Product Details
- Amazon Sales Rank: #275014 in Kitchen & Housewares
Features
- includes starter pack of 10 capsules
Bialetti I Caffe D'italia Mini Express Single Serve Espresso Machine Red
Product Description
7 grams of Italian Roasted Espresso
20 Bar, High Pressure System makes the perfect crema every time
Aluminum Capsule preserves flavor
Designed in Italy
Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful.
By B. Sutton
I have had this espresso machine for just a few days. I chose it in the flat black color. It is a great alternative to what is available on the market. This is a great looking design and the coffee is good, too. The coffee is available in five different blends and they are suppose to be representative of different regions of Italy (Roma, Milano, Napoli, Venezia, and Decaf). The literature says that this machine brews at 20 bar (290 psi). It has a 20 oz. water tank and a simple on off switch (green) and a red light to let you know that the power is on.It has a capsule collection box that holds 10 used capules, which are aluminum. Pretty simple and it does what it is suppose to do. The water temperature out of the brew group is around 190 degrees and in the cup at about 170. There is about a 5 second pause before any liquid starts flowing after the on button is pushed. I think this might be a pre-infusion cycle. There is also some pressure released (along with some liquid) after the coffee is stopped by pushing the on/off button again. This could be an over-pressure valve or a 3-way solenoid valve.Bialetti advertises this new machine as being the "only" single-serve espresso with true Italian taste. I am too new to the Espresso coffee market to say whether they have succeeded or not. But, so far I am impressed. My experience to this point has been with a FrancisFrancis Y1 model by iLLY that uses the iPerespresso capsules. So, I have set the bar pretty high for comparison purposes. I chose this machine because of the company behind it.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful.
By Kate
I bought this machine because it promised true Italian espresso, not the watery North American version. I was not disappointed. The Bialetti, like a Tassimo or Keurig, uses single serve capsules and delivers the coffee with one press of a button. I've had several traditional expresso makers in the past but this beats them all because I get great tasting coffee with a very nice crema without all the grinding and measuring and clean-up. This little thing even stores ten of the used capsules inside the unit so you don't even have to empty every time. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys an authentic cup of espresso. Truly is excellent value for money.
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful.
By C. R. Hook
I live in Canada and had seen this machine on display from time to time when I was in a familiar large retail chain picking up diapers and other essential goods. The machine first appeared on their shelves probably a year ago. I didn't know what to think at the time -- I own a Bialetti stovetop moka pot and know the reputation the brand carries, but I was also apprehensive because it was a capsule machine and was being sold at a large retail chain. "How good could it be?" I thought.I quickly dismissed it as a gimmick product with a good brand name simply slapped on it and went on with my life. I am a bit of a coffee snob I guess you could say. I've been spoiled by a lovely Jura super automatic espresso machine at my office and some excellent beans. At home, I've become quite skilled with my Aeropress but still was craving a proper espresso on occasion -- something that the excellent Aeropress cannot deliver.It just happened that I was in the unnamed retail store just two weeks ago (mid March 2013), and I saw the machine again. This time, it was on an end cap and it was on clearance!How much you ask? I don't think if I'm allowed to say exactly how much that was here, so I'll just say the price was very, very attractive. So, I did some quick searching online on my mobile and discovered that the system had just been launched in the US this last month. Good news, I thought. It meant that I wouldn't be purchasing an orphaned machine if I did buy it. Capsules would be readily available from the US and Europe should distribution in Canada end.So, with that knowledge under my belt, I took the chance and brought one home. I also grabbed a 10 capsule variety pack on clearance to test out the roasts.After I got it home, I again did some online reading to see what others thought of the system. Unfortunately, there aren't many reviews out there due to the system being so new in the US, but those that I did find were positive, so I opened the box.I set up the machine (very straightforward), ran some water-only shots to clear the lines and then tried my first capsule. The first one I tried was the Venezia roast -- and it was lovely. Beautiful crema and lovely flavour. I was impressed.I have since then tried all the roasts (one of the 5 is decaf) and still prefer the Venezia, but overall they're all nice. I have now visited other locations of the unnamed retailer in my area and have been buying up the capsules because they're on clearance for amazing prices.The system itself has proven to be ideal for me. I am the only regular espresso drinker in the house and the system is easy to operate and maintain. I really was against pod/capsule systems for the cost and waste concerns -- as well as the substandard coffee that most of them produce (Keurig and Tassimo in particular). This Bialetti system is nothing like the Keurig or Tassimo -- it's closer to the Nespresso system in my opinion.The capsules are 100% aluminum (recyclable) according to Bialetti. That's a big deal in my mind. It also apparently is superior to plastic in preserving the coffee and keeping it fresher longer.There are 7 grams of espresso in each capsule. From what I have read, this is the exact amount required to be properly classified as an espresso by European standards. The machine pumps the espresso at 20 BAR and at a temperature of 190°F, which is comparable to more expensive machines on the market. It certainly produces an espresso that is very good to excellent in my opinion and experience. It certainly won't put professional baristas at true espresso bars and coffee shops out of business, but for a low-cost home unit, you'll be pleasantly surprised.An interesting thing to note is that the machine does not automatically stop after you start a pull. It is up to you to control the shot. I actually like this feature. I purchased a 2 oz Libbey shot glass with lines at 1, 1.5 and 1.75 oz so I can measure my shots much like a manual espresso machine. It gives you the flexibility to make it a traditional 1 oz shot, a longer or shorter pull, or the North American 1.5 oz shot.Cost to operate is quite reasonable too. Obviously I've saved a lot by buying up the capsules on clearance, but even at regular price the capsules are cheaper than buying an espresso from the espresso bar. The only other expense is descaler. As the manual states, any coffee descaler (citric acid based) is suitable and it says it only has to be used after every 300 espressos. (I'd probably do it a bit more often than that, but that's only because we have slightly higher mineral content in our water.)The only concerns I have going forward are availability of the capsules. Part of the reason I wrote this review was to encourage others to give this system a try. If more people buy into the system, then there's a better chance for it to flourish. I encourage you to check one out and see what you think.
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