This is a great coffee machine for every day use!
Pros:
ZERO to the best coffee in the world in less than 2 minutes.
Cons:
People who haven't learned how to properly use this machine have rated it poorly.
The Bottom Line:
Coffee Lovers rejoice! Cafe' quality drinks at home, this machine does it with ease! An Ultima made drink is as good as you can buy anywhere.
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Overall Rating:
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Author's Review
***** UPDATED *****
I've had the Ultima 121 for almost seven years now
...... and I did have the same experience that Owling describes in her epinion, below. But, my experience occurred after six years of daily use. It seems that the internal workings could no longer sustain the pressure required to brew the espresso. The result was that it would channel liquid into the grounds reservoir and the catch tray, (just as Owling described).
So, I sent it to Capresso for repair, (for $70 they fix or replace), and they sent me a brand new machine (took about 5 days). What a deal, after 6 years of constant usage, I get a brand new $300 machine for $70!
Apparently the machine needed to be re-furbished, after all, it brewed 2-6 espressos/coffees a day for the last 6 years!
Owling obviously had a defective unit!!!
She should have had it repaired/replaced under warranty. It's a shame that she didn't have a chance to enjoy this fantastic machine. It's also a shame that many people are going to think that the design is faulty based on one persons experience with a defective unit.
I have five friends and family members that bought the Ultima, based on my satisfaction/recommendation, and they have never had a problem.
The Ultima is not maintenance free, I‘ve had a few wear and tear issues... replaced the carousel twice for $90 & replaced a few O-rings (free from Capresso).
GREAT customer service!
My only complaint is a design weakness in the carousel. The lever arm pulls the plunger up with two thin attachment membranes. These membranes break after about 4 years of daily use. They could make it a stronger design.
Get this machine if you enjoy REAL coffee.
It is the only Semi-automatic on the market and it is a steal at $300.
***** Start of initial epinion ******
I have owned and enjoyed this machine for almost three years. I replaced my La Pavoni Europica with the Capresso Ultima with no regrets, in fact, my Mom, two of my Brothers, and two friends have purchased the Ultima since enjoying coffee drinks at my house. (my mom also traded in her La Pavoni)
A typical day in our house is to start off with a strong dark roast cup of jo for me and a Latte for my wife.
I have a very nice Krups grinder that I use on demand. (any grind works I've tried them all, I don't know what the other reviewers problem was, sounds like a defective machine or misunderstood the directions.) The coffee comes out hot, some like it hotter, in which case, I will stop the pump halfway through the brew, wait for the heater light to go off again, (about 15 seconds) than restart the pump for a very hot cup of jo. Latte's are a snap.... fill your favorite coffee mug 1/3 with non-fat milk, brew a strong pull of espresso into the milk, turn on the foaming wand and
insert to the bottom of the mug, stir a bit while it steams the contents to the top of the mug, add sugar.....ENJOY!
We will typically enjoy 3-4 low calorie coffee drinks a day during the week (like the latte described above), and a few high calorie ones on the weekend (adding chocolate and/or some Brandy, other liquors) .
This machine is used a lot and it has never given us any problems.
Cleaning is Simple I keep mine near the kitchen sink. About twice a week the grounds are dumped/ the bin is rinsed/replaced (about 30 seconds), about once a week the whole unit is disassembled and rinsed in the sink with hot water, then cleaned with mild detergent, rinsed again, dried, and reassembled (about 5 minutes). Great espresso, cappuccino, Latte, etc. Easy to use, Easy to Clean
Coffee when you want it!
Sometimes you just want a quick cup of that tasty medium roast you have sitting in your grinder, but you don't want to brew a whole pot of coffee and your just not in the mood to fire up that espresso machine, (our La Pavoni Europica was a prime example of a machine that made great coffee drinks, but was never used due to the time consuming process). With the Ultima, I just flip on the power, turn on the grinder, put my favorite mug under the nozzle, turn off the grinder, turn the Ultima's carousel three quarters, load one and a half scoops, quarter turn more, compress the coffee, hit pump on, and ZERO to the best coffee in the world in less than 2 minutes.
And did I mention the loads of crema on top of that mug of black coffee? Wonderfull!
