Mr. Coffee ECMP40 Pod Pump Espresso & Cappuccino Maker
I am now enjoying my at home coffee latte's. Excellent and abundant steam for frothing milk. Steam nozzle should a little higher for pitcher clearance.
I ordered this as a Christmas present for my mother but i can't really fault the product for my disappointment. Target-Direct was the sender who either forgot, or was too lazy to include packing material inside the shipping container. Had they chosen to ship inside the product box alone, i think, it wouldn't have bounced along inside the other box for it's entire journey.
Amazon should review it's future with this supplier!
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I bought this to replace our old cheap steam machine -- I thought it was time to step up to a pump and this one had some good online reviews at a low price. It does make good espresso with nice crema and the foaming wand is very easy to use for cappuccino. But after six months I chucked it. Here's why:
1. Yes, I know we should use the small espresso cups but we prefer larger mugs and they don't fit. I know this is common but some models do offer more clearance. Removing the drip tray to allow taller cups to fit is messy.
2. The basket for the grounds is small. We like to make two good-sized cups at once using more grounds. No big deal, though, since the bigger basket from our old system fit just fine. But if you don't happen to have a bigger basket you're out of luck there.
3. The water reservoir fits into a compartment on the side. Or I should say "doesn't." It's very difficult to get the reservoir out. Finally after struggling with a knife to pry the damn thing out one day, we "solved" the problem by being careful not to put it back in all the way. The last time I used it I accidentally popped the reservoir in all the way, and later spent ten minutes prying with a knife to get it out. I junked it that day.
4. The hose that pumps the water ripped after only two months. It ripped near the top so we just cut it off and stuck it back on. Two weeks later it ripped again so we cut it off again.
5. The cover on the foaming wand broke after only a couple of months. The wand didn't work nearly as well without the cover so I glued it back together.
Shoddy construction. Spend a little more and get a good machine.
For those of us who don't need a $900 espresso maker, the ECMP40 is a good vaule. It's easy to use, comes with an espresso pod adapter for cleaner/easier espresso making and heats up quickly.
The steam wand is effective and heats milk in very little time with minimum effort.
I've had the unit for a year and have had no problems with it what so ever. That's saying something since I literally use it every single morning.
I was given this coffee maker as a gift, and it worked great for about nine months. Then progressively-larger amounts of water started leaking around the top of the basket that holds the coffee. I tried everything: more and less fine grounds, tighter and looser packing of grounds, tighter and looser locking of the basket, completely cleaning the area, etc. Nothing worked.
Finally I decided to do a search online. I found many other people with this problem. The only solution seems to be replacing the unit.
So I called Sunbeam (the owners of Mr. Coffee). They claimed they'd never heard of the problem and told me I shouldn't believe everything I read online. They told me my only option was to drive an hour from my home to a service center. I asked if the service center would charge me. They said, if the unit was purchased more than a year ago, even if I received it as a gift less than a year ago, the service center would see that in their records and charge me just to look at it. And they might not be able to fix it. Throughout this I stayed polite and the person I spoke with was quite defensive.
Chalk me up as very unhappy with the dismissive and unhelpful people at Mr. Coffee / Sunbeam.
After reading all the reviews I really need to throw in my 2 cents. I got my Mr Coffee essentially free with a $50 gift cert for Macys (of all places).....3 years ago. Since then I've built my wife and I my version of a wet cappaccino (sp) nearly every morning. Only complaint is that it can't handle a fine grind for a double shot...unless you prime the shot once with the pump for about 20 seconds. Then wait a few and then let
'er rip. No breakdowns and I've let it run hot for a whole day! Only problem is Karen broke the filter handle so now I am surfing to find one. My unit froths great with the rubber end I stole off my last Mr Coffee boiler unit. The plastic thing is useless. But I read here that many units die within a month. I'm shifting to Gaggia Classico and see how the other half lives! Mr Coffee will be there to bail me out should the Italian Stalion fail.
I'm away from home and from my Gaggia espresso machine (see my review) for a few months. I didn't have another $300 to drop on a gaggia but was craving lattes, so I went to the local department store and this was the one model they had. (Yes, I'm in the semi-boonies. The nearest Starbucks is about 40 miles away.) So far, to my surprise, the Mr. Coffee ECMP40 is producing lattes that are quite drinkable. However, the espresso does seem to be poorer in quality (not as concentrated, though I *am* getting crema),and the frother less able to produce froth (I think it would be really hard to make a cappuccino with this machine). I'm using freshly ground coffee, and I think getting it ground a little more finely and tamping it well will help improve the espresso quality. When you first turn the steam valve to release steam, a bunch of hot water comes out instead, but that seems to correct itself. Then, when my milk is at about 120-140 degrees, the screeching sound becomes unbearable. I'm seriously going to wear earplugs the next time I use the thing.
All in all, a decent low-cost solution, but you get what you pay for.
I have to admit I'm surprised by the reviews doubting this machine's durability. I bought mine in October 2004, use it nearly every day, and haven't had a moment's trouble with it. I even sometimes take it on road trips when a Starbucks may not be convenient. I highly recommend the Starbucks espresso pods, $4.95/12 when you can find them, I usually buy them online.
I had heard that this was the best Cappuccino machine on the market for its price range. It does fine, I guess. Technically, it does what it is supposed to do well--it brews the espresso well and quickly, and it does froth/steam the milk to a good consistency. My only complaints are that it does not come with a carafe for brewing the espresso, nor a stainless steel pitcher for frothing/steaming milk. You have to buy those separately, which is about another $30. Also, neither the espresso nor the milk ever seems to get quite hot enough.
I bought this machine a month ago and am generally satisfied with its performance. It's my first espresso machine and it can pull shots with comparable/better quality than the Starbucks down the street when I use my own roasted beans. As a pump-driven machine, it does make some nice crema.
Granted, it's one of the cheapest pump-driven espresso machine. You can't expect particularly high building quality. It doesn't look durable. The portafilter housing is plastic. Having a plastic/Alumium sealing that undertake a 13 bar pressure is not a durable solution. It leaks water a little bit once a while. Hopefully it won't break...
I have been using this machine once or twice a day for about a year. I have yet to experience any malfunctions however the quality of the espresso produced is not as high as I would like. Taking the price into consideration, low quality espresso can be overlooked if you are not accustomed to quality coffee. I worked as a barista years ago and continue to haunt quality mom and pop coffee shops, so this machine is more a source of frustration than satisfying coffee. The espresso is surprisingly acrid considering the weak brew produced. Full bodied golden crema isn't going to be a part of you experience with this machine... just a flaccid slick of pathetic micro bubbles, sometimes sour foamy bubbles, even this can only be achieved by exposing your beans too long... whats the point?... we are all going to grow old and die someday anyway heehee. The steamer works fairly well despite a small amount of leaking. When assessing the value of an espresso machine the steamer wand is usually pretty low on the list because they all pretty much do the same darn thing. You can steam milk wonderfully with this machine and create dazzlingly beautiful lattes however if you intend to make more than one latte you might have to stick around for awhile. The learning curve with this machine can be high and I have found (as with all espresso machines) a ritual must be devised to allow for efficient use. Problems can arise when the requisite ritual becomes overly elaborate. This machine's ritual is on the cusp of being down right cumbersome.
If you are not a coffee freak and money doesn't flow freely in your life this might be an acceptable machine, in the least you can acquaint yourself with the mechanics of the process while sipping mediocre coffee. Even with this machine, through practice, you can make better coffee than what is available in all the fast food coffee shops such as star bucks where the baristas don`t really k now what thy are doing (not all star bucks baristas suck... just the majority of them... why some of them are rather pretty) . Just remember to clean the grouphead.
I used this daily for 6 months with no problems. When it did it's "melt down" I just bought another one...
It was an emergency... I was stuck in Kentucky for 6 months and the only local espresso spigot was Starbuck's. Not a lot of machine choices in the local shopping centers, and I chose this one for the pump and overall perceived value. I also got the associated coffee mill.
Well. The mill was a disappointment right away, not only exhibiting intermittent behavior but also presenting a phantom load (warm all the time) just to support its timer. Dumb design. The espresso maker worked moderately well, but with unspectacular output, inconvenient height, lots of leaks requiring daily clean-up, and an overall unsatisfying feel. 5 months later (approx 2 uses a day), it got hot... I mean really hot... stinking of burned wire & plastic, the faceplate deformed from the heat.
Completely unacceptable. Foolishly, I didn't keep the receipt, so I'm stuck with the loss... I'll just harvest the pump and toss it in the trash. I would certainly not buy another product from this company: phantom loads, sub-par performance, and serious safety issues are all the disincentives I need.
I purchased this machine for my wife for Christmas. It worked well from the start. The coffee tastes great and the frother has plenty of power. A few things we have learned already:
- Using espresso pods makes the entire process much easier and
cleaner. (You can get good deals on them on eBay)
- There is an initial shot of hot water from the frother. As
another reviewer noted, just drain that into a container then
froth away.
- It does leak a bit around the brew head when making back to
back drinks. Not that big a deal really,just be ready for it.
- The space under the brew head is too short. You will need to
buy something that fits.
No comment yet on reliability. Several other reviews call it into question but the price is unmatched. Give this machine a try if you want great espresso drinks in around 5 minutes.
I got tired of my husband spending $5/day at Starbucks for coffee and bought him one of these about 6 mo's ago. He was terribly pleased with it and used it faithfully every morning. He never used the pods. We bought beans from starbucks and he fresh ground his every morning. We also invested in starbucks syrups. He could make a vanilla latte that I couldn't tell the difference in taste between it and starbucks for a fraction of the price! There was a little trouble with the steamer part getting clogged but we cleaned it out no prob. Also it did leak a little...but a very little. We winded up just permanently setting it on top of a decorative kitchen towel on the kitchen counter. Expresso was very good and hot...we had no trouble making crema either.
This would seem to be a five star review so far but here's the killer: It broke this morning! I had previously read a couple reviews on this site and on Epinions where they said their machine broke at six months and I was still shocked! My husband was crushed and pouted all the way to work. I offered to purchase him another one but he requested I go with a different brand. So I guess my advice is: The 6 mo melt down happened to me too! Buy only if you're willing to take that risk. Otherwise it's a great little buy for $50.
Don't have much experience with espresso machines but this maker, combined with some Starbucks espresso pods, is working out pretty darn well.
I've only had this machine for a week but my mornings have become much more exciting since I now have as much near-instant espresso as I could possibly drink. Not to mention that the machine is so easy to use I didn't even need to take barrista lessons at local Learning Annex.
The next step is to learn how to make a decent "long black" like what I enjoyed in New Zealand. Smooth and rich and smokey coffee with crema that's piping hot and great kick in the butt.
Overall this has been a great starter machine and when it finally poops out I'll be ready to move on up to that Gaggia that's waiting for me on my Wish List.
Bring it on!
October 2005: Before I bought Mr. Coffee, I had three espresso machines from various makers, all expensive, and they all died within a few months. I've been using this machine daily for almost 2 years and it is still going strong. It seems a little quieter than the other machines and does a better job of making foam. The plastic handle on the coffee holder broke after a few months, but a little glue fixed it. I recommend wrapping a few turns of electrical tape around the handle where it connects to the coffee holder to prevent it from breaking. For the price, its a fine machine.
