CuisinartEspresso Bar Slim Espresso Machine, EM-160

Good but constantly leaks

The water reservoir constantly leaks into the drip tray and I always have to empty it after each use which is very annoying

Espresso n as chine

Very poor design.

Excellent coffee, crummy instruction manual

Once I figured out how to use it, the machine is great! The instruction manual is incomplete so it took some trial and error, but I love the coffee that it makes. I'm very happy with my purchase.

Hate this thing. I have never been .ore frustrated using an appliance

Fantastic small espresso machine!

I absolutely love this machine, the user interface is very simple, press “On”, add your finely ground coffee to the portafilter as the machine warms itself up (less than a minute for it to stop flashing) and tamp firmly. Press double (I have a very large mug) and wait the few seconds for it to come streaming out (with a gorgeous crema) under what appears to be the perfect pressure. I then add milk (2/3rds of the mug full), press steam and turn the steam knob to froth (when the steam light stops flashing) and heat the milk perfectly. Again the pressure seems perfect, it heats a little under a pint of milk in one press and froths the milk perfectly. So, coffee perfect, frothed milk perfect and the combined latte generally better than majority I’ve had before (beans and roast obviously make a difference here too). It only takes a couple of minutes from start to finish, so capacity isn’t an issue at all. Add that to the small size makes it a fantastic addition to any kitchen, if you love great coffee.

DO NOT BUY

I was gifted this machine, for I was very excited about getting into the coffee world. I learned all about it, and was so happy I got this machine. However, things took a change very fast. First of all, the portafilter size is listed as 52mm. They don't make any accessories anywhere, so I settled with 51mm accessories. I would come to discover that the portafilter is indeed 51mm but the ears are so thick that I can't get a nice replacement due to the lack of compatibility. I'm stuck using some cheap janky one. Speaking of baskets, they come with these weird "partially pressurized" baskets that are impossible to dial in. Must replace them with a 51mm single wall basket, it's the only way to make good coffee. The machine also has the weakest steam wand I've ever used. So, despite all the money I've put into this machine, it failed to work. I hate it so much, and you will never get anywhere with it. I even paired it with the Niche Zero and couldn't pull a consistent shot due to the messed up temperature. DO NOT BUY. Just get the Bambino. Super disappointing.

Design and taste

Sleek design is great. Coffee is delicious. Easy to use.

Espresso / cappuccino without leaving the house !

Compact size, easy to use, excellent build quality.