Reading espresso machine reviews before you purchase a machine of your own is a great way to learn the pros and cons of that item. Let's face it--a company is only going to tell you about the good features of their products; never the bad. By reading what others, who have bought and used, an espresso maker think of its performance you can quickly get a clearer picture of whether or not that item is what you want.
Know What Features You Want
One of the first steps you should take when researching espresso makers is to learn all the various features available in different brands or models. Decide which features you really want, and which ones you can probably live without. For example, some models will have a built-in bean grinder, while others will use pre-measured cups of coffee and tea. Some do both. Know which type you want so when you read if a particular item has that feature or not, you'll know if that's important to you.
Water filters, heating plates, the ability to make two cups of espresso at once are also features you'll want to look into and decide which ones will make or break your purchase. Another feature to investigate is the noise level of a machine. Do you care if it's noisy, as long as it works? Or will a loud machine drive you crazy? How important is brewing speed to you? Some machines take a minute or two to brew a batch, or individual cup of coffee, while others are super quick. Does it matter to you? How about the ability to pre-program your espresso machine? If you like to have your cup of coffee waiting for you in the morning, instead of the other way around, the absence of a timer may mean you need to keep searching for the right espresso machine for you.
Knowing what you really expect from your ideal coffee maker will help you weed through the important aspects of espresso machine reviews.
Reading Espresso Machine Reviews
When reading customer reviews there are certain things you will want to pay attention to. Does the machine work as advertised? Do reviewers think the machine gave them good dollar value? A good espresso machine should perform as the company states it will and the price should reflect the espresso maker's quality and capabilities. If the price of the machine is fairly low, but the reviews complain about all the "extra" features they wish the machine had, well, that's not really a fair review for a bargain espresso maker.
On the other hand, if the machine has a brand name and high price tag, you should certainly steer clear of any model where the machine did not perform as it was advertised, or did not perform any better than a cheaper brand.
Customer service is another key factor you should look for when reading reviews. No company is perfect and, inevitably, someone is going to receive a broken or defective espresso maker. Note what the reviewer says about how the company handled the problem. If the company refunded or exchanged the defective item with little to no hassle, then that can still be chalked up to a positive customer experience. If, on the other hand, the company did not handle the situation well and provided poor or no customer service, this is likely a company you want to avoid buying an item from.
Overall, you want to see what the general consensus is about a particular model. Did it receive rave reviews from most? Or did most customers express their disappointment with the item? Also, pay attention to what other brands or models customers recommend instead of the one you're currently researching. Many times people who leave reviews have purchased more than one brand or make of espresso machine and will compare one item against another. If many users recommend purchasing model "X" instead, it might be wise to investigate that model for yourself.
Read Between the Lines
While it's always a good idea to read customer reviews and take note of the "cons" of a particular item, it's also a good idea to do a little digging and find out any underlying causes of that problem. For example, you are reading espresso machine reviews and notice complaints from a few reviewers about how the machine worked great in the beginning, only to stop producing full cups of coffee, or stop working altogether, a few months down the road. Your first reaction might be "well, that's a crappy espresso machine", and you decide not to buy. But what if you read a little further and discovered that other users, who rated the coffee machine highly, also had the same problem but, upon reading the owner's manual, discovered that regular cleaning of the machine eliminated this problem? Would you still refuse to buy an otherwise good espresso maker just because some users refuse to clean their machine properly and it stops working due to their negligence?
Reading reviews from other customers is a great way to find out the pros and cons of a specific coffee machine, but you do have to remember that, in some cases, a bad review is not always the machine's fault.
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