April, 2006: By golly, after making about 1000 lattes, Old Faithful is still running! Poor Starbucks has certainly lost a lot of money. Occasionally its steamer gets clogged with sediment and stops steaming, but it's easy to fix. Just open the steam valve and turn on the water pump so that the pump forces water through the steamer to unclog it. It is helpful to run some vinegar though the machine every once in a while to clear the sediment
March, 2007: Several hundred lattes later, Mr Coffee is still with me, though I quit using his steamer in favor of a BonJour frother ,which is quicker and makes nicer milk foam. I was worried he might become jealous if he saw me frothing with someone else, but he didn't seem to mind.
All the while this machine worked, it made great coffee. Starbucks pods fit well so no mess. Milk warmed with a little froth. Sadly after three months it leaked everywhere. Mr Coffee gladly replaced it but the new machine leaked just as bad. It finally failed completely, quite explosively with water bursting out in all directions, when it was six months old. I have to admit both machines saw a lot of use, 8 to 10 cups a day, so I think I got very good value for money. I might even by the same model again.
I can't believe how much more I like my 11 year old steam driven Braun, even though it burns my hand when I use the steamer! Now I have a LOT of experience making and drinking lovely espresso. Several years in Seattle seeking the best espresso may have turned me into a bit of a coffee perfectionist, but I had reasonable expectations for this little machine which were not met.
1. I had to fully reload the basket for each 1.5oz shot of coffee. The reservoir is not big enough to hold enough grounds for a nice full double shot. They claim that you can get 2 1-1.5 oz shots out of the machine with a full basket. I found that any amount over 1.5oz was weak, and 1 oz was the best with a full loading (for 2 shots) This TOTALLY defeated the fact that the reservior makes for faster brewing of several cups (over the steam makers)
2.The grounds spatter no matter how hard they are tamped, and coffee covers the lower surface of the machine, so you have to clean it every time or you don't get a good seal. Serious pain.
3. I could not make crema to save my life with this piece of junk. A little foam came off just before the water ran almost totally clear, but this wasn't crema, Crema is a result of the sugars and oils coming off of the beans well, these were depleted beans. I expect that it was a "fake crema" feature to make the liqued frothy. NOTE: I have no problem making nice thick crema and getting full full double shots with my little old BRAUN steam driven machine, For that matter, I used a $20 Fred Meyer brand steam driven machine and got full shots and nice crema. (still probably coffee capacity I suppose)
4. Coffee is bitter and weak at the same time. This is indicative of too low of a pressure or temperature of extraction, or both. This is the machine's fault, since my BRAUN can make rich warm espresso with the identical beans.
5. The frother leaked. I didn't try the frothing assistant, and am glad because water was leaking out of the top of the frother cap into the milk the whole time I was frothing. Probably not a huge effect on quality, but irritating just the same.
I will return this and NOT NOT NOT buy another. Until I can afford the big guns at home, it's back to the steam driven for me, and no more Mr. Coffee, no matter how handy they are to pick up.
So far I have had the machine for about a month. My friend helped me set things up and make the first few drinks. She has an Illy machine and said this machine makes the same or better steamed/frothed milk and brews great drinks!!!!! I'll say this machine can make a much better espresso drink than all the drive thru places nearby. It took me some practice to get good at frothing the milk, but once you get the hang of it, it's pretty easy and kind of fun. Be careful to turn off the steaming button when you are done with it...it can make the machine get too hot otherwise if you are going to make another shot of espresso........
For me this has been a good machine for the money. So far no problems. I didn't expect it to perform like a $500 machine,& am pleasantly surprised at how it can make a really good drink.
I've had the EMP40 for a week and had an initial problem with not being able to froth milk. I tried telephone support first, but the person I talked with knew nothing about the machine and just wasted my time. My emails were not responded to. As it turned out the problem was simple to fix. The steam nozzle inside the black frother was not screwed into the wand. Once I fixed that the frothing went very well. I really enjoy the espresso and cappuccino drinks the machine produces. I'd rate it five stars if Sunbeam support acted like the cared.
I use this all the time to get my Starbucks fix without the expensive price tag. It works great! I have had no problems with it whatsoever and makes a great latte!
This was the worst machine ever and leaked from the first time it was used. I used to own $20 steam espresso maker and it worked better than this one. In fact I owned the cheap one for 3+ years and gave it away before it wore out. Don't waste the time setting it up and cleaning it up to take it back.
This machine needs major overhaul in design. In our case, the steam valve fell apart at about six months use. Also, the coffee seal leaked badly after an even shorter amount of time. This is unfortunate, because it made really good espresso.
I've had this machine for two months now. While some people in these reviews mention using their's once or twice a day, I use mine about 4 times per week. Admittedly, I still go to Starbucks or a local coffeeshoppe if it is convenient while I am out and about.
My experience has been positive, but I'll mention the poor side as well.
First off, say goodbye to that drip tray. It takes up way too much space and hardly leaves you any room for even an espresso shot glass. I think the machine looks better cosmetically without it, anyways. One thing that was repeatedly run into my brain by barista friends is that it is Important to take care of the machine. I clean the steam wand after every use and clean the dripping/pressure area after every use to remove excess espresso grinds. Additionally, I would recommend running a cycle of water through the machine (pressure and steam wand) every week or so; I only wish I had done this from the beginning - I am noticing an improvement of performance now that I have started this routine.
As far as the results of drinks, I am very pleased. I have succeeded in making lattes equal if not better to the local coffeeshoppes around here; and my barista friends who have experienced my drinks thus far have given me their praise. I know Mr. Coffee, as a brand, doesn't stack up against the other espresso maker companies, but this is a contender. A very cheap contender at that. The price was the huge motivating factor for this purchase, but also it has shown to be a weakness as well.
This machine doesn't have that much pull. Or push, rather. I recently switched to a very, very fine espresso grind and have noticed that hot water now almost pours out of the steam wand when I am brewing the espresso. Before, when using the Starbucks Espresso Grind, that did not happen; but after my switch to a much finer grind (not Starbucks this time), the hot water that apparently is supposed to be pressured through the espresso, is just ending up out the steam wand. This is disappointing. But understandable. This machine was only $60 for me; which is dirt compared to the exuberant espresso maker competitors. As a fix, I put a bowl underneath the steam wand when I am brewing, just to catch that water. Easy fix, doesn't make me fret. I still get great espresso.
Overall, I am pleased. This is no lavish espresso maker, and it wasn't intended to be, but it gets the job done for $60 (quickly saving me money from my 5-6 trips to coffeehouses every week).
And watch out for that steam wand after you use it. It has no protective covering, so the exposed metallic portion will be quite radiant to the touch after you've warmed the milk. Oh, and don't forget to warm the milk up first (140-150 degrees Fahrenheit) because this machine can't brew and steam at the same time, or at least I seriously don't recommend you trying.
The good news is . . . We bought the first machine for Christmas and were more than pleased with it's operation and the espresso was fantastic!
The bad news is . . . .Since then we have had three of these machines. The first lasted 4 months before the steam valve would no longer shut off. It almost scalded my wife and now it is in the shop for repair, the other two which were bought within the last 2 days, both failed out of the box.
The last two, one returned for the next, both had the same problems in that right out of the box, during the initial internal rinse cycle, neither unit's ready light came on, both units started getting extremely hot to the touch, over 130 degrees and climbing, and steam started spewing from inside the unit. In all cases each unit failed to an unsafe condition that could have caused severe burns if we hadn't been paying close attention.
The out of box failure rate for the units we bought is 2 out of 3!
The only reason we tried buying the second two units was that we couldn't wait for our first unit because we loved the espresso they make so much!
I would highly recommend that Mr. Coffee, Amazon, and Target, or any other store selling these units, take these units off the market until Mr. Coffee can fix these problem or they may soon be looking at a law suit for personal injury from some not as cautious as we are!
DON'T BUY ONE, until they have been corrected!!!!
First off many of the complaints voiced here are inherent in cheaper expresso machines. Additionally many can be attibuted to not knowing how to the use the machine(this is not a coffee pot and it doesn't work like on either. I've owned 3 different brands over the years and unless your willing to pay in excess of 200.00 then this is what your dealing with. Breakdown as follows:1)not enough clearance beneath beneath brewer(a 2 oz shot glass or expresso cup fits nicely though and ultimately that is the proper way to brew expresso anyhow--not in a coffee cup/jumbo mug) 2)It does leak when brewer is turned off(from brewing head drips)--not really a problem as much as an annoyance(if you remove the brewing head once the expresso is done--no leakage-- or leave a cup there for a few minutes to catch the excess). 3)Frother is much more powerful than simililarly priced machines that I've used and works well(note: generally when a frother quits working it's because the milk has hardened in the frothing tip and the steam cannot escape--it must be cleaned regularly!). A big plus is being able to brew 2 expressos at once, a feature that no other machine in this price range offers(most are single brews into one large glass cup which equlas no crema). It boils down to this--for it's price it's a decent value and if you learn how to use the machine it should work as intended and it outclasses any other machine in it's price range. And by the way the face plate is made of metal so I'm not quite sure how the other guys melted off twice from the steam.
Update(1 year later)---Pot still kicking strong after a year of heavy use(1-2 times a day)...Still brews excellent expresso with a nice crema on top(2.5 oz in about 25 secs). As for the frother-a bit on the weak side but good enough--keep it clean though, a dirty/clogged frothing tip will not work--get rid of the black plastic adapter though--it doesn't work. Overall--a real bang for your buck--no reason to blow 300-500 as long as this economy unit is out there....also--use the right grind(about the size of granulated sugar--do not use fine grind ala turkish it will not work properly)and learn how to tamp the coffee, very important to the end result.
I was given this as a gift for mother's day 04. I have not even had it for a year. For the first couple of months it made great espresso, and I had even mastered frothing the milk. Then it began to leak all the time. I have to keep a measuring cup on the machine at all times to catch the excess. You must always keep it very clean because if not it will take over 5 min to brew the espresso. The milk frother broke completely after a couple of months so I used the microwave to warm up the milk. Today it stopped working all together. It over pressurized after being on for only a couple of minutes, and espresso and very hot steam came out all over the place; it covered the machine, counter, refrigerator, and floor. I was lucky I was not directly in front of it, I would have been burned. This machine is not worth the money; it is not reliable at ALL. What a disaster!!!!!!!!
I'm giving this 5 stars because for $60 it's an awesome deal. I tasted this against a friend's $500 Francis Francis machine using the same coffee, and the taste and crema were embarassingly close. It's built lightly and you can definitely see why it's 1/8th the price, but after 2 weeks of 3-4x/day use I'm very happy. Read others' tips here for best operation and I think you'll agree. For coffee I use the pre-ground Illy coffee that comes in a can (don't laugh- the Italians know how to do coffee in a can)- $12/8oz at my local Whole Foods, so it's "reassuringly expensive" but still a fraction of what you'd pay per cup at starbucks et. al. and it's guaranteed to be ground properly, which is far more important than in a non-espresso machine.
