Product Review: Benotti Espresso Maker

Starbucks and your local neighborhood coffee shops have both benefited from the surge in coffee sales. Coffee is no longer just a beverage, it is a status symbol. Movie and television characters and out favorite celebrities always seem to have the familiar cup in their hands. But running to the coffee shop for your daily triple shot half fat, decaf white chocolate mocha can run into money. It's no wonder that so many people are looking for ways to get their fix at home. The Benotti Espresso Maker claims to deliver high quality espresso with no work and no mess, but it just doesn't deliver.

You many have seen the ad on TV. Benotti offers a "free" espresso maker when you purchase the specially made Benotti Espresso Pods. You have to order the pods, because the Benotti will not work without them. What isn't made clear when you place your first order is that the company is enrolling you in a very expensive "Coffee of the Month" Club.

The Benotti took over two months from the date the first charge appeared on my credit statement, but when it did arrive, it was a nice looking machine. It wasn't as heavy as I expected, and it turned out to be very cheaply built. I followed the instructions to the letter, but the Benotti unit immediately began to leak. After trying three times, I finally got enough espresso for a single shot, and it was good, but I was left with a very large mess on my counter to clean up. The Benotti came with a 30 day money back guarantee, and since I could not get the product to work correctly, I called the customer service number listed to cancel my coffee of the month. One box of 30 capsules (one cup each) is $14.95 + $5.95 shipping and handling. That works out to around $22 for 30 shots of espresso. Regular espresso grind coffee is much cheaper, and you can use it in the machine of your choice. After three attempts (and two sudden disconnects), I was finally able to speak with someone in customer service. Unfortunately, my next shipment had already been sent, and there was no way to cancel the order. I was told I could return my free machine at my own cost, but I could not receive a refund of the shipping and handling. According to the representative, my membership was canceled, but I continued to receive coffee for three months- and my card was charged each time. The Benotti Espresso Maker is a machine to be avoided at all costs. The coffee is good, but you can find similar results with a cheaper machine- or at Starbucks.