My first impression upon opening and unpacking the Casabrews basic espresso coffee machine model CM5418 is what I found to be a well-designed/built espresso coffee machine surprisingly made in China—mentioned since I had recently purchased a couple of milk frothers made in China that ended up failing in a matter of months without any recourse to obtain a refund given what turned out to be a worthless product warranty for each. However, once I started to use the Casabrews espresso coffee machine to familiarize myself with its operating features, I soon realized the user manual instructions left much to be desired given a number of errors and a lack of important details critical to using an espresso coffee machine for brewing a perfect shot of espresso. To begin, the instructions in the user manual fail to disclose/explain the all important 1:2 coffee to water ratio most specialty coffee baristas use to brew an espresso. Needless to say, this makes it increasingly difficult attempting to explain how to properly brew an espresso using the Casabrews or other espresso coffee machine much less brew a perfect shot of espresso without knowing the coffee to water ratio used by the machine brewing it. Moreover, the instructions make brewing an espresso all the more confusing failing to provide specific let alone measurements that solely rely on a coffee spoon via an unspecified amount of dry ground coffee inferred by a spoonful added to a portafilter basket for brewing a single cup/shot of espresso that normally requires 1/2 tbsp of dry ground coffee equal to 7-9 grams. In reality, unless the user is a barista well versed in the art of brewing espresso, the instructions when followed to the letter for adding an amount of dry ground coffee to the brewing filter using a coffee spoon/spoonful of an unverified amount (later verified by the author to be a tbsp) and tamping the coffee down tightly using the backside of a coffee spoon instead of a coffee tamper and selecting the single/1-cup preset volume water control to begin the brewing process is considered a crapshoot at best and a recipe for disaster considering the default preset 1-cup, 2-cup volume water controls were later verified by the author to dispense double the amount of hot water required to brew a 1-cup, 2-cup espresso. In contrast, the user instruction manual should have been written as follows: 'add 1/2 tbsp (approximately 7-9 grams) of dry ground coffee to the 1-cup filter basket to make a 1-cup/single shot of espresso then tamp the coffee down tightly using a 51mm diameter metal coffee tamper designed to fit snugly down inside the filter basket. As for brewing a 2-cup/double shot of espresso, simply double the quantity of dry ground coffee adding 1-tbsp of dry ground coffee to the 2-cup filter basket then tamping the coffee down tightly using an appropriate coffee tamper. Next, program the default 1-cup, 2-cup preset volume water controls to dispense 1.18 and 2.37 ounces of hot water respectively to produce 1 and 2 liquid ounces of espresso to give a 1:2 coffee to water ratio for brewing a single/double shot of espresso. While the 1:2 coffee to water ratio is based on grams of coffee and water, the author has chosen to dispense with semantics and simplify matters using 1/2-tbsp of dry ground coffee normally required per 1-cup/shot of espresso and one fluid ounce of hot water to produce one liquid ounce of espresso. If we assume the espresso coffee machine 1-cup, 2-cup volume water control buttons provide a 1:2 coffee to water ratio, using a tbsp to measure the amount of dry ground coffee required per 1-cup or 2-cup espresso, programming the 1-cup volume water control button to dispense 1.18 ounces of hot water and programming the 2-cup volume water control button to dispense 2.37 ounces of hot water should allow brewing a single/double shot of espresso using the Casabrews espresso coffee machine CM5418 without issue

To continue, while I realize the Casabrews' website provides a customer support phone number and email address, I still believe the user manual instructions provided could be improved to benefit the end user as well as alleviate unnecessary phone calls and email correspondence answering questions better served by revising/updating information provided in the user manual rather than wasting time overburdening customer support with mundane questions that may be easily answered by information elsewhere in the manual. For example, as previously explained, the instruction manual fails to provide dry coffee measurements in reference to a coffee spoon/spoonful determined by the author to be a measuring tbsp. In reality, marking the round plastic measuring tablespoon with a 'T' may be beneficial to the user as opposed to simply being told to add a spoon/spoonful of dry ground coffee and pressing the 1-2 cup button to produce a single/double shot of espresso believing it's going to brew the espresso anticipated regardless of the volume of hot water dispensed by the default volume control settings presumed unimportant to the end user. Regardless, I don't think it's asking too much to label the round plastic tablespoon with a 'T'. Furthermore, no explanation has been provided in the Casabrews basic espresso coffee machine user manual regarding the MAX fill mark whereas the user manual provided for Casabrews ultra espresso coffee machine clearly states on page 8 'As a guide to using the right amount of ground coffee, the top edge of the metal coffee tamper should be level with the top of the filter basket after the ground coffee has been tamped'. However, upon further reading we come across a 'Note' stating 'The surface of the ground coffee should not be beyond the MAX mark after tamping otherwise the portafilter might not be able to be locked into the brew head. Needless to say, the text provided in the 'Notes' is contradictory, confusing, and misleading since the top of the coffee tamper and surface of the dry ground coffee cannot occupy the same level at the same time. Needless to say, in view of contradictory and lack of information provided, the user manuals cited herein appear to be in need of revision to address/correct errors and omissions. All considered, it remains the author's opinion when writing user manual instructions, one should never assume the person for whom the user manual is intended is altogether knowledgeable and well versed regarding the subject matter for whom it has been written. As for transparency, it remains a fine line writing user manual instructions pertaining to any espresso coffee machine especially when the end user knows little to nothing about coffee to water ratio much less the preset volume controls for dispensing hot water for brewing a single/double shot of espresso on which the espresso coffee machine is based especially when the preset volume of hot water exceeds that required for brewing a 1-cup/single, 2-cup/double espresso coffee drink producing a much weaker espresso than anticipated.