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Great performance from a basic machine, ideal for home use. This is my 3rd Krups espresso maker in the last 15 years or so. Perfect espresso every time, use it every day. Looks great, easy to clean and maintain, and performs as expected.

I have owned the Krups XP4050 for over nine months now and have used it daily ever since it was purchased. I knew I was taking a risk when I bought the XP4050, as I had read the many negative reviews on Amazon. The primary reason why I took that risk was that I was able to get an extremely good deal - getting well over $100 off the typical retail price. I feel fortunate not to have experienced any of the serious issues some of the other users have had.

There is a learning curve to the XP4500. That's for sure! Here are the things that I have learned in the time that I have owned the machine:

1. The water tank must be seated properly. Period!!! If it's not, you will get the flashing blue lights as others have pointed-out. When inserting the water tank, it should firmly stop when fully seated. You will feel a slight detent when it's seated properly. If it feels "squishy" and the tank pushes back up slightly, pull it out and start over again. I have noticed that the tank inserts easier the more the XP4050 is used.

2. Clean the inside of the brewing head frequently. It doesn't need to be after every espresso, but it should be done at least when you've finished for the day. I usually use a paper towel to do this after I have run a cycle without the filter holder. I also occasionally use a brush to remove grinds that accumulate in the brewing head.

3. Yes, the machine has a "rubbery" smell when it is new. It will go away after a while of usage.

4. Do not use the "auto cappuccino accessory." While the auto cappuccino accessory usually does an OK job if you want a latte, it suffers from three drawbacks: A) Results wildly vary. B) Milk does not get hot enough. C) There is only enough foam produced to top off a latte. It does not produce enough foam for a real cappuccino.

5. For a decent cappuccino, purchase a frothing pitcher and use the "perfect froth accessory." Oddly, the instructions for the XP4050 on the Krups website does not mention the perfect froth accessory, so I do not know if it was not included in the older units, or if it is no longer included in the newer units. Hopefully, it is still included. If you don't have it, you really need to get it if you want to make a decent cap. More importantly, you need to learn how to use it. This took me a long time to figure out because there are no decent instructions on how to use the attachment. Really, I should record a video on how to do this, but for now, I'll try to get the idea across here:

A) Remove the small stainless tube from the perfect froth accessory (PFA).

B) Attach the PFA to the steam nozzle so that the black rubber protrusion (that holds the small tube) points away from the machine.

C) Fill 1/3 to 1/2 of your frothing pitcher with cold milk (depending on how many caps you want to make).

D) Start steam process on the machine (I assume that users already know how to do this).

E) Once steam (not water) is coming out of the PFA, raise the frothing pitcher up to the bottom protrusion of the PFA so that the top of the milk is just barely over the hole in the protrusion. If the placement is correct, you will see the milk being sucked in to the hole along with a little air. If the hole is too high, you will get large air bubbles. If hole is too low, the quantity of foam will be significantly reduced. The foam will build upon itself if you are doing this correctly. Continue to create the foam until the milk has been heated to your liking.


Hope these tips help. Good luck with your XP4050.

Just like everyone else, worked for a couple of pours, then all I get is blinking lights and no pumping. Don't blow $250.

Krups XP4050 1200-Watt 15-Bar-Pump Programmable Espresso Machine

I bought this cappuccino maker for my 'coffee aficionado' sweetie. He has used all of the features, including programming the water flow to his liking. I've created a monster, because now everyday coffee is just not good enough for him! He absolutely LOVES this machine - not more than me (yet at least)!

We also had a bit of trouble getting it going at first, and were concerned there was something wrong with the water pump because it was so loud. The instructions say to run water through it 5 times, but don't really explain why. The pump needs to be primed, and we had to run water through it around 8 times before the water flow was established. Once we got this figured out, the water pump noise is significantly softer, and there have been no other problems!

This cappuccino maker works well, but is still a bit loud when making an espresso - our only current complaint. Since this is for such a short time, it's a very minor problem. Otherwise, it is easy to clean, and looks nice in the kitchen. Best of all, the espresso & cappuccino this thing makes is fantastic!

This machine just doesn't work. Basically, I have nothing to add to the criticisms already in other reviews. Just as noted in other reviews, it doesn't want to make coffee, it just wants to blink all its lights (not mentioned in the instruction book). When you get it to make coffee, it puts waaaay too much water in the espresso, and the program function to change the amount of water it puts in doesn't change a thing.

I sent it back, and I am hoping for a seamless refund to my credit card.

I think the point is that you can't get a good espresso machine for such a low price.