Cuisinart Programmable Espresso Machine EM-200 Product Review
Cuisinart Programmable Espresso Machine EM-200 Product Review
I’m always on the lookout for a fabulous espresso machine for home, and when I saw this…I just knew that I wanted to have my hands on it to do a product review for. So, Cuisinart gave me one to give my 100% honest opinion on…and that’s exactly what you
will get from me. Just because Cuisinart gave to me to review, doesn’t mean I will not be honest with you about it. So, let’s begin!
To begin with, I just want to give you a quick synopsis: I love this machine. There you have it, but let me tell you why. I was a little nervous when the box came in. I’ve worked with espresso machines my whole life because of the restaurant industry. With my experience, they can be a bit bulky, take a while to heat up (30 to 40 minutes to be exact), and can be small pain to clean. This machine is completely the opposite. In fact, I consider it to be a beautiful show piece for my kitchen. It’s not too bulky at all. In fact, it’s about the size of the Keurig machines.
The Cuisinart EM-220 machine is very simple to assemble…actually, no assembly is required! Just fill up the water tank in the back and the turn the power on. From the moment you turn the espresso machine on and fill it up with water…you are basically ready to make your first espresso or favorite hot beverage. In showing you how easy this machine is to work, I’ve created a recipe to go along with it. I would like to welcome to the world a Salted Caramel Pumpkin Latte! FYI, do you know the difference between a latte and a cappuccino? It’s really just the amount of froth on top. A latte has a small layer of froth, and a cappuccino has a thicker layer of froth. Once you become a master of your steam wand that comes with it, you’re going to see how super easy it is.
Once you fill up the water tank and turn your machine on (of course, make sure it’s plugged in!), I would brew a shot or two of espresso. Just to help prime your machine and get it going. You get lots of great accessories with your machine: A cleaning plate insert, a double shot espresso plate, a single shot espresso plate, the espresso holder, espresso pack, a frothing cup, and cleaning pins. With all of this in mind, let’s go and make fabulous beverage!
In a small pot on the stove, you want to heat up (until it’s barely warm): 2 tablespoons of pumpkin puree, 2 teaspoons sugar, 1 cup of milk, and a dash of pumpkin spice. With a whisk, mix it all together gently. We’re just wanting to dissolve the sugar and break up the pumpkin. Fill your single shot of espresso and lock into the machine. Press the steam button. The steam button is super intelligent. Whatever you do, don’t turn your machine off. You’re not going crazy. It takes about 30 seconds (or less) for the steam pressure to build up, but that’s a lot better than 30 to 40 minutes that I’m used to at the restaurant! When your done with your pumpkin milk, place it in the frothing container. Press steam button on the far right hand side. The light on the button will blink. Once it’s done blinking, then it means it’s time to froth your milk! There’s a dial on the right hand side of the machine. Turn it forward and the steam will begin! You want to keep the wand at the top layer of milk if you want some really good froth. Since it’s a latte, I kept it towards the middle and brought the wand to the top for just a little froth.
Whenever you’re done with the frothing mechanism, you want to wipe it down with a wet towel. If you don’t, trust me…you’re going to regret it. There’s nothing worse than trying to get hardening milk off a frother.
In a cup, add 1 tablespoon of Smucker’s Salted Caramel Ice Cream topping to the bottom of your coffee cup. Then add a layer of your steamed pumpkin milk.
With your espresso handle locked into place, press the single shot of espresso button. It’ll blink for a second and then turn solid while working. In my photo, I’m actually using a double shot of espresso…mostly because I love espresso!
When you’re done, add a little extra drizzle of the salted caramel on top to garnish. Now, I also mixed a little bit of pumpkin spice and sea salt together as an additional topping.
Then you’re all done and ready to enjoy your Salted Caramel Pumpkin latte! It’s better than what any coffee shop can make for you! I love having the convenience of a coffee shop available in my home. Cuisinart is the single most trusted name in household appliance. I have some of their appliances, and I am more than happy to this to my arsenal of Cuisinart products. I also highly recommend in making one of my amazing recipes to go along with it! Try my Pumpkin Bread, Peanut Butter Pumpkin cookies, or Pumpkin Scones with Butterscotch Icing!
Here’s a final image I took of my Salted Caramel Pumpkin latte to enjoy! You can really see the layers of espresso, pumpkin milk, and salted caramel just starting to blend together. Oh yum! I need to go make me another real fast. I hope you enjoyed my review!
OMG look at the color of Coffee. It looks yummy. Richard K. Green is a coffee lover and wants you to serve him a cup of coffee. Can you do that?