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Briel ED132AFB Sintra Espresso Machine with Drip Coffeemaker
Studio : Briel
by Briel
Brand : Briel
Model : ES132AFB
Release Date : 2001-06-18
Publisher : Briel
Availability : Usually ships in 24 hours and eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25.
Number of Items : 1
EAN : 0786818001315
UPC : 786818001315
Avg. Customer Rating: (based on 31 reviews)
List Price : $480.00
Our Price : $371.39
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15 bar pump pressure; brews 2 cups in about 35 seconds
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Jet frother produces robust steam, thick froth
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Large removable water reservoir; automatic shut-off
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Automatic shut-off adds safety
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Measures 14 by 11-1/2 by 10 inches
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Product Description |
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Briel Sintra ED132ABF Combo Coffee Machine |
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Jas-store.com Review |
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Briel's Sintra espresso machine with drip coffeemaker is backed by the company's 30-plus years in the coffee business, and it shows--this model's designed to present café-quality drip coffee, espresso, and cappuccino to the home user. To get this high quality, the Sintra has a number of extraordinary features. To start with, it gives you the ability to match most coffee preferences in one machine, due to its dual nature: drip coffeemaker and espresso maker. On the drip side, it has a 10-cup-capacity glass carafe and a nice "stop-and-serve" feature that allows you to remove the carafe during the middle of the brewing cycle. The Sintra also has some nice functionality on the espresso/cappuccino side, starting with its Auto Espresso Flow system. This system lets you set the coffee strength according to taste, from a stronger, Italian-style short cup to a larger, less robust brew. The espresso is brewed at the required 190 degrees F, and the machine has 15 bars of pump pressure. And it's speedy, brewing two cups in about 35 seconds. It also makes good cappuccino, because of its steam nozzle, which lets you froth the milk. Some other nice features include its patented Cremaker filter, which provides a richer crema on each espresso, an exterior water-level indicator, and a cup warmer. In shining stainless steel and sturdy black plastic, this machine won't shame any counter. It has 2,010 watts of power and measures 14 by 11-1/2 by 10 inches (length by height by depth). --A.J. Rathbun Editor's note: This item may arrive with water inside from the manufacturer's pressure test. This is a normal occurrence and doesn't point to a problem with the machine. |
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Disappointed |
I spent some time looking at reviews for combo coffee/espresso machines, and this one got the best reviews. But the negative comments I read were 'spot-on'. There are some basic design flaws that just don't make any sense:
- Adding water to the coffee maker is tough because the top only opens to a certain point. You can't use the coffee pot to measure and add water as you would with most coffee makers because you can't pour all of the water out of the pot. Its hard to explain, but a major design flaw.
- The area below the express maker is too high for an express cup and too low for a standard express pot. Still haven't found something that fits properly.
- The steaming element is very short and it is impossible to remove your espresso without hitting this very hot element.
- The espresso is never very hot.
This is not my first machine and I'm disappointed. Still looking for a great coffee/espresso combo |
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Do NOT buy this machine... |
After reading multiple bad reviews, I thought, well... I love the slick look, and those terrible things won't happen to me.
Oh it will and did. One year and 3 days later. I have a $400 dollar average coffee maker.
The pump mechanism is exceptionally, scares the cat, noisy. The espresso and foaming features of this machine are no longer working. I'd say I got about 20 cups of decent espresso from it this year. At $20 a cup, I think I'll go to a coffee house. (I could be a hero and treat my friends everytime at that cost). Additionally, the foaming feature is really poor, I could probably make better bubbles with a plastic straw and microwaved milk.
Unfortunately, while company is a big name in Europe, I live in the States. So parts and repair shops are very few and far between. The near impossible to find support line is 1-800-763-6699. Trust me you'll need it.
What a let down, please don't be taken in by this piece of junk..... |
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Went into the garbage - unfixable |
I knew something was up with this machine when I received it and found that all the "chrome" was mostly painted plastic. The first thing to go out on the machine was the lid for the basket filter for the coffee maker. A plastic hinge (connecting the inner lid to the outer) cracked, separating the two lids from each other.As a result, inner lid would not to slide in the groove it's attached to with the outer one, ensuring that the top lid would never close properly again - a strange engineering flaw. The machine still made good drip coffee - but for the price of this machine, the lid shouldn't have failed this fast.
For about the first six months, the espresso side made fairly good espresso. The frother worked fine. After about six months, I began having problems (with only once a week use). The machine needed scaling and I found it difficult to descale properly. It had clogged to the point it wouldn't pump the descaling solution effectively (I waited too long to descale). This resulted in the pump work less and less efficiently over the next year until it wouldn't work at all. It then went on the shelf as I couldn't toss such an expensive machine away. By this point, it was out of warranty.
After sitting on my shelf for about a year, I tried fixing it by taking it apart, to no avail. FYI -- The wiring in it is indeed stout. The buttons are heavy duty as well. The boiler unit for the espresso is indeed heavy brass (a good point). Unfortunately, the system is just way to constricted to work efficiently (especially for descaling).
Bottom line, this is not a horrible unit -- it's just not worth such an expensive price. At a lower price point, I might consider it again - knowing to descale more frequently and realizing I'll have to put up with some poor design. |
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Not the worst machine in the world..... |
Our Sintra is going on 5 years old now. It must have made ~2000 pots of coffee and easily that many espresso's. It makes fantastic beverages and that's the only reason I keep repairing it.
Words of caution:
The distributor is hopeless. Don't try getting parts or an email/callback from him.
There is a thermal fuse in the hotplate / drip boiler which, although ubiquitous in Europe, requires a trip to an electronics specialty store in N. America to obtain for that day when the light comes on but no coffee comes out.
The older machines have a 2-part lid which hinges on 2 different axes. The slip joint eventually gives out, or the house-sitter breaks it. No replacement, perhaps it's been redesigned.
The cup size selector knob loses it's internal detent and will allow the machine to either short-cycle or run till the reservoir is empty. Take the machine apart, set it to wide open, and watch your espresso like any other machine.
Words of praise:
This thing is a workhorse. Consistent coffee and espresso, cup after cup. Not the fastest drip machine out there, but well brewed and not over extracted. It's lasted longer than many machines we've had. And it looks darn good doing it, although the design is a bit dated at this point (2009).
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Great coffee and cappaccino maker! |
This is a quality machine with sleek lines. Very nice looking and small, fits on the couter nicely. Coffee and the the cappaccino taste fantastic, much better than our last machine. The only issue I have is pouring the water into the back of the coffee machine, the lid gets in the way and spills a little bit.
Overall I would highly recommend this machine for any home or office! |
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