illy X7.1 iperEspresso Machine - Black | Premium Home Espresso Maker for Rich Coffee | Perfect for Kitchens, Offices & Coffee Lovers

I really like this product. Using the new capsules makes for no mess at all.The machine is ready in minutes and if you want a quick espresso its so so simple.I tend to pull a couple of shots before switching to the steam function for foaming the milk.It gets up to temperature pretty quickly. I find it takes a good 2 mins to get the milk up to the right temp.It makes good foam and I can make better drinks at home than places like starbucks.It doesn't beat the coffee shops I frequent but then it wont. A decent coffee house that uses $14,000 machines, good grinders, excellent beans and knowledgeable barristas will win everytime.But for that quick fix at home its great.Its a small unit and it looks great on my kitchen counter. People comment on how it looks all the time. It looks more expensive than it is.My first recommendation is that if you want to switch back to pulling a shot after steaming milk do not just press the cup button else it will take a while to cool down to the temp needed to pull a shot.Instead press the cup button and immediately press the steamer button. This will expell hot steam through the wand and cool down faster. I dont think this is noted in the booklet but its a great feature.Another recommendation is that you clean the wand right after steaming the milk. Its best to keep that as clean as possible and is easier to clean right after its been used than later on when its all sticky and clogged.All in all a great machine for the money. Totally recommended and believe me I am a coffee snob and will only drink great coffee.Simple to use with perfect espresso draws every time. The capsule system works great and reduces the hassle of using ground espresso. This does come at the expense of less control over the brewing and less selection of individual coffees that you have using ground espresso and possibly increased cost per cup. Then again in a side by side comparison the pod machine did as well or better then the ground espresso unit and was more consistent and less messy. Also tried the Nespresso system which was nice and offered more coffee capsule options, but the Illy machine produced better tasting espresso despite trying different coffee types in the Nesptesso unit. Also the Illy machine produced espresso that was identical to the draws from the ground espresso machine which wasn’t the case with the Nespresso unit. The milk frother works great and clean up is a breeze. The machine is well made for the price and doesn’t take up much counter space. Unless you are OCD about your espresso this is a great way to go.This is a great machine, super easy to use and makes fantastic espresso. Only dislike I have is the frothing wand is plastic and fell apart quickly from the heat. I have a new one on order from Illy and it was cheap to replace.Amazing espresso every time, super easy to use and heats up pretty fast. It is a bit loud and it does feel a bit wasteful to use a pod for every shot, but worth it for the convenience. Definitely recommend intense blend! My only complaint is it appears to leak somewhere at the bottom. I regularly have to clean the tray that’s supposed to catch liquid but also under it which isn’t somewhere that should have so much liquid in it, so definitely something a little faulty.ProsVery good consistent espresso with no mess and no effortPowerful pump provides steam quickly and as long as you need itGreat looking designConsusing 2 capsules a day (for a fairly standard grande latte equivalent) creates a LOT of waste in your recycling bin. That is not for everyoneSteam wand is way too short - you can only use fairly small milk cups and you have to hold it pressed up against the unit. A longer wand would make it easier to hold the milk and see what is happening. As it is, the cup is stuck up under the main unit.I have made gone through (5) 21 capsule tins, meaning over 100 shots and this thing works great. I will report after 6 or 12 months.So the machine itself is very simple and easy to use. Only complaints are the water compartment is hard to remove to refill, I wish you could just open a compartment to add more water. Also it doesn’t seem to pull the shot as hot as I would want. Lastly the steam wand doesn’t have enough power in my opinion, I would prefer a normal steam wand not panarello. Overall for the price this is a great machine for a casual espresso drinker or first machine.The iperespresso pods are expensive but make it simple to make espresso at home.Absolutely fabulous with flawless performance! Consistent espresso quality cup after cup. I make mocha cappuccinos with the espresso. The machine is gorgeous and easy to use with almost zero chance for error. If you like a bigger pull, then get the Lungo Medium Roast capsules. The only possible down side is the tank is a bit difficult to get out, but I manage by grabbing it on the edges, not a deal breaker at all. I highly recommend this awesome machine. It's a joy to use and my guests love it. Look for several YouTube videos for tutorials. BTW, I ordered the Illy logo cappuccino cups from Illy, one arrived broken. They sent a replacement immediately. The machine came well packaged from Amazon with plenty of padding around the retail box. That's always appreciated! The picture I posted is a mocha cappuccino made with Illy Dark Roast.Base is now plastic instead of cast metal so feels cheap. Also, updated model no longer features steam knob on side ... foaming is all or nothing and impossible to release steam to make more coffee once you steam - have to wait 20 min for it to cool down. Definitely a big downgrade from the original on several front. On the plus, uses the Illy pods I have hoarded.After 1 year I am changing my rating to 2 stars. The descaling instructions does not work! I had to go on a random Greek youtube channel to find how to go to descale mode!... Here is the comment for anyone having trouble:For anyone who is unable to get their Illy Francis Francis X7.1 Iperespresso machine into descale mode, follow these directions:• You will know the machine wants to be descaled when the red alert triangle is blinking (lower right part of control pad)1) Machine must be OFF and cool in order to descale the machine!2) Fill the water container to MAX with very warm faucet water.3) Add a packet of Illy / Urnex Dezcal or similar citric acid based descaler to the water, stirring it in until dissolved.4) Replace the water container into your Illy Francis Francis X7.1 Iperespresso machine.5) Place a 1L (minimum) plastic catch bowl (or other suitable container) under the brew head AND frothing wand, which should be pointed toward the center of the stage under the brew head (as in video above).6) Power the machine ON.7) IMMEDIATELY depress and hold only the BREW (coffee cup symbol) until the machine emits THREE SHORT BEEPS, followed by ONE LONG BEEP. Release the BREW button after the long beep.8) Press the BREW button again, as you would when brewing a cup of espresso.9) The machine will begin to PULSE, and the STEAM BUTTON will blink. The machine will alternate between pulsing water through the brew head opening and the frothing wand. This will continue until the water container is EMPTY. Be ready to remove the water container, and IMMEDIATELY refill it with cool (Brita filtered or distilled is best) water, and replace it as quickly as possible. The machine WILL NOT STOP THE DESCALING CYCLE, so replace the water container as quickly as you can. You will probably need to empty the catch bowl at least once or twice during this procedure, and the water will be VERY HOT, so use caution!10) The machine will continue to pulse between the brew head opening and the frothing wand.11) The machine will stop pulsing at some point during this second tankful, and the BREW button will begin to BLINK, with an alternating BEEP between blinking. If there is very little water left in the water container, fill it up with cool water again. Empty your catch bowl if it is full and you haven't already done so! Once everything is back in place, press the blinking / beeping BREW button, which will begin to rinse the machine through.12) The machine may repeat Step 11 more than once!13) The machine should now come out of DESCALING CYCLE on its own, with the red POWER button illuminated, along with the blue BREW button being on and solid.14) Run one or two BREW cycles, with cool, filtered water.15) Run the STEAM cycle for a few moments, as you would when frothing for a beverage, to ensure no descaler remains in the frothing wand.• Your Illy Francis Francis X7.1 Iperespresso machine is now descaled!We bought it for my brother, so I haven't honestly seen it. But according to him, it's awesome!