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Ascaso Dream
Coffee explosion
Just putting the Ascaso Dream Machine in the garbage. One year after purchase the temperature gauge quit working. We have been working around this issue by guesstimating temperatures and pressures. Today, I guessed wrong and when I went to remove the coffee holder the pressure released, blowing coffee all over the kitchen. NOT HAPPY. Not only no coffee but now a big mess to clean up. Arghhhhh!! Going to get a Breville - our previous one lasted over 6 years for way less money.
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Too expensive for what it is
Bought a red Ascaso Dream espresso machine 2 years ago. The red paint is now peeling off. Contacted Ascaso yesterday and apparently they are unable to help us fix the problem. Considering what we paid for this machine, we were expecting a high quality product, this is apparently not the case. Not recommending this product to anybody, put your money somewhere else.
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Boat Anchor!
Looks great but was constant problems. After 10 Months the Pump Died, We got a warranty, then 23 Months the Temp gauge died, Got it fixed under warranty, both times taking 2-3 Months to get it Back and then just after 2 years the element failed. I have coffee every morning
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Really enjoyable machine
Took me a while to get used to making coffee. I was a newbie when I bought this machine. However once I got used to tamping and grinding properly, I started making richly flavoured coffee with wonderful crema every time. I bought the extra head attachment, which maybe slightly improved the shots I made, but it started deteriorating and causing the machine to leak. Back to how it was originally now and super happy with how it is going, maybe 4 or 5 years on...
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Matt - Tassie
- 10 reviews
3,000 cups and still going
I have been using this machine for over 3 years. It is the fifth espresso machine I have owned. It looks like retro styling but the same machine has been made continuously since the 1960s. This is definitely a manual machine. If you simply want to turn on the machine in the morning a press a button, this is not the machine for you.
This machine has a single boiler which means you have to heat the water for your espresso and then separately heat the steam for frothing the milk. With this machine you have more variance in the result depending on...Read more
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Dream is Nightmare indeed
Bought the machine in brushed aluminum and it looks fab, it did however stop working after a few months. I purchased it from http://www.barista.gr at a good price. After explaining to the owner a fellow named [name removed], he was happy to repair it as long as I paid the £65 to return ship it. After he troubleshot it, he stated it overtemped and I should have been able to open the cover and reset it and then held the machine hostage until I paid return shipping. I involved Ascaso who supported the vendor... Eventually after a few weeks B...Read more
arista selections returned it, improperly packed and damaged. After sending them photos and a video of the damage they sent replacement switches and expected me to repair the machine. I also escalated this to Ascaso who again were apathetic. I can only say from a customer perspective, both the vendor and Ascaso are well below average. I had the machine repaired and it's operational, but have to say it's designed poorly. It loses all temperature when brewing the coffee, it takes forever to build up pressure and temperature for frothing milk. It makes loud chugging noises and if you remove the coffee basket arm from the machine too quickly it will spit grinds all over the place. And the temperature goes to near maximum just trying to froth enough milk for one cup. Seriously, avoid this experience and purchase something more dependable. Don't be lured by the dreams appearance, it will keep you up at night!Similar opinion? Write a review on ieatwords.com.au!
nessjez
- 39 reviews
Great coffee, great looks, needs regular servicing
I've owned this machine over 3 years now. Initially I thought it was unreliable, however I've learned it just needs to be regularly serviced (they recommend doing it every 3rd descale which is about once every 6 months). The good news is YouTube has taught me how to service it myself (it's very easy) and rather than send it off for 4 weeks or so at a cost of over $100-$150 I can do it at home in 30 minutes at a cost of $40 (the cost of the parts required).
