AICOK Espresso Machine Review

Here is the AICOK espresso machine review, one of the reasonably-priced best espresso machines that’ll brew your espresso every single day.

Almost everyone would love to have a cup of well-made espresso to start their day with. Or a cup of delicious latte or cappuccino – whatever floats your boat.

But the thing is, getting your morning boost from commercial cafes every day can prove too costly. With this AICOK espresso machine, you can effortlessly make your own espressos and other specialty drinks like latte, mocha, and cappuccino in no time.

It is a premium quality, petite semi-automatic espresso machine that does not rip off your pockets!

In this Aikok Espresso Machine review, we are going to take a look at its features, performance, and quality of coffee it makes.

Let’s get started:

Why We Like the AICOK Espresso Machine

The AICOK espresso machine is a 2-in-1 semi-automatic machine that efficiently brews espresso, cappuccino, latte as well as mocha. Here is what we like:

• Durable stainless steel construction
• Easy to use and clean
• Compact size fits any kitchen countertop
• Affordably priced
• Makes espresso, latte, cappuccino, and mocha
• Simple controls with indicator lights
• Brews espresso faster, just in 1 minute 30 seconds

Key Features of AICOK Espresso and Cappuccino Maker

Aesthetics and Brilliant Design

The AICOK espresso machine CM-4682 is one of the high-quality coffee makers in the market that allows you to prepare barista-quality espresso, latte, cappuccino, and mocha at home.

It is a perfect machine for beginners who have just started their experimentation with making delicious espressos at home.  With two coffee spouts, you can either brew one or two espressos simultaneously.

As for its aesthetics, it looks quite classy with full stainless steel body construction. This also means that it is more durable than other plastic-made competitors in the market.  Plus, its modern design will easily blend with any kind of kitchen decor. The finishing in sleek silver and black accents looks attractive in every which way.

The machine features automatic temperature control and has an ergonomically designed funnel handle for users’ convenience.

Compact size

The AICOK espresso machine weighs up to 12.2 pounds (5.53 kg) and measures 11.2” x 8.3” x 11.02”. So, it is quite compact to go onto any constricted kitchen countertop, but some might feel that it is heavy to move around.

Water Reservoir

The detachable water reservoir is located at the back of the machine. It has around 43 ounces/1.25 liters of capacity, so you can easily brew a few cups of espresso without the need to refill frequently. The water reservoir is transparent and has MIN and MAX level indicators for you to refer to.

And the smart design of its lid allows for faster filling and cleaning.

One downside that we noticed in this Aicok Review is that the unit does not indicate a low water level, and it is not convenient for you to check the water level as the tank is placed at the back. Hence, you need to make sure there is enough water in the water tank before you start the brewing cycle.

Simple Control Panel

The control panel is kept clean and minimalistic with just two buttons and one dial. One button is for power ON/OFF and the other one is to activate the steam function. Each of these buttons comes with indicator lights for your convenience. The green light will indicate when the machine ready to brew espresso/froth milk.

To make espresso, turn the dial completely to the left. And to steam milk, turn the dial fully to the right.

15 Bar High-pressure Pump

With a 15 bar high-pressure pump, the machine brews espresso with full extraction of coffee oils, thus, producing rich-tasting, silky and creamy espresso. Likewise, the pump also helps in creating aerated milk foam for your lattes and cappuccinos.

The carafe is NOT included with the unit, so you won’t be able to serve coffee instantly to a bunch of people around. But if you don’t mind this, the machine has many other things that’ll appeal to gourmet coffee lovers.

Swiveling Steam Wand

The best thing we noticed in this AICOK espresso machine CM-4682 review is that it comes integrated with a separate milk frother. This means you can efficiently make delicious cups of latte, cappuccino, and mocha at home.

As seen in most coffee machines today, the AICOK espresso machine features a stainless steel steam wand and milk frother with which you can steam and froth milk. It can swivel up to 180 degrees, so users can adjust its position as per their convenience. It also has a rubber grip, which you can use to direct the steam where you want without scalding your hands. Such milk frother is generally seen on a high-end home espresso maker, so it really enhances the value of this AICOK espresso machine.

Warranty

The best thing about the AICOK Espresso machine is its 2 years of impressive manufacturer’s warranty. Many coffee machines in this price range offer just 1 year of warranty. So clearly, AICOK has outshined many of its competitors in this category.

Another bonus point is that the AICOK espresso machine also offers lifetime support to its customers after-sales.

One thing to remember is that this machine does not pack many accessories. You need to buy a milk pitcher and a tamper separately to get going with this machine. Many coffee makers today come packed with a tamping tool, but the AICOK espresso machine lags behind here.

Cup Warmer

As found in most machines, the top part of this machine also doubles as a cup warmer.

As you turn ON the device, place the empty cups on the top of the unit to warm them up as brewing starts. This will allow your espresso to retain its serving temperature, so your coffee remains nice and hot till the end. Moreover, the warm cup also helps in enhancing the taste.

Pouring your espresso in a cold cup can really hinder the ideal serving temperature- so it’s a big no.

