We started with a less expensive Capresso model and it worked great but we felt the coffee was not hot enough.We needed more horsepower.The very first Z5 we bought was a lemon and had to be returned.The next one was good for about 3 years until we got the dreaded "Error 8".I did alot of internet research on the best machines available.There was one that seemed very similar to the Z5 but was twice the price.There were others at a lower price but I either did not like the appearance or they did not have all the features.So we stuck with the Z5.

For the more math oriented, here's the way I look at it.If the machine costs $3 grand and lasts 3 years and you make 10 cups of coffee per day, the cost of the machine per cup is under 30 cents each.Then you need to add to that supplies, coffee, water, creamers etc.

Be warned that if you are new to this type of machine it takes some time to master its use.

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Product Description:
Make cafe-quality beverages at the press of a button using this fully automatic coffee center. The machine features eight pre-set beverage buttons for creating great-tasting cappuccinos, lattes, hot chocolates, hot teas, one or two cups of ristretto, espressos, cafe lungos, and large cups of crema coffee. Use the pre-set programs or make customized beverages by adjusting the coffee strength, coffee volume, and the amount of steamed or frothed milk. Thoughtfully designed, the unit automatically grinds coffee beans, tamps and brews the coffee, then discards used coffee grounds--all with an exceptionally low level of noise. The coffee center also provides an easy-to-read three-line LED display, a one-touch cappuccino system for making cappuccino or latte without ever moving the cup, and an invisible beam that senses the amount of beans in the bean container and indicates when it needs a refill. A 32-ounce triple-insulated thermal milk container, which effectively keeps milk chilled for up to eight hours, comes included. Made in Switzerland, the coffee center measures 16-1/2 by 12-1/2 by 14 inches and carries a two-year warranty.

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