illyX7.1 Espresso Single-Serve Machine, Barista Quality Espresso Machine for iperEspresso capsules with Milk Frother Steam Wand (Black)

These machines don't get enough love. They have become an indispensable part of my routine. 4 yrs since I first started using x7.1 and iperpresso capsules, I have settled in with the espresso blend that I love. It's a no frills machine that served me well.Last month the water tank sprung a leak at the bottom. That's one piece of the design they should consider changing. You slide the tank in every time, so it was only a matter of time that this would happen. Either a thicker base or a better mechanism to prevent the slide-in design would do the trick. The tank's material is also not resistant to algae, so you should clean it in soap regularly.Still giving it a 5-start because it's been used extensively for 4 yrs and after returning to a Keurig for few days, I just realized that I need my Espresso more than I could imagine. I am ordering a water tank replacement and will post whether that fixed the issue.

After adding this from the Amazon Illy store to my cart I decided to sign up with Prime and enjoy the $100 discount on this $300 machine. What amazon doesn't tell you is that it's not really a discount you get at sign up, but they sell you returned/refurbished stuf instead. The machine broke down after 7 months and Illy doesn't want to replace it. It was super noisy to the point we had to close the kitchen doors when using it. We bought a new one from Illy directly which is silent and great. I feel ripped off by amazon.

I really like this product. Using the new capsules makes for no mess at all.The machine is ready in minutes and if you want a quick espresso its so so simple.I tend to pull a couple of shots before switching to the steam function for foaming the milk.It gets up to temperature pretty quickly. I find it takes a good 2 mins to get the milk up to the right temp.It makes good foam and I can make better drinks at home than places like starbucks.It doesn't beat the coffee shops I frequent but then it wont. A decent coffee house that uses $14,000 machines, good grinders, excellent beans and knowledgeable barristas will win everytime.But for that quick fix at home its great.Its a small unit and it looks great on my kitchen counter. People comment on how it looks all the time. It looks more expensive than it is.My first recommendation is that if you want to switch back to pulling a shot after steaming milk do not just press the cup button else it will take a while to cool down to the temp needed to pull a shot.Instead press the cup button and immediately press the steamer button. This will expell hot steam through the wand and cool down faster. I dont think this is noted in the booklet but its a great feature.Another recommendation is that you clean the wand right after steaming the milk. Its best to keep that as clean as possible and is easier to clean right after its been used than later on when its all sticky and clogged.All in all a great machine for the money. Totally recommended and believe me I am a coffee snob and will only drink great coffee.

ProsVery good consistent espresso with no mess and no effortPowerful pump provides steam quickly and as long as you need itGreat looking designConsusing 2 capsules a day (for a fairly standard grande latte equivalent) creates a LOT of waste in your recycling bin. That is not for everyoneSteam wand is way too short - you can only use fairly small milk cups and you have to hold it pressed up against the unit. A longer wand would make it easier to hold the milk and see what is happening. As it is, the cup is stuck up under the main unit.I have made gone through (5) 21 capsule tins, meaning over 100 shots and this thing works great. I will report after 6 or 12 months.

While coffee snobs are probably scoffing at this little beauty you need to remember two things: first, they paid thousands of dollars for their equipment that they spend hours of their life roasting and grinding beans for, and two, when they finally fire up their espresso machine to make a cup there's a huge mess to clean up.I'm more than happy to trade off a smidge of authenticity, a smidge of freshness and a smidge of higher quality bean for the simple fact that I can turn this baby on and have an incredibly tasty shot of espresso in my hands in about 60 seconds - and that includes the amount of time it takes to throw away the pod. And yes, it's uber tasty. All this has done is create problems with my wife, though, because I've become an espresso fiend. It's so easy and quick that I find myself spending all of my free time drinking these beautiful little blasts of bitter coffee goodness instead of doing chores around the house. And don't even get me started on a shot of dark roast topped with frothed whole milk that is fresh from the farm a few miles up the valley from my house... If that isn't the perfect breakfast I don't know what is. There's a Tim Hortons about a two minute drive from me and I haven't visited it once since this wonderful little angel was set down on my countertop, so I guess one other negative is that it's hurting the local economy.