Many people are unaware that the history of coffee can be traced from lonely goat herders all the way up to the marvelous coffee machines that we use in our homes each day. Coffee is truly one of the most popular beverages around the world, and its discovery dates all the way back to the 9th century. I knew I was onto something when I picked up my own Krups XP4050 for use in my home.

Back in the 9th century, goat herders in Ethiopia discovered this marvelous beverage, by using the beans from the cocoa tree to create a drink. Tracing the history all the way forward, I can thank those goat herders from the mountains in Ethiopia for bringing something special and delicious into my life and finally to a coffee machine that has revolutionized the way we make coffee. It is sad that those Ethiopian goat herders never got to have a fresh cup from the Krups XP4050.

Coffee was originally consumed for medicinal purposes and was at one point banned for a number of years because it was believed to have a bad effect on a person’s sensibilities – probably, all that caffeine – but now many people enjoy it daily and the XP4050 is great for those of us that do. Even when I don’t have a lot of time, I can get a fresh brewed, delicious cup of coffee through the amazing technology of Krups.

Why do I love my Krups machine so much? It doesn’t relate at all to those first coffee drinking goat herders from Ethiopia, or even with the land that originally brought us coffee. I love that I get coffee that is on par with coffee shop quality and taste without that same coffee shop price tag. Do you get that? The features of this machine also put it over the top. Definitely take a look at these:

• Filters can be removed and changed
• Comes equipped with storage area for accessories
• Removable water reservoir which is a decent size
• The coffee pods for variety
• A heating element with optimal temperatures
• It makes cappuccino
• Your own milk frother
• Get steam or hot water in an instant!
• Customizable strength of your espresso and cup size
• Pressure pump with Fifteen Bars

You can interchange your filters and use three different ones when making two cups of coffee, which really gets it filtered perfectly for every cup. The machine has a transparent water tank which allows you to see when it needs to be filled. Because of the heating element you can make multiple cups and still be sure that each one is piping hot.

There were some challenges with learning to operate every feature of the machine, I was initially a little afraid of the frother and the instant hot water feature. You may not notice this when a barista is making your coffee, but up close those elements make rather loud sounds which actually made me jump before I got adjusted to them. I am so glad to say, I am comfortable with those features now.

I have tried more than one of these types of machines before settling on my Krups XP4050. I actually ended up returning some previous machines as I felt the coffee didn’t get hot enough. So, I have done a bit of research and testing, and I would say that this machine is probably second to the top of the list of coffee machines of this type. It is a great investment and I think you will love using it!