There’s nothing like a cup of coffee to warm up your soul and start your day right. While coffee is one of the most popular drinks consumed globally, it has also become one of the most overpriced commodities worldwide. According to an article published by Business Insider in 2022, a single cup of coffee now costs $4.90 on average at coffee shops nationwide, which is a 7.6% increase from 2021. This price increase is mainly due to inflation and the extreme changes in climate patterns that the biggest coffee producing countries in the world have been dealing with over the last few years. Now, if you love having a cup of coffee everyday but you don’t want to spend a fortune just to get your daily coffee fix, then a more cost-effective alternative is to get yourself an espresso machine for at-home use, as even after adding up the cost of coffee beans for one cup a day, a daily cup of espresso made at home will still cost you significantly less than one from your local coffee shop. So, if you’re looking for an espresso machine for your home, then check out the iLavie K3 Espresso Coffee Machine (EM3209).
The iLavie K3 is a high-end espresso coffee machine powered by a 20 bar pump, a 1350W thermoelectric coil heating system, and digital temperature control (PID) technology, making it capable of quickly and efficiently brewing and extracting espresso at a high-pressure and at 198°F for a perfect balance of sourness, bitterness, and sweetness, while also featuring a professional-grade 360-degree rotating steam wand that lets you froth milk at a 266°F for a foam with a super smooth texture, a large 1.8L (60.86 fl.oz.) removable water tank, a 51 mm portafilter and tamper for getting the optimal amount of coffee powder, and a removable drip tray for easy cleaning and maintenance, plus an intuitive control panel equipped with an LCD display that shows the serving time and temperature, along with large button controls that make it easy to select between a single cup, double cup, and steam functions, and also a built-in pressure gauge that lets you adjust the amount of steam from its milk frother.
This state-of-the-art espresso maker delivers a perfect balance of flavor and aroma in every coffee cup. With it, you can brew delicious espresso at home for a fraction of the normal cost of a typical cup of espresso.
Now, let’s have a closer look at the iLavie K3 (EM3209), and go over everything that this high-end espresso coffee machine has to offer you.
DESIGN & SPECS
Starting with the machine’s size, the iLavie K3 has a fairly compact size, measuring just 9.09 inches long by 10.96 inches wide by 11.32 inches tall, so it doesn’t take up too much space from your countertop.
On top of its compact size, this espresso coffee machine also sports a gorgeous and stylish design, which gives it a very modern look, allowing it to blend in quite well with the rest of your kitchenware.
Moreover, the machine also packs an extremely durable construction, as its main body and also most of its parts are built of high-quality stainless steel.
Moving on to the different components that integrate this high-end espresso coffee machine. For brewing its espresso coffee, the iLavie K3 utilizes a 20 bar pump to draw water from its water tank, starting with a low pressure pre-infusion that helps to evenly drawn out all the flavors from your coffee powder for a balanced taste in flavor and a soft texture. The water is then drawn at a high-pressure of 20 bar and heated by a powerful 1350W thermoelectric coil heating element system, which allows for a really quick and very efficient brewing of the coffee, taking only a few seconds.
What’s more is that the iLavie K3 also utilizes digital temperature control (PID) technology to maintain the stability of its water temperature in order to ensure you can get the best possible flavor extraction for a rich and authentic espresso every time you use it.
The top-side of the machine also comes equipped with a cup-warming plate (great for serving warm glasses of milk) which is directly heated by the machines thermoelectric coil heating system.
Additionally, the iLavie K3 also comes equipped with a built-in professional-grade rotating steam wand which uses steam at a high temperature to create thousands of tiny air bubbles to give a perfect velvety texture to your milk, allowing you to serve a barista-quality micro-foam with a really smooth and silky texture that further enhances the flavor of your coffee.
The machine’s steam wand can be rotated within a 360-degrees radius, so you can gave it set in whatever position works best for you.
When it comes to the machine’s heating temperatures, know that its thermoelectric coil heating system brews coffee at 198°F (92.22°C), which ensures a perfect balance of sourness, bitterness, and sweetness, while its professional-grade steam wand heats up and froths milk at 266°F (130°C), allowing it to create a foam with a super smooth texture.
For storing its water, this espresso coffee machine comes equipped with a large removable water tank that has a total capacity of 1.8L (60.86 fl.oz.). The machine’s water tank also features a MIN and a MAX water lines, making it easy for users to fill it up and also to view its current water level.
The iLavie K3 also comes with a 51 mm portafilter and a tamper that allow you to get the optimal amount of coffee powder whenever you’re looking to brew some fresh espresso coffee with it.
Best of all, the machine also comes equipped with a removable drip tray that makes it easy for users to clean and maintain the machine whenever they need to clean it.
Lastly, in regards to its power specifications, note that this espresso machine is rated to have a Voltage of 120V at 60HZ.
INTERFACE / CONTROL PANEL
For controlling the machine, the iLavie K3 comes equipped with a built-in control panel that features a user-friendly interface, making it intuitive and easy to use.
At the top-side of the machine’s control panel there’s a built-in LCD display that shows the remaining current heating temperature as well as the remaining serving time of your coffee.
Below its LCD display, there’s a set of four (x4) large buttons, which consists of its Power button, followed by a Single Cup and Double Cup buttons that allows users to serve either a one shot or two shot espresso (or two one-shot espressos at the same time), which are then followed by a Steam button for controlling the machine’s steam function in case you’d like to add some milk to your coffee for a more velvety texture and some extra flavor.
Integrated at the right-side of the machine, there’s also a built-in pressure gauge that lets you adjust the amount of steam its steam wand utilizes, allowing you to froth milk to your preferred texture.
WHAT’S IN THE BOX?
Inside each package users will find: their iLavie K3 Espresso Coffee Machine (EM3209), along with the machine’s 51 mm portafilter and tamper, one (x1) single-cup filter and one (x1) double-cup filter, a measure spoon, a stainless steel milk foam cup, and also an Instruction Booklet.
FINAL THOUGHTS
All in all, this is a high-end espresso coffee machine, as it allows you to easily create delicious cups of espresso right from the comfort of your home. The machine can very efficiently extract coffee with a perfect flavor every time, is easy and straightforward to operate, and also easy to clean and maintain thanks to its stainless steel construction and its removable parts.
If you’re interested in purchasing it, know that each unit is currently discounted from its standard price of $299.99, and is now going for just $169.99 (saving you $130), and each purchase also comes accompanied by a 12-Month Warranty. You can order it online from iLavie’s Amazon Store page.
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