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This espresso machine measures 14” from front to back, 11” tall and 6” wide, so it’s a quite compact machine that weighs only 10 lbs. It has simple controls on front: mode, dose, clean, and start/stop. The manual steam wand attaches to the right-side and its nozzle rotates 360°. The housing is made of plastic but can be scratched easily. It's got a 1 quart clear water tank with a handle that lifts out at the back for easy cleaning and filling. The power cord is 40 inches long and can be stored under the base, with cable guides positioned to the left and right sides. The power switch is at the back and the removable drip tray with metal grill has an red pop-up float for when the tray is full.
When filling the water tank it’s easy to see how much water you have in it, though you may need to pull your machine out from under cabinets to get to the tank. When you switch the unit on, it will immediately prime the pump and start pre-heating, indicated by the flashing lights. When changing modes, note that the machine will need to preheat again because it uses different water pathways for each mode. You can select dose size (single/double) in both espresso and hot water modes.
The portafilter has heavy-duty build with non-rubberized plastic handle and weighs about 1 lb 5 oz. It is has a flat bottom, two-stream design, allowing you to sit it flat on a countertop to tamp your grounds flat and evenly. You'll get two single-walled and two double-walled baskets in one and two shot capacities. The filters are marked with the style and dose size on the bottoms. Use the single-walled ones with freshly ground espresso beans and pressurized double-walled ones with pre-ground espresso beans that come in commercial packaging.
The 58mm filter baskets simply snap into the portafilter with a quick press. For a single-shot, #KitchenAid recommends 10-12 grams or espresso grounds which you'll need to tamp down flat with the tamper with 30-40 lbs of pressure. If you use too many grounds, you may find it difficult to lock the portafilter into place on the machine. Installing the portafilter on this machine is easy as there is a marked guide to help you line it up with the grouphead. For a single shot, just place your shot glass centered below the portafilter or place two glasses side by side for separating a double shot. Shots are pulled quickly after pressing start, in about 30 seconds and have a rich, thick crema. This KitchenAid espresso machine is the first consumer-grade small appliance to feature dual sensor water heating, measuring the temperature at intake and output so you get even consistent results and a smooth tasting espresso every time.
Steaming milk manually works well, though you may need a bit of practice to perfect the technique of creating a vortex and microbubbles for a smooth silky steamed milk. I usually stop steaming when the milk reaches 140-145° F or about 62° C. Make sure to clean off the steamer wand right after steaming milk, otherwise the milk proteins tend to cake onto the hot nozzle making it a bit more difficult to scrub off. You’ll also want to flush the nozzle with plain hot water after steaming milk to clear the line of any residual milk so that it doesn’t spoil or build up. The top of plate of the machine doubles as a warming station for your glasses.
The automatic milk frother attachment measures 9” tall, 3” wide, and 8” from front to back. It holds about 2 cups of milk and the contain can be remove for storage in the fridge. There is a clear storage bin in front where I keep the coffee scoop and extra filters. It can produce hot water, hot milk, and milk foam by simply turning the knob on front. You can also set foam quantity with the adjustment knob on top. The attachment slides into the right-side of the espresso machine and clicks in. Using the attachment to produce hot milk or foam is much easier than steaming it manually. However, the foam mode produces both hot milk and rich, silky foam. If you don’t want to use the included milk tank, you can simply place the intake hose directly into any vessel of your choosing.
Overall, I really like this espresso machine, and if you’re not into doing fancy latte art or steaming milk by hand, the automatic milk frother does an adequate job. The machine is easy to use and has other features like the de-scaling function and customizations for water quanity, hardness, and brew temperature. Shots are easy to pull with consistent quality, if you use the pressurized filters, or hone you barista skills with the single-walled filters and perfect your milk art with the manual steam wand. Whatever your skill level or preferred effort to espresso ratio, this machine has got you covered.
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