I recently purchased this item thinking it was a good value. The fourth time I used it, the faceplate melted off from steam because somehow the water found a way onto the counter instead of into the coffee. I exchanged it for another, but the same thing happened.
I was so excited about my new Mr. Coffee Pod Pump Espresso Maker, although I was weary of it as a Sunbeam product (the cheapest Walmart housewares line). It did produce relatively smooth espresso, but there were several characterstics that soon made me return it:
1. It did not froth the milk very well - my sister's $25 Mr. Coffee frothed much better (though too much) without a pump. This hardly frothed at all (though the milk did heat up) - impossible to make a cappucino.
2. The coffee dripper is so low that I had to either take the tray out or use a very small mug - otherwise it wouldn't fit. No good for a doubleshot. (I had read this in reviews and thought no big deal, but I was wrong).
3. When I would turn off the brewing system to either steam the milk or because I was done and wanted to drink my espresso, water would continue to drip through - leaking onto the tray and my counter.
4. It just became too much of a hassle to make anything.
I took it back and got a full refund and have since decided that you can't get a good espresso maker on the cheap, so I've purchased a really good coffee maker and will leave the espresso to the baristas at my local non-Starbucks cafe.
I'm new to home espresso makers. I started with the Krups model and returned it after a few days. I still didn't want to spend hundreds of dollars so I thought I'd try this one and have been impressed. I use only pods and it makes a great cup of espresso with Illy pods. I can make a great latte with the milk steamer, but getting the foam necessary for cappuccino is almost impossible. I think the malfunction some other reviewers have seen happens because they keep the steamer button pressed by mistake while trying to brew espresso. This heats the machine way beyond what it needs for brewing and causes water to start spilling everywhere. I did this once and thought my machine had broken, but it was just me being an idiot. But somebody does always get a lemon. If you do, return it and try again because I've been extremely happy with mine for over six weeks now.
First off, let's realize that this is not a $400 espresso machine. It's not even a $100 espresso machine. It's $59.99, which makes it a disposable espresso machine. So, with that in mind, this is a good starter machine. It's simple enough to throw a pod in and take the easy way out if you don't want to get serious with it. But, you can make good espresso/cappuccino/latte...you just need to learn how to work it.
The best tip I have to give is in purging the steam tube before frothing or steaming; it'll shoot your milk full of water if you don't, and... yuk! So purge, and purge well my friend. Also the steam tube was too short to reach very far into my 20oz. frothing pitcher, so I found that by bending the tube down then angling it out (very gently and carefully!) I could get enough length out of it to steam a single serving of milk at the bottom of the pitcher. The plastic frothing aid didn't seem to be of much use, and I have found that after getting rid of it I have more control over the quantity and quality of froth and steamed milk I can make. The addition of a good burr grinder (which cost 3 times what this machine cost) makes an enormous difference as well.
I have had my machine for about 60 days, and have used it a LOT. It does have an annoying habit of dripping water while it is warming up, and the usual steam tube issue, and it vibrates a lot while pumping, and blah blah blah, but it WORKS, and it CAN make good espresso, and it's $59.99.
It turns out I'm really into espresso and love making latte and cappuccino for my wife and friends, and I'll be moving up to a higher end machine before too long, but this machine has been good enough to pique my interest and learn to enjoy the challenge.
Bottom line: This machine is cheap and easy to make a quick "pod-spresso" with, but good enough to get you hooked on the challenge of making good espresso/cappuccino/latte.
I have not had any problems with this machine. I have made latte dozens of times. Better than spending $3.00 a day at "crappy donuts". Make sure you get "espresso ground" coffee. It won't be muddy.
Follow the directions, you should be okay. Enjoy, GULP! :)
John
This machine stopped working after 3 weeks. The milk steamer is extremely loud and works only when it wants to. Save yourself the headache, don't buy this cheap machine.
Before I get started let me state "This is not a $500 espresso machine so I won't compare it to one."
With that said you can make a great cup of coffee house coffee. I can make a cup of white mocha that will blow away any $5 coffee house cup of coffee.
I have had this unit for over a month now and have been brewing 2-3 cups of coffee each day. I don't use the pods.
Here is an excellent white mocha recipe
Coffee beans: After Eight Regular Beans
Grind: Cusinart fine grind (Max)
Brew Double shot into small brew pot or cup. Mix 6oz of Milk into brothing pitcher. Add 3 teaspoons of Nestles Vanilla mix and a squirt of Carmel ice cream topping. Mix and Froth to 150 degrees.
Mix with coffee into large mug and enjoy.
With the price of a real pump espresso machine at $60 there is no reason each and every espresso drinker does not have one at home.
After looking around at the price of espresso/capuccino machines, I thought that Dunkin Donuts would be richer at my expense. This is not the case any longer! This machine is great for those lattes that I have been spending a small fortune on. I will be saving money for a long time. I purchased the Starbucks pods and have had a quick cup of espresso as the machine heats up quickly for that. It takes a bit longer to heat up to froth some milk, but not so long that you find yourself with nothing to do. I too, have had to position the machine at the edge of the counter to maintain the ability to get a frothing pitcher out without spilling--purchased that separately as the machine does not come with one. The instructions call for a 10-12 oz. pitcher. The machine cleans up well and I have had little issue with the extra steam spewing from the machine that others have stated. It is easy to use and a big money saver! Starbucks pods are the least expensive alternative I have found for the quality of the flavor....don't go without them! They are easy to use and even easier to clean up after.
After reading enthusiastic reviews online, I bought this machine at Amazon/Target online last June. I am originally from Milano, Italy and I love my cappuccino. I have been making my own cappuccino for about 15 years, and I sure have the hang of it. The machine works very well, when it does........I enjoyed very high quality cappuccino for about 6 months. After 6 months, one day, with no warning, instead of making cappuccino, the water came out of the bottom of the machine and flooded the kitchen counter. I called customer service and they kindly shipped a new one to my home. I received the new machine (#2) and happily unpacked it; it was soaking wet and badly water damaged inside the carton. Made a claim with UPS, called again customer service, told them what happened. They shipped me a new machine (#3). Received the machine today, Christmas Eve, I am very happy, unpack the carton and guess what: machine #3 is again water damaged and soaking wet inside the carton !!!!!!! This is not happening !!!!! I again placed a claim with UPS, but Mr. Coffee customer service today is closed as it is X-Mas Eve. I will call Monday.....stay tuned. I did love the machine when it worked......2-14-05 Machine #4 arrived early January and it was in perfect condition.....I have been enjoying again perfect cappucino since then...it is truly a wonderful and inexpensive cappuccino/expresso machine...I pray it will keep working....
I've had this critter a couple of days now and It seems to already be well on it's way to paying for itself. I was a little dissappointed with the fact that it did not come with a caraffe or anything of that nature at first, but I certainly could not bitch concidering the nice, affordable price (which was 1/3 of what I was ready to pay for another brand). I stopped on the way home at Starbucks and bought a nice set up with the shot cup, a frothing pitcher, scoop and thermometer so I was ready as soon as it was out o' the box to make espresso! I was aware that these little home units take more time to heat up, I have had many a cup at a friend's house and have experienced the difference between home brew time and stand brew time. What I have done the last two mornings is just turn it on when I wake up and prime the steamer, then it's more than happy by time I get out of the shower to brew me a wake-me-up. The coffee pods are an incredible thing!!! The ones that come with the machine aren't the greatest tasting in the world, but they opened my eyes to the fact that such a thing exists, and boy do I love them! Apperently a lot of different coffee companys are putting out pods, I've spotted several online just looking for syrups! Overall I'm really happy with the machine. There's a few things I would change in the design, but I have adapted well. The frother does not swivel up to accomodate the frothing pitcher, however I just scooted the machine to the edge of my counter and problem solved. I've also learned to dump the shot into the cup and replace the glass back under the nozzles after I've clicked the button off... it takes a few moments for the pressure to dispurse and still produces a little bit of coffee. Makes clean-up a lot better... which is another thing I love about this machine. EASY clean-up!
First of all, let me mention that I am in Seattle-coffee country USA! I have had the good, the bad and the ugly when it comes to espresso and home machines. I received this from one of my clients for a birthday gift and I adore it. I haven't had coffee from Rome, but I do have a wonderful coffee shop two blocks from my house and I am just as happy with what the Mr. Coffee puts out. I have not had a problem with my espresso "spewing out" as someone in another review stated. Also, as far as back to back shots I usually pour at least eight shots every time. The shots are always consistent. I am even buying my mother one for Christmas. Also, I didn't mention how easy this is to use. I have used machines that cost 500 dollars that are a pain to use and pour lukewarm shots. I would go with the Mr. Coffee everytime!!
For years I believed the hype that you have to spend hundreds or even thousands to get a decent espresso maker, but fortunately, I was wrong! Our budget wouldn't allow for that kind of expenditure, so we reluctantly bought this inexpensive model, figuring it would just disappoint. It's fantastic! Our espressos and cappuccinos rival those we've paid $3 each for at Starbucks. No, we cannot make several at a time, but it's only 2 of us, and it does make two at a time, and that's all we need! The frother is very impressive, since usually that is the weakest attribute of inexpensive models, and my husband has discovered that the best froth comes from using skim milk. We highly recommend this item, and even though we've only had it for two months, and don't know yet if it is built sturdily enough to last for years, we figure it has already paid for itself, since we've kicked our $6 a day Starbucks habit!
What a mess, as soon as the coffee maker builds enough steam the coffee starts leaking out coffee before the start button is pushed. Only enough pressure to make a single shot at one time. Water still drips thru the coffee pod even after it is turned off. The less expensive Mr. Coffee had the same steam pressure in my opnion.
I wrote my original review back on 9/10/04 ("Great coffee machine"). I have had this machine for over 6 months now and wanted to put another 2 cents in after reading the recent reviews. I still stand by everything I wrote back in September. Also, I completely agree with 1/10/05 review ("fantastic value! so far...").
I use this machine frequently: 4-6 days/week since July. I am thrilled with the product. It works as well now as it did when I first purchased it. I have never had a single problem with the machine. For example, it doesn't shake, it hasn't lit on fire, it doesn't release steam in places it shouldn't, the frothing arm works fine and the water tube in the resevoir is as good as new. I don't even make an effort to take great care of it; I am lazy and clean it only once/week.
It took me a little time to pefect my coffee making routine, but I'm a pro now (please refer to my original review). However, out of extreme laziness and rush in the morning, I no longer use the frothing arm or preheat the carafe.
My routine is:
-pour Brita water into resevoir
-fill filter w/grinds & pack grinds
-put (unheated) carafe (still using my dessert bowl) under filter
-when machine's ready, run espresso
-pour espresso and cold milk into a paper cup and put it into the microwave for 60-90 seconds
-empty water resevoir
-remove filter from machine after 5 minutes (if you do it right after you turn off the drip, wet coffee grinds will spill all over your counter)
As a result of simplifying this routine, I make the espresso more frequently and have not purchased coffee in months.
I still have not mastered frothing. My friend bought this machine after my recommendation and she's able to froth well. I am mystified.
Lastly, the directions say to clean the machine with vinegar every 80 uses. I have (out of, again, laziness) not done this yet, but I don't see or taste a difference despite this.
