CASABREWS CM5418 Espresso Machine, Small Coffee Maker with Steam Wand

I’ve had this CASABREWS CM5418 for about a year now, and overall it’s been a solid addition to my kitchen. The 20-bar pump makes genuinely good espresso, the built-in pressure gauge takes the guesswork out of dialing in shots, and the steam wand froths milk well enough for proper cappuccinos and lattes at home. The stainless steel build looks great on the counter and the 34oz water tank means I’m not refilling constantly. Recently my machine stopped working, and I reached out to CASABREWS customer service. I was genuinely impressed — they were responsive, easy to work with, and got the issue sorted without any hassle. It’s rare to get that level of support a year after purchase, and it’s made me trust the brand even more. Would recommend this machine to anyone looking for an affordable home espresso setup, especially knowing the company stands behind their product if something goes wrong.

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.

This brews a great espresso with perfect crema! The machine is beautiful and just the right size for the counter top. I initially had trouble with this machine not producing a double shot- it would start and only brew a few drops, so I had to use the single shot twice to produce a double shot-not ideal. I was finally able to get some tech support today and reset the water amounts for the double shot. It works great now. I initially gave this item 1 star because I did not hear back from the seller after contacting them twice and none of the videos I found on the casabrews site fixed my problem. I would give this item a 5 star if it were not for the lack of communication/help from the seller.

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.

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.

I wanted a new espresso machine to replace my Nespresso machine, but still wanted one that was easy to use. The Nespresso pods were also getting so costly and felt so wasteful. The Casabrews espresso machine was easy to set up and start using. It brews espresso with a nice crema and a smooth, rich flavor. The steam wand has plenty of pressure for steaming milk and creates a nice microfoam for lattes and cappuccinos. Espresso machines can be intimidating, but the Casabrews is easy to use right out of the box. It’s become part of my daily routine and I’m more than happy with it.

I love this machine! I don’t have to leave home for my favorite cappuccino. I find coffee shop coffee to be inconsistent. One day it tastes good another day not as good. They sell you a large cup with very little inside and I am done with that. I get results to my liking every time and save money in doing so. I had a problem with the pressure gage, contacted their top notch customer service. They got back to me straight away and worked with me to resolve the issue. When the issue still persisted they sent me a whole new machine! You cannot go wrong with this machine. If you are looking for a really good one this is it!

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 👌🏻

Es de buena calidad y para su precio es buena