Customer reviews from Kitchen Aid
KitchenAid - Refurbished Excellent - Semi-Automatic Espresso Machine and Automatic Milk Frother Attachment - Matte Black
Average customer rating
4.7
(127 Reviews)
Rating breakdown 127 reviews
5 Stars
100
4 Stars
22
3 Stars
2
2 Stars
3
1 Star
0
97%of customers recommend this product.
(
109 out of
112)
Customer Reviews for KitchenAid - Refurbished Excellent - Semi-Automatic Espresso Machine and Automatic Milk Frother Attachment - Matte Black
Customer Rating
5
Excellent Machine for Great Espresso
on May 26, 2021
Posted by: Shawn2106
from Washington, DC
Gender:Male
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] This KitchenAid Espresso Machine + Automatic Milk Frother has been a great addition and become the coffee workhorse in our kitchen. It has a compact design with small footprint that comfortably fits on the counter. It’s easy and quick to use, heating up in +/- 45 seconds, and has different modes for making espresso, frothing milk, and dispensing hot water. Those modes can be used to make a wide variety of great tasting drinks including espresso, lattes, cappuccinos, americanos, tea, etc. As an amateur at-home barista, there’s a learning curve to perfecting some of those more involved drinks but it’s been fun to learn the process, and relatively easy to overcome the initial trepidation.
KitchenAid includes a nice variety of quality accessories, and even throws in a metal milk pitcher for frothing. You can use fresh ground or pre-ground coffee thanks to the multiple filter baskets, with single or double serving sizes for both. The portafilter has a substantial & solid feel, along with a flat bottom that makes it easy to tamp. Best of all, there’s a storage bin inside the automatic milk frother to store the accoutrements.
Some other highlights include:
- Clear water reservoir where you can see the level without removing the tank
- Warming tray for cups on top of the espresso machine
- Built in wand for frothing milk or the separate automatic milk froth attachment
- Milk reservoir can be stored in the fridge instead of needing emptied after each use
- A handy milk hose that you can immerse directly into a separate container
- Froth adjustment for different texture preferences
- Quick descaling process
- Ability to customize and program the water volume and temperature, and make changes to account for your water hardness
- Easy cleanup
It would be nice if the milk container and storage compartment were swapped, with the storage in the back and pulled out of the side, but that’s more of a personal preference than a real knock. Overall, this is a superb machine that produces excellent espresso with consistent output of taste, volume and temperature.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting Kitchen Aid
Customer Rating
5
So nice to have at home!
on June 5, 2021
Posted by: Designer Dude
from Colorado
Gender:Male
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] Since we’ve had this wonderful machine we have become hooked on trying new things. My daughter was at our home visiting from Seattle and loves espresso, so when she used this everyday she was in love! My wife and I love lattes and really enjoy how easy it is to use. It’s such a small compact machine so it’s easy to leave out and use everyday. The quality of great coffee really matters to us and with this machine it’s taken that to a new level, we experiment all the time and find new favorites all the time. I would highly recommend this to everyone who loves coffee!
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting Kitchen Aid
Customer Rating
4
It’s ok
on June 5, 2021
Posted by: steve123uh
Gender:Male
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] This will be the first espresso machine I’ve ever owned and so far I haven’t loved the experience. While it makes pretty good espresso, I think the time it takes and the size of the device make it something I won’t use too often. I’d rather go to a coffee shop
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Written by a customer while visiting Kitchen Aid
Customer Rating
5
Amazing KitchenAid Espresso Machine!!
on November 16, 2021
Posted by: Jo4481
from NJ
Gender:Female
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] Loving my new espresso machine. I already had an E.S.E. pod espresso machine & while it’s great for convenience, this is better if you’re looking for the real cafe’ flavor & experience. Plus it’s great being able to control the intensity of how strong you want to make your cup, rather than the pods that are always the same 2 sizes & strength & are much more watered down. Easy to use, even for a beginner & looks sleek and beautiful in the kitchen. Definitely would recommend & you can’t go wrong with other KitchenAid appliances.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting Kitchen Aid
Customer Rating
4
A Great Machine that Makes One Heck of an Espresso
on May 9, 2021
Posted by: DetailzGuy
from Millersville, PA
Gender:Male
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] We were in the market for a standalone espresso maker, as one we had for about 15 years finally passed on to the great coffee plantation in the sky. Always a KitchenAid fan, my wife had her sights set on a KitchenAid branded espresso maker. She was ecstatic when we were able to pick up a KitchenAid Semi-Automatic Espresso Machine with Automatic Milk Frother Attachment.
The Out-of-the-Box experience is top notch, exactly what we’ve come to expect from the premium KitchenAid brand. Each item is individually wrapped. In the box, you get: the 15-bar Italian pump (1460 watt) programmable clean, contemporary-looking, and relatively-compact espresso machine with detachable water tank, removable liquid catcher base (with fill-level indicator) and top-cup heater (to keep a cup/liquid warm); a hefty stainless steel tamper; a stainless steel milk pitcher; a hefty and thoughtfully-executed 58mm portafilter (with recessed ports); a detachable steam wand; four etched/clearly-identifiable filter baskets (single-wall 1 shot, single-wall 2 shot, double-wall 1 shot, double-wall 2 shot); a milk frother attachment; a measuring spoon; and, a wand-cleaning brush. You also get quick-start guides, in-depth use and care instructions, and a registration packet… all backed by online how-to videos and excellent KitchenAid support.