I am very happy with this machine and it's paid for itself already. BTW, I tried many different grinds and I love Cafe Bustelo.
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Original review, written Sept 10, 2004:
I was baffled at all the problems people wrote about in previous reviews. I am a novice coffee machine user and work the machine with no problem. My suggestion to the people who gave this machine 1-star is to READ INSTRUCTIONS!!! (They obviously didn't, as per their reviews.)
General comments & replies to previous reviews:
-The machine is not loud (as per a recent review), but do expect the machine to make noise.. duh.
-Makes GREAT tasting coffee with lots of yummy crema.
-Steams milk well, although I'd like to be able to make more froth, but that maybe my fault b/c I'm a novice cappy maker.
-REALLY EASY clean-up, very very simple & quick.
-It does take time to reheat between making the coffee and steaming the milk, but if you read directions, the manual states you can continue using the machine even though the "ready" light isn't on.
-Someone wrote it doesn't have enough pressure to make good cappy: I don't agree. It has 13 bars of pressure, where old machines had 5 and professional machines have 15-20 bars. This person probaby didn't pack the coffee enough or didn't use enough coffee grinds.
My process of making coffee takes about 10 minutes total, so you can figure out if this is too much work for you:
-Take water from my Brita filter to fill the water reservoir.
-Run hot faucet water into the carafe to preheat b/c it keeps the coffee hotter longer.
-Fill the filter with 2 spoons of my cuban fine grinds & tap the top to pack it.
-Turn on the unit, wait until the ready light is lit (unit heats up water).
-Put carafe under the filter & press the coffee button so the cappy starts puring from filter.
-Wait until fluid gets almost see-through, then turn off cappy, turn on steam so until heats up water to a higher temperature.
-Fill my Stainless Frothing Pitcher with Thermometer from Crate & Barrel ($15) with milk.
-Run hot faucet water into the mug you'll use for the coffee to preheat it.
-Once unit is ready, dip the frothing arm into the milk & turn the steam knob all the way to get the max steam out to the milk. Usually takes about 3 mins to get the milk to 140 F (from 35 F). Having the thermometer is essential to this process. To make froth, lower the pitcher so that the tip of the frothing arm is just above the milk - I think that the steam hittng the surface of the milk creates the froth.
-Turn the steaming knob back to 'off', combine cappy & milk & froth into a pre-heated mug (notice I left the carafe under the filter b/c the filter drips about 3-5 drops during the frothing process and those drops end up in the drip tray, that's annoying).
-Fill a cup with water & clean the steaming nozzle right away by steaming water (instead of milk) to prevent the milk from clogging the nozzle (this is all in the directions, if you just take the time to read them!).
-Leave the rest of the cleaning for later, enjoy the cappy now.
Shortcomings of the unit:
-Didn't come with a carafe, I've been using a small dessert bowl b/c I can't find a carafe I like.
-The frothing arm swivels about 90% and doesn't bend up/down. This was annoying, but I found a way to tilt the frothing pitcher to the side and got used to it & now it's fine.
-The coffee pods that come with the unit are horrible, don't even bother using them.
-If you're feeling lazy (or running late), you'll still end up going to Starbucks or ABP to pick up your morning coffee on the way to work.
Best parts about the unit:
-Easy to clean: dump excess water from reservoir, rinse off drip tray, dump out used grinds from filter & rinse, scrub dried milk off the frothing nozzle (most tedious tast- takes about 15 seconds).
-Small, doesn't take up a lot of space: on top of the unit there is an area where you can store all little accessories for the unit - so clever!
-Produces hot, delicious, dark, flavorful coffee: yum!
-Cheap: $90 w/tax, frothing pitcher/thermometer, and carafe
-13 bars of pressure!
-Right at home - no trips to & from Starbucks to get a cappy.
-Even though I'm a coffee-grinds-kind-of-person, having the pods will cut about 15 seconds from packing the grinds & about 5 seconds from the cleaning. I think the only drawback from the pods is that they make single servings where with grinds you can make 2 servings (or 1 really big one).
I am a Starbucks Barista and this is a good machine for what it is. It makes good espresso and okay foam. It makes the shot in a good amount of time. Kind of loud and has to re-heat often but the good outweighs the bad. I like to use this machine and I am able to make good drinks at home. I would go so far as to say that it is second best to having a Starbucks in your home.
The first machine I bought malfunctioned and I sent it back. I brought home the second machine. First I ran it with the decaf pods that came with the machine. They made quite possibly the foulest tasting espresso ever to spew from the bowels of the earth, with flavors reminiscing rotten cabbage gone both sour and bitter. Fortunately, I had also bought a package of Starbucks standard decaf pods. The machine was able to make beautiful rich espresso with nice beautiful crema. It was just like the espresso from Starbucks with every bit of flavor and complexity of the real thing. Even on the Starbucks website, it says that unlike regular espresso blends where they put robusta beans in the mix in order to ease crema, the starbucks pods do not have robusta, and so depend on the skill of the barista to achieve the crema. I was able to make espresso's with these pods, with beautiful crema, having never touched a pump machine ever before.
In summary, do not even open the plastic around the packet of the Mr. Coffee pods that come with the machine. Take them out of the box and put them in the trash. They smell evil when you handle them prior to making espresso, and will certainly give you a bad impression of the machine if you use them to make rotten dishwater espressos.
Get the Starbucks pods at the same time that you buy this machine and you too will be impressed.
I've worked with many espresso machines and I found this machine to be too awkward. The hardest part to deal with was the small space under the filter/spout. I had to use a small bowl as a carafe as one was not provided with this model. I was very unhappy with the amount of steam produced from the frothing tube. It did not produce enough steam to create any foam and the milk was only lukewarm. It also makes a rather loud grinding noise while brewing.
I would dread wrangling this machine every morning.
The espresso was too weak/thin for my liking. Also, water drips from the pump and frothing outlets and it only makes about one demi-cup of espresso before it needs to reheat the unit.
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I gave this one a chance after wasting $100 on the Krups Espremio, and I'm glad that I did. I was initially impressed by the weight of the Mr Coffee in the store; it seemed to be solidly constructed, so I tried it out even though I had learned that Mr Coffee is now a Sunbeam company. I'd had such terrible luck with Sunbeam products that I wouldn't buy anything from them. I guess that's not true anymore.
- Others have complained about having to use demitasse cups with it, but I sometimes use regular coffee cups and just remove the drip tray--not an issue. My hands are a little unsteady (too much coffee?), so I use pods to make sure that I don't get grounds on the edge of the holder.
- The pods that I get at Starbucks fit just fine, so the poster who had a problem with that might try buying them there.
- It's a little noisy, but not a LOT noisy like my old Maxim and that Krups.
All in all, I'm very pleased with it.
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This unit makes OK espresso for the price but it lacks sufficient pressure and/or flow to make a good espresso. The crema lacks "character". Moreover there is a design flaw in the POD adapter as the pods do not properly fit in it. I bough the unit in a B&M Target and returned after one day.
I think this is a great machine for beiginners. Very easy to use and makes a great espresso. I gave it 4 stars only because it sits so low that you need really small cups to fit under the spout and that it takes up a good amount of space (I have a small kitchen with limited counter space.) If you have a lot of counter space then this shouldn't be a problem. That's the ONLY thing! I love mine and you will too!
Bought this unit about 3 weeks ago and have NO REGRETS.
POSITIVES
1. Fast (Can make multiple cups of espresso with the only
delay in changing the grindes.
2. Contemporary Styling
3. Nice amount of crema and good temp.
4. Pump unit, build durably. Not flimsy
5. Price $60 (the there are cheaper but not of a pump unit)
6. Includes Measure and tamping tool, expresso pod accessory,
and trials of different espresso's.
NEGATIVES
(These are my inital negatives, but i've gotton over them)
1. Drip pan will stain if not cleaned after use.
(It is metal so it can be scoured clean, no longer an issue)
2. Can not use a standard height cupand does not come with a
caraffe to brew into, must use a dematasse or
cappuccino cup (short cup) This was only an issue the first
night I brought the unit and wanted to try it out. Found
nice and inexpensive cappuccino cups at linens and things.
3. Makes only 2 cups of espresso at a time. (again no longer
an issue due to the speed at which it can produce espresso)
SUMMARY.
Wonderful machine for price, no other in the same category for the durability, espresso quality, and speed factors.
Just make sure to have a good quality espresso (i prefer the cuban "pilon" and cappuccino cups on hand and enjoy
-JT
If you drink espresso drinks on a regular/daily basis, you must buy this machine. Because it is a pump style machine it gives better results than a steam style one. I haven’t crunched the numbers yet, but if you buy a latte or mocha 5 days a week, you’d probably save yourself a couple hundred dollars a year using this machine instead. And it’s so easy to use you can make a drink as fast or faster than a barista (especially if you count standing in line.) The one (or maybe two) complaint(s) I do have about this machine is that it doesn’t come with some essentials: no frothing pitcher and no small pitcher to brew the espresso into (though I’ve found shot glasses work quite well, but I’m worried they may break due to the heat.) Also the water reservoir doesn’t have as high a capacity as I would like. A full reservoir only lasts about 3 or 4 drinks before it has to be refilled. I would actually give this product 4.5 stars for those faults. But overall this is probably the best machine for the money and, though I haven’t used more expensive machines, I would say the ratio of quality to price with them doesn’t even come close to this one. Some suggestions on getting the most out of this machine and making espresso drinks at home: First, you must have the proper grinder, one that will grind the beans to the fineness they need to be for espresso (which is slightly grittier than talcum.) I bought a Black & Decker Smart Grind Deluxe (model CMB7) because it was on sale for $25, and use the finest setting. This seems to work well. My drink is the 16 oz. double mocha. Along with this machine I bought a 20 oz. frothing pitcher (Krups $8 or so) and a kitchen thermometer so I could be sure I was frothing the milk to between 160-180 degrees (moving the pitcher in a circular motion heats the milk quickly.) I also bought a 48 oz. bottle of Hershey’s syrup (I fill a shot glass to the rim with chocolate for my drinks and at that rate the bottle will make 32 mochas.) I have a 1 lb. bag of Starbucks whole bean espresso roast coffee. I grind the amount of beans I need and keep the rest of the bag sealed tightly in the fridge. I dump a full shot glass of chocolate into my cup, brew the espresso into two shot glasses (a total of about 3 oz. of espresso for a 16 oz. double mocha) and mix them with the chocolate, froth the milk, dump it into my cup, mix it all together and enjoy a professional-tasting mocha for much less than I’d pay at Starbucks.
I am now enjoying my at home coffee latte's. Excellent and abundant steam for frothing milk. Steam nozzle should a little higher for pitcher clearance.
I ordered this as a Christmas present for my mother but i can't really fault the product for my disappointment. Target-Direct was the sender who either forgot, or was too lazy to include packing material inside the shipping container. Had they chosen to ship inside the product box alone, i think, it wouldn't have bounced along inside the other box for it's entire journey.
Amazon should review it's future with this supplier!
