Metal Semi-Automatic Espresso Machine - KES6503, Empire Red

I use this machine to make my morning double shot of espresso and I think it was a great purchase. It comes very well packaged and is a very high quality machine. Paired with a KitchenAid Empire Red Grinder, the two machines work very well together. I am getting a consistent grind and a consistent cup of espresso. The combo is easy to use and easy to keep clean. I am not a latte fan so I can't speak to that but all the parts for making milk drinks are included. This machine is well built and should last for years of daily use. IMHO, this machine is provides very consistent results if great daily espresso is the goal.

This is a very good espresso machine for what it is which is simple. It’s beautiful to look at, especially if you have other KitchenAid products to match it to. It works well, makes a good espresso drink and steams milk well and quickly. Someone told me the best machines grind and then brew espresso at the same time as steaming the milk and this does not do that.

SECOND, DEFECTIVE UNIT received! The first machine had a faulty steam wand and internal water leak. The replacement machine failed after the first use, exhibiting the following defects: Steamer instability: The steam function quickly reverted to sputtering hot water instead of consistent, dry steam, causing milk foam to collapse. After a couple of uses the machine entered a critical failure state with all indicator lights continuously blinking, requiring a complete power reset on the first day of operation. After 10 min reset, it worked, but I lost complete trust in its long-term reliability. Seeing consistent and serious internal component failures on two separate machines, I highly recommend against buying this machine now. -------------------------------- First machine review: It took me few days to understand it wasn't my fault of some sort. The coffee function itself is excellent, but: - Machine received was defective straight out of the box. - The steam wand failed entirely to produce stable foam; milk rose, but foam collapsed immediately (tested and found wet steam VS dry steam necessary to produce frothed milk). - During steaming, the machine exhibited a loud, struggling pump noise and a long delay before activation. - A internal leak was present: using the steamer just twice filled half of the drip tray with diverted water. - Conclusion: The core brewing feature (steaming) is broken due to a clear internal component failure. Requires immediate return, which is nuisance but will likely order another one as I do like overall design… - On a positive note, I like solid metal materials of the machine, the portafilter is heavy and feels good resembling good sturdy quality that lasts, there are 4 baskets for coffee 2 single and 2 double walled ones, with no rubber or plastic parts that wear out quickly on other machines. - From User experience perspective - the controls could be a bit larger or different - for someone older it is hard to see if you're on coffee, steam or water setting. Or whether you're on single or double shot. Very small indicators aren't friendly to those with poor vision. Especially when you have the small dot lights on they're tiny bit blinding! - the packaging is terrible if you have to re-package it to send it back! I am fairly detailed and usually would not have a problem with this task, but had to separately add this here as bad as it is.

FAST FACTS: PROS: Nicely made metal body, simple interface, flat portafilter, quiet, sleek CONS: Limited movement steam wand DETAILED REVIEW: Let me preface this review by stating that this is the 5th espresso machine I have owned and it's my second favorite. My favorite machine is the Breville Espresso Pro, which I use in my main house. This KitchenAid is in our vacation house. The KitchenAid is better than the DeLonghi, GE Profile, and Cafe espresso machines I've owned previously. The KitchenAid is very nicely made with a brushed metal body and has a robust and dense build quality. I paid extra for the metal finish, and I'm glad I did. The only slightly cheap feeling part is the water reservoir. The plastic feels a bit brittle. The machine is modestly sized and easily fits under my cabinets on the countertop. There is enough room under the cabinet to easily maneuver the pitcher when steaming milk. The KitchenAid is very simple to use with bright LED indicator lights and pleasant feeling push buttons. It is quick to heat up and get ready, and also fairly quick to produce steam. The machine is quiet in use. I used the included 2 cup non-pressurized filter basket. I placed 19 grams of freshly ground coffee beans inside. I appreciate the flat bottomed portafilter that makes it easy to tamp down the grounds right on my counter. The espresso came out in a smooth stream with the desired warm honey color. The crema was not as rich and thick as the Breville's, but was pleasant. Steaming the Califia Farms - Oat Barista Blend Oat Milk with the steam wand worked nicely and created a warm milk with a frothy texture. I wish the steam wand offered more range of movement, however. The espresso that the KitchenAid made was wonderful tasting with a rich flavor, and little acidity. The temperature was ideal. The overall experience is pleasant. All in all... a great machine.

