CASABREWS CM5418 Espresso Machine with Steam Wand

CASABREWS CM5418 Espresso Machine with Steam Wand

By CASABREWS · Espresso Machines · Kitchen & Cooking

  • Compact semi-automatic espresso machine
  • Milk frothing steam wand
  • Second-lowest price here ($139.99)
  • 3,679 ratings backing the budget pick

Lowest price seen
$139.99
from $139.99 at CASABREWS (official D2C) · Checked Sep 28, 2026

Prices are snapshots. Check the current price with the store.

Problems, parts and running costs

Summary

A 5.47-inch-wide semi-automatic espresso machine for beginners and small kitchens, with a 20-bar pump, a 34 oz tank and a manual steam wand. Check the steam wand before you commit: reviewers split on its power, and two of the three full tests found it too weak for back-to-back milk drinks.

Strengths

  • The 5.47-inch footprint fits small kitchens and tight counters.
  • Two shot buttons and low-pressure pre-infusion make a first shot easier.
  • TechRadar found the wand can produce microfoam good enough for a flat white.
  • Casabrews sells genuine accessories and spares for the 51 mm platform.
  • TechGearLab measured a 20.7% extraction yield, inside the 18–22% industry band.

Weaknesses

  • Reviewers split on the steam wand; two of three full tests found it underpowered and slow.
  • After steaming, the machine overheats and the shot buttons lock out until it cools.
  • The supplied dual-wall baskets limit flavor; a better shot needs a new bottomless portafilter.
  • No milk jug and no cleaning products are included.
  • Owners report steam-wand leaks and pressure loss after about a year of light use.
  • No single-wall basket sold by Casabrews fits the stock non-clip portafilter.

Verified specifications

ModelCM5418 (also sold as the CM5418 BASIC variant).
Operationsemi-automatic, ground coffee, with single and double shot buttons.
Pump20-bar Italian pressure pump, manufacturer-rated maximum.
Heatingthermoblock system, 1350 W.
Temperature controlmanufacturer-claimed PID, fixed setpoint and not reprogrammable.
Pre-infusionlow-pressure.
Pressure gaugefront-mounted, with no printed numerals.
Water tank34 oz, removable.
Steam wandmanual stainless steel, mechanical valve control.
Brew hardware51 mm aluminum portafilter, one 1-cup and one 2-cup dual-wall basket.
Heat-upabout 40 seconds measured by TechRadar; the product page lists 1 min.
Dimensions5.47 × 12.28 × 11.97 in (W × D × H); 8.6 lb.
Warranty1 year.
In the boxdouble-wall baskets, a measuring scoop and tamper, the 51 mm portafilter and the manual. No milk jug or cleaning products.
Full research notes and sources

Which model this is

This page covers the CASABREWS CM5418, a compact semi-automatic machine with a manual steam wand, sold in the US and UK. Casabrews also sells a lower-cost CM5418 BASIC variant with the same 20-bar pump, 1350 W thermoblock and steam wand. The CM5418 comes in seven colors — silver, black, beige, sapphire blue, baby blue, pastel green and pink — and color changes the price, not the function. It uses ASIN B09X3WGJ3R. Don’t confuse it with the 5418 PRO (PID, 1550 W), the 3700 Essential or the Casabrews Ultra, which are different machines.

Espresso, baskets and upgrades

The machine ships with one 1-cup and one 2-cup dual-wall basket, which pressurizes the puck to create crema. Tom’s Guide got bitter, flat espresso from those baskets, then a juicy, nutty shot after swapping to a bottomless portafilter. TechRadar got nutty, sweet espresso within the dual-wall setup, and TechGearLab’s tasters found lightly acidic shots with a hint of sweetness at a measured 20.7% extraction yield, inside the 18–22% band.

Fixing the basket is not simple. The 51 mm portafilter holds its basket with a notch instead of a spring clip, and TechRadar found no single-wall basket on the Casabrews site that fits the stock portafilter, so the buyer has to buy a whole new portafilter. Casabrews lists a 51 mm bottomless portafilter at $45 and a 5418 series aluminum portafilter at $30.

Steam wand and milk

The wand is the biggest disagreement among reviewers. TechRadar called it superb, with microfoam well suited to a flat white, and CNET reported thick creamy foam. Tom’s Guide called it a typical budget wand, reported bubblier milk, and found the machine overheats after every use. TechGearLab, testing on its own, found the steam wand pressure low and said the machine is not built for back-to-back milk drinks. Two of the three full tests land on the critical side.

After steaming, the single and double buttons flash and no shot will pull until the machine cools or you purge the wand, which can spurt hot water.

Durability, upkeep and value

Casabrews publishes model-specific fixes for steam-wand and hot-water failure, water leaking from the bottom, pressure problems and flashing lights with an alarm. One r/espresso owner reports a steam-wand leak and pressure loss after about a year of light use, and the same failure on a PRO version inside a year. That is a handful of posts, not a failure rate, but it lines up with the faults Casabrews documents.

Upkeep is hands-on. The machine prompts descaling every 500 cycles, a 33-minute process that needs attention about every five minutes. No cleaning products or milk jug are included.

Support is better than the price suggests: a 1-year parts-and-labor warranty, a 30-day home trial, a dedicated manual, and genuine Casabrews spares for the 51 mm platform. At list the CM5418 is undercut by Casabrews’ own 3700 Essential, which Tom’s Guide says performs nearly the same for $10–30 less.

Sources

Manufacturer:

Independent reviews:

Owner reports:

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