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I bought this to replace our old cheap steam machine -- I thought it was time to step up to a pump and this one had some good online reviews at a low price. It does make good espresso with nice crema and the foaming wand is very easy to use for cappuccino. But after six months I chucked it. Here's why:
1. Yes, I know we should use the small espresso cups but we prefer larger mugs and they don't fit. I know this is common but some models do offer more clearance. Removing the drip tray to allow taller cups to fit is messy.
2. The basket for the grounds is small. We like to make two good-sized cups at once using more grounds. No big deal, though, since the bigger basket from our old system fit just fine. But if you don't happen to have a bigger basket you're out of luck there.
3. The water reservoir fits into a compartment on the side. Or I should say "doesn't." It's very difficult to get the reservoir out. Finally after struggling with a knife to pry the damn thing out one day, we "solved" the problem by being careful not to put it back in all the way. The last time I used it I accidentally popped the reservoir in all the way, and later spent ten minutes prying with a knife to get it out. I junked it that day.
4. The hose that pumps the water ripped after only two months. It ripped near the top so we just cut it off and stuck it back on. Two weeks later it ripped again so we cut it off again.
5. The cover on the foaming wand broke after only a couple of months. The wand didn't work nearly as well without the cover so I glued it back together.
Shoddy construction. Spend a little more and get a good machine.
For those of us who don't need a $900 espresso maker, the ECMP40 is a good vaule. It's easy to use, comes with an espresso pod adapter for cleaner/easier espresso making and heats up quickly.
The steam wand is effective and heats milk in very little time with minimum effort.
I've had the unit for a year and have had no problems with it what so ever. That's saying something since I literally use it every single morning.
I was given this coffee maker as a gift, and it worked great for about nine months. Then progressively-larger amounts of water started leaking around the top of the basket that holds the coffee. I tried everything: more and less fine grounds, tighter and looser packing of grounds, tighter and looser locking of the basket, completely cleaning the area, etc. Nothing worked.
Finally I decided to do a search online. I found many other people with this problem. The only solution seems to be replacing the unit.
So I called Sunbeam (the owners of Mr. Coffee). They claimed they'd never heard of the problem and told me I shouldn't believe everything I read online. They told me my only option was to drive an hour from my home to a service center. I asked if the service center would charge me. They said, if the unit was purchased more than a year ago, even if I received it as a gift less than a year ago, the service center would see that in their records and charge me just to look at it. And they might not be able to fix it. Throughout this I stayed polite and the person I spoke with was quite defensive.
Chalk me up as very unhappy with the dismissive and unhelpful people at Mr. Coffee / Sunbeam.
We bought this product originally in a local store. Didn't work out of the box. Bought it online instead. It gave (past tense) about 7 months of very spotty service. Not only did it put out inconsistant temperatures and pressure, but within the first few months, pieces of it started falling apart. The handle on the coffee grounds holder, as well as the cover for the steaming spout, both shattered under minimal strain. Go elsewhere. We've bought $5 thrift store old machines that have served faithfully for years, and expected when spending a goodly amount of money on a 'new' coffee machine to be getting our money's worth. Go visit your thriftstore before you order this particular espresso machine.
FOLLOW UP POST: This is my follow up review (for first review see below). My replacement Mr. Coffee Espresso maker arrived and didn't even make it 2 weeks. After 10 days, the frother(sp?) stopped working. I had to fly out of town and by the time I got back and got settled it was too late to return it. Anyone want to buy a 50 paper weight? Oh well, looks like I'll have to dust the cobwebs off the wallet and get me one of them fancy $500 hi-tech ones.
I had this machine for 38 days before the buttons on the top broke and went into the machine. I used the machine on a semi-regular basis, meaning my wife and I had lattes approximately 3 times a week. I'm hoping this was just a one time problem and I've requested a replacement. I will post a new review after I get the replacement and see what happens. A word of caution, don't put too much coffee in the holder. I discovered that if I overfilled the holder it would build up a tremendous amount of pressure and when I unscrewed it the used coffee grinds would explode every where. Hot coffee grinds on bare skin is not a pleasant experience.
I'll admit it, I'm no cappuccino/espresso addict and/or wizard. I do like a cup now and then, which is why I purchased this machine. The first few cups came out like magic. I was thrilled. About the 4th time I tried to use it, it stopped brewing and water wasn't even getting to my espresso pod. I ended up taking the whole thing apart (because I couldn't just suck it up and call the help phone #, for fear they'd make me mail it somewhere). A few scratches to the machine (and my ego as a mechanic) later, I was still puzzled. I ended up getting really ticked (probably from caffeine withdrawal) and tightening the handle really hard. Turns out that's what it needed. Yeah, I know the instruction manual says not to overtighten the pod holder, but I was so angry and frustrated that's what I did; and it worked! The fable of the story is that this espresso machine is a lot cheaper than others for a reason; I still feel it's cheaply made, but for the price, what the hey.
I think this might be the cheapest machine that can be properly called an espresso machine (has a pump) yet it competes well with machines costing upwards of $200.
Not clear what other reviewers were expecting for this price, but I am extremely impressed. Perhaps a bit noisy and you need to make sure to let it warm up before making a coffee. The steam is a bit weak, so can't froth too much at one time or you have to wait. If you are looking for a perfect machine look elsewhere and be ready to spend >$300.
But if you simply want to make good espresso at home, this machine is great. I make better coffee with this than I can get in most coffee shops in NYC (which is somewhat sad actually). We've had the machine for over a year without any problems.
I live in Washington, formerly in Seattle... so I do know my coffee. My husband and I searched all over the web trying to decide which machine to buy for my birthday. Everything I read online said make sure you get a pump-driven machine. We'd had a steam-driven Mr. Coffee prior to this (for about 8 years), and it had been decent for the era it was produced in, but it got old and our tastes outgrew it. Friends said "Don't waste your money on anything less than a Starbucks Barista" (starting at $300 each.) Having had so many good years with the other machine, we decided to try this "upgrade" anyway.
For the $60 we paid for it, this machine is incredible. I use Starbucks espresso beans, ground pretty fine, and my mochas are every bit as good (or better) than most (all but one) of the local coffee joints, and better than Starbucks, since this machine doesn't burn the coffee like they do. (And honestly, I think my mochas taste better than the ones I've had at those friends' houses, made with the "Barista.") This machine produces a great crema on the espresso, the milk frother is the best I've ever used - quick and easy and oh, so frothy... AND, unlike so many machines, it's possible (and doesn't take long) to steam milk and actually get it HOT!
If I had to mention negatives, I can only think of 2. I wish it came with a milk frothing pitcher, and, as others have mentioned, I wish it were a little taller, to fit a mug in with the drip tray in place. I use 2 shot glasses, though, and it works great for me.
Glad we chose this one.
After reading all the reviews I really need to throw in my 2 cents. I got my Mr Coffee essentially free with a $50 gift cert for Macys (of all places).....3 years ago. Since then I've built my wife and I my version of a wet cappaccino (sp) nearly every morning. Only complaint is that it can't handle a fine grind for a double shot...unless you prime the shot once with the pump for about 20 seconds. Then wait a few and then let
'er rip. No breakdowns and I've let it run hot for a whole day! Only problem is Karen broke the filter handle so now I am surfing to find one. My unit froths great with the rubber end I stole off my last Mr Coffee boiler unit. The plastic thing is useless. But I read here that many units die within a month. I'm shifting to Gaggia Classico and see how the other half lives! Mr Coffee will be there to bail me out should the Italian Stalion fail.
I'm away from home and from my Gaggia espresso machine (see my review) for a few months. I didn't have another $300 to drop on a gaggia but was craving lattes, so I went to the local department store and this was the one model they had. (Yes, I'm in the semi-boonies. The nearest Starbucks is about 40 miles away.) So far, to my surprise, the Mr. Coffee ECMP40 is producing lattes that are quite drinkable. However, the espresso does seem to be poorer in quality (not as concentrated, though I *am* getting crema),and the frother less able to produce froth (I think it would be really hard to make a cappuccino with this machine). I'm using freshly ground coffee, and I think getting it ground a little more finely and tamping it well will help improve the espresso quality. When you first turn the steam valve to release steam, a bunch of hot water comes out instead, but that seems to correct itself. Then, when my milk is at about 120-140 degrees, the screeching sound becomes unbearable. I'm seriously going to wear earplugs the next time I use the thing.
All in all, a decent low-cost solution, but you get what you pay for.
I have to admit I'm surprised by the reviews doubting this machine's durability. I bought mine in October 2004, use it nearly every day, and haven't had a moment's trouble with it. I even sometimes take it on road trips when a Starbucks may not be convenient. I highly recommend the Starbucks espresso pods, $4.95/12 when you can find them, I usually buy them online.
I had heard that this was the best Cappuccino machine on the market for its price range. It does fine, I guess. Technically, it does what it is supposed to do well--it brews the espresso well and quickly, and it does froth/steam the milk to a good consistency. My only complaints are that it does not come with a carafe for brewing the espresso, nor a stainless steel pitcher for frothing/steaming milk. You have to buy those separately, which is about another $30. Also, neither the espresso nor the milk ever seems to get quite hot enough.
I bought this machine a month ago and am generally satisfied with its performance. It's my first espresso machine and it can pull shots with comparable/better quality than the Starbucks down the street when I use my own roasted beans. As a pump-driven machine, it does make some nice crema.
Granted, it's one of the cheapest pump-driven espresso machine. You can't expect particularly high building quality. It doesn't look durable. The portafilter housing is plastic. Having a plastic/Alumium sealing that undertake a 13 bar pressure is not a durable solution. It leaks water a little bit once a while. Hopefully it won't break...
I have been using this machine once or twice a day for about a year. I have yet to experience any malfunctions however the quality of the espresso produced is not as high as I would like. Taking the price into consideration, low quality espresso can be overlooked if you are not accustomed to quality coffee. I worked as a barista years ago and continue to haunt quality mom and pop coffee shops, so this machine is more a source of frustration than satisfying coffee. The espresso is surprisingly acrid considering the weak brew produced. Full bodied golden crema isn't going to be a part of you experience with this machine... just a flaccid slick of pathetic micro bubbles, sometimes sour foamy bubbles, even this can only be achieved by exposing your beans too long... whats the point?... we are all going to grow old and die someday anyway heehee. The steamer works fairly well despite a small amount of leaking. When assessing the value of an espresso machine the steamer wand is usually pretty low on the list because they all pretty much do the same darn thing. You can steam milk wonderfully with this machine and create dazzlingly beautiful lattes however if you intend to make more than one latte you might have to stick around for awhile. The learning curve with this machine can be high and I have found (as with all espresso machines) a ritual must be devised to allow for efficient use. Problems can arise when the requisite ritual becomes overly elaborate. This machine's ritual is on the cusp of being down right cumbersome.
If you are not a coffee freak and money doesn't flow freely in your life this might be an acceptable machine, in the least you can acquaint yourself with the mechanics of the process while sipping mediocre coffee. Even with this machine, through practice, you can make better coffee than what is available in all the fast food coffee shops such as star bucks where the baristas don`t really k now what thy are doing (not all star bucks baristas suck... just the majority of them... why some of them are rather pretty) . Just remember to clean the grouphead.
I used this daily for 6 months with no problems. When it did it's "melt down" I just bought another one...
