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Casabrews CM5418: one-minute review
For many folks attempting to recreate the cafe experience at home, the absolute best of the best espresso machines just aren’t a practical choice.
Not only do luxury options come with a pretty crushing price tag, they also tend to be larger and offer fewer beginner-friendly modifications. Although, you could argue that this is by design; those who approach espresso as a deeply-involved hobby won’t mind trading off some extra counter space and time in exchange for perfectly dialled-in shots. Meanwhile, if your goal is a consistently pretty tasty output with very few bells and whistles, something like the Casabrews CM5418 really hits the mark.
At just $139.99 / £149.99, the CM5418 is a seriously budget-friendly espresso machine, even when compared to the rest of Casabrews’ already low-cost lineup. There are a few areas where cut corners feel like an obvious downgrade: mainly in the feel of the portafilter and the accessories the machine comes with. However, it performs consistently with the aid of its double-walled baskets, continually producing well-extracted espresso with noticeable crema that the majority of coffee enjoyers would be pleased with.
It may be worth investing in a couple of upgrades if you want to be able to pull espresso that wows, but in the meantime, you can enjoy perfectly pleasant americanos, lattes, and more from the CM5418 as is.
Casabrews CM5418: price and availability
- List price: $139.99 / £149.99 (price varies depending on color variants)
- Available in the US and UK
- Discounts available on Casabrews’ website
When it comes to espresso machines that are kind to your wallet, the price of the Casabrews CM5418 is close to as good as it gets.
In the US, you can purchase the Casabrews CM5418 for $139.99 at the Casabrews site and on Amazon. Though it’s worth noting that the MSRP for colored versions is a little higher, at $169.99. The Casabrews site has regular coupon codes and sales, so you may be able to score this machine for even cheaper.
Casabrews ships to the UK as well, but all the prices are listed in US dollars. Alternatively, you can pick up the CM5418 from Amazon UK. Unfortunately, the full color range isn’t available on Amazon UK, but this won’t be an issue if you had your heart set on a silver or black version.
Casabrews CM5418: specifications
|
Type |
Semi-automatic espresso machine |
|
Drink options |
2 (single and double espresso) |
|
Pump pressure |
20 bar |
|
Water tank capacity |
34oz / 1 liter |
|
Steam wand |
Yes, manual |
|
Side (H x W x D) |
12.28 x 5.47 x 11.97 inches / 31.19 x 13.89 x 30.14cm |
|
Weight |
8.6lb / 3.9kg |
Casabrews CM5418: design
- Small-scale, charming design
- Available in seven colors
- Cheap-feeling portafilter and disappointing accessories
The Casabrews CM5418 is a compact little espresso machine that’d be right at home in small kitchens, office spaces, or even on the road in a campervan. With it coming in at under six inches wide, you really shouldn’t have any difficulty finding a home for it, even in living areas that are tight on space. What’s more, it’s exceptionally light too. So even if you do decide to store in the cupboard between uses, you’ll only have to shift 8.6lbs in and out each time.
I’d prefer to keep my machine out of the counter though, and not just for convenience’s sake; the CM5418 actually looks rather cute. The pressure gauge on the front face is not only a very practical clue of how well your espresso is extracting but also adds some visual interest to a machine lacking a LCD screen. Though this is actually inline with my own preferences, to be honest: I found the four simple, tactile buttons on the CM5418 to be far more satisfying to use than the digital displays or touchscreens found on some expensive espresso machines.
If you fancy jazzing up your coffee station a bit, there’s a decently wide range of color options to choose from: silver, black, beige, sapphire blue, baby blue, pastel green, and pink. This is a win for anyone who’s a sucker for color coordination, but you will end up paying a $30 premium for any color other than silver. Such is the cost of beauty, I guess.
True to its lower price point, the CM5418’s build doesn’t feel composed of particular high-end materials. But, in my time testing it, I never found the slight compromise on component quality to be much of an issue. That is, with the exception of the machine’s 51mm portafilter.
Not only is the portafilter handle made from a hard plastic that really doesn’t feel especially pleasant in the hand, but the mechanism for securing the basket into it is a little unwieldy too. The standard method involves having a spring clip to maintain tension when the basket is pushed into the portafilter, but the CM5418 baskets have a notch that has to be threaded into a gap in the portafilter’s lip instead. As a result, the basket wobbles and clacks around noisily when the portafilter is moved, and it’s not difficult to disturb your puck preparation with this instability. I didn’t have any problems with the basket outright falling out of the portafilter during my tests, but it’s not hard to imagine that the looseness of the threads could occasionally lead to you accidentally sending your basket flying into your knock box.
