CASABREWS CM5418 Compact Espresso Machine with Milk Frothing Steam Wand | Stainless Steel, 20-Bar Pump, Built-in Pressure Gauge, Powerful Steam Wand for Cappuccino Latte for Home, 34oz Water Tank

I am not one to write reviews very often, and I am not a coffee snob obsessing over everything to do with the perfect espresso shot. I do have lots to say about this machine though. My previous Mr Coffee Cafe Barista machine died after many years and I wanted something that would allow me to steam my own milk instead of it being done for me. I also didn’t want to spend more than $150 either as my circumstances are not great right now… Anyway, after reading many reviews on similar machines, I settled on this beaut. I am more than happy with my purchase! The machine is small and takes up half the space my old machine did, which earns high spousal approval. The all stainless steel body looks good and durable and wipes down easily. It looks good on the countertop. It heats up fast for a thermoblock design, and while the water capacity in the tank isn’t the greatest, a full tank is enough to pull two espresso shots, steam two jugs of milk, plus allows for preheating the group head and portafilter and flushing everything afterwards. The machine pulls a pretty decent shot with pre-ground espresso and leaves a hard puck after extraction, something I always had issues with on my old machine which would always leave a soupy mess. I do weigh my dose (13 grams), use a WDT needle tool, distributor, tamper and puck screen. While I do not have control over everything, you can set the volume of water dispensed for each of the buttons on the panel. The single shot button is set at 30 milliliters. I can’t get a full 15 grams into the portafilter for a true 1:2 ratio but it’s close enough. The milk frother is fast and steams the milk in about a minute and actually produces some good results. The wand seems durable and the rubber grip is well placed so you don’t scald your fingers. This does a great job for frothy cappuccinos or silky lattes. The pump is not loud either which is good for a machine at this price point. Please follow the instructions to prep the machine when you first set it up. Run a few shots through the machine before you start using it to remove any trace particles in the water lines and pump. And plastic smell from the water tank will be removed by doing this. For a basic espresso machine, this is a good buy. It seems to be well made, and it suits my present financial circumstances. Sure, I wouldn’t mind a more mainstream brand and probably a better quality machine, but for the money, don’t hesitate in buying this machine. I got mine for $129 in early 2025 and I’ve seen this at $99 before over the holidays. It’s a simply delightful espresso machine that I’m glad to have.

This thing is saving me so much money it's crazy. My husband was spending around $15 a day on Starbucks...which means this machine has already paid for itself. Now I've learned to make the syrups for his coffee at home and we spend $15 every 10 days on a bag of ground espresso. I'm mad I didn't do this sooner. I have never used an espresso machine before but it's so simple and the instructions are so clear that my kids can do it now too (youngest is 10). You just make sure all the plastic protective tabs are removed when you take it out of the box, then clean and fill the reservoir. There are quite a few "quick start" infographics that come with the machine in addition to the manual. Then you load up the espresso and turn it on. It takes a few minutes to get up to temp and then you just push the button you want and it starts. It takes less than a minute to brew a double shot. Cleaning the grounds out is a bit annoying because it's really packed in there and can be messy if it doesn't want to come out. People used to espresso machines probably wouldn't be bothered. I'm sure there are tricks I haven't learned yet. Anyway, it's a beautiful machine that is saving me a crazy amount of money and it feels like a quality product. I will be recommending it to all my coffee loving friends. Absolutely would buy again.

