written by Hamilton168 on 11/06/2014
We have owned a red Francis Francis X1 since 2003. I use it for making ground coffee. Except for an internal leak repaired for a modest fee by a local shop we have had few problems and the coffee is excellent with good crema. I should say that the red enamel has flaked off around the edges of the drip tray where coffee acids accumulate, and the thermometer has ceased to function, although the thermostat still works.
In the event that the machine finally gives up the ghost I would seriously consider buying the current Francis Francis X1 model, though I understand that the electronics are more complex, hence more potential service problems.
I would recommend this machine to a friend.