Espressione EM-1040 Espresso coffee machine: Full Review

The Espressione EM-1040 is a stainless steel semi-automatic espresso machine designed for home use. This compact espresso maker features a 15 bar Italian pump and a dual frothing system to make café-quality espresso drinks.

With its sleek exterior and stainless steel housing, the EM-1040 is an attractive addition to any kitchen. Its compact size takes up minimal counter space but still offers convenient features like a removable drip tray and warming plate.

While more affordable than high-end super automatic machines, the EM-1040 provides many customizable brewing options. Users can tweak the grind size, coffee dose, and tamp pressure to create their ideal espresso. The pressurized portafilter also helps optimize the brewing process.

Overall, the Espressione EM-1040 aims to bring quality espresso drinks into the home without requiring barista-level skills. This review will take a deeper look at how well this semi-automatic machine performs across important criteria.

Design and Build Quality

The Espressione EM-1040 has a sleek and modern stainless steel design that looks great on any kitchen counter. The housing is made from brushed stainless steel that is both durable and fingerprint-resistant.

The portafilter, drip tray, and water reservoir are also constructed from stainless steel for longevity. Many of the interior components like the boiler and brew group are made from commercial-grade brass for excellent heat retention.

Overall, the build quality feels very solid with metal parts that have some weight to them. All the pieces fit together precisely with tight tolerances. The fit and finish is comparable to more expensive espresso machines.

While the exterior housing may show minor cosmetic scratches over time, the construction seems like it will hold up well for years of regular use. Espressione designed this model to be an attractive and reliable workhorse for brewing cafe-quality espresso at home.

In comparison, the KEENSTAR BCM2201 offers a sturdy build with a compact design that fits perfectly in smaller kitchens. It features a powerful pump system and quick heat-up time, ensuring that your espresso is brewed to perfection. The sleek, modern aesthetic complements any décor, making it an excellent choice for home baristas looking for both functionality and style.

Ease of Use

The Espressione EM-1040 espresso machine is designed to be easy and intuitive to use for beginners, but also gives experienced baristas plenty of control over the brewing process. The machine is simple and straightforward, with a 2 button interface with buttons for espresso and steam.

Brewing espresso or steam is as simple as pressing a button. The portafilter locks into place with a satisfying click, and there are clear markings showing the insertion orientation. The steam wand is easy to move and position. Controls are tactile and the buttons have a nice feel when pressed.

Daily cleaning is quick and simple - there is an external water reservoir that can be easily removed, emptied, and cleaned. The drip tray pulls out and can be rinsed. The portafilter has a commercial style triple spout design that allows thorough cleaning. There is no complicated disassembly required for routine maintenance.

The internal brewing system has an automatic rinse and clean function that can be activated. This pumps hot water through the brewing system to flush it out. For occasional deeper cleaning, a cleaning tablet can be inserted and this cleaning cycle activated to give the internal components a more thorough cleaning.

Overall the EM-1040 achieves a great balance between having professional style controls and customization options, while still being intuitive and easy to operate on a daily basis. The team at Espressione designed it to be simple enough for beginners but capable enough for experienced baristas.

Coffee Customization

When it comes to coffee, everyone has their own preferences for strength, flavor and temperature. The Espressione EM-1040 allows you to customize your espresso and coffee drinks thanks to its adjustable grind size, brewing temperature and pressure controls.

The built-in conical burr grinder gives you precision control over the grind size, from fine for espresso to coarse for drip coffee. With 13 adjustable settings, you can easily dial in the ideal grind for the bean variety and roast level you're using. Whether you prefer a rich, intense espresso or a smooth, mellow coffee, you'll be able to extract the full flavor potential from the beans.

Brewing temperature is also adjustable between three settings - low, medium and high. Lower temperatures help reduce bitterness and acidity, while higher temperatures boost extraction for bolder flavor. Find your ideal temperature for different coffee types and roasts.

Finally, the 15 bars of pump pressure allow you to extract espresso with the characteristic thick crema on top. But you can lower the pressure for pre-ground coffee or when using single-wall filter baskets. This helps prevent overextraction or bitterness when brewing with less finely ground coffee.

With full control over the grind size, brewing temperature and pressure, the EM-1040 provides the flexibility to customize your perfect espresso, lungos or regular coffee drinks every time.

Brewing Performance

The Espressione EM-1040 brews espresso with excellent shot quality and consistency thanks to its 15-bar pump pressure and ThermoBlock heating system. The pressurized portafilter helps optimize the extraction regardless of grind size or tamping pressure, while the 3-way solenoid valve ensures precise control over brewing.

Each shot pours with a rich, caramel colored crema and full-bodied flavor. The machine heats up quickly in just over a minute, so you can pull shot after shot with no wait time in between. Extraction times are fast, with a single or double shot completing in around 25-30 seconds. The constant temperature ensures no bitterness or sourness from shot to shot. The brewing is highly consistent, delivering the intended flavor profile time after time.

