Capresso Espresso Machine: Reviews And Comparison

Coffee can sometimes be a pain to make, and an even bigger pain to brew correctly. How would you know which machine is the right pick and what would be best for making the most beautiful of deliciousness? So which espresso machine passes small amounts of boiling water under a bar of pressure over finely grounded beans the best? Is it the Capresso Espresso Machine, or the Breville BES870XL Barista?

Some machines come with all the accessories you need to make an espresso, but others don’t. You will need a grinder to have freshly ground espresso, a milk frother or a milk frothing pitcher if you like foamy milk for cappuccinos or lattes, and a tamper to press down the coffee grounds before you make espresso if your machine doesn’t have those things. If your machine doesn’t have a grinder built-in, and it doesn’t use pods, you’ll need to buy a grinder.

Burr grinders are best, and you should try to get the most powerful one you can find. It’s key to have evenly ground coffee that’s meant for an espresso machine. You’ll get the most flavor and crema out of perfectly ground beans. Overall, just keep in mind what you buy, and make sure you consider what you prefer in your coffee and to help you decide, we’ve compiled our thoughts on what we think is the best of the best in good coffee making, both keeping in mind the price of each machine and the functionality, and came up understanding that the Capresso Espresso Machine is the right pick in well-rounded coffee making. Don’t be fooled by price tags and fancy looks because we know what’s best in getting you the best bean brew.

Capresso Espresso Machine Reviews

As we have mentioned, this will be a look into the best of the best coffee machines, not only in functionality but also in price. The Capresso Espresso Machine shows great promise with many interesting features keeping this machine well worth its price tag. It is a machine that has a lot going for it functionality-wise. It can do a lot of the main functions a high-end espresso machine can do and is even versatile enough to be better than other machines in its exact same price range. No type of hand-powering is required, and it is severely easy to clean.

What is a Capresso Espresso Machine?

The Capresso Espresso Machine is a low-cost, relatively low-maintenance powerful coffee machine built for professional espresso making. It has all the tools you could possibly need in an espresso machine and more, including a 15 bar pump, stainless-steel lined Thermoblock. It offers a coffee and steam wand you can use to adjust the potency of your coffee if you want that extra kick to your brew, and it has a removable drip tray so you can clean with absolute ease. Not only is this a good choice for anyone who likes to have control of their espresso, but it’s quick and easy to make it too. Its high-pressure frothing makes for smooth handling and perfect cappuccino froth. When the frothing sleeve is placed over the steam tube, it injects hot steam and air into the milk. The air swirls inside the milk creating silky dense froth on top for preparing cappuccinos.

Product Specs

The Capresso Espresso Machine really shines with its outstanding tools that almost feel like it’s making a statement to contradict the more expensive alternatives. Not only does it handle like a dream, but the care of extra features really makes this one stand out from the rest. Take, for instance, the coffee and steam selector. It makes it so you can directly choose just how strong your espresso is. It has a stainless steel sieve for easy brewing, a self-locking filter holder for simple cleanup, and a 42-ounce removable water tank for convenient filling. It even has EC50 portafilter sieves, which when used are pressurized, making it easy to achieve excellent crema even if grind size or tamping pressure isn’t perfect. 15 bars of pressure ensure flavor-rich espresso and the dual frother wand provides powerful steam/froth for delicious milk specialties.

Pricing

Compared to most brands of espresso machines, the Capresso Espresso Machine is relatively inexpensive. The pricing comes up to around $90, and for that price, you get almost everything you would ever need for expert espresso. When compared to its competitors, the price is really what shines with this machine. Sure, it isn’t the most amazing piece of equipment if you directly take a look at higher end machines, but because design and functionality in comparison to the price is actually quite superb, and makes this espresso machine well worth the price.

How it Compares

We picked a couple of similar products available on the market to see how they compare. None are overall bad picks, but they all have several comparison points that definitely differentiate one from the other.

• Breville BES870XL Barista Express Espresso Machine
• Gaggia Classic Semi-Automatic Espresso Maker
• De’Longhi EC155 15 BAR Pump Espresso and Cappuccino Maker

Capresso Espresso Machine

Price

This is one of the cheapest espresso machines. It works great for its price and is a steal for anyone who wants good coffee without breaking their wallet. It has aluminum parts that do not come in contact with the elements of the coffee, and the design works well for the handle.

Ease of Use

Once you have the machine you can almost instantly understand it. It’s very easy to access and is designed for efficiency.

Design Quality

The looks of the thing won’t win any awards, but that’s a small price to pay for great coffee. It’s functionality and handling, however, are top notch. You definitely won’t be disappointed.

Warranty

Sincerely, the warranty is so cheap it might as well just come with it. Whether you want a 3 or 4-year warranty, it will cost you little to no money, and you can be assured that your coffee maker will be safe and accounted for.

