Cuisinart EM-400 Buona Tazza Review

Cuisinart EM-400 Buona Tazza
Overall Rating
83
Coffee Quality (40%)
80
Design & Features (20%)
82
Durability (20%)
85
Ease of Use (10%)
90
Brand Reputation (10%)
85
The Bottom Line
The Cuisinart EM-400 Buona Tazza is a capsule-based espresso machine compatible with illy brand capsules. While easy to use, we don't see much reason to go with the EM-400 instead of an industry-leading Nespresso machine.
The Coffee Maven's editors select and review products independently. We may receive a commission if you purchase through one of our links at no additional cost to you.

Key Features of the Cuisinart EM-400 Buona Tazza

Key Features of Cuisinart EM-400 Buona Tazza

  • Type: Capsule espresso machine
  • Integrated Grinder: None
  • Pressure: 19 bars
  • Reservoir: 34 oz removable
  • Portafilters: None; works with illy capsules only
  • Pod Compatibility: illy capsules only
  • Max Cup Height: 6.75″
  • Steam Wand: None
  • Unit Size: 5.2″W x 11.8″D x 14.0″H
  • Unit Weight: 9.0 lbs
  • Watts: 1200W
  • Warranty: 2 years

Cuisinart EM-400 Buona Tazza Overview

The Cuisinart EM-400 Buona Tazza is a capsule-based espresso machine that works with 2 types of capsules:

  • illy Espresso Capsules
  • illy Coffee Capsules

The espresso capsules can brew either short (1.2 oz) or long (3.0 oz) espressos. The coffee capsules brew a 6 oz long coffee.

illy makes special iperEspresso capsules, which are blue and are intended to be used with the 3.0 oz long espresso setting. They recommend this to prevent a watery coffee.

Speaking of available brew sizes, the Cuisinart EM-400 has 5 pre-programmed buttons:

  • Single shot espresso (top left button)
  • Double shot espresso (middle left button)
  • Long coffee (bottom left button)
  • Manual flavor/strength setting (top right button)
  • Temperature setting, 2 temps (middle right button)

Other features include the following:

  • 60 minute auto-off mode
  • Spent capsule container with 10 capsule capacity
  • Adjustable extraction time for shorter or longer beverages
Pros
  • Super easy to use
  • Intriguing design
  • Affordable
Cons
  • Not the best espresso, even by capsule standards
  • illy's capsule universe isn’t very expansive
  • Doesn’t come with a frother

Is the Cuisinart EM-400 Buona Tazza for you?

Are Cuisinart EM-400 Buona Tazza for you?

I wouldn’t recommend purchasing the Cuisinart EM-400.

The only reason to go with the EM-400 is for the convenience of capsulized coffee. But if that's the route you want to go, you should get a Nespresso machine.

Our comparison guide to the best Nespresso machines is the Internet's best resource on Nespresso, but I'd recommend the comparable Nespresso CitiZ.

Cuisinart EM-400 Buona Tazza Review: An In-Depth Look

Check out the Cuisinart EM-400 Buona Tazza!

Check out Cuisinart EM-400 Buona Tazza!

Cuisinart EM-400 Buona Tazza
The Cuisinart EM-400 Buona Tazza is a capsule-based espresso machine compatible with illy brand capsules. While easy to use, we don't see much reason to go with the EM-400 instead of an industry-leading Nespresso machine.

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Overall Rating: 84
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About The Coffee Maven
bryan de luca
Bryan De Luca

I'm Bryan but most people know me as The Coffee Maven. I grew up outside Boston, Massachusetts and received my Bachelor's degree in Biochemistry from Providence College. My first introduction to coffee was during my college days, when I used it as a source of caffeine to fuel late-night study sessions, but soon I became obsessed with the chemistry of coffee. How did changes to water temperature or contact time affect its taste? Why do beans from Africa taste fruity while beans from Indonesia taste spicy? I launched The Coffee Maven in February 2017 to explore these questions and help others brew their perfect cup. Welcome to my site, and thanks for reading!

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