Compare Prices : Kenwood ES 547 Retro -

This machine looks great sitting in your kitchen, however using it is irritating and the build quality is very poor.

How do I hate thee, let me count the ways...

1) The coffee holder has a flimsy plastic handle & needs to be located quite firmly onto the underside of the machine; however, this requires applying some sideways force. I broke one handle & cracked a second whilst doing this!

2) If the coffee holder is not located properly, then it leaks badly. The rubber seal inside the fitting against which the coffee holder sits leaks badly after a few months. No matter how hard the coffee holder is located into the fitting & despite regular cleaning, it always squirts water out of the sides. Often, more clear water ends up in your cup than coffee.

3) There is a perforated disc through which the hot water is pumped which must be kept clean otherwise the little holes block & the machine does not function correctly. If it does block, you have to use a 14mm socket wrench to remove the disc, then use a pin to unblock each of the tiny holes.

Naaah, didn't think you wanted to do that...

4) There is no way to adjust the thermostat. On the one I had, it was set to about 110 deg C, which is far too hot to make good espresso (correct temperature is 95 deg C).

5) There is only one heater for the water & steam. Consequently, if you switch on the steam, you have to wait a couple of minutes for the temperature to rise to the required 150 deg C; but then once you've finished using the steam & want hot water again, you have to wait even longer for the temperature to cool down (unless of course you don't mind the taste of overcooked coffee...)

6) The water container only holds 0.7l, which I think is too small. At least 1l would be better.

Over all, it looks great, but suffers from having some design flaws (probably to keep costs down) and a REALLY bad build quality.