Pros

• Carafe is easily removable
• Great functionality and easy to use
• Has coffee and steam selectors
• Is relatively inexpensive

Cons

• It does not come with a removable water reservoir

Breville BES870XL Barista Express Espresso Machine

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Disregarding price, this machine is probably the best. It has great functionality, spectacular design, is easy to use and makes amazing, delicious coffee. Since it’s a semi-automatic machine, the Breville automatically adjusts water temperature after steam to extract the most flavor out of your beans. The machine also has a 2-liter water tank with a nice handle for easy removal, and it comes with a replaceable water filter. This, however, doesn’t excuse the fact that it is a tough buy for anyone who isn’t looking to break their wallet for coffee.

Price

This is definitely a higher end machine, meaning a higher end price. You get good functionality, but it’s overall far more expensive than even your average coffee machine.

Ease of Use

With how much is packed inside this one machine, it comes with a lot of the features the Compresso Espresso Machine offers and more. It’s well built and works like a charm, so after a few uses, you will have amazing coffee.

Design Quality

This is definitely a top quality espresso machine with a top quality look. It beautiful and sleek, but sophisticated and professional.

Warranty

It’s expensive like the product, of course. You get a standard 3-4 years, but you are definitely paying quite a bit for it.

Pros

• Has every tool set you could possibly need for amazing coffee-making
• Has a 15 bar Italian pump and 1600W Thermo coil for perfect heating
• It automatically adjusts water temperatures
• Built-in burr grinder and frother
• Easy to clean​
• Makes great Crema on your espresso’s!​​​​​

Cons

• Expensive
• Equally expensive warranty
• Needs quite a bit of experimentation to understand

Gaggia Classic Semi-Automatic Espresso Maker

While not as expensive as the Breville BES870XL Barista Express Espresso Machine, the Gaggia Classic Semi-Automatic Espresso Maker isn’t particularly a price to sneeze at either. The machine comes with a coffee tamper, a 7-gram measuring scoop, and an instructional CD. You will have to buy the milk frothing pitcher if you want milk foam on your espresso, which is yet another bit of money you’ll have to tack on. The price is well worth it, however, and the design and functionality are perfect for anyone looking for elite design in coffee making. If you have the wallet for it, definitely give it a go. If not, then I definitely recommend looking elsewhere.

Price

Just as the Breville BES870XL Barista Express Espresso Machine gave a good design for a good bit of your money, this one continues with the same.

Ease of Use

This coffee maker, while professional, takes quite a bit of getting used to. It is well worth the time spent, and the end result is great coffee, but the effort will be there. If you have the experience, this might not be a huge deal but if you don’t, this might not be your best choice.

Design Quality

Despite the complexity, the design is actually rather sleek. It has an easy-to-use turbo frother wand attachment that is perfect for professional froth, and the functionality makes for wonderful coffee.

Warranty

Yet another expensive warranty. Where you save a bit on how well this machine works, the warranty doesn’t make it any easier of a buy. It holds for up to 4 years, but is overall hard to justify.

Pros

• Amazing for it’s price and highly functional
• Has everything you need to make amazing coffee
• Great, sleek design
• BPA-Free water reservoir and both pressurized and commercial filter basket

Cons

• Takes a bit of getting used to if you’re not experienced
• Expensive
• Does not come with a milk frother

De’Longhi EC155 15 BAR Pump Espresso and Cappuccino Maker

The complexity of this Espresso machine is very minimal, up to the point where it hardly even compares with the others. Regardless of whether you buy extra accessories, it’s still very affordable, but you’re really buying this machine for the espresso. It’s has a 15 bar machine with a self-priming function, making it so that you don’t have to go through the hassle of prepping the machine yourself. It isn’t a particularly bad choice, it’s just a boring one. If you are looking for something more professional or robust, do not look here.

Price

The price range is similar to the Capresso Espresso Machine, being very inexpensive and accessible.

Ease of Use

Due to the fact that this doesn’t have a lot to it, it is very easy to use. It is the definition of simplicity.

Design Quality

As to be expected, the design is just as bare-bones as its functionality. It looks the way it works, and nothing much else.

Warranty

There is no warranty to even speak of. Maybe it’s because of the price, or maybe it is because there isn’t a need, but unlike many other machines, this one lacks a warranty.

Pros

• Inexpensive
• Very easy to use and is pretty fast
• No start-up preparation
• Reliable and is made to last
• Can use pre-ground espresso​

Cons

• Severely bare-bones
• Has no complexity
• Has no warranty
• Can be noisy

Conclusion

The Capresso Espresso Machine is almost a marvel of its work. It’s compact, simple, and refined yet can handle nearly the amount that a high-end coffee machine could muster. Everything from its minimalist yet sleek design to the delicious coffee makes for a satisfying buy for this product, not to mention if you find anything unsatisfactory, its warranty makes for an easy and safe purchase.

We definitely think the Capresso Espresso Machine is well worth your time and money, and it is a great machine to not only start off with but to use to tremendous effect.