Mr. Coffee ECM160 4-Cup Steam Espresso Machine, Black
Product Description
Make delicious coffeehouse style drinks at home with the Mr. Coffee® Café Espresso Steam Espresso and Cappuccino Maker. Be your own barista and create rich espresso, bold cappuccinos and creamy lattes. Brews 1-4 cups of espresso into easy-pour glass decanter with drip-free spout. Frother steams milk up light and creamy to top off your coffee drinks. Designed with removable drip tray and cord storage. Recipes and measuring scoop included.
CUSTOMER REVIEW
I've had this machine for over a year. I have tried other machines, even a pump. It makes good cappuccinos/lattes when the milk is steamed properly at the right temperature. If your only into espresso shots, I would go with a different pump driven machine.
PROS
-Inexpensive, Small
-Frother is strong, plastic tip is removable
-Quiet (then a pump machine)
-Latte art hearts (SEE picture)
CONS
-Supplied tamper is just a slightly flattened end of the coffee scooper.
-No frothing pitcher.
-Multiple shots requires de-pressuring the machine.
NOTES
There seems to be a lot of reviews stating it works fine in the beginning then after a while is poor or just stops. Ive noticed that during regular use, water starts to build up in the tank. This is because you never really use all the water in the tank per brew. This excess water I believe causes a problem. Either dump it out after, or what I do is, brew it out "before" I make a cappuccino as to warm up the machine on a cold start.
There also seems to be a lot of reviews saying it's not real espresso or there is no crema. This is true. It's a steam driven machine they've been making this type of machine for years. It can not match the pressure or the amount of crema produced by a pump driven machine. BUT it can produce a decent 'steam' espresso w/ crema ready to be made to a latte/cappuccino. The problem with the reviewers is that there are so many factors involved in why are not producing crema or a good cup. It could be the bean, the grind, the tamp, perhaps it's a cold start, not enough water, or too much water, etc etc the list goes on. It's something you'll have to figure out yourself.
Another thing to note is that the bean grind/freshness is directly proportional to the effectiveness of the steamer wand. If the beans are old and/or too course the water will brew through the coffee so fast that no pressure built up for the steamer wand to be effective. Likewise if the beans are too fine or the tamp too hard, the water will have a hard time passing thru the coffee and too much pressure will build up which isnt good either for this machine.
Do the descaling with vinegar per instructions.
Also want to note I added a picture of a latte heart I made, just to prove minimal latte art is somewhat possible with this machine.
CUSTOMER REVIEW
I've had this machine for over a year. I have tried other machines, even a pump. It makes good cappuccinos/lattes when the milk is steamed properly at the right temperature. If your only into espresso shots, I would go with a different pump driven machine.
PROS
-Inexpensive, Small
-Frother is strong, plastic tip is removable
-Quiet (then a pump machine)
-Latte art hearts (SEE picture)
CONS
-Supplied tamper is just a slightly flattened end of the coffee scooper.
-No frothing pitcher.
-Multiple shots requires de-pressuring the machine.
NOTES
There seems to be a lot of reviews stating it works fine in the beginning then after a while is poor or just stops. Ive noticed that during regular use, water starts to build up in the tank. This is because you never really use all the water in the tank per brew. This excess water I believe causes a problem. Either dump it out after, or what I do is, brew it out "before" I make a cappuccino as to warm up the machine on a cold start.
There also seems to be a lot of reviews saying it's not real espresso or there is no crema. This is true. It's a steam driven machine they've been making this type of machine for years. It can not match the pressure or the amount of crema produced by a pump driven machine. BUT it can produce a decent 'steam' espresso w/ crema ready to be made to a latte/cappuccino. The problem with the reviewers is that there are so many factors involved in why are not producing crema or a good cup. It could be the bean, the grind, the tamp, perhaps it's a cold start, not enough water, or too much water, etc etc the list goes on. It's something you'll have to figure out yourself.
Another thing to note is that the bean grind/freshness is directly proportional to the effectiveness of the steamer wand. If the beans are old and/or too course the water will brew through the coffee so fast that no pressure built up for the steamer wand to be effective. Likewise if the beans are too fine or the tamp too hard, the water will have a hard time passing thru the coffee and too much pressure will build up which isnt good either for this machine.
Do the descaling with vinegar per instructions.
Also want to note I added a picture of a latte heart I made, just to prove minimal latte art is somewhat possible with this machine.
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