It was an emergency... I was stuck in Kentucky for 6 months and the only local espresso spigot was Starbuck's. Not a lot of machine choices in the local shopping centers, and I chose this one for the pump and overall perceived value. I also got the associated coffee mill.
Well. The mill was a disappointment right away, not only exhibiting intermittent behavior but also presenting a phantom load (warm all the time) just to support its timer. Dumb design. The espresso maker worked moderately well, but with unspectacular output, inconvenient height, lots of leaks requiring daily clean-up, and an overall unsatisfying feel. 5 months later (approx 2 uses a day), it got hot... I mean really hot... stinking of burned wire & plastic, the faceplate deformed from the heat.
Completely unacceptable. Foolishly, I didn't keep the receipt, so I'm stuck with the loss... I'll just harvest the pump and toss it in the trash. I would certainly not buy another product from this company: phantom loads, sub-par performance, and serious safety issues are all the disincentives I need.
I purchased this machine for my wife for Christmas. It worked well from the start. The coffee tastes great and the frother has plenty of power. A few things we have learned already:
- Using espresso pods makes the entire process much easier and
cleaner. (You can get good deals on them on eBay)
- There is an initial shot of hot water from the frother. As
another reviewer noted, just drain that into a container then
froth away.
- It does leak a bit around the brew head when making back to
back drinks. Not that big a deal really,just be ready for it.
- The space under the brew head is too short. You will need to
buy something that fits.
No comment yet on reliability. Several other reviews call it into question but the price is unmatched. Give this machine a try if you want great espresso drinks in around 5 minutes.
I got tired of my husband spending $5/day at Starbucks for coffee and bought him one of these about 6 mo's ago. He was terribly pleased with it and used it faithfully every morning. He never used the pods. We bought beans from starbucks and he fresh ground his every morning. We also invested in starbucks syrups. He could make a vanilla latte that I couldn't tell the difference in taste between it and starbucks for a fraction of the price! There was a little trouble with the steamer part getting clogged but we cleaned it out no prob. Also it did leak a little...but a very little. We winded up just permanently setting it on top of a decorative kitchen towel on the kitchen counter. Expresso was very good and hot...we had no trouble making crema either.
This would seem to be a five star review so far but here's the killer: It broke this morning! I had previously read a couple reviews on this site and on Epinions where they said their machine broke at six months and I was still shocked! My husband was crushed and pouted all the way to work. I offered to purchase him another one but he requested I go with a different brand. So I guess my advice is: The 6 mo melt down happened to me too! Buy only if you're willing to take that risk. Otherwise it's a great little buy for $50.
Don't have much experience with espresso machines but this maker, combined with some Starbucks espresso pods, is working out pretty darn well.
I've only had this machine for a week but my mornings have become much more exciting since I now have as much near-instant espresso as I could possibly drink. Not to mention that the machine is so easy to use I didn't even need to take barrista lessons at local Learning Annex.
The next step is to learn how to make a decent "long black" like what I enjoyed in New Zealand. Smooth and rich and smokey coffee with crema that's piping hot and great kick in the butt.
Overall this has been a great starter machine and when it finally poops out I'll be ready to move on up to that Gaggia that's waiting for me on my Wish List.
Bring it on!
October 2005: Before I bought Mr. Coffee, I had three espresso machines from various makers, all expensive, and they all died within a few months. I've been using this machine daily for almost 2 years and it is still going strong. It seems a little quieter than the other machines and does a better job of making foam. The plastic handle on the coffee holder broke after a few months, but a little glue fixed it. I recommend wrapping a few turns of electrical tape around the handle where it connects to the coffee holder to prevent it from breaking. For the price, its a fine machine.
April, 2006: By golly, after making about 1000 lattes, Old Faithful is still running! Poor Starbucks has certainly lost a lot of money. Occasionally its steamer gets clogged with sediment and stops steaming, but it's easy to fix. Just open the steam valve and turn on the water pump so that the pump forces water through the steamer to unclog it. It is helpful to run some vinegar though the machine every once in a while to clear the sediment
March, 2007: Several hundred lattes later, Mr Coffee is still with me, though I quit using his steamer in favor of a BonJour frother ,which is quicker and makes nicer milk foam. I was worried he might become jealous if he saw me frothing with someone else, but he didn't seem to mind.
All the while this machine worked, it made great coffee. Starbucks pods fit well so no mess. Milk warmed with a little froth. Sadly after three months it leaked everywhere. Mr Coffee gladly replaced it but the new machine leaked just as bad. It finally failed completely, quite explosively with water bursting out in all directions, when it was six months old. I have to admit both machines saw a lot of use, 8 to 10 cups a day, so I think I got very good value for money. I might even by the same model again.
I can't believe how much more I like my 11 year old steam driven Braun, even though it burns my hand when I use the steamer! Now I have a LOT of experience making and drinking lovely espresso. Several years in Seattle seeking the best espresso may have turned me into a bit of a coffee perfectionist, but I had reasonable expectations for this little machine which were not met.
1. I had to fully reload the basket for each 1.5oz shot of coffee. The reservoir is not big enough to hold enough grounds for a nice full double shot. They claim that you can get 2 1-1.5 oz shots out of the machine with a full basket. I found that any amount over 1.5oz was weak, and 1 oz was the best with a full loading (for 2 shots) This TOTALLY defeated the fact that the reservior makes for faster brewing of several cups (over the steam makers)
2.The grounds spatter no matter how hard they are tamped, and coffee covers the lower surface of the machine, so you have to clean it every time or you don't get a good seal. Serious pain.
3. I could not make crema to save my life with this piece of junk. A little foam came off just before the water ran almost totally clear, but this wasn't crema, Crema is a result of the sugars and oils coming off of the beans well, these were depleted beans. I expect that it was a "fake crema" feature to make the liqued frothy. NOTE: I have no problem making nice thick crema and getting full full double shots with my little old BRAUN steam driven machine, For that matter, I used a $20 Fred Meyer brand steam driven machine and got full shots and nice crema. (still probably coffee capacity I suppose)
4. Coffee is bitter and weak at the same time. This is indicative of too low of a pressure or temperature of extraction, or both. This is the machine's fault, since my BRAUN can make rich warm espresso with the identical beans.
5. The frother leaked. I didn't try the frothing assistant, and am glad because water was leaking out of the top of the frother cap into the milk the whole time I was frothing. Probably not a huge effect on quality, but irritating just the same.
I will return this and NOT NOT NOT buy another. Until I can afford the big guns at home, it's back to the steam driven for me, and no more Mr. Coffee, no matter how handy they are to pick up.
So far I have had the machine for about a month. My friend helped me set things up and make the first few drinks. She has an Illy machine and said this machine makes the same or better steamed/frothed milk and brews great drinks!!!!! I'll say this machine can make a much better espresso drink than all the drive thru places nearby. It took me some practice to get good at frothing the milk, but once you get the hang of it, it's pretty easy and kind of fun. Be careful to turn off the steaming button when you are done with it...it can make the machine get too hot otherwise if you are going to make another shot of espresso........
For me this has been a good machine for the money. So far no problems. I didn't expect it to perform like a $500 machine,& am pleasantly surprised at how it can make a really good drink.
I've had the EMP40 for a week and had an initial problem with not being able to froth milk. I tried telephone support first, but the person I talked with knew nothing about the machine and just wasted my time. My emails were not responded to. As it turned out the problem was simple to fix. The steam nozzle inside the black frother was not screwed into the wand. Once I fixed that the frothing went very well. I really enjoy the espresso and cappuccino drinks the machine produces. I'd rate it five stars if Sunbeam support acted like the cared.
I use this all the time to get my Starbucks fix without the expensive price tag. It works great! I have had no problems with it whatsoever and makes a great latte!
This was the worst machine ever and leaked from the first time it was used. I used to own $20 steam espresso maker and it worked better than this one. In fact I owned the cheap one for 3+ years and gave it away before it wore out. Don't waste the time setting it up and cleaning it up to take it back.
This machine needs major overhaul in design. In our case, the steam valve fell apart at about six months use. Also, the coffee seal leaked badly after an even shorter amount of time. This is unfortunate, because it made really good espresso.
I've had this machine for two months now. While some people in these reviews mention using their's once or twice a day, I use mine about 4 times per week. Admittedly, I still go to Starbucks or a local coffeeshoppe if it is convenient while I am out and about.
My experience has been positive, but I'll mention the poor side as well.
First off, say goodbye to that drip tray. It takes up way too much space and hardly leaves you any room for even an espresso shot glass. I think the machine looks better cosmetically without it, anyways. One thing that was repeatedly run into my brain by barista friends is that it is Important to take care of the machine. I clean the steam wand after every use and clean the dripping/pressure area after every use to remove excess espresso grinds. Additionally, I would recommend running a cycle of water through the machine (pressure and steam wand) every week or so; I only wish I had done this from the beginning - I am noticing an improvement of performance now that I have started this routine.
As far as the results of drinks, I am very pleased. I have succeeded in making lattes equal if not better to the local coffeeshoppes around here; and my barista friends who have experienced my drinks thus far have given me their praise. I know Mr. Coffee, as a brand, doesn't stack up against the other espresso maker companies, but this is a contender. A very cheap contender at that. The price was the huge motivating factor for this purchase, but also it has shown to be a weakness as well.
This machine doesn't have that much pull. Or push, rather. I recently switched to a very, very fine espresso grind and have noticed that hot water now almost pours out of the steam wand when I am brewing the espresso. Before, when using the Starbucks Espresso Grind, that did not happen; but after my switch to a much finer grind (not Starbucks this time), the hot water that apparently is supposed to be pressured through the espresso, is just ending up out the steam wand. This is disappointing. But understandable. This machine was only $60 for me; which is dirt compared to the exuberant espresso maker competitors. As a fix, I put a bowl underneath the steam wand when I am brewing, just to catch that water. Easy fix, doesn't make me fret. I still get great espresso.
Overall, I am pleased. This is no lavish espresso maker, and it wasn't intended to be, but it gets the job done for $60 (quickly saving me money from my 5-6 trips to coffeehouses every week).
And watch out for that steam wand after you use it. It has no protective covering, so the exposed metallic portion will be quite radiant to the touch after you've warmed the milk. Oh, and don't forget to warm the milk up first (140-150 degrees Fahrenheit) because this machine can't brew and steam at the same time, or at least I seriously don't recommend you trying.
The good news is . . . We bought the first machine for Christmas and were more than pleased with it's operation and the espresso was fantastic!
The bad news is . . . .Since then we have had three of these machines. The first lasted 4 months before the steam valve would no longer shut off. It almost scalded my wife and now it is in the shop for repair, the other two which were bought within the last 2 days, both failed out of the box.
The last two, one returned for the next, both had the same problems in that right out of the box, during the initial internal rinse cycle, neither unit's ready light came on, both units started getting extremely hot to the touch, over 130 degrees and climbing, and steam started spewing from inside the unit. In all cases each unit failed to an unsafe condition that could have caused severe burns if we hadn't been paying close attention.
The out of box failure rate for the units we bought is 2 out of 3!
The only reason we tried buying the second two units was that we couldn't wait for our first unit because we loved the espresso they make so much!
