Briel ES62AF L'Expresso Automatic Cadiz Espresso Machine

I was happy with my Briel Cadiz at first. Nevertheless, after 4 months, the unit started excessively leaking steam and water. I sent it in to Briel's service center in New Jersey in May - as of today (Sept. 21) I still don't have it back. I have called, been promised that it is shipping in a few days, more times than I can count. So, I've waited 4 months (and counting) for warranty repair of a unit that was only 4 months old. I've sent a letter to Briel's HQ in Portugal requesting that they send me a new unit, but have had no response. I am not going to purchased a Briel product again.Maybe even more discouraging is that Amazon has been completely unwilling to help in this manner. I am very surprised that Amazon will not hold their vendors to higher standards of customer service.So, if you buy a Briel product - pray that nothing ever goes wrong.

I have mixed feelings abut my Briel Cadiz. When I first received it, I became more popular than the local Starbucks. Everyone wanted one of my rich, creamy, foamy cappuchinos. A year and a half later, I wish I hadn't purchased this machine. It still makes excellent expresso shots, particularly since I've mastered all the little details that get it to turn out just right. However, the head of the milk foamer broke off, the button that switches the boiler heater to steam is broken, and of course the warranty is expired. I'm reduced to heating milk in the microwave and making lattes...but they still taste great!The best part about this machine is its ability to turn out excellent expresso shots thanks to a nice little pump unit, perfect temperature regulation, and nicely engineered parts (some, not all!). The worst part is that underneath that gleaming exterior, its nothing more than a collection of rather tiny (and quite fragile) plastic parts, electric connections, a pump, and a brass boiler. Don't open it up - it will destroy the illusion that you own a real Italian coffee machine!!!Buy this if you want to turn out excellent coffees and don't want to spend more than $250...this year. Buy something with a lot more quality engineered inside if you plan on using your machine for more than twelve months.By the way, I read all of those positive reviews before I bought my Cadiz. A year later I'm seeing a lot of negatives that weren't there a year ago. I say...buyer beware!!!

I agree with most of the reviews. In the beginning, the machine works well, but then starts leaking. Oftentimes, it is because of the way you grind the coffee. If ground too thin, it will leak. And if ground too coarse, nothing will happen. It can be very very messy at times.But it works very very well when I use pods. Illy or Lavazza pods work well, and the crema is still good. Definitely a decent purchase....but don't expect to keep it for ever. You'll want to upgrade. Then you can use the Briel Cadiz for the office with pods (avoid the mess!), and keep a better one for home.

As of this month, I've been using my Briel Cadiz for two years. I make 3 cappucino's every day, so I guess you could say that the machine has gotten a very thorough test by now! Over 1000 cups!It still performs very well. The espresso is second to none -- perfect temperature, very aromatic, and with a beautiful thick head of crema. The steam wand has lost a little power over the years (maybe 20%), but still performs well enough to give me a nice foamy cappucino.One trick I learned about maintenance: after the first 6 months, I noticed a big degradation in the quality of the espresso and the crema. I tried a few things -- won't detail them all here -- but the solution turned out to be unscrewing the screw that secures the brew head screen, then pulling the screen and out and cleaning it. The screen holes are TINY -- the best way I found to clean them was by using a sewing needle and painstakingly pushing the residue out of each hole. It takes 15-20 minutes to do this. But VOILA! When I reassembled it, the espresso was back to its rich, foamy perfection!I find that I have to perform this little maintenance task 2-3 times a year, even though I use filtered water. Oh well, not such a big deal I guess -- especially for such delicious espresso!I'm very happy with this machine