Krups XP1500 Coffee and Espresso Maker

Krups XP1500 Coffee and Espresso Maker. This is combination 12-cup coffee maker and 4-cup espresso maker.

Briefly:
Overall product quality is very good as one would expect from a brand like Krups. However, this particular model is a lower end Krups model that performs as indicated but lacks any of the “bells and whistles” that have essentially become standard on coffee makers in recent years.

The positive:
Exceedingly simple operation, even for the espresso maker (which is rare), comes with a steam nozzle for making lattes and espressos, has an included coffee scoop!

A lot of coffee pots (especially cheap ones) no matter how slowly you pour the coffee, some still spills over the edge of the pot; that’s certainly not the case here. The included coffee pot has the best no-spill spout that I’ve ever used.

The brew-pause is also one of the better that I’ve used. The negative: This model only has an on/off switch (it’s actually a 3-position knob you turn one way for the espresso maker and the other way for the coffee maker).

It lacks a digital clock which means it also lacks an auto-shutoff feature (for the forgetful, like me) or a delay brew feature (if you’re not a morning person, also like me). It’s kinda big and bulky sitting on your counter.

Other:
I’ve owned this coffee maker for over a year now. For the first several months I used it my coffee always had a plastic taste to it that I’ve never experienced with other coffee makers. When I got it I thought I would really like having the coffee and espresso maker as a single unit, but after realizing how rarely I make espresso I think I would’ve preferred to keep them separate.

Overall:
You won’t be disappointed with this product; the quality and ease-of-use are exactly what you would expect from Krups. That said, you can probably spend less and get more features from a similar combination coffee/espresso maker from another brand that doesn’t have the name recognition that you pay for with Krups.