Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Let me start off by saying this product is definatly worth your money. I have never written a review before but this product deserved it. I myself have been a barista for several years. With that you become accustomed to good coffee. However you are not used to paying that $4 for every lattee. Now being a stay at home mom I wanted the product without the price. The machine makes shots that are as good as the big expensive machine at the stand offer. The steamer not so much if you want just warmed milk with a little foam on top you will be fine. However if you want the milk to all have a marshmellow whip texture to it spend another $20 and by a milk frother to. Do not use tap water. I know it says to but it will really ruin your machine quickly. Use DISTILLED water only. All other water have lots of minerals. Not only will you get better tasting coffee but prolong the life of the machine. Use half a teaspoon puro cleaner or another type of decalcifier once a month with about the filter with no holes on the bottom leaving it turned to the espresso side for two minutes p.It pushs the liquid back up cleaning you machine. All espresso stands do this every night before they shut down the machine. Now onto to how to make good lattees. First you will need a better tamper. I bought the one that amazon recommends to go with it. I bought a simple $15 coffee grinder from walmart that has a hold button. Make sure that you use whole beans that are ground fresh every time. Good espresso is oily and fresh. Bad flavor happens once it has been oxidized to long. You want to make sure when grinding that the coffee is ground to just above powder texture. Then you want to fill the espresso holder filter as full as you can. The first time i did this I tried to not over pack it. Do not worry you probably wont. You will know if you do because your shots would literally only drip thru. Now take the tamper and press between firmly and hard. You will know that you are packing it correctly by your shots take around 45 seconds to fill. I personally like to pour my shot right away half carmel color and half espresso (when you are getting the correct pressure your shots come out carmel colored and then turn espresso starting at the bottom of the shot glass. This colored changed is considered the shot burning itself.) If you want a stronger flavor wait for the shot to completely change color. Before you make the espresso shots steam your milk. NEVER add espresso to only flavor. You need milk to keep from burning the syrup. If you dont your flavor will be very gross. So to steam the milk you need a refriderated metal pitcher. I would choose the 20 oz one because to steam you need to tilt the pitcher so the milk will circulate. You can tell your doing it right by the milk moving in a cicular motion on top. Your milk may take a minute to start doing this, on account of it being cold and that cold particles move slower than warm ones. Start steam at the bottom of the pitcher. If you want foam then this paragraph will help you achieve the best foam possible with this machine. For really good foam use whole milk or add some half and half to milk or even use only half and half(breve). Wait you can feel the pitcher is not cold to touch then move to the top inch if you want foam and pull pitcher up and down the top inch. Swirl the milk in the pitcher for 30 seconds this will clump the foam together. Then tap the bottom of the pitcher on the couter for 30-45 seconds this will eliminate the unwanted large bubble and even the texture. Allow to sit for a minute then pour as much milk out as you want and spoon out the amount of foam you want. A standard latte has a inch of foam on top. A cappuccino is all foam when called "dry" or half milk half foam when called "wet". Now you pour your shots on top. Stir or not stir its your preference. When making iced drinks the order is flavor, milk, espresso, ice. If you add ice before espresso you will end up with a watery drink. I can't think of anymore helpful knowledge to share. Enjoy your new machine if you get it. Ohh and you should try tonys cafe camelita. Best coffee ever. Also for those of you who live outside washington state and are not a big fan of coffee flavor try white coffee, it has a very light nutty taste with twice the caffeine of normal esspresso. It only comes pre ground and is much more the texture of coffee pot grinds. Dont grind it more. I cant think of a good brand but i do know there are some not good ones out there so read the reviews.