Great design, simple to use, great coffee
Unreliable
1 comment
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DocSouth East Queensland, QLD
- 22 reviews
Ascaso Dream Should Be Called A Nightmare
We have had it for 4 years in that time it's spent a year in repairs got sick of taking it to the authorised repairer 6 months to get it fixed first time
This time 6 months again just picked it up last week at least this repairer is at the end of my street
I didn't have to travel to Brisbane to pick it up was only working for a year before it broke down again $440 to repair and still doesn't have a functioning temperature gauge seems they cant get the parts and that's the reason it took so long to repair
Next time it breaks down its g...Read more
oing on top of the cupboard with all the others as a display Each time its comes back from repair its also got more scratches and paint chips on it as well I originally bought this machine because it was simple no electronics to break or so I thoughtSimilar opinion? Write a review on ieatwords.com.au!
John88888AU
- 29 reviews
Great looking machine
I got one of these machines (but under the Innova brand name) 9 years ago. I would estimate that I would have a coffee per day on average, so this machine has made a lot of coffee for me.
First, it is a great looking machine. My one is all polished stainless steel, but it does show up finger prints and the like.
Since the day I got it, it has been reliable and never failed me. I have been told though, it is important to clean them properly, flush them with water, always ensure there is plenty of water so the pump doesn't run dry, and u...Read more
se them frequently otherwise they can break down. I'm sure tough that this probably applies to any coffee machine. For the price, it has been a great machine for me. The coffee is very good, and like any machine the freshness and quality of the coffee is perhaps the primary factor to consider here. In addition, getting the grind right took me a while to get a coffee that I was very happy with. In this regard, I did find that I needed a slgihtly finer grind than I would have expected, and firmer tamping of the coffee to get a good crema that was not burnt or bitter. It does take a while to heat up, and the drip tray is quite shallow so needs to be emptied regularly. As someone else mentioned, the height if the handle and basket, to the drip tray is perhaps a bit low making it difficult to get taller cups in. I also find the milk steamer builds pressure quickly, but doesn't sustain pressure for substantially long periods.1 comment
Since this review, my dream needed repairing. There are not many parts inside these so repairs means replacing the boiler, pump, or something major like this. In NZ, coffee Ninja have the parts needed to fix these if necessary.
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DaveHallyMelbourne
Still going great
I've had mine for over 6 years now and lived with 2 housemates that all used it daily. Crema not an issue as reported by other reviewer here. When I shipped it back from UK I had to replace heating element which presumably got damaged in freight - was cheap to fix and not been a problem since. Don't bother with pods - I'd get a flat shower head for it if I could change anything because we never use pods. Would buy another tomorrow if this one was stolen.
Been going for 6 years of very regular use (conservative estimate would be over 3000 coffee...Read more
2 comments
Hi Dave, i'm trying to find a repairer for my Ascaso Dream in Melbourne would you recommend the one you used?
Hi Balun. I only just saw this now (over a year later so I presume you have sorted it out by now). At the time I got the new element put in I knew a bean roaster who knew a guy kind of thing, but the ... Read more
element was replaced by a small business over near Mount Waverley but I really couldn't tell you where it is now (that was back in 2008). FYI anyone reading this, it is still going well and pumping out our daily fix. I have had to replace rubber O-rings as per any machine but everything else as original and it is coming up for 10 years of work in August this year. My only addition to the thread is that I have noticed the machine that is now available is different to the one I bought, and I suspect with new ownership of the company (if my information is correct) they have meddled a bit with the quality of some of the parts.....Similar opinion? Write a review on ieatwords.com.au!
Dutchie02SYDNEY
- 2 reviews
- 3 likes
Brilliant
I've had this machine for 3 years and have found it great. I like its simple retro design and the fact that it is operated by just three switches. I find it produces great coffee, all you need is fresh well ground coffee. I've found it to be very simple to use and reliable.
