Krups Bravo 871-42 Espresso Machine

I just made my first cup and it was GREAT!!! It is priced right and works like a charm..You can serve two cups at the same time and this feature was not available on other brands

The Krups is the best automatic espresso machine for the money! Both this and other models - I use them in my B&B and rental cottages, and all my visitors can use and enjoy them. They brew a great cup of espresso and are extremely convenient. However they are easy to ruin, in that if you fail to turn them off after brewing they will burn out and stop working. Treat them well and they last for years of daily use.

Four of my family members have this model.... and we all love it! It has proven to be a very sturdy, dependable machine. We have found it listed (with praises) in several coffee/espresso books, and can vouch for the quality of espresso it can produce. Use freshly ground grounds, good water, fresh milk at proper temperature and you will get a very good espresso. We bought several other larger machines, but the Bravo 871 has them beat.
*** Read the book, understand what makes a good espresso shot, and you and this little machine will make a good shop of espresso.
*** PLEASE remember to keep a pin or needle handy... the frothing attachment does 'plug' on a regular basis, but pushing a needle in the top of the Perfect Froth attachment or the bottom of the steam nozzle is all that is needed.

This is my third machine in 20 or so years (I mean the one I am purchasing right now is the third). The first one lasted over 12 years and then I cracked it. The second one lasted 5 or so -- and I have another one at my office. Ours gets used every day up to five times a day. I love the frother -- it's so much better than the ones on the machines now. Krups -- why don't you make this great little machine anymore?

This is an inexpensive, but effective, steam operated espresso machine. Once you've got the knack of using it, the coffee produced is excellent, in my opinion as good as the espresso from the expensive machines. The product is durable and with proper care (decalcifying occasionally), should last for many years.

considering when i acquired this it was rescued from the curbside, i'd say i got more than my money's worth. i've had mine for 7 years and it's still going strong. sure, i broke the carafe in my travels along the way, but since i take this thing on the road with me, a sturdy mug works just as well.

what i dont like is that the little tiny plastic piece on the top of the frother. i lost it some time ago and had to buy a whole new frother instead of that one little piece. i lost it a second time- right down the drain. my solution is to partially put my finger over the top of the frother (no, you wont get burned) to adjust the stream control accordingly.

For what it is, this is a good machine. And what it is is a steam-powered compact espresso machine capable of 3 bars of pressure. The prevailing wisdom is that you want 15 bars of pressure, so this machine offers nowhere near the performance specs the fancier machines offer. As a result, there's no crema, it's pulls an espresso rather slowly, and flavor is good but not great. I'd say it's an okay first machine.

I have one of these machines at home. I wanted one to take to my parents house to leave for the holidays and other times I visited. I've had mine for 5 years and its still going strong. The strangest thing happened when I first brewed at my mom's house. Half the water came out and after that I got hardly a drizzle of coffee. I unhooked the metal coffee filter and my neice hit the on button and a flood of water came out. we were puzzled but I started looking at the metal filter and the holes were not punched all the way through! I took a small nail and after 45 minutes I had all the holes opened. It works beautifully now. What an odd thing to happen.

I was happy to find this Krups model brand new. It is no longer availble but is the best one out there. This seller was timely and great to work with.

Wheelock99