Great espresso machine for the price! It is fairly easy to operate, and cleaning is not difficult at all. I used a few cheap espresso machines before, and this one definitely at a much better experience. I use it every morning to make cappuccino or latte. Besides the little noise, there is not much to complain about. The milk frother is my favorite function. It makes very smooth foamy hot milk quickly and satisfying. It does take a few tries to get the correct grind size. But once you get it right, it works pretty consistently. There are a couple points can be improved, such as the metal plate where you coffee cup sits is too slippery, I wish it was a rubbery material instead; the frother nozzle is a little low, makes it difficult to make the milk with a larger cup. After all, I highly recommend this espresso machine to any casual coffee drinker that love to experiment different coffee drinks at home and not too picky about the brand. Great espresso machine for the price! It is fairly easy to operate, and cleaning is not difficult at all. I used a few cheap espresso machines before, and this one definitely at a much better experience. I use it every morning to make cappuccino or latte. Besides the little noise, there is not much to complain about. The milk frother is my favorite function. It makes very smooth foamy hot milk quickly and satisfying. It does take a few tries to get the correct grind size. But once you get it right, it works pretty consistently. There are a couple points can be improved, such as the metal plate where you coffee cup sits is too slippery, I wish it was a rubbery material instead; the frother nozzle is a little low, makes it difficult to make the milk with a larger cup. After all, I highly recommend this espresso machine to any casual coffee drinker that love to experiment different coffee drinks at home and not too picky about the brand. Great espresso machine for the price! It is fairly easy to operate, and cleaning is not difficult at all. I used a few cheap espresso machines before, and this one definitely at a much better experience. I use it every morning to make cappuccino or latte. Besides the little noise, there is not much to complain about. The milk frother is my favorite function. It makes very smooth foamy hot milk quickly and satisfying. It does take a few tries to get the correct grind size. But once you get it right, it works pretty consistently. There are a couple points can be improved, such as the metal plate where you coffee cup sits is too slippery, I wish it was a rubbery material instead; the frother nozzle is a little low, makes it difficult to make the milk with a larger cup. After all, I highly recommend this espresso machine to any casual coffee drinker that love to experiment different coffee drinks at home and not too picky about the brand

This little machine does a pretty good job at making your cup of espresso. It does extract a lot of flavor out of your coffee. The milk steamer does work really good and makes a great hot froth for you espresso. The size is great as well since it has such a small footprint. The style is wonderful looking and makes it look like an expensive machine. It does have some issues as far as how much you will get out of an extraction. But I am comparing it to a friend's that is much more expensive. Another issue is once you use the steamer the machine get to hot. You will then need to either wait until it cools off to make another shot of espresso, or run the steamer to release the heat. One other thing, the grounds are not pressed into a hard puck after an extraction. They will be a little loose and still wet. Be careful when you empty the grounds since they are wet. It can splash a lot trying to empty them. The plastic press it comes with is very weak. You need the metal one with some weight. The machine is decent and will save you a lot in the long run compared to buying it from a shop every day.

I like this unit a lot . I had my last one(a different make) 25 years and I know what I want. The speed to temperature is fast and the coffee is great and it is easy to program the size cup. I like the small size and it is classy and up-scale looking.

