Customer reviews from Kitchen Aid
KitchenAid - Semi Automatic Espresso Machine with Burr Grinder, KES6551 - Stainless Steel
Average customer rating
4.5
(379 Reviews)
Rating breakdown 379 reviews
5 Stars
279
4 Stars
60
3 Stars
12
2 Stars
2
1 Star
26
65%of customers recommend this product.
(
47 out of
72)
Customer Reviews for KitchenAid - Semi Automatic Espresso Machine with Burr Grinder, KES6551 - Stainless Steel
Customer Rating
4
Make all your favorite drinks at home
on March 31, 2024
Posted by: sissyjarrar
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] Instructions for setup are a tad confusing but this espresso machine is powerful, and extremely versatile for any coffee lover. It took us a few tries to get the right espresso consistency, but it’s great. Very excited to use it every morning!
Written by a customer while visiting influenster.com
Customer Rating
5
Absolutely amazing!
on May 2, 2024
Posted by: Tgarcia
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] This is my third espresso machine and this is by far the best one. The other ones I just was not getting that cafe espresso tasting lattes and with this one, it tastes spot on everytime!
Written by a customer while visiting Kitchen Aid
Customer Rating
5
Great machine
on November 15, 2024
Posted by: Jjoseph43
from Seattle Washington
Great coffee maker we bought it a couple of months back. It is very dependable.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting Kitchen Aid
Customer Rating
5
Coffee - level 100
on March 17, 2024
Posted by: lisap260
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I've never had an espresso machine but coffee is life! This thing is amazing. The grinder, the quality - the price! It's definitely a game changer 🙌 it's unlike anything I've ever experienced. Everyone should have one.
Written by a customer while visiting influenster.com
Customer Rating
5
Professional grade machine with a learning curve and incredible results!
on March 18, 2024
Posted by: blythedh
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] My husband and I enjoy several cups of coffee per day (living that WFH life) and, after spending time in Spain last year, have come to appreciate espresso over the watered down coffee-water of our Keurig. We had previously moved over to using a Nespresso, but were thrilled to have been gifted this espresso machine from Kitchenaid. We care so much more now about enjoying one good cup of coffee instead of several weaker ones.
First off, this machine is a beast. It’s so heavy and has quite a large footprint, so ensure you have the counter or cart space to accommodate that. It’s quite solid and clearly very well built. The accessories are also durable and thoughtfully complementary to the machine. There’s a hidden storage tray behind the drip tray that can be hard to find, but is quite clever and handy. The portafilter is heavy and feels good in your hand. There are four included filter baskets to suit all different grinds and sizes.
What’s truly impressive is the absolute customization you can use in your production process to create the perfect cup of coffee tailored to your needs. Changing the texture of the grind, setting the volume of the grounds, the temperature of the water, the crema, all of it is at your fingertips! The catch-22 is that, if you’re like us, you might not have a background in the barista arts, so there’s a sharp learning curve in interpreting the settings to obtain the ideal result. My husband and I devoted a few hours to watching instructional YouTube videos to learn the techniques and vocabulary to adjust the settings to our liking. We still have a ways to go, but we’re enjoying the experience and trial and error of customizing the exact flavour/intensity.
Some of my favourite features: this machine is quite fast! The water reservoir is gigantic, but designed in such a way that isn’t bulky. The “deck” of the machine has under lighting so you can clearly see what you’re doing while you’re doing it. The milk frother/steam wand is fantastic and easy to learn! I’ve already made delicious lattes that far exceed the coffee we were producing before with the pod machines.
Some of my concerns: my husband and I were very frustrated with the manual. One basic thing it was missing was a page simply listing out and showing the contents of the box, which is something almost every other electronic device we’ve used had come with. Better visual/image instructions would be helpful, especially for the initial setup and preparation process. We found it quite frustrating to interpret the terms without an image explaining what each buttton and item was. We did figure it out, but it took an unnecessarily long time to do so. This is not a simple machine, so if you’re looking for something basic, this isn’t it. But if you’re willing to invest the time to learn, this machine will produce coffee shop-like results.
