Mr. Coffee ECMP40 Pod Pump Espresso & Cappuccino Maker
by Mr. Coffee
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List Price: Category: Kitchen See more product details |
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Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of Mr. Coffee ECMP40 Pod Pump Espresso & Cappuccino Maker
Customer Review: Seal Fails, