We give the Cyetus CYK7601 a rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars.
Cyetus CYK7601 Espresso Machine: At a Glance
There are a lot of espresso machines on the market, and not all of them live up to the hype – or the price. We took a close look at the Cyetus CYK7601 espresso machine to see if it’s worth your time.
To sum it up: this is a great model. If you can swing the moderately high price, you’re sure to enjoy the built-in coffee grinder and milk steamer, along with the excellent espresso and fairly easy cleaning. This machine has a lot to offer espresso lovers looking for convenience, flavor, and just a touch of elegance. Keep reading as we dive into the details!
Quick Look
- Produces delicious espresso with crema
- Minimal preheating time and PID temperature control
- Built-in conical burr grinder (with anti-static system)
- Milk steamer and hot water dispenser
- Huge water reservoir
- Many included accessories
- Attractive design & interface
- Fairly easy to operate
- Reasonably easy to clean
- Won’t fit every budget
- Somewhat loud
- Shorter 1-year warranty
Our Favorite Features
We have quite a few favorite features of this compact espresso machine. The water reservoir is unexpectedly large, meaning you won’t have to refill it frequently at all. The preheating cycle is also impressively quick, and the simple interface is easy to understand without poring over the user manual.
The included grinder and steamer mean you won’t need to invest in extra coffee devices, and the bundle of accessories like nice espresso cups, a steaming pitcher, and an apron will have you brewing in style.
Overall Design
The Cyetus CYK7601 espresso machine is a reasonably compact, stylish device that would fit right into most kitchens. Without the removable bean hopper, it’s short enough to fit under kitchen cabinets. The pressure dial is an attractive feature, and the simple interface is appealing. Plus, the machine cleverly hides a box of cleaning tools, including pins for the spout and filters and a brush for the grinder, inside the drip tray.
Ease of Use
We found this espresso machine to be quite easy to use, whether you’re a beginner or a bit more experienced. You can pull a shot of espresso right out of the box without having to worry about water temperature or extraction time. Or you can adjust those settings by changing the programming. This isn’t a manual espresso machine, so you can’t control absolutely everything, but in exchange, you get a fast, tasty, and easy shot of espresso.
Grinding
The built-in conical burr grinder is probably the easiest part of this machine to operate. Add fresh coffee beans to the hopper, put on the lid, and screw it onto the top of the machine. You can adjust the grind size by rotating the hopper, choosing between coarser grinds (for faster extraction) and finer grinds (for slower extraction). Cyetus recommends a position of 5-10 (medium-fine) for beans roasted within a month.
Once you’ve set up the hopper, all you have to do is place the portafilter into the bracket and select the single or double grind button! Grinding takes under 10 seconds.
The grinder also has an anti-static system to prevent fine coffee grounds from getting everywhere. We had our doubts – most grinders send static everywhere, especially at very fine espresso grinds – but this device came through. The grounds poured into the portafilter in a perfect pyramid, hardly spilling onto the drip plate below and leaving no static anywhere.
Brewing
Next up is the tamping. Cyetus includes a very solid silver tamper with a nice weight. We found it easy to use and comfortable for many different hand sizes. For the final setup, we did find the portafilter a little difficult to insert and lock into the portafilter bracket. It’s a tight fit and takes a little arm strength to do properly.
Pulling a shot of espresso couldn’t be easier with this model. Once you have the portafilter in place and the large water reservoir topped up, you just select the single or double espresso buttons and watch the magic happen.
Espresso Quality
Now for the most important part of the review: how was the espresso? When we tested this model, our espresso came out bold, complex and topped with a beautiful layer of crema. In short: the espresso is delicious!
Cleaning
Cleaning espresso machines is nobody’s idea of fun, so it’s a big plus when companies make the process easier. Cleaning the grinder is really easy – after taking it apart, you just clear out the grinds using the included brush.
Cleaning the rest of the machine is a little trickier, but it’s still pretty manageable. The Cyetus has a convenient descaling light that will remind you to run a cycle (approximately every 4-6 months). There is a dedicated descaling cycle programmed into the machine that you can access by pushing several buttons all at once. The process is essentially the same as any other coffee or espresso machine and takes about 10 minutes.
Extras
The Cyetus espresso machine comes with an impressive array of accessories. When you open the box, you’ll not only find nice quality espresso cups, single and double filters, a tamper, and a portafilter. You’ll also find unexpected goodies like an apron (imprinted with the company’s whale mascot), a tamping mat, a small case of refrigerator magnets, and a cleaning cloth.
Cyetus offers a one-year warranty, which is nice to have but not the most generous we’ve seen.
The Verdict
So what was our final verdict on the Cyetus CYK7601? We were impressed with the multitude of features, compact size, and espresso quality. The included accessories are a nice plus – who doesn’t want an apron with a whale on it? – and the interface is straightforward and attractive. On the negative side, this machine’s cost will place it out of reach for coffee lovers with smaller budgets. It can also be a little loud, and if you keep the bean hopper attached, it may not fit on your kitchen counter. But overall, this is an excellent espresso machine that will keep you deliciously caffeinated with the twist of a portafilter.
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