Truth be told, we’re still learning how to use this. If you have barista experience, I’m sure this machine would exceed your expectations with its features and performance, but if you’re new to pulling espresso, be prepared to invest a significant amount of time and effort into learning the process. Buy a bag of cheaper beans in the beginning to get the hang of how to use the machine well and try out the settings to find out what suits your personal tastes.
All in all we’re incredibly pleased with this machine. We probably never would have invested in a high quality espresso maker before we received this, but now we can’t imagine being without one. Absolutely well worth it and a solid investment for any coffee lover.
Written by a customer while visiting influenster.com
Customer Rating
1
hope yours lasts longer than mine did
on February 3, 2025
Posted by: montana6
from IL
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] Everything about this machine was exceptional for about 3 months. The grinder was my favorite part, super quiet, fast, and produced the perfect amount of grounds for a double shot every time. The extraction was meh, took awhile to lock in to how we wanted it but still, worked every time. We used it 3x daily. I descaled the machine when needed, and eventually the grinder needed cleaning, but that's normal with any coffee grinder in these semi-automatic machines. One day, however....everything about this machine changed. The grinder stopped giving good amounts, roughly 8-10 grams for a double shot, so we would have to press the button 2-3 times sometimes. Nothing worked to fix the issue. Then the extraction just became NON-EXISTENT. Tried everything numerous times. No matter what we do, the pressure spikes and not one drop comes out, then the machine stops and the power button flashes along with the water button. I've also tried priming the pump numerous times as well. I called the service line and she was nice. She told me to try steps I'd done 5 times ea. Now this machine has gone back in the box. Waving the white flag of defeat. I received this machine as part of a promotion, but if i paid the sticker price i would be extremely upset. This thing is useless now. One other thing, you're supposed to change the filter but there's not an existing filter from kitchenaid to purchase. I found some on amazon but they're different from the one that came with the machine. I will call service back but if i have to pay to ship this thing out to them, it's going in the garbage. Good luck everyone.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Response from Kitchen AidBy KA Review Team, February 4, 2025
Dear montana6,
Thank you for your review. We are sorry to learn of the concern you expressed regarding your KitchenAid Semi Automatic Espresso Machine with Burr Grinder. We would like to inquire further about your review with you. Please respond to this email address kitchenaid_receipts_usa@kitchenaid.com, with your name, user ID# 288104656 used for the review, phone number, street address, zip code, model & serial number on the appliance, and date of purchase. We look forward to your reply. Thank you.
Review Team
Thank you for your review. We are sorry to learn of the concern you expressed regarding your KitchenAid Semi Automatic Espresso Machine with Burr Grinder. We would like to inquire further about your review with you. Please respond to this email address kitchenaid_receipts_usa@kitchenaid.com, with your name, user ID# 288104656 used for the review, phone number, street address, zip code, model & serial number on the appliance, and date of purchase. We look forward to your reply. Thank you.
Review Team
Written by a customer while visiting Kitchen Aid
Customer Rating
5
They Thought of Everything!
on March 11, 2024
Posted by: nsand
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] Finally, an espresso machine I can use. We replaced two separate appliances with this one machine; I never learned to use the other two machines. It is now day two with this Kitchen Aid espresso machine and I have personally made 4 cappuccinos! The start up instructions are not clear so you will have to have some espresso machine knowledge. It is wonderful to have a grinder and espresso maker in one. It comes with everything you will need; 4 espresso baskets, frothing cup and tamper AND storage for the baskets. The stainless steel is sleek and beautiful. The machine has Smart Dosing Technology which measures and grinds the perfect amount of beans for the best results every time. The portafilter has a flat base, which makes it an easier stable tamping. I especially appreciate the espresso pressure gage so you know when you’re in that espresso sweet spot. The machine has wheels! This will make it super easy for me when cleaning under and around the machine. Buy it! You’ll be happy you did!
Written by a customer while visiting influenster.com
Customer Rating
5
Amazing
on March 12, 2024
Posted by: samanthah374
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I'm in love with this machine! I have been wanting an espresso machine for awhile now and now ai have one and it's the best! I can make so many different coffees or simple espresso shots! It's super simple and easy to use and comes with a recipe book with steps and ingredients so you can learn if you don't know how to use it or make certain drinks. It comes with everything you need and i highly recommend if you're looking into buying one. This company is great.
Written by a customer while visiting influenster.com