FrancisFrancis! X5 Espresso Machine, Black

I recently acquired this wonderful machine through an offer by Illy, which may or may not be the best way to acquire the machine, as I'm on the hook for a boatload of coffee, but I'm liking the espresso from this machine so much that that may not be an issue. The pods can make this a great machine for a quick cup of espresso, but I prefer to use finely ground espresso roast for a more traditional (and inexpensive) cup of espresso (typically to make cappuccino or lattes). Pros * pro-style 56mm (not the full 58mm of other machines) chrome plated solid brass portafilter. * Separate pod (ESE) adapter with three different screens for different styles of espresso from pods. * Solid construction and very heavy (relative to its small size) * Fast heat up (1-2 minutes) and a very large capacity for making steam (which is very hot and dry). * After brewing grounds form a solid puck, though with water on top of them, as this machine lacks a 3-way solenoid of pricier machines. * The clock is functional as it has a second hand. Cons * Odd assortment of manuals with really no continuity. * Cup warming is relatively useless (it doesn't get that hot and it takes a while to warm up). Run water (without grounds or a pod) through the machine to heat up the machine and the cups. * Often the cups will fill at different rates (despite my best attempts at a firm even tamp, but this is a relatively minor issue. Comments * This machine uses an odd tamper which separates with the handle coming off and the tamper head remaining on top of the grounds (remaining in the portafilter while brewing). Beyond being unconventional, it makes it hard to get 14g of grounds in with the tamper head on top. Brewing without it seems to work fine. Research seems to indicate that they sold the machine without this for a while then "enhanced" it with this feature to limit the water build up on top of the grounds after brewing. * It may leak around the brew head while brewing but it is minor and infrequent. * Not too noisy (it does have a boiler and a pump, so it's also not too quiet either).

There is only 1 service center in the US to repair/maintain francisfrancis. This service center has very bad customer service, overcharge for labor and parts, and their technical expertise is bad. There are many online reviews that say the same: excellent machine, service center sucks. The service center sent the machine fixed to me, overcharged me, and it arrived damaged. They told me to deal with UPS directly. The UPS box looks intact, I feel the wrapping inside was not adequate or that they damaged it while packing it. They insure it only for $300 no matter how new or old is your machine. $300 isn't enough to get it back.

We've been using the Francis X5 for six months with mostly good results. The styling and color choices seem to be the maker's priority. The instruction manual was nearly worthless; just a few pictures and symbols and no information about set up, troubleshooting, etc. It took us about 30 minutes to figure out what the (unmarked) switches and buttons were for. My complaint now is that the steam nozzle is very loose and is losing steam pressure where it connects to the boiler. After a close examination of the metal structure, it appears to be mostly riveted or welded together. I can find no way to open up the case and tighten the nozzle. The machine still makes fine espresso but steaming milk has become a problem. For the price, I would expect better documentation and reliabilty.