KitchenAid Semi-Automatic Espresso Machine KES6403, Black Matte, 1.4 Liters

If you are looking to begin making your favorite Starbucks coffee at home for cheaper, this is an amazing starter espresso machine! It will pay for itself. It does take time to dial it in to pull shots correctly, but worth the effort. It is kind of loud, especially when beginning to pull the shots. Milk steam wand works perfectly, however it does have limited mobility. I think this is perfect for someone just starting out making espresso at home, or is looking for a great budget-friendly option.

KitchenAid Semi-automatic espresso machine is one of the small size espresso machine in its class that our family have ever owned. We had Breville, Calphalon , De’Longhi machines that are huge and took more counter space on our kitchen. The compact design and ease of use brings espresso-making into the home with professional quality.What’s in the box: Espresso Machine with water tank, Stainless Tamper, Milk Pitcher, Portafilter(58mm), Steam Wand, 4 filter baskets (single wall 1 shot, single wall 2 shot, double wall 1 shot, double wall 2 shot), Milk Frother attachment.Packaging is top notch. Every part is individually wrapped and the machine is double wrapped with plastic and cloth bag. Took few minutes just to unpack before setup and very impressed.Set up is very simple. Just rinse all the removable parts before first use and fill the water tank with fresh water(distilled or mineral water is not recommended per instructions), insert the steam wand if not using automatic milk frother attachment. Select your filter basket to your choice and press into the portafilter, add coffee (pre-ground or freshly ground), tap the portafilter to level using tamper and insert it to the machine until its locked. Toggle the mode button to select espresso and select the number of shots (1 or 2) and press on button to make your espresso. Machine takes less than 45 seconds to preheat due to its fast-heating thermocoil technology and this is fast considering most home espresso machines took much longer that I owned.This machine offers a lot to at-home baristas during this work from home situations and for anyone who is new to making espresso with its ease of use. This semi-automatic machine is fast with its startup, heating and automatic milk frother attachment and is the first residential espresso machine that features dual, smart temperature sensors. Like professional espresso machines this machine has 15-bar pump to make a thick crema delicious coffee with the automatic temperature control.Automatic Milk Frother Attachment that is included with this is for anyone who likes to froth the milk automatically or for hot milk. Tried using this attachment and prefer to use the wand for single cup and would use the attachment if making coffee for guest of 3 or 4 and will come handy during that time considering the cleanup after usage. Its very easy to setup. Just fill the milk tank with max of 17oz with the cold milk or you can also directly immerse the hose to any container or cup or bottle with milk. Align the steam wand of attachment to the machine, adjust the function knob to froth function and toggle on the espresso machine to steam mode and press the on/play button on machine. Froth level adjustment can be done by rotating the knob on the top of the attachment for variable micro-foam and texture.Taste of espresso that this machine makes is great and depends on the type of coffee ground and personal preferences. This machine has filter basket for fresh ground whole bean coffee (single wall) and pre-ground coffee(double wall). The portafilter is heavy and is flat which makes tampering good unlike other competitor brands.Pros: Small footprint/ compact targeted for basic entry barista skill level for use at home, removable/adjustable steam wand for milk texturing, removable drip tray, automatic milk frothing attachment, 4 filter basket, heavy duty tamper.Cons : Cleanup of milk frother is little time consuming, smaller water tank capacity, no stainless finish for its price point.Overall, recommend this for any coffee lover who is looking for reliable espresso machine with automatic milk frother for home use at professional result.

I don’t know how I lived before espresso! This machine is an excellent beginner espresso machine. Makes great espresso shots and the steam is super easy to use!

FAST FACTS:PROS: Nicely made metal body, simple interface, flat portafilter, quiet, sleekCONS: Limited movement steam wandDETAILED REVIEW:Let me preface this review by stating that this is the 5th espresso machine I have owned and it's my second favorite. My favorite machine is the Breville Espresso Pro, which I use in my main house. This KitchenAid is in our vacation house. The KitchenAid is better than the DeLonghi, GE Profile, and Cafe espresso machines I've owned previously.The KitchenAid is very nicely made with a brushed metal body and has a robust and dense build quality. I paid extra for the metal finish, and I'm glad I did. The only slightly cheap feeling part is the water reservoir. The plastic feels a bit brittle.The machine is modestly sized and easily fits under my cabinets on the countertop. There is enough room under the cabinet to easily maneuver the pitcher when steaming milk.The KitchenAid is very simple to use with bright LED indicator lights and pleasant feeling push buttons. It is quick to heat up and get ready, and also fairly quick to produce steam. The machine is quiet in use.I used the included 2 cup non-pressurized filter basket. I placed 19 grams of freshly ground coffee beans inside. I appreciate the flat bottomed portafilter that makes it easy to tamp down the grounds right on my counter. The espresso came out in a smooth stream with the desired warm honey color. The crema was not as rich and thick as the Breville's, but was pleasant. Steaming the Califia Farms - Oat Barista Blend Oat Milk with the steam wand worked nicely and created a warm milk with a frothy texture. I wish the steam wand offered more range of movement, however. The espresso that the KitchenAid made was wonderful tasting with a rich flavor, and little acidity. The temperature was ideal. The overall experience is pleasant.All in all... a great machine.

