Much Loved Design Classic (FrancisFrancis X1)

Member Name: GideonS

Product:	FrancisFrancis X1
Date:	20/06/03 (1902 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: A thing of beauty, Solid Build

Disadvantages: Clunky operation, pricey

I had admired this design classic for some time. But having used my £40 Ikea machine almost every day for 3 years I figured I could treat myself to an upgrade. But I hummed and harred for ages over the £350 price tag.

Then, an a trip to Italy I picked up a beautiful baby-blue model for nearly £100 cheaper, lugged it home and I've never looked back.

Like every espresso machine it's a dark art making good capaccino, especially more than one cup in sucession. My wife still hasn't got the hang of it. I had assumed otherwised, given the much greater price tag to the one I'd used previously. It is nice having a water tank tho, so you don't have to keep filling her up.

It's actually more complicated, with all it's chrome switches you have to flick at just the right time - but I actually like the retro-ness of this clunky operation. It's like a little old steam engine.

Although the build is very robust, compared to even other expensive machines, the temp dial stopped working after a year or so and I have no idea how easy it would be to replace. It doesn't effect it's operation as there's a thermostat light which tells you the water or steam is hot enough.

All in all, for something so georgeous, in retrospect I shoudl have forked out £350 earlier. But with round trips from the UK as low as £60, I'd recommend an Italian shopping spree.

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