Illy is an Italian Brand that has existed since 1933 and is considered to be one of the top in the world. Illy produced the iperEspresso capsules, containing pre-measured coffee beverages, and teamed up machine makers such as Francis Francis (machine manufacturing company owned by Illy) and Gaggia to develop elite machines for their prized capsules. Some of the iperEspresso macines are produced by Francis Francis while others are made by Gaggia.
The Francis X7.1 iperEspresso by Illy is a unique looking, café style espresso maker for home use. While at first glance it looks more like a spaceship than a coffee brewer, it is rather stylish and ultra-modern looking. Available in three colours, red, white or black, it is bound to complement the décor of any kitchen.
Description:
The iperEspresso is a soundly constructed, portafilter style capsule brewer that makes use of progressive technology. It employs internal steel thermoblock boiler design which is capable of delivering fifteen bars of pressure, in addition to Pannarello wand for frothing milk. Contrary to the conventional coffee makers that use single stage systems, the X7.1 uses a new patented two-stage process. In this system, the X7.1 pre-infuses the Illy crafted capsules prior to each extraction so the crema is long lasting and the drink full-bodied. Also the extraction totally takes place inside the capsule, which means that machine and coffee never interact. This translates into virtually no mess and very easy cleaning.
Pannarello Frother:
The pannarello style frother has an automated aerator which facilitates the fabrication of cappuccinos. It only takes a single button to switch from espresso to steaming or frothing, and the machine is ready for frothing in as little as two minutes. As soon as the proper temperature is achieved, all that needs to be done is to position the milk jug under the wand and submerge the tip. Then just press the button and the machine takes care of the rest. The volume of milk will roughly double or get as high as the top of the steamer, at which point the aerator kicks in and the level stops rising any further. If desired, you can continue to run the wand until the desired temperature of the milk is achieved.
Operation:
The operation of the unit is fairly straightforward. Just fill the water resvervoir with water, plug the unit in and turn on the power. The temperature increases in increments of twenty degrees and as soon as it reaches the proper brewing temperature a charming sounding signal sounds. At this point just load the portafilter style capsule holder with an iperEspresso pod of choice and press the brew button. You drink will be ready in under sixty seconds.
Additional Features:
The machine is equipped with an automatic shut off function, which ensures that no power is wasted. The 34 ounce tank is sufficient several drinks before requiring a refill. It is a fairly compact unit measuring a little over ten inches wide, 11.5 inches deep and 12.5 inches high which will leave a very small foot print on your kitchen counter.
Reviewer Comments:
Overall most of the reviewers find the machine to be a good buy, and the drinks produced to be of good quality. However, there are a few negatives. Some reviewers find it difficult to create micorfoam good enough for latte art. The selection of capsules is rather limited and not commonly available. It needs to be decalcified fairly frequently and the time required by the boiler to shift from steaming back to espresso temperature requires a good ten minute wait, so back to back drinks are difficult to make. Last of all, capsules can’t be manually filled, which means you will end up creating a lot of waste.
Final Word:
The FrancisFrancis X7.1 is good to look at, solidly constructed, and simple to operate machine. It requires little effort when it comes to cleaning and yields a good cup of coffee. Furthermore, it is moderately priced so within the range of a lot of people. However, it is limited in terms of the variety of drinks it offers and finding them requires a bit of an effort.
