Comments about by The Coffee Bean CBTL Americano:

This is a great product. It works well everytime I use it. The flavor of ANY coffee or tea is incredible. I even brew tea on the espresso brew and add ice to make iced tea. Delicious! Yes, when you are looking for capsules you do have to buy at a Coffee Bean or Bed, Bath, and Beyond. It is worth it for the taste. My friends use K-cups and the flavor is terrible when they make me a cup of tea or coffee. Coffee bean has a superior product. It's the "blu-ray" of single serve coffee brewers.

Comments about by The Coffee Bean CBTL Americano:

Absolutely great coffee system that is so versatile - - and so far very reliable. I have not experienced any of the so-called "problems" some posts claim. (Honestly, it's almost like they would blame the machine because they have to wash their coffee cup out after drinking from it, LOL.) CBTL is easy to use, creates great hot coffee, tea or espresso -- and a lot of yummy capsules. Along with the companion milk-frother there is a whole world of drinks you are able to prepare. The capsules are a bit harder to find... but are NOT more expensive at all, in my experience.

Comments about by The Coffee Bean CBTL Americano:

this coffee maker makes delicious coffee in very little time. However, the capsules for this coffeemaker are not compatible with other coffee capsules on the market. non of the suppermarkes carry CBTL coffee capsules, although it carries the k-cups and other types of capsules. This requires me to go to a store out of the way or by the capsules online. in addition K-cups are also cheaper the the capsules. when turning the mashine on letting it heat up the water tends to drip out the spout or into the capsules contaner in the mashine which i need to clean out every four cups so it does not over flow this is a major disadvantage in owning this coffee maker.

Comments about by The Coffee Bean CBTL Americano:

OK, best summary is to say that our coffee consumption has gone through the roof since we got this machine for Christmas. Yes, it's incredibly easy to use but the real reason is that the coffee is always great, better even than available at the local CBTL because, using the same coffee blends, each cup is individually brewed from an air-tight capsule.

Summary of tech stuff: this is a 15 bar machine for espresso, and 3.5 bars for coffee (and other drinks). Large water tank. Excellent brewing with perfect crema. Espresso and coffee are all brewed superbly -- this from a very fussy coffee drinker.

Faults: the handle is a bit flimsy feeling and you will likely think you're breaking the machine the first time you pull it into place. We've taken to pulling with one hand on each side rather than one hand in the middle. In practice, it actually works fine, so . . . Operation is a bit noisy but then so are all machines of this type. Other fault is that the coffee is so good that we probably drink more than we ought to. First world problem.

We chose this machine over the Kaldi because can't tell the difference in the brewed product and the Americano costs less and is more versatile. Not a tough decision really.

The multiple cup size option is very nice. One can make all different size coffees by simply pushing the "right" button and adjusting the movable shelf to the appropriate level (or even taking it off for a tall coffee holder). The larger the cup, the weaker the coffee with one capsule. BUT if it's too weak for your taste, you can brew two capsules into the same large cup by using the smaller cup settings repetitively. We haven't found the "weak" coffee to be an issue, however.

You can actually custom fit the coffee to your cup by simply pressing the "start" button a second time when your cup is filled to the desired level to(temporarily)stop the pump. IMPORTANT: after you do this, you must either finish the cycle by pushing the button again with another cup replacing your cup or by turning off the machine.

If you just want a cup of hot water, make sure there is no used capsule in the machine and push the appropriate cup size button. Quicker and easier than heating a pot of water. For tea drinkers, this means you have the option of using tea bags and loose tea to your preference.

Finally, use filtered water (the stores do) to assure best quality and minimize scale build-up. (We have a whole-house water filter and then use a Britta system for our water). I suspect the problems some have described with reliability are a function of using hard water without a filter and not de-scaling as instructed. (In addition to running water as per instructions, we periodically use a cleaning product designed for one-cup systems.) We've brewed a LOT of coffee in a month and not a hint of trouble.

Comments about by The Coffee Bean CBTL Americano:

Nice looking machine and seemed to be well reviewed. Bought this for vacation home. Used it a few times. Noticed the water tank had to be seated "just right" for water to pump up into the machine. Also noticed pods would be punctured and drop through to the bottom instead of brewing. Wasted a lot of cups which aren't easy to buy locally. But that was okay and we got approx 10 cups of coffee from our new machine last season while at the "seasonal" home. Otherwise, easy to use. Coffee was good. Now that we're back 9 months later, we can't get it to work at all. The water won't pump into the machine. Not sure what to do since I'm sure it will be costly to ship it somewhere to be fixed and the retailer won't take it back. Very disappointed.

Comments about by The Coffee Bean CBTL Americano:

My Americano was the total impulse purchase while in a local retailer (literally the only Americano in the store). I've been in the market for "K" model brewer, but when I saw this sleek machine I couldn't pass it up…let me say thus far this has been a GREAT buy! Easy setup, Easy to Use, and Great Tasting sample coffees. Cant wait for my online coffee order to arrive. My only Cons is the limited east coast purchase power, besides online.

Comments about by The Coffee Bean CBTL Americano:

We had the "K" machine, which I loathed, nevertheless we were planning on buying another one since we do not drink pots of coffee and single serve meets our needs. I went to the store for a replacement "K" and walked out with the recommended CBTL (from the store sales associate). Easy to set up! We also purchased the milk frother. I am a bit of coffee snob and only drank coffee house beverages (mochas) and the single serve machine was intended to be for my husband. However, after buying the CBTL and frother, I have switched from $4.15 per cup from the coffee house to my home made CBTL mochas (Italian Espresso Pod & Dutch Chocolate Powder). I look forward to my morning CBTL, they are delicious! Furthermore, it's so easy to use my 12-year old thinks it's fun and makes my drinks!

Comments about by The Coffee Bean CBTL Americano:

I received this coffeemaker as a Christmas present from my son. It makes delicious coffee in very little time. However, the capsules for this coffeemaker are not compatible with other coffee capsules on the market. My large-chain suppermarket does not carry CBTL coffee capsules, although it carries the k-cups and other types of capsules. This requires me to go to a Target store or other retail store that I do not regularly shop at for groceries. I consider this a disadvantage in owning this coffee making system.

Comments about by The Coffee Bean CBTL Americano:

As someone who prefers a cup of coffee that tastes like coffee and not just brown water, I must say I love this machine. I was hesitant to purchase any sort of single cup maker after trying a competing brand, just because I do like strong coffee, but this exceeds all of my expectations. The machine may be a little noisy, but no more so than any other machine and with a 15 bar espresso pump, I would hope that it wouldn't be silent. I have tried every type of capsule available and while I have liked some more than others, I have not been disappointed by any of them.

Comments about by The Coffee Bean CBTL Americano:

Would reccommend