simplicity, retro design, chance to practice my technique
2 comments
Although we have had ours for 5 years overall I think this machine is poor quality. We paid over 800 for this at harvey norman. First thing we noticed was that it produced no crema at all unless usin... Read more
g pods and the coffee wasn't hot enough. We used only filtered water but then after 6 months it began to leak steam from where the basket sits, the thermometer stopped working, the wand was constantly dripping when in use, the plastic handle for the basket cracked and fell apart and one of the switches came loose. We sent it back to get repaired. It came back and was ok for a while but then the same problems re-occurred except for the thermometer. The guy who fixed it gave us a thing to put in the basket which created more pressure and produced a good crema however it was impossible to clean this part as it has hundreds of tiny holes which get blocked. I have to use a needle to poke every hole as I have not been able to find any kind of brush that can clean it properly. We have hung on to this machine because we are at a loss about buying a new one as we just don't want to spend good money on one again and after reading many reviews a lot of people have problems with these most machines. So we still make coffee with it but its a chore because every time I make coffee now I have to clean the part I mentioned earlier with all the holes, I have to wipe around where the coffee comes out through the basket and most of the time the coffee doesnt come through then suddenly spurts out everywhere. I wouldn't buy this brand againOurs has been making great crema without hassels for years.
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Bad
I dont think this machine is worth the price we paid approx $900au. When we first got we noticed that it produced hardly any crema. We asked about this and they gave us an extra attachment that sits inside the part where you put the coffee and it helped but still wasnt really great. Then we noticed that the steam wand never really turned off fully and that some steam was leaking out from where the coffee holder goes. We rang them again and they told us that it was normal because of the way the machine is made which we found difficult to believ...Read more
e. After about 8 months the temp gauge stopped working so we sent to get fixed under warranty. They sent back someone elses machine!! They also gave us another new attachment which created a much more acceptable amount of crema but it only fits with the single cup. So we can only ever make one cup at a time unless we just forget about having crema. Approx 1.8 years later something has gone wrong again and the water wont come through. The switch to make the water come through has also broken so I have to take to get fixed again. Dont be fooled by the retro commercial/industrial appearance of this machine. It might look sturdy and funky but its not all that. Im sure there are better models on the market. The chrome version of this model loses its shiny appearnace very quickly and becomes tarnished. We have looked after very well and polished regularly but the heat seems to create tranish marks all over it and it also scratches easily. I wouldnt buy again. Makes a decent coffee if you have the right attachment. You can get a good texture with the milk. Nice retro look. Produces next to Nil crema unless you get a special attachment that creates more pressure. Parts are not very sturdy and break easily. The steam wand doesnt turn off fully. The position of the steam wand is only adjustable from side to side. You can only use a small jug approx 2-3 cups for heating milk. After approx 1.8 years we have had many problems. Its over priced.4 comments
crema production usually is determined just as much by the grind of the coffee. rule of thumb is you need a very good quality burr grinder with any machine to get good results.
@richard - It is the machine in this case not the coffee
have had marvellous crema from this brewing magician. Please don't beleive this post. Can't be true. Isn't....
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HogewindSydney, NSW
- 4 reviews
Good
After a dissastrous experience with an other automatic machine ( 2 Krupps' in one year) I decided to just get a good manual coffee machine. So, after a lot of questions and research, both on local and overseas websites I finally picked the Ascaso Dream coffee machine. Well, let me assure you, this is one product that lives up to its name. Once you are used to it, it makes the perfect cuppa every time. Even my wife, who was very sceptical before, can now make herself a real cappuccino!
It is not the cheapest on the market but you wouldn't expec...Read more
1 comment
I have had my Ascaso Dream for two years and just love it. It produces a great shot of espresso when you use freshly ground coffee and have the correct grind etc,
I would agree with the only issue be... Read more
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Questions & Answers
Dorethyasked
My Ascaso Dream Coffee Machine is not working and I need to get it fixed. Does anyone know who in Australia fixes these machines? I live in Canberra and cannot find anyone who will touch it as they cannot get the parts for it??
1 answer
Hi Dorethy. Can you not return it to the place of purchase? I'm surprised if they can't help. Lygon Distributors in Melbourne fixes mine. They will have a Sydney supplier if you get in touch with them. (03) 9486 1572
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balun
Hi nessjez, I am having problems with mine would you recommend the repaired you used?