illy FrancisFrancis X7: Great Espresso Quick Without Compromise
Yesterday, we took a look at a great pod-coffee machine from Keurig. But the K-cup brewers and other pod coffee systems have a downside- they don’t really produce great espresso. They are built for coffee, and make it well, but there are plenty of people for whom coffee is simply weak espresso. And certainly your latte and mocha drinks require espresso.
Illy certainly knows espresso- Italy-based, they’ve been around for more than 70 years, and are still run by the founding family. Their unique capsule system relies on hyper-infusion and emulsion instead of just percolating, and the illy X7 is the second-latest machine on their lineup (and one of only two supporting the iperEspresso capsules). The FrancisFrancis machines have always been renowned for their beauty, and the X7 is no different- designed by architect Luca Trazzi, the machine is a nice meld of traditional form and modern styling, and looks good (and not too retro) in most kitchen environments. Both red and black models are available. Also, a note: we previously referred to the machines as ‘pod’ machines, and at illy’s request, have changed the phrasing to ‘capsules’- they also make traditional pods for another system, and refer to the X7 and X8 single-serve espresso containers as capsules.
The shell of the unit is mainly plastic, but feels pretty sturdy, and the footprint of the X7 is small enough to fit most any counter, just slightly larger than your average drip coffee maker. Of course, like all pod/capsule-based machines, cleanup is unnecessary, and the espresso is consistent. It also happens to be excellent, with the trademark crema surprising even folks who doubted that a pod-based machine could compete against a traditional machine. Our taste tests may not have been scientific, but were blind, and the espresso from the illy X7 won out against that from coffee shops handily.
Compared with manual machines, the $400 price tag is pretty reasonable. Even better, illy is offering 126 iperEspresso coffee capsules for free with the purchase of the machine- which is great, as they can definitely add up, at around $1 each. We weren’t as impressed with the variety of capsules available- illy appears to be the only maker supporting the system. In the United States at the moment, they are somewhat difficult to find in stores, and there are four varieties. The dark roast was our clear winner, with the medium roast trailing behind. Most weren’t impressed with the decaffeinated variety, though it was nicely strong. And the Lungo is meant for slightly larger servings, and which mostly confused us.
Overall, the machine had one sore spot that annoyed our testers. The look and feel of the machine, and the espresso, were all well-received. But the milk frother, via the steam wand, isn’t nearly as convenient. You have to switching between the functions- steaming or brewing- and it can take quite a while to do so, even a few minutes. There is a shortcut, simply clearing out the steam, but it still takes some time, and is annoying. Other than that though, and the lack of wide variety in capsules, the X7 makes great espresso easy.
