CASABREWS CM5418 Espresso Machine, Small Coffee Maker with Steam Wand

This is a great, simple machine. Brews lovely espresso, easy to use, good crema and compact design. I’ve owned nespressos, keurigs, moka pots, french presses, pour-overs etc etc etc. I’ve now enjoyed this little machine for over 9 months. I don’t need fancy, just a good work horse without too many breakable bells and whistles. I did lose a screw from the internal shower head at one point and the company replaced the entire machine as replacement parts were not available. Easy peasy.

I should have written this review a long time ago as I bought this machine over two and a half years ago. It gets to operating temperature very quickly and makes very good espresso with nice crema. The frother is also ready to steam very quickly. The compact size is a plus. It's an excellent machine at an extraordinary value. A speaking of extraordinary, what prompted this overdue review are recent interactions I had with Casasbrews customer service over some technical questions I had. Despite being well past warranty period, they were extremely responsive and helpful. For a basic espresso maker this one is hard to beat - highly recommended.

I am not one to write reviews very often, and I am not a coffee snob obsessing over everything to do with the perfect espresso shot. I do have lots to say about this machine though. My previous Mr Coffee Cafe Barista machine died after many years and I wanted something that would allow me to steam my own milk instead of it being done for me. I also didn’t want to spend more than $150 either as my circumstances are not great right now… Anyway, after reading many reviews on similar machines, I settled on this beaut. I am more than happy with my purchase! The machine is small and takes up half the space my old machine did, which earns high spousal approval. The all stainless steel body looks good and durable and wipes down easily. It looks good on the countertop. It heats up fast for a thermoblock design, and while the water capacity in the tank isn’t the greatest, a full tank is enough to pull two espresso shots, steam two jugs of milk, plus allows for preheating the group head and portafilter and flushing everything afterwards. The machine pulls a pretty decent shot with pre-ground espresso and leaves a hard puck after extraction, something I always had issues with on my old machine which would always leave a soupy mess. I do weigh my dose (13 grams), use a WDT needle tool, distributor, tamper and puck screen. While I do not have control over everything, you can set the volume of water dispensed for each of the buttons on the panel. The single shot button is set at 30 milliliters. I can’t get a full 15 grams into the portafilter for a true 1:2 ratio but it’s close enough. The milk frother is fast and steams the milk in about a minute and actually produces some good results. The wand seems durable and the rubber grip is well placed so you don’t scald your fingers. This does a great job for frothy cappuccinos or silky lattes. The pump is not loud either which is good for a machine at this price point. Please follow the instructions to prep the machine when you first set it up. Run a few shots through the machine before you start using it to remove any trace particles in the water lines and pump. And plastic smell from the water tank will be removed by doing this. For a basic espresso machine, this is a good buy. It seems to be well made, and it suits my present financial circumstances. Sure, I wouldn’t mind a more mainstream brand and probably a better quality machine, but for the money, don’t hesitate in buying this machine. I got mine for $129 in early 2025 and I’ve seen this at $99 before over the holidays. It’s a simply delightful espresso machine that I’m glad to have.

I've been running this machine daily for a few months now, mostly with light and medium roasts, and it's been a pleasant surprise for the price point. Espresso Quality: Once you dial in the grind for a specific bag, the consistency is solid. I went straight to a naked portafilter (didn't even touch the pressurized basket), which I know might scare some people off—it does require practice and watching a few tutorials—but the flavors I'm getting are genuinely impressive for what I paid. Why drop crazy money on a high-end machine when you're just starting out? Within a couple months of using this, you'll be a legit coffee snob. Heat-Up & Workflow: This thing heats up ridiculously fast—10-15 seconds and you're ready to pull a shot. Pro tip: run a blank shot first to warm up the portafilter before pulling your actual espresso. It makes a noticeable difference in temperature stability. Milk Frothing: The steam wand has enough power—you don't need more strength. It took me a while to get the technique down (I was angling the pitcher wrong at first), but once it clicked, it clicked hard. Now I'm making café-quality lattes every day . Daily Use: I make about two coffees a day, so I refill the 34oz reservoir maybe once a week. The shot timer is intuitive—I just stop it when I hit my target volume since I'm consistent with dosing. The 4-Star Reasons: It's mostly plastic, which doesn't bother me functionally but knocks it down a bit in the "premium feel" department. Also, mine arrived with a small scratch on the water reservoir (I ordered it internationally to Colombia), but nothing that affected performance. Bottom Line: For the price, this is unbeatable. If you're new to espresso or don't want to drop $500+ on your first machine, this is the move—and honestly, as a novice you really shouldn't start with a big expensive machine until you can master a much cheaper one. Realistically, the most important parts of great coffee are: 1) good quality beans roasted within 2-3 weeks, 2) a solid grinder, and 3) everything else. You can get really decent machines now that, with good puck prep and small tweaks like heating up the portafilter before pulling your shot, make a huge difference in quality.

