Against this background, my current price differences appear difficult to understand: The Mr. Coffee beats an average of 200 USD at Beech, unfortunately Beem i-Joy with 179 euros and the Easter Prima Latte (in red) with just 110 euros (just been raised to 140 euros ... I had better times kept my mouth shut!) or 140 Euro in silver.
Who wants to go service standard to play it safe in the long term, will certainly drive in Germany with the best Beem i-Joy. Whether that actually justifies a price premium of over 61% over the Easter Prima Latte, everyone must decide for themselves.
But now going on:
When Easter Prima bar / Beem i-Joy / Mr. Coffee Café Barista is a semi-automatic espresso machine with filter holder, which has specialized in the preparation of espresso, cappuccino and latte macchiato. Portafilter machine here means nothing else than that the espresso powder fill with this machine by hand in a screening device and must be solid plugs. So it is not a question at her a capsule or pad machine, although you can actually fit with pads, which I certainly have not yet tried.
Technical Specifications:
The machine is suitable quite handy and with its 23 x 34.5 x 32 cm and 4.9kg for smaller kitchen spaces. It has an almost 1.7-liter, rear-mounted water tank as well as a 0.3-liter milk tank on the front. Processing seems quite valuable and stable, and in view of the many plastic amazingly classy. With potent 15 bar pressure the water is forced through the ground coffee, guaranteeing a true espresso experience. A pump with this performance normally found in more expensive machines significantly.
Operation:
The machine offers a macchiato side on / off switch and three front-mounted multi-function buttons for each espresso, cappuccino and latte. Pressing the button once, a small portion of the selected beverage is prepared in a large pressed twice. A Continuous pressing more than 3 seconds lead per switch of different special functions: The espresso switch provides this long hot water until you press it again, the cappuccino switch provides correspondingly long milk or milk foam, and the Latte Macchiato button starts the cleaning program. If you are not using the automatic preparation of his drink satisfied, so can be controlled manually espresso and milk content. The control options are rounded off by a control dial on the milk tank, which lets you choose between continuous output -only hot milk, milk foam or hot -only provide a mixture of both. The milk froth is added directly into the cup or glass you does not have to lather yourself with the nozzle his milk.
The cleaning function shoots hot steam and some water by the milk nozzle and delivers them in this way from any milk residues.
Practice:
The machine needs after switching on a warming of approximately 3-4 minutes before it is ready for use. If 20 minutes of inactivity, it automatically switches to standby mode.
The noise keeps at my model in encouraging small frame. Of course, it hisses when the milk is steamed in the glass and of course she rattles something under his breath, while she prepared the coffee. However, this is different for me no known espresso machine. Rumors, they would rattle like a machine gun, are in any case I do not even remotely understandable. Also, I can no strange odors from the water tank or other places perceive with my model, as reported in other reviews. In this respect, so everything is in order, if possible, the manufacturer has reworked here.
The preparation of a (small) latte macchiato after the warm-up phase lasts approximately 30-40 seconds, depending on how long the milk needed. The pure espresso has run in under 15 seconds.
One can, from the small espresso cup on a normal coffee cup up to the full-blown latte macchiato glass, all fill thanks to two separately positionable adjusting risers with drip grid.
The delivery of the machine includes 3 different filter holder inserts, one for a single shot, a double for the shot and more suitable for use pads. In addition, a combined teaspoon besides Tamperplättchen is, but which is not really useful. A good Tamper (the thing to which the coffee powder is pressed firmly in the sieve) made of metal with a diameter of 48-50mm (the inner diameter of the filter inserts is just over 50mm) is certainly a worthwhile purchase.
Very important: the taste!
Now to the most important point: How now tastes of espresso, with which we want to spoil this machine? One must certainly something with the combination of espresso powder, type of milk and Tamperdruck (the internet is full of advice on this subject and guidance) to experiment in order to achieve an optimal result individually. The first impression, quite macchiato without any idea about the preparation of latte, however, was already really impressive. After several attempts of different espresso and milks I have to say now, that can not really keep a lot of professional espresso for my taste. The potential for a very excellent espresso, the machine in any case definitely. Although at this point probably the hardcore espresso connoisseurs will protest. But since I never could call my own a more than 1,000-euro espresso machine in the Jules Verne look with hand-ground espresso powder, gold-plated Brühwerk and spring water connection, me here, unfortunately, a little bit of comparison is missing. But It remains in any case, that this machine produces an espresso, whose quality is far beyond what you would expect for such a low price. Crema on the espresso, creamy milk to solid foam, really hot coffee (yes, hot!) All that has this machine at an absolute bargain price. In terms of texture and flavor, I would in any case not see any big difference between the home-brewed and purchased at Starbucks and Co. Espresso in a blind test. Which of course quite well could suggest that I actually have no idea of good espresso.
Addendum:
- To find the right for a best espresso places, perhaps may take a while, but experimentation is worthwhile in any case. So it is with the right type of milk. Here there are actually major differences: The Biovollmilch Lidl example behaves during foaming in the machine totally different than, say, the whole milk of Bärenmarke. While the former produces a soft yet solid milk foam, the latter provides more of a construction foam: coarse pores and firmly and with twice the volume that leaves regularly crowded the glass. Here I have the milk always manually portioning what works without any problems thankfully.
- In addition to automatic production so there is always the possibility of his cappuccino or latte macchiato also to tinker his own: Just only by hand (3 seconds hold the Cappuccino button pressed) run into the glass of milk foam and then (3 seconds the Espresso switch and hold) the desired amount of water can be pumped through the ground coffee.
- Cleaning is fix vonstatten and also does not have means Antikalktabs be or the like supplemented (claiming any case the manual): A little steam through the milk tube flush (milk choice cog this put on cleaning and 3 seconds the Latte Macchiato button and hold the milk can in this case easily remain in the container) and then some hot water run through the screen let (3 seconds the Espresso button press and hold). According to instructions up to the filter holder must all moving parts in the dishwasher.
- The milk container can be easily removed until the next use and refrigerate.
Conclusion:
Especially considering the excellent price there of me a full purchase recommendation.