Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)Just purchased this unit, (actually the 1334 not the 1334/1, the only difference is less stainless steel exterior). I read hundreds of reviews on all kinds of models and spent way to much time going to the stores here in Florence, Italy looking and comparing and talking to the sales reps. Like most items if you get a bad one you hate it and if you get a good one it is the best there is! So many units are plastic and so light weight that they really scared me. Even the old names out there seem to have models that look and feel cheap and you wonder how long they will last? I narrowed it down to the Ariete Minuetto, Gaggia Evolution and the DeLonghi EC 310 models. I was on a tight budget so that made things a little difficult to sort out as well. The DeLonghi had lots of reviews and the highest user satisfaction rating but two things turned me away, 50 euros higher in cost and it felt light and seemed kind of cheap. The Gaggia was pretty plastic and light as well and was supposed to have good inner working parts but the reviews were a 50/50 thing for the most part with not good ratings on after the sale service. The Minuetto had only 2 or 3 user ratings on it that I could find and they were 50/50 as well but the negative one seemed more like user error to me than the brands problem. So after a lot of scrutiny I decided on the Minuetto at a cost of 99 euro. I looked at the Minuetto pro with all the stainless on it but decided that another 35 euro was not worth just the look of more stainless steel.
The unit was very well packaged and there was no damage of any kind to the exterior of the unit and the fit and finish was excellent. The unit feels very solid and has a good weight to it like something that is made to last for a while. Not bright and flashy in appearance but just simple and very professional looking with stainless steel parts and brushed chrome and the darker areas are a dark gray color. The foamer wand is stainless steel and not plastic like so many I looked at and feels solid when I turn it and not wobbly like it is going to fall off at any moment. The drip tray grate is stainless steel as well. The drip tray is easily removed for cleaning and even has a float gauge to tell you if it gets full of water. The top has a stainless steel plate over the cup warming area but like so many I don't think it will get warm enough to want to use it for cup warming. The plate is removable for cleaning so that makes cleaning the top of the unit very easy. The water tank is on the back side and is clear so you can see the water level with ease and it hold a very good amount of water so you won't be filling it each time you use it. The tank is also very easy to remove and the top of it also is used as a handle to lift the tank from it's position on the unit.
The filters it comes with are, one for using pods and one for a one cup espresso using ground coffee and one for a two cup shot using ground coffee. The filter wand and housing are solid but the handle might feel slightly light weight. Time will tell how it hold up. There are two indicator lights on the front, one for power being on and the other letting you know it is up to the right heat level to use. Their is a rocker power switch on the back left side of the unit. The main control knob on the front is chrome plastic but feels very solid and turning it to the left produces steam for the wand and to the right for pouring the espresso and in the center for standby mode. User manual is shown in several languages and is clear and easy to read. Not hugely in depth but adequate for the most part. There is also a service center brochure supplied.
A short word about service. I had one very simple question that I emailed the Ariete customer service center about and within 4 hours I had a return email with a very clear answer. If that is typical of their response I give them high points for taking care of their customers.
I followed the instructions for preparing the unit for use. Some talk about noise of espresso machines. What came from this unit was nothing alarming at all. You of course heard the pump running but what do you expect? The unit heated up quickly after priming the pump etc and ran hot water through the filter well and also steam through the wand very well. No leaks of any kind, no water spraying where it should not etc. but just worked like it was supposed to work. I filled the two cup filter with ground espresso coffee with the supplied measuring spoon and tamped it with the other end which is a tamper. Not heavy duty but it did do the job. Positioned the filter and snugged it into place. Allowed it a couple of minutes to warm up and then turned it to the espresso switch side. In a couple of seconds great looking espresso began to flow with a great creama effect on the top. I then ran the steam wand in a glass for a few seconds to allow it to warm and produce good steam and then with a cold cup of milk in a stainless cup began to produce great looking frothy milk. Espresso and milk were nice and hot and looked great. Taste was not perfect but that was because I used a cheap espresso brand to begin with to get the hang of things.
So in summery this unit did all that it was supposed to do the first time out. Looks good, feels good and is very easy to use. My first impressions are 5 stars! If you are looking for a well made and put together easy to use espresso machine take a look at this one. It is worth the look and I think you will be impressed especially if you compare it to others in the same and even slightly higher price range.
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