Comments on: KitchenAid Semi Automatic Espresso Machine with Burr Grinder, KES6551, Porcelain White

By: K

Wed, 19 Mar 2025 18:48:45 +0000

Pro’s:Amazingly quietGreat GrinderGreat steam wandGood Quality portafilterBean hopper is removableEasy to cleanGood tasting shotsGood amount of accessoriesCons:A lot of water fills up the trayIncluded tamper is uncomfortable to useSingle wall basket’s with included tamper makes it hard to get in pressure range no matter how fine the grind is.Puck is near impossible to remove when using double wall basketsOverall:I was going to write a long review pointing out everything that is good and bad about the machine but most people don’t read long reviews. So I’m going to keep it simple. This machine is better than it’s two most popular competitors at the price point. I’ve used both breville and de’longhi machines quite a bit (more so the de’longhi) and I was shocked at how much better the KitchenAid was comparatively. It’s significantly quieter, grinds better (I no longer have to use a separate grinder even though I still do here, and there), pours a better and more consistent shot and what stood out the most to me, was the steam wand. Even though it’s a flat 1 hole wand, it is very consistent. I can get good froth every single time whereas with the de’longhi, for example, was hit or miss and seemed to better some days and bad others. The steam wand is flat which is an interesting design choice as it’s definitely easier to put micro bubbles in with rounded ones. My favourite feature above all is that the bean hopper is swappable. Meaning I can have a bunch of beans on the go at the same time and depending what I’m feeling, I can just switch it out. It’s very intuitive. You do have to buy separate hoppers but it’s worth it. Definitely recommend this espresso machine over the others.

By: B

Wed, 19 Mar 2025 18:48:45 +0000

I’m thoroughly impressed by this espresso machine! I’ll highlight some pros and cons below, but if you’re looking for your first semi-automatic espresso machine and have little experience using them, this is a great one to consider. It’s easy to operate, and comes with everything you need to get started making cafe-quality espresso in minutes!Pros:- Quiet grinder (compared to my old Breville Barista Express, this one is much more quiet!)- Easy to adjust grind size and amount for dosing (if this is your first semi-automatic espresso machine, be patient. It takes a few times to find your perfect extraction)- Comes with all 4 basket types (single, double shot in both single- and double-wall)- Milk frother makes beautiful micro-foam- Adjust water temperature! You can choose how hot to make your espresso (this blew my mind!)- Bean hopper is easy to install and refill.- Water tank holds a lot (2.5L), so you’re not having to refill as often.- Comes with a 2-year warranty- It’s gorgeous! It looks so lovely on our kitchen counter.Cons:- Doesn’t come with descaling or cleaning tablets

By: Paul M.

Paul M. — Wed, 19 Mar 2025 18:48:44 +0000

Price point for the semiautomatic espresso machine is fair for this reputable brand of kitchen appliance.Notable observations for us:We were able to achieve consistent and repeatable GREAT flavour and full bodied shots using Williams brand Espresso beans in the hopper.Love the idea of interchangable beam bins!!The waste water tray fills very fast as the machine will rinse and relieve internal water paths when changing modes.We do program our “#1 and #2 shot sizes which is easy to do and reset with this KitchenAid.The steamer is awesome with very hot strong steam with little water accompanying the tream.The hot water only mode dispenses #1 and #2 volumes for tea or pre-heating a mug.The extra filter cups are stored in the base behind the waste water tray. Pulling out the water tray also pulls out the filter cup and cleaning tool storage tray.The Grinder works well and has a good viewing angle to see and learn quickly how to achieve a desirable volume and grind. I caught my wife grinding 4-doses to use in a drip machine.Mess from over grinding is caught on the waste water tray, which is easily wiped and cleaned. Since the try is shallow, it fills quickly, this mess.is cleaned more frequently too.Which is my only complaint: with great coffee comes greater mess.

By: Phil Y.

Phil Y. — Wed, 19 Mar 2025 18:48:44 +0000

First Impressions:- KitchenAid brand is known for high quality appliances.- Includes a burr grinder so you can have freshly ground beans.- Fairly heavy at approx. 30lbs.- Includes a cardboard lift out handles to make removing the device from the box easier. This is a good attention to detail, but because itâs cardboard I was concerned that it may rip while I had the machine in the air. A plastic grommet around the handle holes would have provided better stability/tear resistance and peace of mind when lifting the expense appliance from the box.- Portafilter is a flat base and is not bottomless, but the recessed spouts allow it to be placed flat on a table/counter for proper tamping.- Comes with almost everything you need right out of the box, except for a package of beans to get you started.- Comes with a stainless-steel milk frothing pitcher.Pros:- High build quality that looks and feels premium.- Beautiful design and porcelain white colour that should fit into any kitchen.- Fairly easy to use, but Iâd recommend watching some videos to maximize the usability.- Large 2.5L removable water reservoir provides more than enough water without refilling.- Includes a burr grinder with grind adjustments for fine to coarse grinds and is not as loud as expected during operation.- The grinder produces the proper grind size depending on setting and the perfect amount.- Steam nozzle to create proper froth for your milk as well as a hot water nozzle.- Includes pretty much everything you need, including a tamper & milk frothing pitcher.- Creates good clean crema (but after multiple uses, break-in needed?)- Max mug/cup height of 13cm, so it should work with any cup (if you donât have an espresso cup).Cons:- Itâs exceptionally tall at 39.5cm and may not fit under all cabinets (I would recommend 44cm clearance to allow you to be able to remove the hopper).- Doesnât include a knock box or beans.- Includes only one hopper, so if you want to quickly swap your beans, youâll need to purchase another. I would have liked it to have included another hopper for this purpose.- The cradle that holds the portafilter under the grinder is made of plastic and uncertain of its durability, not sure if this is common or if itâs normally metal.- The small filter basket that slides out with the drip tray was poorly designed as it doesnât always hook onto the tray, and you need to fish it out.Final Impression:Overall, the KitchenAid KES6551PL Semi-Auto Espresso Machine w/Burr Grinder is an excellent machine to make your daily espressos. It has a high-quality build and premium features to make your espressos easily. You may need some practice but should be good for a beginner as well. Thereâs not a lot of cons for this device but is a bit taller than expected and may not fit under all cabinets, so measure before buying or figure out a good open location to place the machine.At the time of this review, the espresso machine is normally priced at $999.99 but was on sale for $699.99.

