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Briel ED132ABPG Sintra Espresso Machine with Drip Coffeemaker |
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List price:
$429.99
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- 15 bar pump pressure; 10-year pump warranty
- Automatic shut-off
- Jet frother produces robust steam for thick froth
- Large removable water reservoir
- Accommodates fresh-ground coffee or ESE coffee pods
RATED BEST BEST-THEY WERE RIGHT!!!
Rating: 
Consumer Guide rates this as a Best Buy-They were absolutely correct!
We just received our BRIEL SINTRA machine last week. It's fabulous. Recently, we just redesigned our kitchen with stainless steel appliances and wanted a powerful, yet attractive machine that would fit in. I don't drink espresso everyday, but wanted a combination machine that made a quality cup of drip coffee along with a pump espresso machine. So we purchased the SINTRA from BRIEL. This machine offers a sleek Stainless Steel look exterior with added features such as Auto Espresso Flow and a warming plate for pre-heating cups. The espresso part of the machine is impressive and makes it easy for anyone to create authentic espresso, cappuccino or latte every time! This full size machine is adaptable for use with ground coffee or coffee servings (pods)! I get my pods from AMAZON.COM. The 10-cup drip coffeemaker portion of the machine is sensational. It brews drip coffee quickly, at the proper hot temperature and has a nice feature of brew interuption, where you can sneak a cup, before it's completed! Some of the features that my wife and I like most about the machine:
1. Large, removable water reservoir that fills from the top. 2. Water level visible from the front. 3. GREAT ESPRESSO EXTRACTION due to Constant 15 Bar pump pressure producing a savory espresso with perfect crema every time 4. POWERFUL STEAM with a snap-on Turbo Jet Frother produces plentiful dry steam for a thick milk froth for a cappuccino or latte 5.SMALL FOOTPRINT ON COUNTER Before we had an espresso machine and a drip coffeemaker on our counter. It took up a lot of space. This unit is streamlined and by having both the drip coffeemaker and pump espresso machine combined, it is perfect for our needs in creating a European coffee bar in our newly redesigned kitchen.
We can wholeheartedly suggest this machine to others, as we intend to purchase a couple of these machines as gifts. We've had experience with BRIEL in the past and found their products great and their support people bery informative and helpful.
Incredible Combination Machine
Rating:
Consumer Guide rates this as a Best Buy-They were absolutely correct!
We just received our BRIEL SINTRA machine. It's fabulous. Recently, we just redesigned our kitchen with stainless steel appliances and wanted a powerful, yet attractive machine that would fit in. I don't drink espresso everyday, but wanted a combination machine that made a quality cup of drip coffee along with a pump espresso machine. So we purchased the SINTRA from BRIEL. This machine offers a sleek Stainless Steel look exterior with added features such as Auto Espresso Flow and a warming plate for pre-heating cups. The espresso part of the machine is impressive and makes it easy for anyone to create authentic espresso, cappuccino or latte every time! This full size machine is adaptable for use with ground coffee or coffee servings (pods)! I get my pods from AMAZON.COM. The 10-cup drip coffeemaker portion of the machine is sensational. It brews drip coffee quickly, at the proper hot temperature and has a nice feature of brew interuption, where you can sneak a cup, before it's completed! Some of the features that my wife and I like most about the machine:
1. Large, removable water reservoir that fills from the top.
2. Water level visible from the front.
3. GREAT ESPRESSO EXTRACTION due to Constant 15 Bar pump pressure producing a savory espresso with perfect crema every time
4. POWERFUL STEAM with Turbo Jet Frother produces plentiful dry steam for a thick milk froth for a cappuccino or latte
5.SMALL FOOTPRINT ON COUNTER Before we had an espresso machine and a drip coffeemaker on our counter. It took up a lot of space. This unit is streamlined and by having both the drip coffeemaker and pump espresso machine combined, it is perfect for our needs in creating a European coffee bar in our newly redesigned kitchen.
We can wholeheartedly suggest this machine to others, as we intend to purchase a couple of these machines as gifts. We've had experience with BRIEL in the past and found their products great and their support people bery informative and helpful.
We also purchased the ESPRESSIONE coffee pods from AMAZON.COM and found them to be wonderful.
I've seen some stupid reviews and in all honesty, we cannot be reviewing the same machine.
Highly recommend this unit.
You get what you pay for
Rating: 
I've been using this machine everyday for the last two years and although it's decent I wouldn't recommend it without any reservations. Overall I'm satisfied with the machine, taking into account how much money I've saved by not going to Starbucks, but I'm ready for an upgrade.
I agree with most reviewers that the espresso it produces is pretty good. Drip coffee is another story. There are some fundametal flaws with the design of the drip coffee compartment. Filling it up is an adventure. Half the water usually ends on the counter. There's no water level indicators inside the water tank, so you have to use the glass carafe to fill it with water. This usually results in a mess. In addition, you end up with less coffee than what you thought because some steam escapes from the top.
As far as the espresso compartment is concerned there are some problems too. First of all, the cup size selector is NOT consistent. The dial is pretty inaccurate, so you'll have to experiment until you get it right. Depending on the grind size you may have to change the setting a lot. So keep an eye on it!
Second of all, the heating element doesn't function very well. The green light (water temperature indicator) is erratic. It will be on, letting me know that the water is ready to make coffee, but it will then go off half way into making a serving. This usually happens if I want to make 2 servings, one after the other. To overcome this, I usually have to wait for the light to go off and come on again, which can add several minutes between espressos. Lately, this happens even if I'm only making one serving. Making coffee with tepid water? NOT NICE.
In conclusion, if you're tight on budget this is a decent choice. If you can spend a little bit more, skip it.
