Product Details
- Amazon Sales Rank: #435104 in Kitchen & Housewares
- Color: Gray
- Brand: Krups
- Model: 968-41
- Dimensions: 13.00" h x
11.00" w x
12.50" l,
11.00 pounds
Features
- ThermoBlock pump system produces espresso, coffee, cappuccino, and lattes
- 3-ounce water container; convenient cup-prewarming tray
- 2 filter holders: 1 for ground espresso, 1 for ESE coffee pods
- Cappuccino selector for adjusting froth amounts
- Measures 13 by 11 by 12-1/2 inches; 1-year limited warranty, 90 days for parts and service
Krups 968-41 Novo 2300 Plus Automatic Cappuccino Machine, Gray
Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
37 of 37 people found the following review helpful.
By Vernon Mount
I've used these machines every morning for at least 12 years, since the first Krups Espresso Novo came out. I use them to make my breakfast cappucino. Before they were available, I used La Pavoni, an Italian boiler machine, for about 10 years. The Krups are the best pump machines for the price.The boiler machines seem to take at least 5-8 minutes to heat up before you can get good steam. The Krups pump gives steam in about a minute or two. This saves a lot of time in the AM. And if you're making a lot of expresso or cappucinos for dinner guests, you don't run out of water and have to stop to cool the whole thing down to refill it so you can continue while everybody waits.
I've had none of the problems with leaks, etc. that other reviewers have reported on, but I've had experience using these machines, and I have learned the technique. You have to tighten up the filter cup holder when putting the coffee in, or you get leaks. You have to keep coffee grounds off the metal rim where the rubber gasket seals, or it leaks and coffee grounds stick to the gasket, making the next cup leak as well. All it takes is always sweeping the excess grounds off the rim with your fingertip before you put the filter holder on the machine, and twisting it on tightly enough to the right so it makes a tight seal.
Another important step is pressing the fresh coffee into the filter holder firmly with a tamper. It's also essential to use a burr coffee grinder so you get coffee grounds of a uniform size. The blender blade type "grinders" (like the Krups) that chop rather than grind the coffee beans produce a powder that's too fine or too coarse and not uniform in size. Too fine makes the pump work too hard to get the water through the grounds, the filter holes plug, the pressure goes too high, and this may cause a leak. Too coarse and the water runs through so fast that the coffee is weak. A burr type coffee mill like the Braun, Pavoni or Capresso allows the size of the grind to be adjusted so the grounds are consistent in size and neither too fine or too coarse. If you're having this problem, use the blade chopper for parsley and tarragon, and get a real coffee mill for espresso. I think the people using the pods have fewer problems because the pods use properly ground coffee properly packed, and the coffee doesn't scatter over the gasket.
It's also important to heat the water up to the steaming point in the machine before using it to make coffee.The foam can also be a problem for newbies. I have never been able to use the various frothing contraptions on these machines. If you can't make foam without the attachment, go to a Starbucks or other pro cappucino stand and ask the person foaming the milk to teach you how to make it properly by sticking the steam pipe directly into the milk or cream and adjusting the pipe depth and steam force until you can do it.Making expresso, cappucino or latte is a skill like cooking, driving or riding a bike. It has to be learned and practiced.
37 of 39 people found the following review helpful.
By Joel
I usually don't do reviews, but I've owned a Krups Novo 2300 for about a year and I like it so much I feel it necessary to correct some of the impressions that potential buyers might get from the previous reviews.
First, many of the negatives have to do with leaks around the seal. When I first got this machine I had similar leaks for the first few times I used it. This can be easily avoided. Any espresso machine will leak a)if the coffee holder isn't sealed properly and b)if you try to make many cups of espresso rapidly or immediately after using the frothing mechanism. This is due to the natural buildup of steam. Too much steam and it's going to overflow the coffee holder.
Like I say, I had coffee holder overflow because I kept doing these things too rapidly. Now, I don't even think about it. I make my espresso, froth my milk and either drink it myself or serve it to a friend. Either way, just a short time and it's ready to use again.
Another objection I saw was that the water was never hot enough. This little machine builds up 19 bars of pressure which is the same as the commercial machines. It gets plenty hot.If you don't believe me, touch the metal tubing that leads to the frothing mechanism!
Third, someone else objected to the frothing mechanism being unwieldy. In response to that I don't know if other machines in this price range offer the same convenience of this one's frothing mechanism. I believe it's unique to Krups.
I've tried other machines where milk frothing for latte and cappucino is a manual guesstimate and this works better than any of those. As to not being able to use taller cups, I've never found that to be an impediment. I've used wider cups and have only received favorable comments (okay, raves) about my espresso-based drinks. In summary, if you're looking for for a sound espresso machine and don't want to pay upwards of $300.00, try the Krups Novo 2300. You really won't regret it.
I haven't and I use the thing several times a week.
18 of 18 people found the following review helpful.
By Mark Borchers
I'm replacing a previous Amazon review of the Krups Bravo with this review covering both the Bravo and the Krups Novo 2300 Plus (model 968) in a side-by-side comparison. I think this approach will be more helpful to shoppers.
The Bravo is a lower-priced machine which produces espresso by boiling water in a pressure vessel, which uses steam pressure for both brewing and to froth milk. The Novo is a pump unit. It heats water for espresso, and then uses a pump to develop enough pressure to force the water through a brewing head containing grounds. You use a different temperature setting to produce steam, rather than hot water, to steam and froth milk for lattes or cappuccinos.
I used the Bravo for about 2-1/2 years. The unit is inexpensively priced, but the buyer need not have any concerns about quality. It is well-built, durable, and consistent. Basic operation of the machine is very simple, but you have to spend some time getting familiar with it in order to really get the best possible results. In fact, the cheaper Bravo unit may be slightly more difficult to use than the Novo because it seemed to me that developing a feel for the precise amounts of water and coffee was critical in order to get a good result.
The Novo is significantly more expensive, as all pump machines are. However, when compared to other pump-type espresso machines on the market it is an excellent value. It will give you a deliciously rich cup of espresso on the first try. The milk frothing attachment is a slightly odd siphon device. Instead of simply sticking a container of milk under a steam nozzle, the milk is sucked up through a flexible hose, steamed internally, and squirted into your cup (there is a "more foamy" setting for cappuccino and "less foamy" for latte). It's a bizarre looking contraption, but it really works well.
To sum up, I'd say that if you are sure you want to take the time to make espresso drinks frequently, and to perform the cleaning and maintenance that either of these units require, bypass the Bravo and go straight to a higher-end machine like the Novo. If you just want to test the waters, so to speak, ofhome espresso-making, spend a little money on the Bravo and decide later if you want to upgrade.
See all 54 customer reviews...
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