Mistral Coffee Machine MEM700

Simply Brilliant – Sorry to read that reviewer mikerv had what seems to be a dud machine and little back up support from Mistral. My experience of the machine has been the opposite, however I can't speak for back up service as I haven't needed any, so probably keep that in mind. Had the machine for over 6 months now and it has been given an absolute flogging by my husband who would make 4 to 6 cups of latte type coffee a day. I have used multiple coffee machines over the years ( all reviewed) with varying degrees of success. I avoided the capsule type as I didn't like the idea of consuming something that involved steaming water penetrating plastic and then having to dispose of more plastic. So when they changed the capsules to alluminum I decided to give them a go. It heats up blindingly quick, we are talking a couple of minutes. We use Lavazza capsules but any brand of similar size will do ( if the box the capsules come in says 'capatable with Nespresso coffee makers' then you are good to go). Extremely simple to use: fill the water compartment, turn it on, wait for the flashing light on the front to stop flashing and then press the button of the size of cup you want. Both sizes are quite small so we pick the larger size and use the strongest coffee capsule to get a full bodied brew with a decent amount of crema (see photo). The result is a warm and close to a good quality barista coffee. However if you like your coffee hot you will have to zap it in the microwave. I like mine somewhere in the middle of luke warm and hot so I only zap mine for 10 seconds and I can't detect any change in the flavour or quality of the coffee. We then add the whipped milk from our Expressi milk frother (see my review). It has paid for itself in coffee already and if it lasts for another 6 months it will have been well worth the purchase price. Bought from an Australia Post agent $99. Pros: so far the best "cheap" coffee machine I have used. Fool proof to operate due to being a capsule machine, fits all capsules that fit Nespresso machines, slim design so takes up little benchtop space and produces quality barista type coffee. Cons: coffee only warm so if you like your coffee hot may not be suitable for you.