CASABREWS CM5418 review

Little money at $139.99, with a jug, a grinder and standard baskets still to buy7.9/10

Value is the reason to buy this machine, and it is consistently praised. Coffeeness calls it "about as budget-friendly as it gets"1. Cafelista_Coffee points out that it is rare to find a proper manual steam wand at this price, and Versus Lab reckons a buyer who chooses it over a dearer rival will not feel short-changed.

The box is thin, though. There is no milk jug, which catches out more than one buyer, and both baskets are the pressurized kind. Erin Lawrence adds a decent grinder and, later, a tamper to the shopping list.

There is some room to grow. Coffee Kev notes that standard 51 mm baskets and compatible bottomless portafilters can be bought for it, so the first upgrade is cheap.

Thick, chocolatey shots from pressurized baskets, served cool6.4/10

The espresso divides opinion: good for the money, limited by the baskets and the temperature. Tom's Coffee Corner describes a shot that is "nice and thick syrupy chocolatey on the tongue"2, and Coffeeness found the same deep chocolate and syrupy body, short on clarity and complexity.

Both baskets in the box are pressurized. They forgive a rough grind, and they also cap what the machine can do. Cafelista_Coffee swapped in a non-pressurized basket and got more crema, body and aroma, and Coffeeness says serious espresso drinkers will struggle without single-wall baskets.

Heat is the caveat. Erin Lawrence measured coffee that "maxes out at about 123° F"3 out of the machine, and Coffee Kev found the first shots of a session inconsistent while the internals are still cold. There is no temperature setting. Casabrews lists a PID, a claim Coffee Kev doubts, and Tom's Coffee Corner measured pump pressure below the maker's figure.

A quick first heat, then a cool-down after every jug of milk3.1/10

Speed is a clear weakness, and the trouble is everything after the warm-up. From cold, the thermoblock is quick: Coffeeness had it "ready to go in under a minute"4. Eric the Coffee Guy still rates it slower than the fastest heaters at this level.

A single heating system does both jobs, so you cannot brew and steam together, and after steaming the machine is too hot to pull a shot. Skip the cooling step and, as Versus Lab puts it, it "locks you out until you run a cooling routine"5. The fix is to run hot water through the group or leave the steam valve open for a moment, which Coffee Kev found shortens the wait.

For a single drink this is a small chore. For a round of cappuccinos it adds up, and The Review Hub would use it for "one or two drinks at a time rather than quickly serving a group"6.

Silky milk from a slow wand that pulses and parks off the tray5.0/10

The wand suits patient hands and not hurried ones. The texture it produces is well regarded: Coffeeness and Tom's Coffee Corner both got silky foam, and Coffee Kev was most struck that "the milk doesn't seem to stick to it"7. Because it is fully manual, you control how much air goes in.

Power is the limit. Eric the Coffee Guy calls it "a bit of a slow steamer and a bit of a clunky steamer"8, and the steam pulses as the thermoblock heats. Larger jugs take noticeably longer, and Versus Lab finds the wand unforgiving for a learner.

Two practical notes. The wand's range of motion is small, so the jug has to come to it. Its resting position also sits outside the edge of the drip tray, so drips land on the counter.

8.6 lb of light parts, with a leak and loose baskets on record3.0/10

Build is the clear weakness. Tom's Coffee Corner took the lid and base off and concluded "it is very cheaply made"9. His machine also leaked onto the countertop, its steam lever would not travel fully, and he expects replacement parts to be hard to find.

The portafilter draws the most comment. It is aluminum with a plastic handle, it feels light, and the baskets sit loosely in it. At 8.6 lb the whole machine moves when you twist the tight portafilter into place, and the pump's vibration can walk a light cup across the tray.

There is a kinder view. Coffeeness found the body sturdy, with plenty of metal finishing, and Eric the Coffee Guy considers Casabrews machines dependable and notes they come with a warranty. Coffee Kev's caution is that the brand is young, so there is little long-run history to judge by.

Buttons a beginner learns at once, shot presets that miss and a gauge with no numbers5.7/10

Getting started is easy; getting precise is not. The controls are power, single, double and steam, and the pressurized baskets work with supermarket pre-ground coffee. The spout clearance is tall enough to brew straight into a coffee cup.

The shot volumes are less dependable. Coffeeness found the factory presets well off the mark, Erin Lawrence found reprogramming them finicky, and Versus Lab reports the saved amounts drifting. Stopping the shot by hand on a scale is the reliable method.

The gauge is welcome as a guide, but it carries no bar markings, "so you don't really know what's going on"10, in Coffee Kev's words. With pressurized baskets it tells you little. The tank holds 34 fl oz / 1.0 L, enough for a few drinks before a refill, and not every 51 mm portafilter from other brands will fit.

A quick rinse and a deep tray, with wet pucks and a basket that falls out5.0/10

Upkeep is light, and the mess is damp. The parts rinse clean quickly, the steam wand wipes off easily and the drip tray is deep enough to empty once a day. Nothing can go in the dishwasher.

The group keeps dripping after a shot and the pucks come out wet, because pressure has nowhere to escape. Coffee Kev notes the same thing slows backflushing. Knocking out the puck is awkward too: it can stick, and the loose basket can come out with it.

Our verdict

Buy the CM5418 if you want the cheapest sensible way to learn espresso and milk drinks, and you make them a cup or a pair at a time. Skip it if you serve several lattes in a row, care about build quality, or already know you want to tune your shots. Add a milk jug to the order, and plan on a grinder and a standard 51 mm basket once the basics click. Hold the machine with one hand when you lock in the portafilter, and cool it down after steaming before you brew.