Lello 1375 Ariete Cafe Prestige Coffee Maker

I lived in Europe for a while, I got hooked on the Espresso. Came back here and almost bought a breville, for $400 and read some reviews on how it wasn't that good. I usually buy the most expensive item when I shop- thus I relate it to quality. This machine is NICE, it's heavy duty, all metal, works fast, and if you use some good espresso like ILLY, it'll crank out some very good cups of espresso. Seriously I saw some of the bad reviews but they are really from people who have their nose up and think making coffee should be some sort of art-- GET A GRIP, MAKE your espresso, and GET to WORK-that's exactly what this machine does. It's a no joke, no frills espresso machine. This machine is nice, looks great, and makes great espresso, just use good grinds ( fine ILLY) and you're set.I love how this thing isn't expensive. I mean under $100 that's awesome. I think this is the BEST espresso machine for the money - I never write reviews, but after I used this one, I knew that it deserved something. It saved me money and the espresso is good with good crema. Plus, people dig the way it looks in my kitchen.WORD!

I'm writing this from the perspective of a coffee drink lover, not an espresso lover. If you're an espresso purist, this is probably not the review you're looking for.I like lattes and cappuccinos. In my attempts at making them, I didn't much like the scalded flavor my old steam machine introduced into the drinks. It was time to step up to a pump machine, which was the easy decision. Much harder was deciding on a brand and model from the wide range of choices to consider.Honestly, it just didn't seem like a person should have to spend $1,000 or even $500 to score a pump machine that would produce killer coffee drinks. I wanted a machine that was easy to use, easy to clean, and designed and constructed to last, given a usage pattern of about 8 - 12 times a week. Appearance wasn't much of a factor; we don't have a designer kitchen. We do cherish counter space though, so I didn't want a huge monstrosity or something heavier than a boat anchor, thus being a real pain to move or store.Enter the Cafe Prestige. As of this writing, I've used it about 50 times, and I'm convinced I've chosen a true winner here. While my first couple of uses weren't spectacular, it didn't take long to get into a very comfortable rhythm with the machine. Now, I'm producing coffee drinks of a consistent quality that eliminates all temptation for me to make a trip to the local barista, leaving them a small investment in exchange for a fix. Friends and family, who've sampled the results, agree.Things I like about this machine:1. Construction - sturdy. Heavy, but not excessively so. I store it on a top shelf in our pantry when not in use.2. Ease of use. The generous water reservoir is simple to fill; I just top it off while it's mounted. The two position switch gives you either espresso or steam; no hassle. The portafilter and basket are E-Z to get on and off. Nice orientation on the steam wand.3. Cleaning is a snap4. Very reasonable noise level5. Speed - quick to whip up a drink, followed by another. I've done 4 back-to-back.5. Fantastic steam power. The wand and attachment can produce amazing, luscious foam.6. It's forgivingThe last point - forgiving - is a big one. Not being a purist, I don't have a high dollar grinder. I don't faithfully store and use my beans for maximum freshness. I don't pre-warm the utensils, other than steaming my coffee mug and microwaving the milk. Yet, I get delicious results time and again from the Cafe Prestige.What I don't like:1. The plastic tamper. I bought a metal one to use; if this matters to you, check out my review of the one I purchased.2. At times when steaming is first switched on, a couple of spurts of water emerge from the wand before steaming action begins. I lay a cloth underneath to catch those.3. It feels to me that the steam wand and its swivel are a bit fragile. When I clean it, I take a cloth and pinch the top of the wand hose to keep it steady and prevent stress on the swivel point.As you can see, no showstoppers here. The only open item for me at this point is whether the Cafe Prestige has the longevity I want; time will tell regarding that. Meanwhile, if you're in the market for a pump machine mainly to use for producing coffee drinks, you should take a serious look at this one. Price-wise, performance-wise, it feels like an incredible bargain.UPDATE: July 2009After 6 months of steady use, I can vouch for my Cafe Prestige having paid for itself twice over. Here are a few additional observations.Though I use a burr grinder, I have an extremely ancient model, an old Waring. That said, I do grind my beans about as fine as possible and tamp them very firmly into the basket. I use a range of different beans, depending on my mood, but I've made it a point to buy them from coffee shops instead of the grocery store. With the consistency of the Cafe Prestige, I've felt at times that some of my grocery store bean purchases were stale or 'off' in flavor, and, consequently, I pitched them. Fresh beans definitely make a difference.Logic has it that you should clean your maker thoroughly and frequently; some would suggest multiple times a week. For me, I rinse and wipe down the portafilter, basket, steam wand, steam attachment, flow screen, and portafilter gasket after each use. I can go about a week before cleaning the drip tray; any longer leads to interesting life forms sprouting. Lastly, I've set a 3 month schedule for flushing the maker. For this, I've found Cleancaf works wonders, which you can pick up online or at a local coffee store. It's fantastic stuff. BTW, all my cleaning is by hand, not in the dishwasher. There's only a little to do, so it doesn't take much time.My preference is for using only distilled water. It seems to help ensure consistency in your brews. Also, it tends not to deposit as much scale in the maker, which eases cleaning. Don't forget to occasionally empty and clean the plastic water reservoir as I've found even distilled water can pick up stray flavors when it sits for a while.Finally, I can't say that I've had any explosions with my Cafe Prestige, but I did have a traumatic event that might count as such. With regular use, the portafilter seems to become a bit loose in its twist mount. When I first started using the maker, I could let it dispense a double shot without me touching it. Then, one day, the pump pressure caused the portafilter to unscrew and fall off, which sent steam and espresso spraying, explosive-like. Since then, I make sure I keep one hand on the portafilter handle when the espresso is flowing, and I've had no other incidents or problems. I certainly don't consider this a critical flaw or a reason not to purchase the Cafe Prestige.Strongly recommended... still.

If it were possible to leave zero stars I would have based on customer service under the warranty. This machine made a decent espresso for the price of the machine. However, the turn knob on the front was very difficult to turn, and after about 5 months it was impossible to turn. I was told that the machine must be returned to Electra-Craft in NJ for warranty service. At my expense of $36.00, I returned it for service. Just short of two months later it was returned and the knob was much easier to turn, but the machine didn't work at all. No lights of any kind, we tried it once to see if we could use it without the lights and it made a very poor, weak espresso. Much to my dismay, I was told that I'd have to send it in for repair AND at my cost again. You've got to be kidding me. By the time I returned it again, I'd have spent about 1/2 the cost of the machine. No thank you...I moved up to the Breville BES870XL.