Updated 2/25/25 - after being contacted in January by Casabrews and keeping the machine rather than returning it… it now leaks water all over the counter out of the bottom of the water container when I’m adding water and when I’m making espresso. I’ve taken it apart and put it back together - didn’t help. Video attached. Turns out the Bambino is worth the price. I do not recommend this machine - it is NOT made to last. Alright… longest story short - I’m directly comparing this machine to what seems to be the highly coveted Breville Bambino Plus that costs 3.6% more than this machine. For the overall response without reading any further - get this one over the more expensive option! For the longer version keep reading. I need a new machine to replace my very old espresso machine that isn’t working properly anymore. I didn’t want to go too crazy with spending if I didn’t have to. So many people seem to LOVE the Bambino Plus. I bought one three days ago. I returned it two days ago. It made espresso, but not well, and the auto milk frothing, two out of three times, did not stop and boiled fairly hot milk over the pitcher and everywhere. Not a good feature. Not worth the extra $200 they add for that feature over the regular Bambino. The regular Bambino is still slightly more than 2x the price of this machine. This morning out of frustration I opened Amazon and looked for the highest rated/reviewed machine that I could get TODAY before 3pm. Helped narrow it down out of thousands of machines quickly. So here we are. Why 3 stars? Here are the pros and cons for me (and mind you I’ve made ONE drink - the video that is attached). Pros: It’s cute / kinda retro looking with the guage. Which due to filming and watching the coffee flow I realize I didn’t even look at it so I don’t know if it is helpful or not yet. It’s very compact and is smaller than most drip coffee machines. It should cause zero space issues for anyone. It seems fairly sturdy despite the price. It didn’t rattle my cup around etc. Yes I had to hold onto it for the portafilter - but not in an agressive way. The Bambino felt like I had to hold onto it more so. The box and the directions it comes with - they really do cover a lot of information for people who are new to espresso making - which I think is a nice added touch. Cons: The steam wand, turned all the way up, does a terrible job at frothing. If you want hot milk that doesn’t get any real texture - that was my experience. Again - first use - but I steam milk everyday and this steam wand was a let down. The portafilter, the baskets, the "tamper"…. All three need to be replaced immediately. The portafilter is very lightweight and the baskets have to be turned and placed inside with little slots. They feel very low quality overall. The tamper is the flat side of a plastic spoon. I didn’t open the bag with the spoon or the single basket - I didn’t bother trying to use it. I used one I already have. No milk pitcher included. Casabrews does sell upgraded portafilters and baskets and a tamper. I don’t know if I am going to keep this machine (I make milk drinks all day and that steam wand is rough for me) - but if I do - I will spend the extra for the better accessories (bottomless portafilter - non pressurized basket etc). For a budget machine though - overall I’d say this machines reviews are pretty accurate. I did follow all the instructions - and I’m going to go make another coffee now. Update: 1/7/25 - I will still leave my rating at 3 stars because of everything I said a couple of days ago. After a couple of days with this machine and many espresso drinks made - I wanted to add a couple things. First - it really does not froth milk. I’ve tried three different kinds and it just gets it really hot with zero texture and zero froth. Massive letdown for me since I like milk drinks. I also meant to mention in the first review, the steam wand is not the insulated kind - so it gets VERY hot. Just something to be careful with if you aren’t aware that not all steam wands are made the same. I tested the machine with coffee ground for espresso machines and it did not like it. With the pressurized basket it comes with, the machine does better with a more coarse grind (similar to a drip coffee/sea salt texture grind). That would be a plus if you want to use pre ground coffee from the grocery store. The instructions for the machine also say that you cannot use the steam wand and then make another espresso shot right after. If you try to do that the machine goes into heat protection mode. It locks the machine and there is a sequence you run that ends up using a lot of water in your reservoir to cool the machine back down. If you wanted to make a milk drink for someone and make another drink right after for someone else, you can’t. Or you can’t without either waiting an unknown amount of cool down time OR running the routine to cool the machine first. HOPEFULLY this review helps in someone’s decision making. If you ONLY drink espresso shots - this machine is probably tidally worth it! If you like milk drinks…. Maybe try it out and see if you have better luck than me. Today I had to use my old espresso machine’s steam wand to go with my espresso shot from this new machine.

My wife and I have a bad cappuccino habit. Started while on a visit to Italy. Continued when we returned home. Gets expensive to buy two a day from a coffee bar. This machine came highly recommended. For once the recommendations were on the money. It makes good cappuccino, is modestly priced and after some trial and error makes cappuccino as good as most coffee bars. Instructions that come with the machine are clear and have pictures to make the procedure clear. Just follow the instructions. Bought three essential tools to go with the machine. A good heavy weight, aluminum tamper. The plastic one that comes with the machine is wimpy. Here it is: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09H24D5YQ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Also got a stainless steel frothing pitcher to use in steaming milk. Better than anything you have at home. Here it is: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07KFYXTRR?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details Lastly, bought a coffee canister designed to keep ground coffee fresh. Works well. Here it is: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01H38T264/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Making the perfect cup of cappuccino is by trial and error. Took me about ten tries. First, get the right espresso coffee. Tried some Italian versions. Not so good. Settled on Starbucks espresso, dark roast. Not ground to a powder like some espresso coffee, but works well in this machine. I'm too lazy to grind my own beans. Next, the right milk. Many coffee bars use one percent milk. We found it too watery. Changed to whole milk and that works fine. The amount of frothed milk you add to the espresso affects the strength of the taste. I suggest you don't add all the frothed milk in the pitcher to the top of the espresso cup all at once. Try 3/4 full. Probably too strong. Then keep adding the frothed milk in increments until you find the right amount of frothed milk that satisfies your taste. You don't have to buy this. But you need two cups. Any cup to capture the steam coming from the machine and a 12 ounce cup for the espresso/cappuccino. The 12 ounce cup has to be wide and not high so it will fit under the spouts where the espresso comes out. Tip. Turning the handle while on the machine was hard. A tiny drop of vegetable oil on your finger tip, rubbed on the edge of the cup containing the coffee, before inserting it into the machine, makes the handle turn easily. Doesn't effect the taste. Just use a tiny smear. All in all, this is a great buy. The machine makes 12 ounces of fine cappuccino in the convenience of your own home. I timed the process. Took me 15 minutes total in preparation, making the cappuccino, and cleaning up. A bright spot in our daily routine.

