Bodum 3020-16 Espresso Granos

Advantages: Cheap, good pump pressure, easy as pie to use.
Disadvantages: Recent units use aluminium -can corrode

...We drink a hell of a lot of coffee here and this is the culprit! It is cheap, its pretty well made and is a great introduction to a good espresso (or cappucino, frothy hot choc etc) The unit design has not changed much since they were released but some are now shipped with an aluminium coffee ground holder. This isn't a big problem but it wont last forever as the old bronze and chrome ones will. The pressure is good enough to pour a great espresso with good crema provided you get the grind fine enough. This is pretty much the same as many of the 'better' models- including an aluminium boiler- so descale as little as possible! The unit is fast to heat up, the pump pressure is good but it does have only one boiler- so multiple cappucinos can be slow- you need to let the unit heat up and cool down between milk foaming and drawing... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: makes delicious cappucinos
Disadvantages: cleaning is fiddly

...well what can i say- this machine is a dream to own and use. Originally i thought it too expensive to buy a gaggia but when i considered how much money i was spending on take away coffees per week then this is an absolute bargain. I bought this machine one month ago and have used it daily ever since. it makes the most delicious cappucinoo which rivals all of the main coffee chain stores offerings. the crema on the top of the espresso it makes is really thick . You can make two espressos at one time or one depending on the size of the filter cup you use. Included is a coffee machine a coffee scoop ., tamper and instruction manual. to use fill the water tank with cold water, let it heat up, fill the coffee filter with coffee, press the button and hot espresso comes out. Heat the milk using the milk frother- all included in... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful

Advantages: quiet - grinds quickly - power cut off - very durable
Disadvantages: pricey - pricey - pricey

...Freshly ground coffee is a vice - pure and simple and I find that my tastes vary from week to week so rather than buying large packs of pre-ground coffee beans to use I buy small packs of fresh beans from different countries and grind them myself and this lead me to need a coffee grinder that was reliable - good looking and most of all quiet. Noise first thing in the morning is never an option. I bought a brand new white Bodum 5670 for £49.99 from eBay as it was £15 cheaper than buying direct from the manufacturer. The picture above shows the black model and essentially my grinder is identical apart from the colour. Size wise it is larger than most ordinary grinders - 28cm x 23cm x 20cm so it does take up some space but bear with me I'll explain why it is better than most other grinders on the market. 1 - It is very light... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful