Product Features

• Pump-driven Supercrema brewing system with 18 bars of dynamic pressure
• Chrome-plated brass brewing handles maintain ideal temperature
• 48-ounce water tank with rear access; battery-powered clock on the front
• Includes both ESE pods and ground coffee handles
• Measures 10-1/4 by 8-1/4 by 11-1/4 inches

From the Editors

FrancisFrancis! espresso machines aren't just a design dream aesthetically. They're also engineered to do much of the barista work for you, removing intimidation and trial-by-fire from the home espresso game. This fabulous-looking all-metal X5 model features a brass boiler and the Supercrema brewing system, pump-driven with 8-9 bars of dynamic pressure. The chrome-plated brass brewing handle maintains ideal temperatures for coffee, while the steam/hot water wand swivels for tidy storage. One of the friendliest aspects of the X5 is its ability to brew espresso with either pre-measured ESE (Easy Serving Espresso) coffee pods or with loose grounds from your favorite bean vendor. Two interchangeable handle baskets are included, one for each method. Three filters also come with the machine for pulling ristretto, regular, or lungo shots. <p> Measuring 10-1/4 by 8-1/4 by 11-1/4 inches, the X5 is a relatively compact machine, built with flat sides to save space on tight countertops. Keep in mind that it weighs 16 pounds, so you'll want to make a permanent spot for it, and that the 48-ounce water tank is accessed from the back, so you'll need room to work behind it. The sleek little battery-powered clock on the front of the machine pops out for setting and battery replacement. FrancisFrancis! includes a detailed instruction and tip guide, as well as a starter container of Illy Café espresso. <i>--Emily Bedard</i>
Product Description

Customer Response

Beauty and the Beast: Don't buy this model!
Style definitely made it tough to resist this machine, but we would have been far better off had we resisted, and I hope you definitely do. This gorgeous machine is a rip-off. Save yourself a whole latte trouble and get a good, solid Gaggia for your home espresso.

Many have gotten the X5 at a reduced price with a subscription to Illy coffee's home delivery program. Others paid full price. Regardless, the X5 is overpriced at any cost because it is poorly engineered inside all that glitz. The boiler casing eventually corrodes through, and the machine fails, which is bad enough in itself. But what takes the cake is that Illy and Francis!Francis! have allowed Empire Fulfillment of Victor, NY to put a lock on parts and repairs for the faulty X5. That means UPS charges coming and going, in my case from San Francisco to NY, in addition to repair costs estimated between $150 on the low side to $300 at the norm.

This should have been a 5 star review, but it is hard to give this product even the minimum single star. After struggling for weeks about what to do with our faulty X5, I am packing it away with a broken heart.

Happy then ... bang
Up until yesterday, I was quite happy with this machine gifted to me just about a year ago. Yesterday it literally blew up, losing its clock (which skidded halfway across the kitchen), one of the indicator bulbs (which I still can't find) and most dramatically the entire steel top was displaced upward only holding in place due to the bolts and screws. I had stepped out to my deck for 30 seconds when this happened and only appreciated later it was good I wasn't in the kitchen. So now it sits unusable and I'm hoping for the best with Francis' Customer Service though I'm disheartened to read one reviewer's comments. As it was a gift, it will be interesting to see how the company responds. By the way, the only potential warning sign was an increased noisiness as the machine heated up to steam milk.