Like any espresso maker, there’s a learning curve. In addition, the end product (i.e., that frothy cup of dark goodness) is only as good as the ingredients you put into it. So… make sure you start with a fine espresso grind of a quality bean, tamped to perfection (look at online vids if you’re worried about the right grind, the right levels, and getting the right tamp pressure -- all of which are important). You can have the finest quality, perfectly-ground bean ever, but if you don’t get the tamp right (and if you don’t use the right filter basket with the porta-filter solidly-locked in place) at worst you’ll have a mess and could get burned, at best you you won’t get the coffee-house goodness that you crave. Also, water. While KitchenAid doesn’t want you using distilled water, you really should think about good, carbon-filtered water (not just water straight from the tap… unless you have some great well water). If your water is hard (higher mineral content), don’t worry. KitchenAid has you covered. You can use the “dose” buttons to program the machine based on your water’s mineral content… very nice. If the power goes out, the machine remember’s the setting. If you find that the programming results in a less-than-superb cup of espresso, you can reset the machine to factory defaults and start again.
Setup was simple. Wash all the removable parts with mild detergent and a soft, non-abrasive sponge. Fill the water reservoir as indicated. Attach the steam wand. Plug in the machine. It’ll start a heating cycle right away, which finishes around 30-45 seconds. With a container under where the portafilter goes (without the portafilter inserted -- I used the milk frother), select Espresso and press the “play/x” button to run a cleaning cycle. Place a container under the steam wand. Select Hot Water, press the “play/x” button to run a cleaning cycle. Empty the container you used to catch water. Insert the desired filter cup into the portafilter. Add premium fine-ground espresso grinds. Tamp the grinds. Insert the portafilter, ensuring that it locks in place. Select Espresso. Select your dosage (1 or 2). Place your cup on the tray, under the portafilter ports. (Tip: you could place 2 cups on the tray and use the 2-dose options to fill each cup with a single dose). Press the “play/x” button to start the brewing cycle. At this point, you have a few options -- leave your espresso as-is, froth it with the steam attachment (no milk), add milk to the milk pitcher and froth the milk with the steam wand, or use the milk frother attachment. I like my espresso black and frothy, so I took option 1. However, the milk frother attachment is interesting and worth looking at.
The frother offers a front-detachable compartment in which to store items. The rear-detachable compartment serves as a milk reservoir. To use the milk frother attachment, you remove the steam wand (if attached) and insert the milk frother into the steam wand port (ensuring the bottom clip is also fully inserted in the espresso housing). (FYI, important: the milk frother attachment release button is on the bottom of the espresso maker, close to the milk frother attachment. You don’t simply pull the frother from the espresso maker body, or you risk breaking the attachment). You then insert the milk dispenser tube into the frother body. You can choose to place the provided flexible hose into the milk reservoir (or, if you don’t like the idea of cleaning the reservoir, place the tube in a container of milk). The frother is the only item where I noticed a potential issue. The rear-reservoir compartment can be tricky to detach due to the flexible hose that goes into the reservoir and the low clearance that the hose allows. And, the reservoir is designed to be removed and stored in the fridge, if you’d like. Because of the low clearance, removing the reservoir and cleaning the hose and reservoir could get tricky. The unit loses a star because of this, as my wife likes milk in her espresso. When I use the espresso maker for her, I’ll forgo the reservoir and place the hose in a container of milk or just use the espresso steam function and the milk pitcher to froth (like they do in coffee houses). FWIW, the frother lets you determine the level of milk froth using the knob on top of the frother. Because the espresso-maker pump pulls double duty when the frother is attached, the knob on the front of the frother (from left to right) lets you select hot water, which the espresso maker pulls from its water reservoir, hot milk, or froth milk. To froth milk, which is what some will want to do, (with your cup of espresso still on the base and with the frother hose pointed in the cup), on the frother you set your froth level and set the frother to froth. You then set the espresso maker to steam, set your milk dosage (on the espresso maker) to one or two, and press the “play/x” button.
Some other functions that are worth mentioning... you can also use the water selection to process hot water to make tea… a nice addition; and, you can, and should, descale the espresso machine using the descaling program whenever the “Clean” indicator lights up.
Worth purchasing?: For all the reasons above, absolutely. Like I said, the only potential drawback is the hose attachment for the milk frother. Other than that, the KitchenAid espresso maker is a top-notch, versatile machine that makes a spectacular, rich brew that you’ll definitely enjoy (with or without milk).
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting Kitchen Aid
Customer Rating
5
Wonderful
on June 5, 2021
Posted by: adkins595
from TX
Gender:Male
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I’m a huge coffee person and was excited to try making espresso for the first time. I was admittedly a little skeptical of being able to make it on my own, but the machine is super easy to use and makes great tasting espresso. Even comes with an easy to use milk frother for making lattes, cappuccinos, etc. The unit is even small enough to bring in my Airstream. Overall, really impressed.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting Kitchen Aid
Customer Rating
5
Solidly made and dependable
on March 17, 2023
Posted by: Stevebrag
from Walnut Creek, CA
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] Very happy with it after 2 or 3 cheaper machines failed. Works well and is very intelligently thought out. Nice features and some neat extras. Feels like something made by the people who made my Sherman tank of a mixer.
Written by a customer while visiting Kitchen Aid
Customer Rating
5
Easy to use, delicious espresso
on June 11, 2022
Posted by: TL:)
There was a bit of a learning curve but the documentation with the product was helpful on setting up and using the machine. Add in a little online research about grinds and tamping and beans/bean quality, and a new burr grinder, and I have been delighted with the quality of drinks.
A note on the automatic milk frother... After using it once, I probably won't be using it much. Too many more items to clean. Easier to just run a little extra steam out the wand after frothing/steaming the milk.
Some reviews said that the steaming took too long ... perhaps coffee shop machines are a bit quicker, but this is fine.
Everything feels like it is solidly built and assembled.
Purchased mainly for lattes, but so far the iced Americano was particularly impressive!
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting Kitchen Aid