For the price, this is a great little espresso maker. The espresso has a good flavor and a rich crema. We have our own grinder and have adjusted the grind from pretty fine to finer, but often, the puck is still sloppy. Besides that, I don't have a lot of complaints. I like that it's slim and doesn't take up much counter space. Because it's slim, the water reservoir is pretty small. The lid on the reservoir rattles a bit when it's full. I like that it gets up to heat and brews pretty quickly. We've had other equally inexpensive espresso makers and another couple which were double and four times the cost of this one that I can't say made better espresso. One thing I enjoy that others may not is that the pull is timed. I like being able to walk away from it once it's set to go. We've only had it for 5 months, so I can't speak to its longevity. Hopefully, it lasts a while. If it goes for 2 or 3 years, I'd buy another one.

J'ai longtemps hésité à commander cette machine à espresso, cherchant à avoir un bon café de qualité sans trop y mettre d'argent. J'ai finalement passée ma commande et reçu la machine le lendemain. Je pensais sérieusement que j'allais devoir faire des essais-erreurs avant de réussir à avoir un bon espresso. J'ai préchauffé la machine comme recommandé par la marque, en faisant couler un 2 tasses, sans y mettre d'espresso, avant de faire une vraie tasse. Hé bien, mon tout premier espresso était vraiment excellent. J'ai choisi un sac de café Lavazza "crema e gusto" moulu finement que j'ai trouvé au supermarché, j'ai mis 11-13g dans mon portafilter, et dès ma première gorgée j'ai été grandement surprise. Aucun arrière-goût, aucune amertume. Un café très doux, mais fort en même temps. Points importants à noter: - Le mousseur à lait prend parfois un peu de temps à être bien chaud et je n'ai pas réussi à faire mousser mon lait au complet, mais ce n'était pas ma priorité. - Le mousseur est aussi très bruyant, au point de faire siler mes oreilles. - J'utilise l'eau chaude du mousseur à lait (sans mettre l'option steam) pour allonger mon espresso, mais parfois l'eau n'est pas aussi chaude que j'aimerais qu'elle le soit. Je suis très contente de mon achat, et après une semaine à me faire des café régulièrement je n'ai aucun problème majeur avec la machine. Je recommanderais clairement cette machine pour ceux qui souhaitent se faire des espressos, ou allongés de qualité, sans trop dépenser (surtout considérant que certaines machines à pods sont encore plus chères que celle-ci). Évidemment il est possible de "modder" la machine en changeant le portafilter, mais honnêtement, étant quelqu'un qui prend de 2-5 cafés par jour, je ne vois pas l'intérêt pour le moment puisque le café est très bon! Je recommande!!

Estoy muy satisfecho con este producto. La calidad y como se ve es muy buena!

Muy buena con accesorios mas adecuados hace maravillas

I love this little machine! It doesn’t take up a lot of room and is pretty too!! Super easy to use.

Es de buena calidad y para su precio es buena