Swan SK22110CN Retro Espresso Coffee Machine with Milk Frother, Steam Pressure Control, 1.2L Detachable Water Tank, 1100W, Retro Cream

After doing a lot of research of different machines I didn't want to spend a lot of money on my first at home coffee machine. I ordered this one and was a little skeptical based on some other negative reviews.I'm really please, I've had this machine for a few months now. I followed the instructions precisely at first, and it's simple and second nature to do the various steps/buttons now.I use the coffee maker every day and I love it. It does everything I need/want it to do and I definitely don't see the point in spending more for anything other than aesthetics or very large families etc.I've encountered a few 'problems' that are also mentioned in other reviews and here is how I resolved them;Light colour coffee coming out : In the first few seconds the coffee is very dark then goes light quickly as it pours, I believe some of this is due to aeration as in the cup it still looks pretty dark. I also needed to adjust my expectation. This machine produces an espresso - not a full cup of coffee. I usually have a latte/flat white but if I have an americano style coffee I pour the espresso and top up using the kettle.Milk not hot enough - keep it going for longer :D it does take longer than I initially expected to get piping hot'Exploding' - this has happened twice. Not an explosion, the filter porter has come loose and popped off with the pressure. It didn't break my cup but could easily break a glass cup. The first time I was rushing and didn't securely lock the portafilter well enough. The second time there must have been some old coffee grids etc where the portafilter locks in because it seemed to glide into place without effort and so when it got going inevitably slid back off. So, I'd say push it into place firmly and remove before switching to the steam function.Larger 2-cup filter not working. Only a drip came out of the larger 2-cup/extra shot filter at first. After some time I realised it's because it needs more pressure to push through the extra grounds. The 'ready' green light may come on but if it's not coming out effectively I just wait an extra 30 secs and it's fine when I try again.Wand not long enough. I usually make one cup at a time. My standard size jug needs to be 2/3 filled to work with this length of wand so means making too much hot milk and being wasteful. So, using a cup or smaller jug is needed.

The media could not be loaded. Great learning machine that you can get decent espresso from when you upgrade to single walled baskets. If you are using pre ground coffee rather than grinding your own use pressurised baskets and it's very forgiving if not dull in flavour. Ok if making milk drinks though. I don't like panerello steam wand though. If you like foamy cappuccino foam it's OK but remove it and use the naked wand with single hole that does the job of decent microfoam once you have mastered the technique. I read reviews about plastic taste..which I overcame with flushes ++++ using fresh water each day etc

Love this coffee maker. Got it for my husband as a gift. Perfect for making coffee. But it falls down on the milk frothing side. I find it spits along of hot water into the milk while heating it and this changes the taste and consistency of the milk. By the time its warm its very watered down. But the coffee side works well. Bought it over a year ago now. And still going well with daily use. Easy to use. And really looks beautiful.

I bought this to see whether I would use a coffee machine daily or even if enough to justify buying a more expensive model. On opening the box though I was pleasantly surprised by the quality, style and size, and how it eventually looked on the countertop.To be fair, I wasn’t expecting this machine to be as good as it is. Easy to use, good pressure to give you a perfect crema layer on your espresso and the milk steamer is also quite powerful - ideal for latte’s, short continental style and cappuccino’s.I’ve found the best coffee is a level scoop (scoop provided with machine) of a dark roast but I prefer strong coffee so it’s down to how you personally like yours.The coffee press is easy to use and clean after use, I do find that sometimes if I use a coarser grind that they form hard cakes which are quite difficult to remove but that’s just a minor issue.I’m so happy with this machine that I’ve decided that I don’t need to upgrade any time soon.Looks good, does the job exceptionally well and is great value for money.

The plus points are that this coffee machine looks nice, is easy to use and fits nicely on your counter top due to it's small size.That reason for the 1 star and my return of the coffee machine are quite simply due to the cleaning product they've used at the factory in the coffee machines pipework. You cannot get rid of the chemical/antiseptic taste. It ruins every coffee you make!I set it up as instructions stated and run it through. Coffee tasted like TCP. Did it a few more times and made a coffee. Same nasty taste. Tried with a different coffee brand I had. Same again. Cleaned it through with de-scaler hoping that'll help clear the chemical taste out. It did not.I ended up running water through it constantly for 15 minutes and FINALLY got a nice coffee made from it. Brilliant! Actually not. Made a coffee then next morning, chemical taste was back. So it got returned. Really disappointed. Would have been perfect if it was for the taste issue. Swan need to change whatever they're using in production. Reading comments and found a lot have had the same issue with the recent batches that Swan have made, so clearly they've changed something in their production and it's ruined the experience of the machine.