The JASSY 19 Bar Espresso Machine JS-101 with frothing wand is a diminutive device suitable for a small apartment or where you don’t want to take much space. Geared up with the addition of a rotating panarello frothing wand to make cappuccinos, lattes and other Italian style beverages in the comfort of your own home.
The machine has 19 bar high pressure, a 0.9 liter detachable water tank and detachable drip tray and has the flexibility of a single shot or double tamper basket. At a budget price, the JASSY 19 Bar espresso machine JS-101 is at first glance the answer to budding baristas. In this review I will be looking at product quality, ease of use and cleaning and whether the device does in fact deliver bistro style beverages.
Read until the end to see if the Jassy 19 bar JS-101 (with frothing wand) will leave you like a cat that’s got the cream or will leave a lingering sour taste in the mouth. There aren’t many espresso machines with steam wands at this price bracket so first we will probe the question: what is a steam wand?
What is a Steam Wand?
A steam wand is a short, long metal tube that’s attached to the side of an espresso machine. It’s connected to the water boiler. When you turn it on, dry steam is ejected out at high pressure, creating micro bubbles in milk.
Different Types of Steam Wand
Panarello
A shorter steam wand, usually made of stainless steel, is designed to make frothing milk easy for beginners. They do all the work for you and are simply dunked into a jug of milk. Some will have rubber clasps to protect the user from scalding. The panarello on the De’longhi Deluxe has an additional fool proof lever to opt between steam for lattes or cappuccinos.
Pin-Hole Wands
Longer than the panarello, pin-hole wands give you more flexibility when creating delicious milk froth. They are better at producing thicker froth too. They have tiny holes only at the bottom tip of the nozzle, that expels narrow jets of high-pressured steam out. You control how much air is drawn in and thus the level of froth by adjusting the position of the pitcher. You will see pin-hole wands in bistros and coffee shops.
JASSY 19 Bar Espresso Machine JS-101 (With Frothing Wand) Review
The Jassy 19 Bar is a beginner friendly machine that allows you to be up and running within minutes of taking it out the box. Mostly decked in dark plastic the machine won’t take up much of a footprint on the counter top with dimensions of 12.99 x 5.9 x 12.99 inches which makes it shorter yet slightly wider than the stylish De’Longhi Dedica range. The drawback to some is that the JASSY 19 Bar Espresso Machine JS-101 does not cater for tall coffee cups.
With a 51 mm pressurized tamper you can make good quality espresso with crema in under 40 seconds. These days you’ll have to pay a whole lot more for an un-pressurized tamper which edges the quality of crema.
Before creating espresso it’s a good idea to practice just resetting the machine and filling a glass with hot water. Plug the JASSY in and turn off. Rotate the dial to steam, long press down the coffee button and turn on the machine at the same time; turn off and on again. When the red light comes on the machine is reset. Use the coffee function to pour glass of water to test and not for drinking.
When the machine is on you will see the blue lights flashing which tells you the machine is heating the water. Then simply fill the tamper with ground coffee, tamp it (make it flat) and slot into the head of the machine.
Simplicity of function is continued with aplomb when it comes to creating froth and steamed milk. Press the steam button on the bottom of the 3 main buttons which will become blue. Fill a pitcher half full with milk and dip the wand under the surface. Then twist the central dial round to the Steam setting and steam sounds will start to gurgle like a professional espresso machine. Within 30 seconds you’ll have a good level of creamy froth in your jug.
Tip of the Day
Its important to wipe down the steam gasket after un-slotting the tamper so grounds don’t get stuck in the machine. Wipe down the wand between uses too.
In Conclusion
What a great machine for a beginner barista, a student or someone who prefers a better cup of Joe while living in a small space. Does the JASSY make bistro style cappuccinos and lattes? The difference is fractional. You get a good crema and a coffee experience as good as machines costing two or three times more.
If you were hoping to use the alternative flavors that Nespresso capsules offer, I am afraid the JS-101 is not capsule friendly. However, there are differing coffee ground flavors in abundance these days which you can find on Amazon.
Made of plastic and some stainless steel such as the drip tray, the machine follows a standard in budget espresso machine design. Unless you drop it on the floor I can’t see this robust gem cracking any time soon. So simple to use, you don’t need more than one page of instructions before you’re brewing delicious coffees within 35 seconds for your friends or family.
- Read: Bonsenkitchen Espresso Machine 20 Bar Coffee Machine (with Milk Frother) Review
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- A machine with extras: CYETUS Espresso Machine CYK7602 Review
- Try this milk frother recipe: Milk Frother Pumpkin Spice Latte Recipe
- You may like: What is a Milk Frother? (4 Ways to Add Foam to Beverages)
The Jassy 19 Bar makes delcious crema in about 1 minute 20 seconds I found and not quite as quick as you say,