I would highly recommend that Mr. Coffee, Amazon, and Target, or any other store selling these units, take these units off the market until Mr. Coffee can fix these problem or they may soon be looking at a law suit for personal injury from some not as cautious as we are!
DON'T BUY ONE, until they have been corrected!!!!
First off many of the complaints voiced here are inherent in cheaper expresso machines. Additionally many can be attibuted to not knowing how to the use the machine(this is not a coffee pot and it doesn't work like on either. I've owned 3 different brands over the years and unless your willing to pay in excess of 200.00 then this is what your dealing with. Breakdown as follows:1)not enough clearance beneath beneath brewer(a 2 oz shot glass or expresso cup fits nicely though and ultimately that is the proper way to brew expresso anyhow--not in a coffee cup/jumbo mug) 2)It does leak when brewer is turned off(from brewing head drips)--not really a problem as much as an annoyance(if you remove the brewing head once the expresso is done--no leakage-- or leave a cup there for a few minutes to catch the excess). 3)Frother is much more powerful than simililarly priced machines that I've used and works well(note: generally when a frother quits working it's because the milk has hardened in the frothing tip and the steam cannot escape--it must be cleaned regularly!). A big plus is being able to brew 2 expressos at once, a feature that no other machine in this price range offers(most are single brews into one large glass cup which equlas no crema). It boils down to this--for it's price it's a decent value and if you learn how to use the machine it should work as intended and it outclasses any other machine in it's price range. And by the way the face plate is made of metal so I'm not quite sure how the other guys melted off twice from the steam.
Update(1 year later)---Pot still kicking strong after a year of heavy use(1-2 times a day)...Still brews excellent expresso with a nice crema on top(2.5 oz in about 25 secs). As for the frother-a bit on the weak side but good enough--keep it clean though, a dirty/clogged frothing tip will not work--get rid of the black plastic adapter though--it doesn't work. Overall--a real bang for your buck--no reason to blow 300-500 as long as this economy unit is out there....also--use the right grind(about the size of granulated sugar--do not use fine grind ala turkish it will not work properly)and learn how to tamp the coffee, very important to the end result.
I was given this as a gift for mother's day 04. I have not even had it for a year. For the first couple of months it made great espresso, and I had even mastered frothing the milk. Then it began to leak all the time. I have to keep a measuring cup on the machine at all times to catch the excess. You must always keep it very clean because if not it will take over 5 min to brew the espresso. The milk frother broke completely after a couple of months so I used the microwave to warm up the milk. Today it stopped working all together. It over pressurized after being on for only a couple of minutes, and espresso and very hot steam came out all over the place; it covered the machine, counter, refrigerator, and floor. I was lucky I was not directly in front of it, I would have been burned. This machine is not worth the money; it is not reliable at ALL. What a disaster!!!!!!!!
I'm giving this 5 stars because for $60 it's an awesome deal. I tasted this against a friend's $500 Francis Francis machine using the same coffee, and the taste and crema were embarassingly close. It's built lightly and you can definitely see why it's 1/8th the price, but after 2 weeks of 3-4x/day use I'm very happy. Read others' tips here for best operation and I think you'll agree. For coffee I use the pre-ground Illy coffee that comes in a can (don't laugh- the Italians know how to do coffee in a can)- $12/8oz at my local Whole Foods, so it's "reassuringly expensive" but still a fraction of what you'd pay per cup at starbucks et. al. and it's guaranteed to be ground properly, which is far more important than in a non-espresso machine.
I recently purchased this item thinking it was a good value. The fourth time I used it, the faceplate melted off from steam because somehow the water found a way onto the counter instead of into the coffee. I exchanged it for another, but the same thing happened.
I was so excited about my new Mr. Coffee Pod Pump Espresso Maker, although I was weary of it as a Sunbeam product (the cheapest Walmart housewares line). It did produce relatively smooth espresso, but there were several characterstics that soon made me return it:
1. It did not froth the milk very well - my sister's $25 Mr. Coffee frothed much better (though too much) without a pump. This hardly frothed at all (though the milk did heat up) - impossible to make a cappucino.
2. The coffee dripper is so low that I had to either take the tray out or use a very small mug - otherwise it wouldn't fit. No good for a doubleshot. (I had read this in reviews and thought no big deal, but I was wrong).
3. When I would turn off the brewing system to either steam the milk or because I was done and wanted to drink my espresso, water would continue to drip through - leaking onto the tray and my counter.
4. It just became too much of a hassle to make anything.
I took it back and got a full refund and have since decided that you can't get a good espresso maker on the cheap, so I've purchased a really good coffee maker and will leave the espresso to the baristas at my local non-Starbucks cafe.
I'm new to home espresso makers. I started with the Krups model and returned it after a few days. I still didn't want to spend hundreds of dollars so I thought I'd try this one and have been impressed. I use only pods and it makes a great cup of espresso with Illy pods. I can make a great latte with the milk steamer, but getting the foam necessary for cappuccino is almost impossible. I think the malfunction some other reviewers have seen happens because they keep the steamer button pressed by mistake while trying to brew espresso. This heats the machine way beyond what it needs for brewing and causes water to start spilling everywhere. I did this once and thought my machine had broken, but it was just me being an idiot. But somebody does always get a lemon. If you do, return it and try again because I've been extremely happy with mine for over six weeks now.
First off, let's realize that this is not a $400 espresso machine. It's not even a $100 espresso machine. It's $59.99, which makes it a disposable espresso machine. So, with that in mind, this is a good starter machine. It's simple enough to throw a pod in and take the easy way out if you don't want to get serious with it. But, you can make good espresso/cappuccino/latte...you just need to learn how to work it.
The best tip I have to give is in purging the steam tube before frothing or steaming; it'll shoot your milk full of water if you don't, and... yuk! So purge, and purge well my friend. Also the steam tube was too short to reach very far into my 20oz. frothing pitcher, so I found that by bending the tube down then angling it out (very gently and carefully!) I could get enough length out of it to steam a single serving of milk at the bottom of the pitcher. The plastic frothing aid didn't seem to be of much use, and I have found that after getting rid of it I have more control over the quantity and quality of froth and steamed milk I can make. The addition of a good burr grinder (which cost 3 times what this machine cost) makes an enormous difference as well.
I have had my machine for about 60 days, and have used it a LOT. It does have an annoying habit of dripping water while it is warming up, and the usual steam tube issue, and it vibrates a lot while pumping, and blah blah blah, but it WORKS, and it CAN make good espresso, and it's $59.99.
It turns out I'm really into espresso and love making latte and cappuccino for my wife and friends, and I'll be moving up to a higher end machine before too long, but this machine has been good enough to pique my interest and learn to enjoy the challenge.
Bottom line: This machine is cheap and easy to make a quick "pod-spresso" with, but good enough to get you hooked on the challenge of making good espresso/cappuccino/latte.
I have not had any problems with this machine. I have made latte dozens of times. Better than spending $3.00 a day at "crappy donuts". Make sure you get "espresso ground" coffee. It won't be muddy.
Follow the directions, you should be okay. Enjoy, GULP! :)
John
This machine stopped working after 3 weeks. The milk steamer is extremely loud and works only when it wants to. Save yourself the headache, don't buy this cheap machine.
I have been wanting an expresso machine for a while. I saw this one for like 55 bucks at target so I figured I'd give it a try. I came home right away and started to clean it out like the directions said but for some reason my machine got really hot and started to smoke. The front part (silver plastic plate) actually warped because of all the smoke. Not to mention all the water from the tank started spilling all over my counter. My kitchen smelled like something was burning because this machine was frying itself. Hopefully mine is just defective because I would hate to think that a company would put out such a bad product that obviously is a fire hazard. Oh well. I wouldn't recommend this product to anyone. I guess it's true, you get what you pay for. Save your money and buy a better quality machine.
I upgraded from steam to pump with this machine. I held out for a long time because I didn't want to spend an arm and a leg on a really expensive pump machine, but when I read about this one I had to try it. Wow!! This machine makes really quite good espresso, and I'm a coffee snob. Here's my rundown.
Pros:
super easy to use
great espresso with crema, and fast
decent steamer
Cons:
steamer arm is really low
grounds holder is a bit of a muddy mess after drawing shot
sometimes leaks before and always after drawing shot (from brew head)
Bottom line: I will take the cons above ANY day to have a machine like this for ~$60 that makes great bean juice. You learn to deal with the minor flaws very easily. Example: just put the whole thing on a 1-inch tall piece of attractive wood and the low steamer arm problem is fixed (or have it on the edge of your counter). Also, just have an extra cup ready to put under the brew head when you take out your espresso cup to catch the drops.
Now, I am really curious about the durability, since I just got it. For this price, though, it pays for itself quickly. I recommend this machine to anyone!
update:
1) i've learned, like others, to let the steamer run for a few seconds in a separate cup to let the water out. Also, just toss the black plastic cover on the steamer head, it works better without it.
2) take out the top part of the drip tray (with holes in it) and toss it - that gives you a little more room to fit a bigger cup in there.
After a few months, it is still going strong with no problems. Very glad I purchased it.
I love the machine. I upgraded from steam to pump. I haven't had any leaks, but I've only had the machine about 2 weeks, and I've made about 50 cups already. My drink is cafe mocha made with Hershey's special dark syrup (not regular chocolate syrup, special dark!) and frothed milk. Since I froth my milk in a graduated stainless steel measuring cup, immediately after starting to steam, I noticed that I miraculously had more fluid than when I started -- obviously a flaw of an inexpensive machine, but here's the work around... I added a step, and now I turn the steam arm on slowly with an empty cup underneath, and about 1 tbls. of water comes out before the steam comes, and then when I know I'm getting nothing but steam (about 5 seconds on low), then I discard the cup with water and put my milk under the arm and turn up the steam pressure. So yummy!
I read all the reviews for this Espresso Maker, and decided that the good out weighed the bad... WHAT A MISTAKE. I really enjoyed it a first, it was my fist Espresso maker and I was pleased. I followed all the direction to the letter (don't leave the handle attedched when not in use, ect...). but after 3 months it BREAKS!! For no reason at all one day it started to leak a ton of water while brewing and was unfixable. Since it had worked fine at first I no longer had a box and could not return it or send it in. I just threw it in the trash and am on my way out to buy a differnt Maker now. Just thought I'd stop and write a quick review first to warn anyone who cared to listen. Hope this saves you the hassle I've had to deal with. :)
Poor construction allows leakage onto electrical components inside the unit, causing the plastic parts to heat up and actually melt. Unsafe in my opinion, fire hazard! <br /> I have always used Mr Coffee products, this is the only time I can honestly say I have been dissapointed in there product.
Before I get started let me state "This is not a $500 espresso machine so I won't compare it to one."
With that said you can make a great cup of coffee house coffee. I can make a cup of white mocha that will blow away any $5 coffee house cup of coffee.
I have had this unit for over a month now and have been brewing 2-3 cups of coffee each day. I don't use the pods.
Here is an excellent white mocha recipe
Coffee beans: After Eight Regular Beans
Grind: Cusinart fine grind (Max)
Brew Double shot into small brew pot or cup. Mix 6oz of Milk into brothing pitcher. Add 3 teaspoons of Nestles Vanilla mix and a squirt of Carmel ice cream topping. Mix and Froth to 150 degrees.
