Italian coffee giants Lavazza have thrown their hat in the coffee pod ring to compete with the likes of Tassimo and the current champions Nespresso, but will the A Moda Mio serve up a quality crema or just leave a bitter taste in the mouth?

At just 20.5cm wide the Mio is pretty dinky for a fully featured espresso maker, especially as it features a steam arm for milk heating, 1-litre water tank and decent size used pod holder and drip tray.

As for styling the Mio is undoubtedly retro, but the cute curves, high-gloss two-tone finish in silver with red, black or white mean it will sit happily in the sleekest of modern kitchens. The plastic body construction isn’t the best – the Nespresso models we’ve tried feel substantially more robust – but it's sturdy enough not to look cheap.

Once filled with water and turned on it takes about 40 seconds to heat up ready for use. Pop your chosen coffee flavour in the flip-top slot, pull down the silver lever and push the button. A double espresso will take around 35 seconds, longer than both the Tassimo and Nespresso systems, and be warned, we only wanted a single shot, but the espresso button is manual, so it’s up to you how much coffee you want in the cup.

Sluggish speed aside the espresso tastes fantastic; rich, smooth, and equally as good as the Nespresso and on a par with the best restaurants have to offer.

While Tassimo and Nespresso both boast an impressive range of drinks and coffee flavours, the Lavazza has only four basic blends to choose from – light, medium, dark and decaf - all 100% Arabica beans.

But there’s more to the Moda than just espresso, you can also knock up a macchiato or cappuccino using the handy steamer. Usually the Achilles heel of budget coffee makers this steam arm was surprisingly simple to use and heated/frothed milk with a satisfying whoosh and gurgle. Our only niggle with the steamer is that the arm is about 2 inches too short and as a result most standard mugs were awkward to use, while the classic espresso cup fitted perfectly it didn’t hold enough milk for a latte or cappuccino.

The steam is controlled via a dial on the side of the machine, that can also be used to produce hot water for tea, but the water flow comes through such a narrow opening it’d be far quicker just to boil the kettle.

The Mio is easy to keep clean, the used pods fall automatically into a container and the excess water drains through into a separate drip tray. The whole unit pulls out as one making trips to the sink drip proof.

Coffee pods cost ?3.59 for 16 from Waitrose, Tesco or www.lavazzamodomio.co.uk, that’s 22p per cup and, while not as cheap as a vat of Mellow Birds, you really do get what you pay for.

Verdict:

We’re chuffed with the Lavazza coffee machine. For under ?120 it punches well above its weight in both looks and performance. The coffee is of seriously high quality, and if you consider the steam arm as an added bonus to a really good espresso maker you can’t fail to be impressed.

We admit that the casing it a touch plasticy and the machine lacks the clunk-click of more luxury machines, but the fact that the pods are available in supermarkets (unlike Nespresso) and the machine is child’s play to use (and clean) should mean more people get to enjoy proper coffee at home without unnecessary mess, fuss or expense.

Tags: Home And Kitchen Kitchen gadgets Coffee machines Lavazza Lavazza A Modo Mio

Lavazza A Modo Mio coffee machine originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:00:00 +0000

The appliance brand has absolutely nothing to do with super cars, but is the Casa Bugatti kettle the Veyron of the kitchen or just another overpriced worktop ornament?

Kettles have been getting technical of late – rapid boiling elements, clever water saving devices, Brita filters to name a few – but the Casa Bugatti takes water boiling high tech. We’re talking digital water level readers, adjustable temperature settings, programmable timers and one of the slickest LED displays we’ve ever seen, on anything.

But let’s start with the design – according to the product blurb the 1.7 litre conical stainless steel body has been engineered to speed up the boiling process and reduce energy consumption by an eco-friendly 25%. Clever stuff, but the real action happens in the handle. Plug the kettle in and LEDs spark into life showing the time, how much water (in ml) and how hot the water is.

Yes people, this kettle has a full-on digital interface and it’s not just for show; the three buttons at the base of the handle let you to programme the kettle to boil as a specific time and select a temperature between 45 and 98?C to reduce unnecessary boiling when making herbal teas and instant coffee.

Programming is easy, if not a bit fiddly. If you’ve ever owned a digital watch or set a VCR you’ll know what we mean; lots of button pushing and menu searching but you get there in the end.

But can it boil water? Firstly, the elongated conical shape and small opening meant it was a tight fit getting under the tap, and those with smaller faucets might struggle. Secondly you can’t judge the water level inside until you’ve put the kettle back on the base and the LED gauge lights up. We love the idea of being given a digital readout but as the minimum level is 800ml, far more than your average cup, we can’t help but think the 25% energy saving design will be cancelled out by needless over-filling at the tap.

Gripes aside, we can’t argue with the Bugatti’s ability to boil. The 2.4kW concealed element is lightening fast and a (self measured) cup of water took less than 30sec to boil. We also loved watching the temperature level rise on the LED display.

We’re smitten with the design, how couldn’t you be? But like a trophy bride we’ve got a nasty feeling the novelty will wear off, long after the credit card bill comes in.

Verdict:

The Casa Bugatti Kettle is a step-up in class from any other kettle available. It has "design classic" stamped all over it but is it really worth ?185?

It’s far and away the most drool-worthy hi-tech and downright desirable kettle we’ve ever seen and the Pocket-lint worktop is looking depressing without it, but having lived with it for a week we’re sadly not convinced.

It looks fantastic, and we challenge anyone not to be impressed with the LED handle and flashing gizmos, especially the programmable timer, but as an everyday appliance it’s just not practical enough. Yes, we know practical is boring, but when you can’t tell how much water is inside and resort to filling it up with a measuring jug to avoid scratching it and the tap we think even die-hard fashionistas would have to admit defeat.

Tags: Home And Kitchen Kitchen gadgets Kettles Casa Bugatti Casa Bugatti Vera

Casa Bugatti Vera Kettle originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:07:29 +0000