Absolutely love, love love my Casabrew Espresso machine! This is my second Casabrew as the first moved out with my daughter. It was replaced the day she left so we wouldn't go without. Easy to use and clean....milk steamer is perfect. Would definitely recommend for the perfect espresso, lattes and more!

Updated 2/25/25 - after being contacted in January by Casabrews and keeping the machine rather than returning it… it now leaks water all over the counter out of the bottom of the water container when I’m adding water and when I’m making espresso. I’ve taken it apart and put it back together - didn’t help. Video attached. Turns out the Bambino is worth the price. I do not recommend this machine - it is NOT made to last. Alright… longest story short - I’m directly comparing this machine to what seems to be the highly coveted Breville Bambino Plus that costs 3.6% more than this machine. For the overall response without reading any further - get this one over the more expensive option! For the longer version keep reading. I need a new machine to replace my very old espresso machine that isn’t working properly anymore. I didn’t want to go too crazy with spending if I didn’t have to. So many people seem to LOVE the Bambino Plus. I bought one three days ago. I returned it two days ago. It made espresso, but not well, and the auto milk frothing, two out of three times, did not stop and boiled fairly hot milk over the pitcher and everywhere. Not a good feature. Not worth the extra $200 they add for that feature over the regular Bambino. The regular Bambino is still slightly more than 2x the price of this machine. This morning out of frustration I opened Amazon and looked for the highest rated/reviewed machine that I could get TODAY before 3pm. Helped narrow it down out of thousands of machines quickly. So here we are. Why 3 stars? Here are the pros and cons for me (and mind you I’ve made ONE drink - the video that is attached). Pros: It’s cute / kinda retro looking with the guage. Which due to filming and watching the coffee flow I realize I didn’t even look at it so I don’t know if it is helpful or not yet. It’s very compact and is smaller than most drip coffee machines. It should cause zero space issues for anyone. It seems fairly sturdy despite the price. It didn’t rattle my cup around etc. Yes I had to hold onto it for the portafilter - but not in an agressive way. The Bambino felt like I had to hold onto it more so. The box and the directions it comes with - they really do cover a lot of information for people who are new to espresso making - which I think is a nice added touch. Cons: The steam wand, turned all the way up, does a terrible job at frothing. If you want hot milk that doesn’t get any real texture - that was my experience. Again - first use - but I steam milk everyday and this steam wand was a let down. The portafilter, the baskets, the "tamper"…. All three need to be replaced immediately. The portafilter is very lightweight and the baskets have to be turned and placed inside with little slots. They feel very low quality overall. The tamper is the flat side of a plastic spoon. I didn’t open the bag with the spoon or the single basket - I didn’t bother trying to use it. I used one I already have. No milk pitcher included. Casabrews does sell upgraded portafilters and baskets and a tamper. I don’t know if I am going to keep this machine (I make milk drinks all day and that steam wand is rough for me) - but if I do - I will spend the extra for the better accessories (bottomless portafilter - non pressurized basket etc). For a budget machine though - overall I’d say this machines reviews are pretty accurate. I did follow all the instructions - and I’m going to go make another coffee now. Update: 1/7/25 - I will still leave my rating at 3 stars because of everything I said a couple of days ago. After a couple of days with this machine and many espresso drinks made - I wanted to add a couple things. First - it really does not froth milk. I’ve tried three different kinds and it just gets it really hot with zero texture and zero froth. Massive letdown for me since I like milk drinks. I also meant to mention in the first review, the steam wand is not the insulated kind - so it gets VERY hot. Just something to be careful with if you aren’t aware that not all steam wands are made the same. I tested the machine with coffee ground for espresso machines and it did not like it. With the pressurized basket it comes with, the machine does better with a more coarse grind (similar to a drip coffee/sea salt texture grind). That would be a plus if you want to use pre ground coffee from the grocery store. The instructions for the machine also say that you cannot use the steam wand and then make another espresso shot right after. If you try to do that the machine goes into heat protection mode. It locks the machine and there is a sequence you run that ends up using a lot of water in your reservoir to cool the machine back down. If you wanted to make a milk drink for someone and make another drink right after for someone else, you can’t. Or you can’t without either waiting an unknown amount of cool down time OR running the routine to cool the machine first. HOPEFULLY this review helps in someone’s decision making. If you ONLY drink espresso shots - this machine is probably tidally worth it! If you like milk drinks…. Maybe try it out and see if you have better luck than me. Today I had to use my old espresso machine’s steam wand to go with my espresso shot from this new machine.

