Product Details
- Amazon Sales Rank: #385291 in Kitchen & Housewares
- Brand: KitchenAid
- Model: 5KES100BER
- Dimensions: 20.87" h x
15.75" w x
15.75" l,
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
23 of 23 people found the following review helpful.
Building my red empire -- KitchenAid 'for the way it's badly made' ...I'm knocking it down
By Miss Bell
This is what I felt after purchasing the machine until about two and half years down the line, I decided to give up and ask for a refund rather than order my fifth replacement.At one time, I thought Gaggia were second to none...I became a fan of KitchenAid after purchasing my Artisan burr grinder -- also in empire red -- which is what prompted me to purchase the matching Artisan espresso machine. KitchenAid build heavy weight, solid, robust, and durable appliances in die-cast metal. I love the retro look. This makes a very eye-catching centrepiece in my kitchen. A problem I have always had with espresso machines is the after-drip and excessive steam shooting everywhere after closing the pump, leaving my kitchen worktop soaked, and the atmosphere humid. This machine has a solenoid valve (a coil of wire which controls the flow of air or liquid; it converts electrical energy into mechanical energy which opens/closes the valve) which immediately reduces pressure when the pump is switched off; thus no drips or excess steam. The drip tray accommodates simultaneous milk frothing and brewing together. I like the fact the tray is directly under the nozzle too so when clearing the nozzle you can spurt steam directly into it; no mess. The steam nozzle pivots at all angles which is good if you have a larger frothing jug, which I do. I have found the Gaggia Evolution and previous espresso machine I owned prior to that to be terribly noisy with bubbling, gurgling, and clunking noises from the pump -- the Artisan Espresso maker is very very quiet.. Now for the real test -- the espresso crema... I pull a perfect one every time! I find if you press the hot water button, it expedites the frothing temperature level. If using the hot water feature, do not allow the steam boiler to heat more than a quarter over the black marker otherwise it will spurt everywhere; you need to allow some steam to spurt through the nozzle into the drip tray first, then the water will come out. It is truly a professional and industrial machine, yet compact enough for your home. I thoroughly recommend it, and with KitchenAid, the parts will always be readily accessible.NB: unfortunately, despite my above initial rave review, I've now been through four of these machines under warranty, and am looking to purchase a different brand. It's not up to it. The secondary steam boiler has stopped building up pressure after about five to six months usage and the temperature dials go haywire. I've knocked my review rating down to two stars.
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful.
A triumph of form over function
By Bejam
I'm on machine number 6 (actually, I think it might be 7 or 8, but I'm not completely sure) in less than 2 years. I've done nothing extraordinary, I make around 2 to 3 cups of espresso per day, I look after it fastidiously and I live in a soft water area. This machine is a great bit of kitchen furniture but is, without doubt, the most unreliable piece of kit I have ever owned - for me to have gone through so many machines convinces me that the design must be inherently flawed.I have given it one star because of the brilliant warranty and aftercare - Kitchenaid send a new one out via courier and collect the broken one each time. But I just don't have the heart to continue - this must have cost them far more than me and I've finally lost confidence. They've offered me a refund and I've accepted.
22 of 23 people found the following review helpful.
Stylish, gorgeous coffee!
By MOTC
I've had my cream Artisan Espresso machine for about a month now and I'm delighted with it. I had wanted to move on from stove top mocha express devises and had been researching pumped Espresso machines for a while, the KitchenAid took me with a first glance! This is a stunning piece of industrial design, infinitely better looking in the flesh than in pictures and if you fall for it's looks than nothing else will do!So how dose it perform? Wonderfully well! The very first shot of Espresso pulled was just great including a near perfect creama, what more could you ask for? There is no point in me regurgitating the technical specifications of the machine but I'm sure that the twin boilers are a considerable asset because the brew water is never over heated while you have steam ready all the time and of course once you are adept you can brew and steam at the same time. I'm inclined to think that a commercial grade 58mm chrome plated brass portafilter is essential as this really dose hold its temperature and leads to greater consistency. The supplied tiny plastic tamper is really quite inadequate other than to get you started, I've now purchased a Reg Barber one which is an immense improvement allowing the ideal compacting of any grind of coffee into the portafilter, this is important as it's one of the greatest influences on the extraction of the coffee. The supplied milk jug is nice but a little on the small side, only suitable for single helpings of Cappuccino, no big deal really as a twin shot of Espresso makes one Cappuccino!Negatives! Right, the largest hassle with the Artisan is the change from steam to hot water and this dose take a bit of time, your expecting water but end up with spitting steam, the manual dose remark on this but it's a pain, you need a largish jug to dump this into because it's quite messy, no, very messy! I was making Americano the other day and got this wrong, we are talking coffee everywhere here! This is something I have not as yet sorted out, again no big deal as a kettle is simpler anyway!In conclusion this is a great Espresso machine and I am recommending it, there is also a matching coffee grinder that I will be purchasing soon, these will look beautiful together and I will post my experience with it soon.If you are considering a pumped Espresso machine and you like the look of the KitchenAid, just go for it! It is the real thing!
See all 15 customer reviews...
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