Like other reviews mention, I unboxed brand new from Amazon and the water light continued to blink (used trouble shooting guide, no help) and would not operate AT ALL! What a pain.. thanks for wasting my time Kitchenaid. Sending it back.

I'm not an espresso expert and have never had an espresso machine. That being said, I love this machine! It's nice and heavy and looks to be very well built just like my KitchenAid stand mixer. It's simply awesome!!! It froths the milk nice and thick and fluffy, I ordered the milk frothing attachment from another website but it hasn't been delivered yet. I was looking at 4 different espresso machines and this one won and I really think I made the right choice, just like all KitchenAid products it's very nice and sturdy and works really well. It came well packaged as well. The coffee stamper is a nice metal as well which I noticed some other brands come with a cheap plastic one, it comes with extra things like two single wall cups and two double wall cups for one and two shots, other brands didn't have those extras, also a nice coffee scooper and a milk frothing cup.

Enjoying my morning coffee. So easy to use along with my Frigidaire burr grinder. Great pair

I am a huge Kitchenaid fan and have countertop and major appliances and have continued to purchase this brand. However I regret to say I should have listened to the reviews. Out of the box - it didn’t work. All lights flashing and trouble shooting guide (manual) and online video says to unplug aloft ten minutes and restart. Various this out three times without success. Video and manual says it needs to be returned and to contact customer service.This experience was mentioned in a couple of other reviews and I wish I’d listened. What a shame. I will look for a more traditional espresso manufacturer that has decades of engineering behind them and try again.

La première cafetière était défectueuse dès la première mise en marche. Elle a été remplacée en ions de 3 jours. Depuis elle fait d’excellents cafés.

Uso normal y no duro ni 3 meses, ya no funciona y llevo 5 llamadas para hacer valida la garantía y no hay ninguna respuesta. No pierdan dinero ni tiempo

I'm rating this machine relevant to its advertised ability, not some pie in the sky expectation that I have.First of all, this is semi-manual so don't expect that you'll be able to just make perfect espresso without knowing about the basics of coffee grinds, tamping, pulling shots etc. The machine comes with two different types of baskets, one set for pre-ground coffee and one for freshly ground coffee. Know when to use which.Once you dial in the machine and your grind, the pull ends up being consistent and you'll have great tasting espresso with nice separation. There isn't anything to complain about here, you get all the tools you'll need to make this happen, just learn how.The steamwand/frother is indeed good enough to make nice microfoam and latte art, but you need to be experienced or be willing to learn proper technique. It does not have the panarello adapter that comes with lower end machines to make the process easy, you actually have to do it yourself. Pressure here is obviously not as good as high end machines, but it IS just good enough that with good technique you can get the job done, and I don't know many machines at this price point that even have the ability to do this without a panarello, so good for kitchen aid.Build quality is classic KA, the thing is a metal tank. The water bucket has a nice volume, and the built in handle makes it easy to take off and refill. Buttons are not flimsy, and all thr accessories with the machine are also metal and feels very sturdy and very robust. It's easy to clean and maintain, which is important. The hot water function is also great for making tea and hot drinks, but if you're a tea connoisseur you'll want a water heater with fine temperature control, this machine only has 3 temperature settings, but again, it's not advertised as a pro tea making machine.All in all, this machine has it all the for semi-manual crowd. If you know how to dial in a machine and your grind, and you can use a proper steam wand, then you'll be happy with this machine for the price point. It's built well, it looks great, and makes delicious espresso. It's fun to use as well, because you have to be active and "drive it" and the better YOU are, the better the coffee will be, and that is rewarding for some people, whereas others just want to press a button and have good tasting coffee. If you're that person, don't buy this machine. It's a bit more like driving a manual transmission, but it's more fun too, and you'll win the race if you know how to drive.