For the price, this is a great little espresso maker. The espresso has a good flavor and a rich crema. We have our own grinder and have adjusted the grind from pretty fine to finer, but often, the puck is still sloppy. Besides that, I don't have a lot of complaints. I like that it's slim and doesn't take up much counter space. Because it's slim, the water reservoir is pretty small. The lid on the reservoir rattles a bit when it's full. I like that it gets up to heat and brews pretty quickly. We've had other equally inexpensive espresso makers and another couple which were double and four times the cost of this one that I can't say made better espresso. One thing I enjoy that others may not is that the pull is timed. I like being able to walk away from it once it's set to go. We've only had it for 5 months, so I can't speak to its longevity. Hopefully, it lasts a while. If it goes for 2 or 3 years, I'd buy another one.

I love my espresso machine! I was a barista for a few years out of HS and always enjoyed making drinks. I don't have a lot of counter space to house a large machine, nor do I need something crazy fancy. I just wanted a machine that is reliable, consistent, sturdy and makes a great shot. This checked all my boxes based on reviews when I originally purchased it. I've had it for almost a year now and have had zero issues. It runs great (is a bit noisy but that's expected.) I did purchase a cone burr grinder separately that has an attachment for a direct grind into the portafilter, which has been a great addition to the machine. The only thing I wish this machine had was a rinse button to quickly clean between shot pulls. Instead I empty the portafilter, rinse in my sink, attach it and run a 1 cup shot then rinse again and wipe dry. Otherwise, this a great machine. I'd recommend it and is great for people who have no experience as a barista. Very user friendly and non complex like other machine can be.

J'ai longtemps hésité à commander cette machine à espresso, cherchant à avoir un bon café de qualité sans trop y mettre d'argent. J'ai finalement passée ma commande et reçu la machine le lendemain. Je pensais sérieusement que j'allais devoir faire des essais-erreurs avant de réussir à avoir un bon espresso. J'ai préchauffé la machine comme recommandé par la marque, en faisant couler un 2 tasses, sans y mettre d'espresso, avant de faire une vraie tasse. Hé bien, mon tout premier espresso était vraiment excellent. J'ai choisi un sac de café Lavazza "crema e gusto" moulu finement que j'ai trouvé au supermarché, j'ai mis 11-13g dans mon portafilter, et dès ma première gorgée j'ai été grandement surprise. Aucun arrière-goût, aucune amertume. Un café très doux, mais fort en même temps. Points importants à noter: - Le mousseur à lait prend parfois un peu de temps à être bien chaud et je n'ai pas réussi à faire mousser mon lait au complet, mais ce n'était pas ma priorité. - Le mousseur est aussi très bruyant, au point de faire siler mes oreilles. - J'utilise l'eau chaude du mousseur à lait (sans mettre l'option steam) pour allonger mon espresso, mais parfois l'eau n'est pas aussi chaude que j'aimerais qu'elle le soit. Je suis très contente de mon achat, et après une semaine à me faire des café régulièrement je n'ai aucun problème majeur avec la machine. Je recommanderais clairement cette machine pour ceux qui souhaitent se faire des espressos, ou allongés de qualité, sans trop dépenser (surtout considérant que certaines machines à pods sont encore plus chères que celle-ci). Évidemment il est possible de "modder" la machine en changeant le portafilter, mais honnêtement, étant quelqu'un qui prend de 2-5 cafés par jour, je ne vois pas l'intérêt pour le moment puisque le café est très bon! Je recommande!!