By: Customer Review of Product

Customer Review of Product — Wed, 19 Mar 2025 18:48:43 +0000

Beautiful machine that makes beautiful coffee.
This machine is absolutely gorgeous. It just is. If you care about the aesthetics of your kitchen as much as you care about your kitchen, this is the one for you. It makes my old coffee maker look like garbage, and that was a nice stainless grind-and-brew with a stainless carafe.The porcelain white finish looks beautiful, and it wipes down easily.It took me a few minutes to set up, and then I was up and running. If you’ve ever used an espresso machine before, this is pretty intuitive. I made my first cup of coffee and it was spectacular! It’s quick process. Once you have it set up, it doesn’t take much longer than a running a Keurig. Basically, while the beans are grinding, I fill the frother. I then brew (extract?) the coffee and then add hot water. Finally, I froth the milk. The frother works great — it’s pretty much like any frother I’ve ever used on a machine — but I think I’ll go back to using my stand-alone frother because I can do that while my coffee is brewing. (Also, I find a canister frother much easier to clean than a stick frother — just peace of mind.)My first cup was exceptional. Seriously, it was almost perfect! I extracted a double dose of espresso, added the single dose of hot water (5.5 ounces) and then poured the frothed milk on top. It tasted more like a artisanal coffee shop than a home brew. I ha d a lot of crema. I feel like it ground too much espresso, so I’ve dialed that back a little. So far, I’ve used it a dozen times, and have gotten a superb cup every time. I look forward to playing with it more until I have reached perfection. I’m not far off!By the way, the directions were a little hard to follow. I did not have to prime it, which was a relief.Both the bean hopper and the water tank are huge. I live in a condo with normal to low ceiling height. This cleared my cabinets, thank goodness.By the way, small thing, but the tamper is really high quality!They did not skimp on this machine in any way, except for the grinder seat, which is made of plastic. I hope it doesn’t break. It’s the only part I’m nervous about.

By: Winky

Winky — Wed, 19 Mar 2025 18:48:43 +0000

By: Dave

Dave — Wed, 19 Mar 2025 18:48:42 +0000

Excellent quality espresso!
This espresso maker has been a huge hit with our family. Iâm not a coffee snob per se, but I do know that for great espresso you need fresh beans, a quality grind, super-hot water, and optimal pressure. This machine does all those things to create an outstanding cup of coffee, rivaling the taste and freshness of any coffee shop cappuccino or latte. And itâs markedly better than what youâd get out of a capsule-based espresso machine. The freshness of the beans is a huge factor in this â this is where the âsemi-automaticâ aspect comes in. The machine does an outstanding job at removing the work associated with grinding, and the hopper holds plenty of beans so youâre not constantly replenishing it. Just put the portafilter in the holder, select your grind, dial in your amount, and press the button. Weâve found that the finer grind (with the lever pegged to the right) produces the best results, but you have a huge range to select from to fine-tune according to your taste. For the rest of the process, you have to select your temperature and cup size (single or double pull), but the machine does the rest for you. And it heats up pretty quickly.Granted, do not be misled by the âautomaticâ portion of the title. There is still plenty of manual labor required, and itâs a pretty steep learning curve. It took us the better part of a week of experimenting to get to consistent and outstanding results. So donât be dismayed if your first cup isnât great! Things like how full the portafilter is, how fine the grind is, how hard you tamp, etc. all contribute to the quality of the pull and getting good crema out of the machine. Once you get past that, the user interface is intuitive, the adjustments are easy, and you can iterate until you find the perfect settings for your individual palate. The buttons and dials provide enough room for customization while not being overly complex.The machine comes with everything you need, including double and single filters and a milk frother. The milk frothing also works very well â itâs maneuverable, easy to manipulate with a nice rubberized handle, and heats up very quickly to a piping hot temp. The water reservoir in back is easy to get to and holds a lot. Also, the spill catcher is deeper than you think â it even has a little floating âfullâ indicator to let you know when it needs to be dumped!Aesthetically, itâs gorgeous. We got the white version, which looks outstanding when set up against white cabinets. But it still has several stainless steel elements that fit in pretty well with other kitchen appliances and dÃ©cor. We had to move it from our white cabinet kitchen to another room with oak cabinets and it still looks great.As far as negatives, there are a few things to note. It does take up a good amount of space, so pay attention to the dimensions before you buy. Itâs a little bigger than your standard coffee maker. Also, I do wish it had a function to swap beans out easily. You pretty much have to grind whatever you have in there or pull most of it out with a spoon or something. Also, it does tend to get messy. To get the right amount of coffee you usually spill a bit during the grinding and tamping process. And to keep the machine functioning smoothly, the frothing wand needs to be cleaned every time you use it (typically this can be done with a quick wipe from a wet rag). Aside from those, the only other drawback is the learning curve.Despite those few flaws, this espresso machine is head and shoulders above other in-home solutions that Iâve had in the past. If you can devote a bit of time to learning it and have a bit of flex in your budget, in my opinion, itâs well worth it.