Krups Allegro FND112 Espresso Machine

There is a world of difference between coffee brewed in a traditional coffee maker and an Esspresso machine. Itis like comparing gold to nickel.

After a trip to Starbucks, my teenage son wanted an espresso maker. We shopped around and finally decided on the Krups Espresso machine partly because of the price and partly because of the Krups reputation.

At about $50.00 we thought if the boy used it once and never made another cup of coffee, it wouldn't break us. Boy! Were we in for a surprise. My son's coffee became legendary. Our friends would actually request his coffee and always wanted a second or even a third cup.

For his first adventure into the world of brewing coffee, the Krups Espresso maker was a great choice! At a width of 10.5 in. a depth of 6.75 in. and a heigth of 11.33 in. it doesn't take up much space and because he used it so often we could keep it out on the counter. Some machines are so big, you either need to leave out your coffee maker or your espresso maker, but this one is so compact there is no rival for space.

This is a single cup machine. There are definitely pros and cons to this decision. If you have an occasional cup of epresso or cappuccino, then this machine will work out fine for you. But if like in the case of my son who often times had several requests, then it takes mutiple brewings and it's costly in time.

The frother worked fine for him. It only took him once or twice to get it right and his cappuccino was always hot, rich and frothy.

I found that fresh coffee beans ground at the store for a cappuccino or espresso blend worked great. I also found that the less expensive store brand worked as good as the more expensive brands with the exception that with the store brand there were less variety.

This machine is easy to clean. It comes apart easily and it's small to handle. The steam nozzle is the most difficult thing to clean as it doesn't come off but it's no big deal.

This is an electric model with a maximum pump pressure of 4 bars. It doesn't require a coffee filter and the glass carafe has a lid and handle. The body is mostly plastic but we haven't had any problems with cracking or discoloration.

For the money it is a great little coffee machine. To be perfectly honest, we don't brew plain coffee. We always use it as an espresso or cappuccino maker. Since we like cappuccino this machine has more than earned our praise. I have tried the mixes but no mix can match the magic of a hot steaming cup of freshly brewed coffee.