Estoy muy satisfecho con este producto. La calidad y como se ve es muy buena!

Muy buena con accesorios mas adecuados hace maravillas

I've owned a fully manual Saeco espresso machine for 15 years. It did me fine, but I wanted to try a different model and to see what improvements have been made with a moderate price point. My Saeco was $500 US, I was skeptical about Casabrews reviews costing less. I decided to give it a try, if it didn't meet my expectations, I would return it. Well, this machine has exceeded my expectations❗️. 1st off, it's very stylish and perfect if you don't have a lot of space on your counter when you want to keep it out all the time After setting it up and turning the unit on, I ran the hot water through the frother. I like to grind my espresso, it give me that fresh and aromatic aroma that I want everytime I have an espresso. My Saeco had the single shot, but u had to buy the prepackaged perforated bags of espresso. It annoyed me because it's a cost that I didn't want to deal with so I always made a 2 shot espresso. During the morning, it's perfect but in the afternoon or evening, I prefer to have a single shot. With my Saeco machine, it had to Purge before I could use it. With Casabrew espresso machine, you don't need to worry about purging and you don't need to buy perforated bags of espresso for a single shot. A good sign of a espresso machine is the crema. Well, let me tell you, it blew me away when I saw the amount of crema it gave me on single shot. My old Saeco didn't come close. Another issue I didn't like with my old Saeco was plastic tube inside the water tank and the plastic piece that was on the end of the nozzle to make a cappuccino. Everytime you made cappuccino, with the Saeco, I had to take everything apart to clean it. With Casabrew, there's no tube in the tank. The water is pulled from the bottom of the tank. If I make a cappuccino, after I'm done all I have to do is get a cup of warm water and have the hot water come through the nozzle...that's it. I also like the pressure gauge to help you understand if the machine is maintaining a consistent level of hot water. It gives you the maximize or optimum quality of espresso. If I had to be critical about this machine, there's only one thing I wish Casabrew did...add some weight to the base. As you lock in the espresso, I find it sometimes may move around. Part of that is that the water tank isn't full. I prefer to put up with a slight move in the machine vs. having to buy perforated bags for single shots. I'm hooked with one, I have used it over a week and I've had more espresso than ever. I want to invite family and friends just to have a good brew. Highly recommended 👌🏻

I have a bit of a love dislike relationship with this machine. I have been using it for just over a week now for my daily lattes so I am still getting a feel for it. We purchased this one after my old Breville began to seem like it was about to go. We have had the same machine for about 10-11 years and it just started going after we were travelling back and forth with it to our cottage. They don’t make the model we have anymore so after some research my husband thought it was worth trying the casabrews. I am a hard core espresso connoisseur by any means. I don’t weigh my beans or shot, etc. but I do have a bit of a picky taste and don’t like just any espresso. Here is what I like about the unit It looks nice and sleek. Because it is such a sleek model it doesn’t take up a lot of space on the counter and is easy to move. The pressure gauge on the front is something I haven’t had before and I like seeing that my grind is in the right range. It makes a good crema on top of the espresso The machine automatically stops when the 1 or 2 cups of espresso have brewed. This took a little getting used to as I haven’t had that before. So sometimes it feels a little too much water is in. But you can always just stop the pour if you prefer it a little stronger. I have only frothed milk once as it is summer and I prefer iced. But it worked well and it quickly heated the milk. Much faster than my old machine. Seemed to make a good foam. Here is what I don’t love. Because the machine is so lightweight you have to hold the machine while trying to lock in the espresso holder. It’s not a big deal but I often have a baby of child in my arms while making coffee so it’s a bit of a pain. Not a dealbreaker just worth noting. After you use the frothing arm you have to run hot water for about 8 seconds so the machine doesn’t overheat. All of this is detailed in instructions. If you don’t the lights on the 1 and 2 cup buttons just flash on and off and you can’t brew. It will also just flash like that and not brew if the overflow on the bottom of the machine is full and needs to be emptied. I had this happened and I couldn’t figure out why I couldn’t get the machine to brew. It was so frustrating and I was ready to pack the machine up and send it back. My old Breville didn’t have any of that automation so it takes getting used to. Now that I am getting the feel of things I am pretty happy with it. The real test is how long it will last.