Comments about by The Coffee Bean CBTL Kaldi:

Wow the coffee and Espresso that this machine creates is nothing short of outstanding. Starbucks Verissimo pods (brew but NOT espresso) fit!! Comes out tasting just like Starbucks retail...except even fresher. CBTL coffees and espressos are the highest quality out there. Their blends are similar to starbucks but have much more depth and surprise with subtleties and flavors that i have not experienced in mass produced coffees that are available for K-machines and T machines. The quality of the machine is much higher than other brands as well. This is the coffee aficionados machine. You'll love it.

Comments about by The Coffee Bean CBTL Kaldi:

From making an Americano every morning, to hot chocolates in the evening, this machine has become a staple in my household!

Comments about by The Coffee Bean CBTL Kaldi:

I make coffee every morning with this machine, and can't imagine my life without it. It's hands down the best coffee I have ever had at home. LOVE CBTL!!!

Comments about by The Coffee Bean CBTL Kaldi:

Read the instructions. The booklet is very helpful and is one of the better designed picture-based instruction sets I have seen. For the coffee to be hot enough for my preferences, I have to warm the mug/cup with hot water before brewing. Overall, a well-designed product, but there is not enough height between the spout and the brewing platform to allow for tall mugs.

Comments about by The Coffee Bean CBTL Kaldi:

I'm a Coffee Bean Team Member.
The Kaldi is my favorite. I love how I can change the color of the machine.

Comments about by The Coffee Bean CBTL Kaldi:

I got this machine as part of their buy-one-get-one-free Black Friday sale with a friend of mine. Right off the bat, the price made it a steal. The Kureig is rather expensive and puts out subpar coffee and tea. Starbucks just came out with their model and its about $200. I'm an every day Starbucks visitor and considered getting their machine. The espresso was good, they had a decent pod selection. That was until I saw CBTL's machine. Again, the price was about $20 less than the 'bucks machine (or $105 less if you count what I paid for mine with the deal). CBTL has a plethora of pods to choose from including coffee and espresso, flavored coffee, and teas. The pods themselves are relatively cheap too, another plus.
The only issue I have is with the noise of the machine. It didn't sound that loud in the store when we got a demo, but it sounds a lot louder at home. It could be the location where I placed it. I don't think the sound is loud enough to perturb guests at a dinner party or wake anyone in the morning (if the machine is in the kitchen), I was just taken aback by how loud it was.
The pros greatly outweigh the cons here. First, it's cheaper than the other machines I've seen. Second, there are a ton of drink options out there. Pair the pods with the powders (French Vanilla and Dutch Chocolate) and you're making your own coffee house drinks at home. I love coffee but don't drink enough of it by myself to warrant buying beans and making a French press daily. The pods make it easy to get good coffee fast. The machine takes less than two minutes to warm up in the morning and less than that to brew a shot of espresso or a cup of coffee or tea.

Comments about by The Coffee Bean CBTL Kaldi:

makes a prefect cup of espresso. quick and easy. perfect creme, body and heart. The frother is great.

Comments about by The Coffee Bean CBTL Kaldi:

Just bought it - wasn't sure what to expect, it being the first of its kind I've purchased.

I've used it several times and these are my results.

Setup: Easy with very extensive, but easy to read manual. Read it! Or you will miss out on getting the most of your machine.

Features: You can customize how much water goes through a package for your drinks (make them stronger or weak). You can make Espresso\Espresso long\tea latte\tea\coffee. Unit has a removable tray for holding used packages and overflow of liquids. Liquid does not drip from the tray, only from nozzle after making coffee\tea\espresso, but I believe it's cleaning the line. Cup tray can be flipped for smaller or lager cups.

Draw Back: You can't put large cups or mugs. As for how hot? Espresso not hot, tea was hot, coffee - to be tested.

Outcome: Espresso was great and so was the tea. Haven't tried the coffee yet. It's a great compliment to a coffee maker - especially when you want something like a tea latte or espresso.

Comments about by The Coffee Bean CBTL Kaldi:

I have two CBTL machines, one for home and one at the office. This machine I use at the office, and is significantly inferior to the Americano machine. The Americano has more brewing options (two espressos, one tea, and three coffee - 8oz, 10oz, 12oz), allows for various size mugs (by adjusting the height of the drip tray), and is easier to clean (the pieces snap together to prevent leaking).

The Kaldi allows for two espresso sizes and one coffee. One star off for a lack of versatility. The Kaldi's drip tray is fixed, meaning most tall cups or travel mugs won't fit. Another star off for lack of versatility. Lastly, the Kaldi leaks because the drip tray doesn't snap into place, but instead just rests there. When a used pod drops from the chamber into the tray, it thuds and shifts the drip tray out, thereby allowing leakage. Another star off.

In the end, I would buy the Americano every time over the Kaldi.

Comments about by The Coffee Bean CBTL Kaldi:

Love it!!