By now I have pulled well over 1,000 shots on this machine.
I spent close to three years researching espresso machines with just a little Krups pump machine to get me by. I have to admit I wasn't too keen on the FrancisFrancis! machines. Not the greatest reviews for them. Also I felt as if their capabilities took a backseat in the design process to their appearance. What I really wanted at the time was a Gaggia or Rancillio-one of those big, burly time proven stainless steel beasts that throw off all the compasses in the vicinity-but the reality of living in a one bedroom apartment with very limited space in the kitchen for an espresso machine-nothing over 14" tall would fit under our cabinets-limited my choices. To make a long story short, I purchased a mint condition, used Francis X5 from a very nice couple who were planning on going the fully automatic route. The low price that they were asking, and the fact that my wife liked the way it looked were the main factors (along with it being just under 14" tall) that led me to take a risk and buy it. I have been very happy with it.
At first I thought it was a pretty good machine, then I started grinding my own beans with a Baraza Virtuoso grinder and I enjoyed it that much more. A little while later I started buying freshly roasted espresso beans (usually within 48 hours) at a local roaster here in San Francisco and I entered Espresso Heaven. Previously I had bought only dark roasted, oily beans because I thought that the burnt French roast flavor was what espresso was supposed to taste like. The freshly roasted beans I switched to weren't nearly as dark (think Illy medium roast) and produced a more nuanced, fruity flavor. It took a little getting used to but I think it is closer to what espresso is "supposed" to taste like. Not only was the flavor better with the lighter, freshly roasted beans, but I also started to get insane amounts of crema. I'm talking 5/16ths of an inch thick and so dense that a teaspoon of sugar put on top rests for a good 5 to 7 seconds before sinking into the coffee below. I pulled a shot into a clear glass so that two of my friends could see the crema. They both thought I was putting them on and that I had put soap or something sudsy into the filter basket as a practical joke! I can't get as good crema with old beans or with dark roasted beans, even if the dark roasted beans are fresh.
I use the machine on average of three times every day. It is a lot easier to get out of bed knowing that a quick espresso is waiting for me. This machine heats fast, I can have an espresso in my hand within five minutes of switching it on, no exaggeration. The steam is extremely dry and apparently endless-at least until the water runs out. I owned the machine for several months before I ever steamed milk with it. One night a couple of dinner guests wanted cappuccino so I obliged. I was flabbergasted at the quality of foam I got from regular whole milk, it was almost as stiff as whipped egg whites. After all the reviews that I had read about home espresso machines I just didn't think it possible to get such good foam. I have bought this machine with me to a few parties and ski weekends and played the part of barista. People get so excited. I've made about twenty drinks at a stretch without really breaking a sweat. When I bought this machine I thought the lack of a solenoid pressure release valve would slow me down, but I've found that the pressure dissipates on its own in a relatively short period of time.
The machine is very tech-sexy and flawless in appearance. It is very well crafted and looks great in black. The paint is of a very high quality and has not scratched or faded over the past year and a half. The only part of the machine that shows any visible wear is the perforated stainless steel plate that goes over the drip tray and under the cup. The clock on the front is great. I can use the second hand to time my pulls. 21 seconds for a single, 26 to 30 seconds for a double.
Maybe I would not buy the X5 at full price-there are so many cool machines at that price point-but if you can find it re-furbed or at a discount I would recommend going for it.

It Works as Well as it Looks
I recently acquired this wonderful machine through an offer by Illy, which may or may not be the best way to acquire the machine, as I'm on the hook for a boatload of coffee, but I'm liking the espresso from this machine so much that that may not be an issue. The pods can make this a great machine for a quick cup of espresso, but I prefer to use finely ground espresso roast for a more traditional (and inexpensive) cup of espresso (typically to make cappuccino or lattes).

Pros
* pro-style 56mm (not the full 58mm of other machines) chrome plated solid brass portafilter.
* Separate pod (ESE) adapter with three different screens for different styles of espresso from pods.
* Solid construction and very heavy (relative to its small size)
* Fast heat up (1-2 minutes) and a very large capacity for making steam (which is very hot and dry).
* After brewing grounds form a solid puck, though with water on top of them, as this machine lacks a 3-way solenoid of pricier machines.
* The clock is functional as it has a second hand.

Cons
* Odd assortment of manuals with really no continuity.
* Cup warming is relatively useless (it doesn't get that hot and it takes a while to warm up). Run water (without grounds or a pod) through the machine to heat up the machine and the cups.
* Often the cups will fill at different rates (despite my best attempts at a firm even tamp, but this is a relatively minor issue.

Comments
* This machine uses an odd tamper which separates with the handle coming off and the tamper head remaining on top of the grounds (remaining in the portafilter while brewing). Beyond being unconventional, it makes it hard to get 14g of grounds in with the tamper head on top. Brewing without it seems to work fine. Research seems to indicate that they sold the machine without this for a while then "enhanced" it with this feature to limit the water build up on top of the grounds after brewing.
* It may leak around the brew head while brewing but it is minor and infrequent.
* Not too noisy (it does have a boiler and a pump, so it's also not too quiet either).

Excellent machine, but very bad service center
There is only 1 service center in the US to repair/maintain francisfrancis. This service center has very bad customer service, overcharge for labor and parts, and their technical expertise is bad. There are many online reviews that say the same: excellent machine, service center sucks. The service center sent the machine fixed to me, overcharged me, and it arrived damaged. They told me to deal with UPS directly. The UPS box looks intact, I feel the wrapping inside was not adequate or that they damaged it while packing it. They insure it only for $300 no matter how new or old is your machine. $300 isn't enough to get it back.