FrancisFrancis! X5 Espresso Machine, Black

Up until yesterday, I was quite happy with this machine gifted to me just about a year ago. Yesterday it literally blew up, losing its clock (which skidded halfway across the kitchen), one of the indicator bulbs (which I still can't find) and most dramatically the entire steel top was displaced upward only holding in place due to the bolts and screws. I had stepped out to my deck for 30 seconds when this happened and only appreciated later it was good I wasn't in the kitchen. So now it sits unusable and I'm hoping for the best with Francis' Customer Service though I'm disheartened to read one reviewer's comments. As it was a gift, it will be interesting to see how the company responds. By the way, the only potential warning sign was an increased noisiness as the machine heated up to steam milk.

I have owned the Francis Francis X5 for about a year and a half and have mixed feelings on it. I bought it with Illy's offer, $150 plus a boat load of coffee. To that end, I like the coffee, but now have stacks of it hanging around.The Francis Francis X5 itself is well documented here and at other sites like coffeegeek, etc. I like the way it looks; my wife does not. It makes a good coffee without gimmicks using Illy's expresso. I tried several low end machines in the two years before ending up with the Francis Francis X5, and it is easy to identify things that the Francis Francis has as strengths that the cheaper machines had as weaknesses.1. The sneeze. Invariably, once a week I would end up with coffee and hot water all over. Not so with the Francis Francis.2. The steam nozzel works well. The cheap machines often diluted the milk with water and failed to make the tiny foam that is desired. Francis Francis X5 has hot, dry steam, and makes great foam with no special talent required.3. The tamp fits the basket and the basket fits the machine. The cheap machines all leaked around the edges and the tamp was too small.4. It is solid and quiet and did not walk off the counter like one of the cheap machines.So what are the reservations.1. After a year and a half of daily use, the presure has gone down, and it is hard to draw a complete shot; this may be a problem with the basket and not the machine itself.2. I used about half the coffee I bought from Illy. It is good coffee, but I think I would have been better off buying a machine and the coffee seperately.3. There are well documented problems that I knew about before I purchased the Francis Francis. The clock looks great and does not work. The plastic water tank is under the electrical cord and the requires some practice to get installed quickly (leave 1/2 inch of free board and gently tilt the tank and it slides right in, no problem).There is no medium priced expresso machine. You will spend $100 or $700. Save seveal years of aggravation and spend the $700.

I spent close to three years researching espresso machines with just a little Krups pump machine to get me by. I have to admit I wasn't too keen on the FrancisFrancis! machines. Not the greatest reviews for them. Also I felt as if their capabilities took a backseat in the design process to their appearance. What I really wanted at the time was a Gaggia or Rancillio-one of those big, burly time proven stainless steel beasts that throw off all the compasses in the vicinity-but the reality of living in a one bedroom apartment with very limited space in the kitchen for an espresso machine-nothing over 14" tall would fit under our cabinets-limited my choices. To make a long story short, I purchased a mint condition, used Francis X5 from a very nice couple who were planning on going the fully automatic route. The low price that they were asking, and the fact that my wife liked the way it looked were the main factors (along with it being just under 14" tall) that led me to take a risk and buy it. I have been very happy with it.At first I thought it was a pretty good machine, then I started grinding my own beans with a Baraza Virtuoso grinder and I enjoyed it that much more. A little while later I started buying freshly roasted espresso beans (usually within 48 hours) at a local roaster here in San Francisco and I entered Espresso Heaven. Previously I had bought only dark roasted, oily beans because I thought that the burnt French roast flavor was what espresso was supposed to taste like. The freshly roasted beans I switched to weren't nearly as dark (think Illy medium roast) and produced a more nuanced, fruity flavor. It took a little getting used to but I think it is closer to what espresso is "supposed" to taste like. Not only was the flavor better with the lighter, freshly roasted beans, but I also started to get insane amounts of crema. I'm talking 5/16ths of an inch thick and so dense that a teaspoon of sugar put on top rests for a good 5 to 7 seconds before sinking into the coffee below. I pulled a shot into a clear glass so that two of my friends could see the crema. They both thought I was putting them on and that I had put soap or something sudsy into the filter basket as a practical joke! I can't get as good crema with old beans or with dark roasted beans, even if the dark roasted beans are fresh.I use the machine on average of three times every day. It is a lot easier to get out of bed knowing that a quick espresso is waiting for me. This machine heats fast, I can have an espresso in my hand within five minutes of switching it on, no exaggeration. The steam is extremely dry and apparently endless-at least until the water runs out. I owned the machine for several months before I ever steamed milk with it. One night a couple of dinner guests wanted cappuccino so I obliged. I was flabbergasted at the quality of foam I got from regular whole milk, it was almost as stiff as whipped egg whites. After all the reviews that I had read about home espresso machines I just didn't think it possible to get such good foam. I have bought this machine with me to a few parties and ski weekends and played the part of barista. People get so excited. I've made about twenty drinks at a stretch without really breaking a sweat. When I bought this machine I thought the lack of a solenoid pressure release valve would slow me down, but I've found that the pressure dissipates on its own in a relatively short period of time.The machine is very tech-sexy and flawless in appearance. It is very well crafted and looks great in black. The paint is of a very high quality and has not scratched or faded over the past year and a half. The only part of the machine that shows any visible wear is the perforated stainless steel plate that goes over the drip tray and under the cup. The clock on the front is great. I can use the second hand to time my pulls. 21 seconds for a single, 26 to 30 seconds for a double.Maybe I would not buy the X5 at full price-there are so many cool machines at that price point-but if you can find it re-furbed or at a discount I would recommend going for it.