We love this thing! We got one but it was a dud (would turn on but no water uptake). There was no exchange process so we just had to return it and reorder. We got another one hopeful that it would live up to the reviews, and it worked, and it's great! We use it basically every day. It's sturdy and super easy to use (even for me who gets frustrated easily with new things). You just have to pack in the grounds and then start it by flipping the on switch and pressing the start button once it's preheated the water). All features on the 2nd one we purchased work great. We don't always use the steamer because it's a little less convenient than microwaving the milk and cream and the steam wand and caraf needs to be cleaned with each use, but it works really well and is totally worth it when we have the time. The flavor of streaming the milk and cream is great. We always use the double portafilter, and we tend to run the water thru twice to increase the amount of espresso produced without too much extra caffeine. The crema is excellent every time even with running it thru twice. The caraf seems to be about a cup so you can make enough to make 2 12oz? cups of espresso typically (e.g. mocha which takes about half cup of milk/cream). I love the solid metal construction on everything. I would recommend it!

I'm not an espresso expert and have never had an espresso machine. That being said, I love this machine! It's nice and heavy and looks to be very well built just like my KitchenAid stand mixer. It's simply awesome!!! It froths the milk nice and thick and fluffy, I ordered the milk frothing attachment from another website but it hasn't been delivered yet. I was looking at 4 different espresso machines and this one won and I really think I made the right choice, just like all KitchenAid products it's very nice and sturdy and works really well. It came well packaged as well. The coffee stamper is a nice metal as well which I noticed some other brands come with a cheap plastic one, it comes with extra things like two single wall cups and two double wall cups for one and two shots, other brands didn't have those extras, also a nice coffee scooper and a milk frothing cup.

This espresso machine is marvelous and one I found to be easy to use as an introduction to espresso machines. It heats the coffee grounds evenly, the coffee is bold and lively tasting, and you get great crema. My one and only qualm with the machine is the steamer wand as it’s insanely loud and ear piercing, but you only have to bear it for a few moments. It does, thankfully, steam milk marvelously despite the jarring sounds.

Very nice espresso foam—rich. Really nice size and looks attractive in the kitchen. Hot and simple to clean. I really love kitchenaid products. In the black color I am rarely having to tidy it up after use. The drip plate stays very clean, no splash or grounds! Very happy customer!! Need a single-cup all stainless basket style k-cup coffee maker by kitchen aid too as this brand makes great finishes. Love the move toward more quality steel like the mixers.

I'm rating this machine relevant to its advertised ability, not some pie in the sky expectation that I have. First of all, this is semi-manual so don't expect that you'll be able to just make perfect espresso without knowing about the basics of coffee grinds, tamping, pulling shots etc. The machine comes with two different types of baskets, one set for pre-ground coffee and one for freshly ground coffee. Know when to use which. Once you dial in the machine and your grind, the pull ends up being consistent and you'll have great tasting espresso with nice separation. There isn't anything to complain about here, you get all the tools you'll need to make this happen, just learn how. The steamwand/frother is indeed good enough to make nice microfoam and latte art, but you need to be experienced or be willing to learn proper technique. It does not have the panarello adapter that comes with lower end machines to make the process easy, you actually have to do it yourself. Pressure here is obviously not as good as high end machines, but it IS just good enough that with good technique you can get the job done, and I don't know many machines at this price point that even have the ability to do this without a panarello, so good for kitchen aid. Build quality is classic KA, the thing is a metal tank. The water bucket has a nice volume, and the built in handle makes it easy to take off and refill. Buttons are not flimsy, and all thr accessories with the machine are also metal and feels very sturdy and very robust. It's easy to clean and maintain, which is important. The hot water function is also great for making tea and hot drinks, but if you're a tea connoisseur you'll want a water heater with fine temperature control, this machine only has 3 temperature settings, but again, it's not advertised as a pro tea making machine. All in all, this machine has it all the for semi-manual crowd. If you know how to dial in a machine and your grind, and you can use a proper steam wand, then you'll be happy with this machine for the price point. It's built well, it looks great, and makes delicious espresso. It's fun to use as well, because you have to be active and "drive it" and the better YOU are, the better the coffee will be, and that is rewarding for some people, whereas others just want to press a button and have good tasting coffee. If you're that person, don't buy this machine. It's a bit more like driving a manual transmission, but it's more fun too, and you'll win the race if you know how to drive.

I am a huge Kitchenaid fan and have countertop and major appliances and have continued to purchase this brand. However I regret to say I should have listened to the reviews. Out of the box - it didn’t work. All lights flashing and trouble shooting guide (manual) and online video says to unplug aloft ten minutes and restart. Various this out three times without success. Video and manual says it needs to be returned and to contact customer service. This experience was mentioned in a couple of other reviews and I wish I’d listened. What a shame. I will look for a more traditional espresso manufacturer that has decades of engineering behind them and try again.

I bought a refurbished coffee maker that never worked. Not sure who did the “refurbishing” but I was not impressed with the results. And the machine itself seemed to be mostly plastic. It does not seem to be well built.