Krups 867 Bistro

by Lynn Wallenstein
(Ellicott City, MD)

Krups 867-42 Il Caffe Bistro
10-Cup Coffee/4-Cup Espresso Maker

I have had this coffee maker FOREVER (5+ Years) and it has never let me down. It makes both a good cup of coffee and decent cappucino. It is very basic in controls which I think is a big plus as it is easy to use and I didn't need to pull out the manual to learn how to set the time or configure the auto timer.

I use the coffee maker daily and have no complaints about it what so ever. The espresso I probably use monthly and my only complaint is there is a lot of setup and cleanup work involved between the maker and the steamer for the milk, but if I made more then one cup at a time I probably wouldn't be as bothered (and probable use it more).

Pros:
* Super simple to use, no manual needed.
* Great amount of froth on the steamer
* Large 10 cup coffee maker
* Durable - I have had mine for 5 years and I know people who have had theirs for 10

Cons:
* You HAVE to be on top of cleaning the froth attachment, not so much a con, but it is a pain to clean for single uses.
* It uses cone filters which I find are a little harder to find then your traditional clams hell type commercial filters, but still pretty easily available.
* I put the espresso handle in the dishwasher and it completely oxidized after one use, doesn't seem to effect the performance, but if you are concerned about that sort of thing you may want to stick to handwashing.
* The lip on the pot itself is little oddly shaped so be careful not to pour too fast or you will have coffee everywhere, not a deal breaker for me, but if you are a rush sort of person, this could be messy.