KitchenAidSemi Automatic Espresso Machine with Burr Grinder, 2.5L, Cast Iron Black, KES6551BK

This is fantastic. I drink several espressos a day and this beauty can keep up. The espresso gauge works great, the espresso bean grinding is effortless, clean, and so easy. We used another big brand and it was okay, but this machine makes wonderful espresso, with multiple temperature controls, distinct features that make it easy and simple to make your favorite espresso drink. The frothing is thick and foamy, the tamper is well made with slight weight (you may want to upgrade to a heavier tamper if you prefer). The espresso is smooth, silky, and yummy. The pressure pulls the flavors and oils through the entire process leaving you enjoying your favorite espresso all the way to the end, with a clean empty cup. Definitely worth it. The machine is metal, the espresso handle is heavy duty, all of the components are well made.

We wanted to love this machine as it worked well for us, and made good coffee but unfortunately some rust stains appeared within a few weeks. They appear not only under the machine where coffee is made, but also on the sides of the machine. See pictures.These ARE not water or coffee stains, and They can not be removed with a soft wet sponge.Mineral oil, applied with a soft rag, in the direction of the grain, helps somewhat, but does not remove these stains.Our kitchen has many other brushed stainless steel, (mostly type 304), surfaces, sinks , and appliances. None of these other items shows any brown rust spots at all.I contacted Kitchen Aid customer service who responded they could not help as "aesthetics" are not covered under warranty. Seriously ? Aesthetics ? I expected much better from KitchenAid, both in terms of product quality and customer service. Additionally, i tried to leave a review on their website a week ago but unfortunately it does not appear publicly. This raises concerns about the transparency of their review process and gives the impression that negative reviews are being filtered out.

…and now I can get my fix right in the comfort of my own home! First things first, this review is after about a week of having the machine. So to start, the thing looks gorgeous. Got the Juniper color and it’s beautiful. Definitely not as green as the pictures, but still not the typical stainless, black or white (not saying they’re bad, they’re not - the white is a looker as well).The machine is very well made, KitchenAid quality abounds - lots of metal with some heavy plastic thrown in, like with the grinder and the drip tray. But it looks nice, feels better and screams premium.Pulling a shot is pretty straight forward - grind, tamp, pull, froth, enjoy!The grinder is awesome - very quiet compared to other grinders. Play with the grind settings, amount and grind size to find your ideal settings. It’s fun to figure out how to get your kitchen to taste like your favorite coffee shop - and here’s the keys to the kingdom. Follow these suggestions and you’re sure to make a quality espresso every time. First, use actual espresso beans. Do not use oily beans - they will clog your grinder as oil and “dust” do not mix. If you use regular coffee beans that are oily, you will not understand why your grinder is clogged and you’ll leave bad reviews. Your beans should look matte, not shiny. Thank me later. Second, tamp hard, make sure that the espresso grounds are nice and tight, the pressure gauge (and your mania about not enough pressure will thank you). When done right, you’ll hit that halfway mark in the ideal pressure range, every. single. time. The frother is decent, use it, make some mistakes and find your groove - you’re probably not an expert when you open this thing, but a little patience and common sense will go a long way.All in all, this machine was worth the money - just take your time to understand how it works, how to use it and I am confident that you’ll be pulling great shots in no time flat.

First, I worked for a year in a small town coffee shop, where they sent me to actual "coffee lab" to learn how to pull espresso shots, and steam milk (the two key factors - aside from the quality of the beans - to an exceptional milk based espresso drink).That being said, I was looking for a machine that would keep my attention, other than getting a job as a barista again, because I have a passion for a good coffee drink.This machine may not be for a novice if you want to experience a quality espresso. I have had this machine for about a week. I did a lot of research before landing on this model, with KA not IMO, even being a leader in the coffee brewing space. There are tons of micro adjustments that can be made, making brewing challenging and fun.One of my main requirements was to be able to shift out beans easily, as we have various preferences in our home. As you can see in the photo, you can purchase additional bean hoppers for this purpose. The one thing I want to note, though, is there is always some residual beans in the burr grinder, so if you truly need 100% decaf, or you ONLY like the taste of regular you are going to have to clear the grinder every switch and that can be a huge waste of beans - expensive.Also, dialing in a shot can take time and achieving a great, reproducible shot of espresso becomes tricky with switching beans and hoppers often, because the variables (humidity, roast, age of beans, origination of beans, brewing water temperature, what portafilter basket you use, tamper/tamping quality etc) are so many.So, my thoughts after using this machine for a bit, is it is fun, engaging and a challenge, but potentially not super cost effective if you want to change beans often, as you have to re-dial in each time. Redialing in with every hopper switch can waste beans, and quality bans are not cheap. My take is it would be best to use it for one bean, create a reproducible shot and leave it that way until you get a new bag of beans. This would create the least waste.Overall, I am loving it, as coffee/espresso brewing for me is an experience or ritual, so I am in it for that (also good coffee brings people together). Quality of the machine is notable. I would recommend. I am giving this machine 4 stars, because I think it is not for everyone, but that is purely based on how extensive the brewing capacity is on this model (semi automatic, meaning there are a lot of manual choices, which is fun if you know what you are doing.)