Mix with coffee into large mug and enjoy.
With the price of a real pump espresso machine at $60 there is no reason each and every espresso drinker does not have one at home.
After looking around at the price of espresso/capuccino machines, I thought that Dunkin Donuts would be richer at my expense. This is not the case any longer! This machine is great for those lattes that I have been spending a small fortune on. I will be saving money for a long time. I purchased the Starbucks pods and have had a quick cup of espresso as the machine heats up quickly for that. It takes a bit longer to heat up to froth some milk, but not so long that you find yourself with nothing to do. I too, have had to position the machine at the edge of the counter to maintain the ability to get a frothing pitcher out without spilling--purchased that separately as the machine does not come with one. The instructions call for a 10-12 oz. pitcher. The machine cleans up well and I have had little issue with the extra steam spewing from the machine that others have stated. It is easy to use and a big money saver! Starbucks pods are the least expensive alternative I have found for the quality of the flavor....don't go without them! They are easy to use and even easier to clean up after.
After reading enthusiastic reviews online, I bought this machine at Amazon/Target online last June. I am originally from Milano, Italy and I love my cappuccino. I have been making my own cappuccino for about 15 years, and I sure have the hang of it. The machine works very well, when it does........I enjoyed very high quality cappuccino for about 6 months. After 6 months, one day, with no warning, instead of making cappuccino, the water came out of the bottom of the machine and flooded the kitchen counter. I called customer service and they kindly shipped a new one to my home. I received the new machine (#2) and happily unpacked it; it was soaking wet and badly water damaged inside the carton. Made a claim with UPS, called again customer service, told them what happened. They shipped me a new machine (#3). Received the machine today, Christmas Eve, I am very happy, unpack the carton and guess what: machine #3 is again water damaged and soaking wet inside the carton !!!!!!! This is not happening !!!!! I again placed a claim with UPS, but Mr. Coffee customer service today is closed as it is X-Mas Eve. I will call Monday.....stay tuned. I did love the machine when it worked......2-14-05 Machine #4 arrived early January and it was in perfect condition.....I have been enjoying again perfect cappucino since then...it is truly a wonderful and inexpensive cappuccino/expresso machine...I pray it will keep working....
I've had this critter a couple of days now and It seems to already be well on it's way to paying for itself. I was a little dissappointed with the fact that it did not come with a caraffe or anything of that nature at first, but I certainly could not bitch concidering the nice, affordable price (which was 1/3 of what I was ready to pay for another brand). I stopped on the way home at Starbucks and bought a nice set up with the shot cup, a frothing pitcher, scoop and thermometer so I was ready as soon as it was out o' the box to make espresso! I was aware that these little home units take more time to heat up, I have had many a cup at a friend's house and have experienced the difference between home brew time and stand brew time. What I have done the last two mornings is just turn it on when I wake up and prime the steamer, then it's more than happy by time I get out of the shower to brew me a wake-me-up. The coffee pods are an incredible thing!!! The ones that come with the machine aren't the greatest tasting in the world, but they opened my eyes to the fact that such a thing exists, and boy do I love them! Apperently a lot of different coffee companys are putting out pods, I've spotted several online just looking for syrups! Overall I'm really happy with the machine. There's a few things I would change in the design, but I have adapted well. The frother does not swivel up to accomodate the frothing pitcher, however I just scooted the machine to the edge of my counter and problem solved. I've also learned to dump the shot into the cup and replace the glass back under the nozzles after I've clicked the button off... it takes a few moments for the pressure to dispurse and still produces a little bit of coffee. Makes clean-up a lot better... which is another thing I love about this machine. EASY clean-up!
First of all, let me mention that I am in Seattle-coffee country USA! I have had the good, the bad and the ugly when it comes to espresso and home machines. I received this from one of my clients for a birthday gift and I adore it. I haven't had coffee from Rome, but I do have a wonderful coffee shop two blocks from my house and I am just as happy with what the Mr. Coffee puts out. I have not had a problem with my espresso "spewing out" as someone in another review stated. Also, as far as back to back shots I usually pour at least eight shots every time. The shots are always consistent. I am even buying my mother one for Christmas. Also, I didn't mention how easy this is to use. I have used machines that cost 500 dollars that are a pain to use and pour lukewarm shots. I would go with the Mr. Coffee everytime!!
For years I believed the hype that you have to spend hundreds or even thousands to get a decent espresso maker, but fortunately, I was wrong! Our budget wouldn't allow for that kind of expenditure, so we reluctantly bought this inexpensive model, figuring it would just disappoint. It's fantastic! Our espressos and cappuccinos rival those we've paid $3 each for at Starbucks. No, we cannot make several at a time, but it's only 2 of us, and it does make two at a time, and that's all we need! The frother is very impressive, since usually that is the weakest attribute of inexpensive models, and my husband has discovered that the best froth comes from using skim milk. We highly recommend this item, and even though we've only had it for two months, and don't know yet if it is built sturdily enough to last for years, we figure it has already paid for itself, since we've kicked our $6 a day Starbucks habit!
What a mess, as soon as the coffee maker builds enough steam the coffee starts leaking out coffee before the start button is pushed. Only enough pressure to make a single shot at one time. Water still drips thru the coffee pod even after it is turned off. The less expensive Mr. Coffee had the same steam pressure in my opnion.
I wrote my original review back on 9/10/04 ("Great coffee machine"). I have had this machine for over 6 months now and wanted to put another 2 cents in after reading the recent reviews. I still stand by everything I wrote back in September. Also, I completely agree with 1/10/05 review ("fantastic value! so far...").
I use this machine frequently: 4-6 days/week since July. I am thrilled with the product. It works as well now as it did when I first purchased it. I have never had a single problem with the machine. For example, it doesn't shake, it hasn't lit on fire, it doesn't release steam in places it shouldn't, the frothing arm works fine and the water tube in the resevoir is as good as new. I don't even make an effort to take great care of it; I am lazy and clean it only once/week.
It took me a little time to pefect my coffee making routine, but I'm a pro now (please refer to my original review). However, out of extreme laziness and rush in the morning, I no longer use the frothing arm or preheat the carafe.
My routine is:
-pour Brita water into resevoir
-fill filter w/grinds & pack grinds
-put (unheated) carafe (still using my dessert bowl) under filter
-when machine's ready, run espresso
-pour espresso and cold milk into a paper cup and put it into the microwave for 60-90 seconds
-empty water resevoir
-remove filter from machine after 5 minutes (if you do it right after you turn off the drip, wet coffee grinds will spill all over your counter)
As a result of simplifying this routine, I make the espresso more frequently and have not purchased coffee in months.
I still have not mastered frothing. My friend bought this machine after my recommendation and she's able to froth well. I am mystified.
Lastly, the directions say to clean the machine with vinegar every 80 uses. I have (out of, again, laziness) not done this yet, but I don't see or taste a difference despite this.
I am very happy with this machine and it's paid for itself already. BTW, I tried many different grinds and I love Cafe Bustelo.
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Original review, written Sept 10, 2004:
I was baffled at all the problems people wrote about in previous reviews. I am a novice coffee machine user and work the machine with no problem. My suggestion to the people who gave this machine 1-star is to READ INSTRUCTIONS!!! (They obviously didn't, as per their reviews.)
General comments & replies to previous reviews:
-The machine is not loud (as per a recent review), but do expect the machine to make noise.. duh.
-Makes GREAT tasting coffee with lots of yummy crema.
-Steams milk well, although I'd like to be able to make more froth, but that maybe my fault b/c I'm a novice cappy maker.
-REALLY EASY clean-up, very very simple & quick.
-It does take time to reheat between making the coffee and steaming the milk, but if you read directions, the manual states you can continue using the machine even though the "ready" light isn't on.
-Someone wrote it doesn't have enough pressure to make good cappy: I don't agree. It has 13 bars of pressure, where old machines had 5 and professional machines have 15-20 bars. This person probaby didn't pack the coffee enough or didn't use enough coffee grinds.
My process of making coffee takes about 10 minutes total, so you can figure out if this is too much work for you:
-Take water from my Brita filter to fill the water reservoir.
-Run hot faucet water into the carafe to preheat b/c it keeps the coffee hotter longer.
-Fill the filter with 2 spoons of my cuban fine grinds & tap the top to pack it.
-Turn on the unit, wait until the ready light is lit (unit heats up water).
-Put carafe under the filter & press the coffee button so the cappy starts puring from filter.
-Wait until fluid gets almost see-through, then turn off cappy, turn on steam so until heats up water to a higher temperature.
-Fill my Stainless Frothing Pitcher with Thermometer from Crate & Barrel ($15) with milk.
-Run hot faucet water into the mug you'll use for the coffee to preheat it.
-Once unit is ready, dip the frothing arm into the milk & turn the steam knob all the way to get the max steam out to the milk. Usually takes about 3 mins to get the milk to 140 F (from 35 F). Having the thermometer is essential to this process. To make froth, lower the pitcher so that the tip of the frothing arm is just above the milk - I think that the steam hittng the surface of the milk creates the froth.
-Turn the steaming knob back to 'off', combine cappy & milk & froth into a pre-heated mug (notice I left the carafe under the filter b/c the filter drips about 3-5 drops during the frothing process and those drops end up in the drip tray, that's annoying).
-Fill a cup with water & clean the steaming nozzle right away by steaming water (instead of milk) to prevent the milk from clogging the nozzle (this is all in the directions, if you just take the time to read them!).
-Leave the rest of the cleaning for later, enjoy the cappy now.
Shortcomings of the unit:
-Didn't come with a carafe, I've been using a small dessert bowl b/c I can't find a carafe I like.
-The frothing arm swivels about 90% and doesn't bend up/down. This was annoying, but I found a way to tilt the frothing pitcher to the side and got used to it & now it's fine.
-The coffee pods that come with the unit are horrible, don't even bother using them.
-If you're feeling lazy (or running late), you'll still end up going to Starbucks or ABP to pick up your morning coffee on the way to work.
Best parts about the unit:
-Easy to clean: dump excess water from reservoir, rinse off drip tray, dump out used grinds from filter & rinse, scrub dried milk off the frothing nozzle (most tedious tast- takes about 15 seconds).
-Small, doesn't take up a lot of space: on top of the unit there is an area where you can store all little accessories for the unit - so clever!
-Produces hot, delicious, dark, flavorful coffee: yum!
-Cheap: $90 w/tax, frothing pitcher/thermometer, and carafe
-13 bars of pressure!
-Right at home - no trips to & from Starbucks to get a cappy.
-Even though I'm a coffee-grinds-kind-of-person, having the pods will cut about 15 seconds from packing the grinds & about 5 seconds from the cleaning. I think the only drawback from the pods is that they make single servings where with grinds you can make 2 servings (or 1 really big one).
I am a Starbucks Barista and this is a good machine for what it is. It makes good espresso and okay foam. It makes the shot in a good amount of time. Kind of loud and has to re-heat often but the good outweighs the bad. I like to use this machine and I am able to make good drinks at home. I would go so far as to say that it is second best to having a Starbucks in your home.
The first machine I bought malfunctioned and I sent it back. I br