KitchenAid Semi Automatic Espresso Machine with Burr Grinder, 2.5L, Juniper, KES6551JP

I waited several months before reviewing this item. It was a splurge for me and I have not regretted it for a second. I researched everything around this price point and am so glad I went with the KitchenAid! I love the all-metal, high-quality build and the way it slides on its little wheels back and forth. It's semi-automatic, which for me makes me feel like I'm really making the coffee (fully auto feels like cheating and not so much of an experience, I'd probably go back to 100% manual first) but it's soooo easy to use that it's no problem when I'm in a hurry or sleepy. I weigh out beans for each cup because my husband and I like different coffees, and the grinder works great with way less mess than my old standalone burr grinder. The frother is easy to use and clean. We've switched beans many times and it doesn't take much effort to dial in and get the flavor right. The cleaning cycle takes a good bit of time but I only need to do that about every 6-8 weeks depending on usage. I'm just thrilled with this thing and still look forward to using it every morning.

Im a kitchenaid fan. I use my standing mixer all the time and have all sorts of attachments for it. I’ve also used several espresso machines. This one was not intuitive, the instructions were trash, and their were limited to no customer video walk through online. I followed the instructions to purge water through the system in the manual and then by following the video online because the manual instructions were awful. After I did that, I tried to run the machine, it then ran two super weak shots where the water was barely room temp even after adjusting the temp setting from the middle to the top setting. I looked up troubleshooting and nothing helped. In frustration I pushed the purge button which is front and center as I was pushing buttons to try to figure out why it wasn’t working. When I pushed the purge button it wouldn’t turn off. I even hard restarted it several times. I contacted kitchenaid customer support and they told me to do what I had already done. Also, did I mention It was also leaking!!!! After the first use, I didn’t try again until the morning and it had leaked. The water container was on correctly. Super disappointing. I was really excited for this. Oh well returned it and got a breville which worked perfect right out of the box. Take notes kitchenaid!

…and now I can get my fix right in the comfort of my own home! First things first, this review is after about a week of having the machine. So to start, the thing looks gorgeous. Got the Juniper color and it’s beautiful. Definitely not as green as the pictures, but still not the typical stainless, black or white (not saying they’re bad, they’re not - the white is a looker as well).The machine is very well made, KitchenAid quality abounds - lots of metal with some heavy plastic thrown in, like with the grinder and the drip tray. But it looks nice, feels better and screams premium.Pulling a shot is pretty straight forward - grind, tamp, pull, froth, enjoy!The grinder is awesome - very quiet compared to other grinders. Play with the grind settings, amount and grind size to find your ideal settings. It’s fun to figure out how to get your kitchen to taste like your favorite coffee shop - and here’s the keys to the kingdom. Follow these suggestions and you’re sure to make a quality espresso every time. First, use actual espresso beans. Do not use oily beans - they will clog your grinder as oil and “dust” do not mix. If you use regular coffee beans that are oily, you will not understand why your grinder is clogged and you’ll leave bad reviews. Your beans should look matte, not shiny. Thank me later. Second, tamp hard, make sure that the espresso grounds are nice and tight, the pressure gauge (and your mania about not enough pressure will thank you). When done right, you’ll hit that halfway mark in the ideal pressure range, every. single. time. The frother is decent, use it, make some mistakes and find your groove - you’re probably not an expert when you open this thing, but a little patience and common sense will go a long way.All in all, this machine was worth the money - just take your time to understand how it works, how to use it and I am confident that you’ll be pulling great shots in no time flat.