The Klarstein Passionata Pump Espresso Machine is a cheap espresso machine that will deliver a proper cup of coffee.
You can spend hundreds of pounds on a coffee machine that produces espresso and it won’t necessarily deliver a better cup of coffee than this cheap espresso machine from Klarstein will.
Once you know the formula you can easily use a machine that costs less than £100 to recreate the same coffee that you pay £3 a go for in a coffee shop.
This article explains how to make a great espresso and if you follow the guidance there you’ll be able to make a really good cup of coffee that compares to more expensive Delonghi or Sage coffee machines
Klarstein may not be a name you have heard of but they have been selling this coffee machine for a few years now and the vast majority of people that have bought one have good things to say about it.
This is a great machine to try if you have never owned an espresso machine before so that you can get to grips with adding the right amount of coffee to the portafilter and deliver a double espresso in about 25 seconds that will give you the flavour profile you enjoy in the high street coffee shops without breaking the bank.
Equally, if you have previously owned a low-cost coffee machine and you have been happily making great tasting coffee on a budget already then you will know that you don’t need to spend hundreds of pounds on a coffee machine to produce good coffee.
This Klarstein Passionata espresso machine is a great value for money way of reproducing your own coffee shop favourites such as cappuccino or latte without having to fork out a fortune to do so.
One of the key things that affects the flavour of espresso-based drinks is the pressure at which the water gets forced through the ground coffee and into the cup.
This Espresso machine uses 15 bars of pressure which is the same as all Delonghi coffee machines that cost an awful lot more. A lot of cheap coffee machines don’t deliver the correct pressure and that adversely affects the taste.
Overall Score 9.4/10
Design 9/10
It’s very common at this price level to get an all over black plastic but Karstein has gone out of their way to produce a mostly stainless steel look finish with contrasting black.
At this price point it’s not going to be actual stainless steel but it looks pretty good and doesn’t come across as overly plasticky.
It’s pretty small as well at just 35 x 20 30cm so basically no more than the length of a ruler for height width and depth so it going to fit into pretty much any spot in your kitchen.
The water tank sits on the back of the machine and at 1.25 litres isn’t the biggest but that’s actually a good thing because you want to keep the water as fresh as possible at all times.
The machine I use has a 2-litre capacity but I never fill it more than halfway to make sure the water never goes stale.
Unusually for a machine at this price level it has a cup warming plate on the top that heats up when you turn the machine on so you can keep a couple of cups on there to preheat them.
You also get a measuring scoop included that doubles up as a tamper so you can pack your coffee down before coffee delivery which is important.
Altogether a pretty good looking, functional coffee machine.
Functionality 9/10
Simplicity is the main feature of this coffee machine.
There is one button to turn it on at the front of the machine and there are two lights, red and green.
The machine needs about 60 seconds to warm up and when the red light turns to green you are good to go.
The flavour of espresso is affected by temperature so in order to not let the temperature drop, warm up the portafilter and the cup you are going to use by turning the dial to the left to start water delivery and run some hot water through into your cup without any coffee.
This is called pre-warming. You don’t need to do it but it will make your coffee taste better and it will be at the right temperature when you drink it.
Next, fill up the portafilter with ground coffee and turn the dial to the left to start coffee delivery.
You know when you have the right amount of ground coffee in the portafilter if you are getting a nice slow, steady flow of coffee with a double espresso being delivered in about 25 seconds.
Once you have the desired amount of coffee delivered simply turn the dial back to the middle to stop the water flow.
If milky coffee drinks such as latte is your drink of choice then just turn the dial to the right to start steam delivery.
This machine has good. strong steam pressure which is important to heat and froth your milk correctly.
Once you are finished steaming turn the dial back to the middle to stop.
If you just want good coffee without any fancy functions then this coffee machine is going to work for you.
Ease of use 10/10
If you are not into LED displays and digital programming or multiple default options then you are going to like this coffee machine.
It’s manual, simple and easy. Turn the dial left for coffee delivery and back to the middle to stop.
Turn the dial right to activate the steam nozzle for milk heating and back to the middle to stop.
This is a refreshingly simple to use coffee machine and it makes you realise how overly complicated some coffee machines can be and it’s just not necessary.
Top score for ease of use.
Quality of coffee 9/10
If you get some good quality coffee beans and grind them yourself using a cheap coffee grinder it will give you the best possible tasting coffee.
This machine is capable of producing a really good cup of coffee but it’s only as good as the coffee that goes in.
Value For Money 10/10
Use fresh coffee beans and try and get a double espresso delivered in 25 seconds by tweaking the amount of coffee that goes into the portafilter.
If you do that then this coffee machine is capable of producing the same quality of coffee as other machines that are double and triple the price.
A great value for money espresso machine.
Last update on 2024-12-22 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
