At times I am amazed by how espresso machine manufacturers are able to produce such top quality makers and sell them at such low prices.

The Capresso 303.01 is a prime example of this and you can buy Capresso 303‘s for under $60 if you shop about.

Buy the Capresso 303.01 it's SO good and SO cheap!

While Capresso isn’t the coolest name the design really is. It is compact, stylish and has a big feature range that lets you create espressos, cappuccinos, and lattes just as you like them.

The 800 watt heater is a but low end and means you do have to wait a few seconds longer than, say with a 1500 watt Gaggia 90951. And remember that 800 watts is what is consumes, not the output. The Capressos high level of efficiency we’ve discovered does make up quite a bit for the power shortfall. Warm up time is sub 2 minutes.

The 303.01 is efficient in more ways too. Brewing is a lot effort job for you. The fact that you can program brew settings for different cup sizes is a good reason too. And being able to set strength to your personal taste is a great help.

Plus the built in frother allows you to adjust steam output to steam big or small quantities of milk in a few seconds. Different sized cups are easily handled by the swivel.

Removing the plastic tip is a good user tip though. I’ve no idea why they put these one, they are rubbish!

You can make your brew safely too, thanks to the built-in safety mechanism for the boiler cap. The cap make sure there are no accidents by virtue of a twin lock mechanism, to be honest this does take a bit of time to figure out (well it did for me anyway) but I think the extra safety covers more than makes up for that.

Add to that the protective thumb guard on the filter holder and I think you will agree that this machine has been designed with the user in mind, especially the new espresso machine owner.

The dishwasher safe carafe further demonstrates the design thoughtfulness. I don’t like hand washing and now I don’t need to.

The drip tray is removable and takes a few seconds to rinse clean freeing you forever from that irritating task. Plus the Capresso 303.01 is very light so is no hassle to move about for the wiping of exterior and parts.

One thing though, this is not a big party expresso machine. With a 4 cup capacity it is ideal for mornings I reckon. Perfect, In find for one or 2 cups pre work, mid morning or after breakfast while not overdoing it and giving me a coffee peak and trough. So for a big group machine look at other options.

Capresso have added some nice extras too which is unusual for such a low priced expresso maker. The coffee scoop, for example, doubles up as a tamper and is extremely useful.

But don’t think of this as a barista high level machine, it is not automatic and will not babysit you. You will have to read the instructins and practice some.

But I think, this is, for a beginner, a good thing. Making your own espresso is part art and a big part of that is the fun of learning.

Ultimately the true joy is in the drinking of your creations. And in regard to that you are not going to be unhappy with what you create with the Capresso 303.01. Basically you get a lovely brew with a minimum of work and we all like that!

Capresso 303.01 Real World User Comments
As the low price for quality would suggest this is a best seller. We’ve found, at time of writing 138 reviews at Amazon.com, most oif them 4 and 5 star, read them at Capresso 303.01 reviews