The CM5418 comes with a one shot basket and a two shot basket, both of which are pressurized. Casabrews’ decision to not include a non-pressurized basket says a lot about how beginner-friendly this machine is supposed to be. Instead of relying on the resistance of water traveling through your coffee puck, the extra wall in a pressurized basket does the heavy lifting when it comes to regulating extraction pressure and creating the appearance of crema. As a result, less precision is needed for a consistent output and you can even get away with using preground coffee. However, the trade off is that you just won’t achieve the same peak in flavor.
If you do find that you’d prefer to use a non-pressurized basket with your CM5418, you’re in a bit of a pickle. Not only does the machine have a relatively uncommon grouphead size of 51mm but as mentioned before, the portafilter doesn’t use a spring clip. Not even on the Casabrews website is there an option to buy single-walled baskets that are compatible with the CM5418’s stock portafilter. So, if you want to make this change, you’ll have to purchase a whole new portafilter.
Even if you don’t opt for a single-walled upgrade, there are some accessories you’ll want to pick up that aren’t covered by what you get in-box. For example, the CM5418 doesn’t come with a stainless steel jug to steam your milk in. So, if you’re going to try your hand at lattes, that’s worth chucking in your basket. A plastic tamp-scoop is included that’s extremely lightweight, and the scoop end makes it difficult to position your hand for proper tamping. It’s fine in a pinch, but definitely not ideal. For the price, these are less ‘deal breakers’ and more annoying yet understandable cut corners.
Casabrews CM5418: performance
- Quick heat-up time and simple operation
- Consistent espresso output
- Impressive steam wand
As with most entry/mid level espresso machines, the CM5418’s water is heated using a thermoblock rather than a traditional boiler. The main benefit of a thermoblock heating system (other than cutting down cost) is just how speedy it makes the preheating process. As a matter of fact, the CM5418 is ready to go in about 40 seconds. While this isn’t quite as fast as the 5-second heat up time promised from the CM5418 Pro, it’s still far from anything that would disrupt your morning routine. After all, 40 seconds isn’t the kind of wait that would get in the way of your coffee-making flow; it’s like the perfect amount of time to grab your favorite mug and weigh out your beans.
Thanks to the double-walled baskets, pulling a tasty shot of espresso with the CM5418 is a lot more foolproof than it would otherwise be. Of course, the beans you choose still matter – as does your grind size, extraction time, and dosage – but pressurized baskets help to crank the difficulty meter down a bit. You’re still aiming for that bullseye although the area of the bullseye is just that bit bigger. So, while I still dealt with some fussing adjusting my grind for the best extraction, it didn’t take too much effort to get to something tasty.
For the majority of my test shots, I used Mask of the Mire from Dark Arts Coffee. These beans yielded espresso which was nutty and sweet, if lacking in complexity just a bit. Though it’s not hard to imagine that my shots could fare better with some slight upgrades to the machine, what I had was consistently great for the basis of an americano or a milk drink …despite being a tad boring on its own.
Even right out of the box, the steam wand had a fluid range of motion that made it easy to position it at the right point in my milk jug. It’s operated by a knob on the side of the machine and responds quickly to activation, meaning you can get straight into aerating your milk without much fuss. Some other budget espresso machines like the (non Arte) DeLonghi Dedica have what’s called a panarello wand, which is best suited to making fluffy, dry cappuccino foam, but majorly falls down when it comes to creating microfoam. Meanwhile, the CM5418 has no trouble delivering velvety milk well suited to a flat white.
As mentioned before, the water (and subsequently, the steam) is heated with a thermoblock and while this makes the process faster, it does mean that pulling espresso and steaming milk can’t be done at the same time. Switching between modes takes mere seconds. So, this is really only a problem if you anticipate making multiple milk-based drinks in a row.
Should you buy the Casabrews CM5418?
|
Attribute |
Notes |
Score |
|---|---|---|
|
Value |
Espresso machines don’t get much more affordable than this. |
5/5 |
|
Design |
Small, charming design in a choice of colors, but accessories feel cheap. |
3.5/5 |
|
Performance |
Quick to heat up, easy to use, and more consistent than many of the budget espresso machines we;ve tested. |
4.5/5 |
Buy it if
Don’t buy it if
Casabrews CM5418: also consider
If you’re unsure of whether the Casabrews CM5418 is the right espresso machine for you, it’s worth checking out these alternatives:
How I tested the Casabrews CM5418
I tested the Casabrews CM5418 over a period of four weeks, using it regularly to make black and milk-based espresso drinks.
During my tests, I alternated between using light, dark, and omni-roasted fresh espresso beans bought from specialty coffee roasters. All beans were ground using the Baratza Encore ESP, with the grind size adjusted a number of times to achieve the optimal result.
The steam wand was tested with fresh, full-fat dairy milk, semi-skimmed milk, and oat milk. After each steam, I made sure to purge and clean the wand to keep it operational. For more details, see how we test, review, and rate products at TechRadar.
First reviewed September 2025
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