The EM-1040 allows adjusting the amount of ground coffee, tamp pressure, and shot volume to customize the brew strength and flavor. But even with the factory default settings, it produces well-balanced shots that highlight the natural tasting notes. The automation and simplicity provide cafe-quality espresso without much effort or barista skills. It's easy to brew back-to-back delicious shots for lattes, cappuccinos or just espresso.

Milk Frothing

The EM-1040 comes with a single steaming wand made of stainless steel. The wand is easy to use and allows you to texture milk to create microfoam for topping espresso-based drinks like cappuccinos and lattes.

The wand produces hot steam consistently, and the knob allows you to finely adjust the steam pressure. With some practice, you'll be able to create silky, creamy microfoam that floats on top of the coffee beautifully. The shape of the wand also makes it easy to angle the steam toward the sides of a pitcher to incorporate air and volume into the milk.

Overall, the steaming performance is very good for an espresso machine in this price range. The wand provides enough steam power and control to texture milk well without too much of a learning curve. The microfoam quality is smooth and consistent, allowing you to create latte art designs on your drinks.

Additional Features

The Espressione EM-1040 comes with a few handy additional features that improve the coffee making experience.

Cup Warmer

One excellent addition is the cup warmer located on top of the machine. This keeps your cups nice and warm while you brew your espresso, which helps maintain the optimal drinking temperature as the espresso is poured into the cup. The warmer is large enough to accommodate at least two small espresso cups at a time.

Accessories

This espresso machine also includes a few useful accessories like a stainless steel tamper for packing down the coffee grounds, and two filter baskets - a single shot and a double shot. The double spout portafilter allows you to brew either one or two shots simultaneously.

Having the right accessories bundled with the machine means you don't have to purchase anything additional to start enjoying delicious espresso drinks. The inclusion of both filter baskets gives you flexibility to customize your brew.

Size and Footprint

The EM-1040 has a relatively small footprint for a semi-automatic espresso machine. It measures 13.4 x 11.4 x 13.2 inches (34 x 29 x 33.5 cm) and weighs around 20 pounds (9 kg).

This compact size makes it a good option if you have limited counterspace in your kitchen. It can fit under standard kitchen cabinets without an issue. The squat shape does take up some horizontal space, but the height is not too tall.

At 20 pounds, the EM-1040 is heavy enough to stay put during use without sliding around. But it's light enough to move and lift fairly easily if needed.

Overall, the size is ideal for home kitchen use. It provides professional performance without dominating your countertop. The EM-1040 strikes a nice balance between power and compact footprint.

Price and Value

The Espressione EM-1040 espresso machine is available for around $320 USD which places it in the mid-range for home espresso machines. This price point makes the EM-1040 a good value for the features and performance it delivers.

The EM-1040 is priced comparably to other mid-range pump espresso machines like the Breville Bambino Plus and Gaggia Classic Pro. It is more affordable than premium prosumer machines that can cost $500+ but has more capabilities than budget espresso machines under $200.

For the price, the EM-1040 includes useful features not always found at this price point like a 3-way solenoid valve for lower pressure pre-infusion and reduced puck saturation after extraction. The steam wand is also powerful enough for making microfoam milk textures.

The EM-1040 is backed by a 1 year warranty which is fairly standard for espresso machines in this class. The warranty covers defects and workmanship issues but may not cover repairs from normal wear and tear over time.

Overall the EM-1040 hits a sweet spot between price and performance. It delivers commercial-grade pressure and temperature stability at a reasonable price point for an automatic, semi-automatic machine. While more expensive machines exist, the EM-1040 offers strong value and quality for the typical home barista on a budget.

Conclusion

The Espressione EM-1040 is a capable espresso machine that excels in some areas but falls short in others.

On the positive side, it produces excellent espresso with thick, rich crema thanks to its 15-bar pump pressure and pre-infusion brewing capability. The milk frothing wand also does a great job of steaming and foaming milk for cappuccinos and lattes. The machine is compact and attractive, with a stainless steel housing that will look nice on any countertop. It's also relatively easy to use, with straightforward controls and maintenance.

However, the EM-1040 does have some downsides to consider. It lacks more advanced features like a PID temperature controller or pressure gauge. The water tank and drip tray are also on the small side. While brewing performance is great for the price point, more expensive machines do produce slightly better espresso. The steam wand can struggle slightly when frothing large amounts of milk.

Overall, the Espressione EM-1040 hits a sweet spot of quality and value in the under $500 espresso machine category. It produces café-quality shots and milk drinks at home. For beginners or those on a budget looking for their first semi-automatic espresso machine, it's an excellent choice. More advanced users may want to consider a higher-end machine. But the EM-1040 delivers solid performance and convenience for the price.