AICOK Espresso Machine Review

Easy to use

Using the AICOK CM-4682 espresso machine is exceptionally easy, as it has just two buttons (each with an indicator light) and one dial to choose either ‘espresso’ or ‘steam’ function. The mechanism of the funnel is also smooth to take out or lock in place.

Most importantly, the machine is eco-friendly as it does not require coffee pods to make espresso.

• The top button is for power ON/OFF. By default, this button is set for brewing mode. So, as you press this button- the red light will start flashing and the water will start heating. If the green light beside the button lightens up- it means that your hot water is ready to brew espresso.

• The second button will activate the steam function. If the green light beside the button lightens up- it means that your milk frother steam is ready to froth milk.

• To brew espresso, you simply need to remove the funnel, put coffee grounds into the filter, and tamp it. Make sure you do not fill the grounds more than the MAX level in the filter. To prevent coffee leakage, clean the edge of the filter off any loose grounds. If you don’t have a tamper, here is how to do it.

• Align the lock and then place the filter into the funnel.

• For best results, AICOK recommends using with this espresso machine a medium-fine grind coffee.

• Since it is a semi-automatic espresso machine, you don’t really have to do much when the brewing cycle starts. And the heater is highly powered, so the brewing process is quick and simple.

The important thing to note here is that, while making espresso, you need to turn the ‘steam’ button OFF. And then, turn the dial to the ‘espresso’ function; otherwise, water will leak from the handle. Similarly, when you want to steam milk- you need to turn ON the steam button and then turn the dial to steam function.

These procedures might feel complicated at first, but they aren’t really. Once you get used to its functioning, it is quite easy to brew coffee drinks with the unit.

Brew Time

The integrated 1050W high-power heater (120V) runs quietly and powerfully for an efficient brewing cycle. Further, the equipment also features a 26-inch long power cord- which is a plus point.

The heavy-duty dual spouts can fill up one large travel mug or two espresso cups at a single time.

Overall, the AICOK CM-4682 espresso machine is very easy to operate. It can brew espresso pretty quickly- just within 1 minute 30 seconds after the water is heated. With a tad bit of practice, even beginners can make barista-quality espresso with this machine.

Coffee Quality

The end result produced by the AICOK espresso machine is quite great. The taste and texture of espresso, latte, and other specialty drinks are reported to be good- just like those you get in professional cafes or with the higher level espresso makers.

The flavor of the brewed espresso is rich with full extraction, all credits to its 15 bars powerful pump. Such powerful extraction lets you enjoy each drop of Italian espresso with its inner layer fully evident.

Few important tips to keep in mind:

• If you don’t want your espresso to be too strong or harsh in taste, you need to let the boiler cool down after frothing milk and then brew espresso. That’s because too hot a boiler can cause over-extraction of coffee grounds, resulting in a bitter taste and dim crema.
• If your espresso has a weak taste, it is because either your ground coffee has a coarse texture or there isn’t enough coffee in the filter.

Easy to Clean

The AICOK CM-4682 espresso machine comes with a removable water reservoir and a removable drip tray. This means that the machine allows for easy maintenance.

• You can wash the water reservoir and drip tray with warm soapy water as and when required.
• Make sure to always clean the coffee dregs from the coffee spout and seal the ring with the help of paper towels.
• If you are using the machine for the first time or after a very long time, just brew water first without any coffee grounds, so as to clean the boiler.
• To avoid leakage, make sure you do not fill the filter with coffee grounds more than MAX level.
• The stainless steel filter on the inside of the funnel can be washed in the dishwasher. But, the funnel itself is not dishwasher-safe.
• When not in use, turn OFF the unit and remove the plug.

Who is it for?

The AICOK Espresso Machine CM-4682 is an ideal espresso and cappuccino machine for people who have a low budget yet need a sturdy unit to brew various specialty drinks at home. This amazing stainless steel brewer here can make coffee for more than one person- which makes it perfect for a medium-sized family of coffee lovers.

The best thing is that AICOK takes only about 1 and a half a minute to produce a delicious cup of espresso. So, it is also great for people who rush to work but need a cup of espresso every morning to get that boost!

Note that, the milk steaming procedure is manual, so it might not be the best latte maker for beginners. But for those who are well-versed with the manual latte-making process and also who seek a machine on a budget, here’s your ideal buy.

Conclusion

To wrap up about the AICOK Espresso machine, we can conclude that it might be one of the best espresso machine choices for people who want to brew espresso and other frothed high-quality beverages at home.

This 2-in-1 espresso maker comes with a milk frother, so you can make espresso, mocha, latte, and cappuccino within minutes like a pro. With a high-powered 1050W heater, it works remarkably well and fast. And, it takes just about a couple of minutes to brew fresh, flavor-rich espresso.

The articulating milk frother and entire stainless steel construction are two of its main highlights!

Overall, it is a great entry-level machine offered at a very reasonable price. So, if you want your coffee on the go, have a look at this 2-in-1 AICOK espresso maker.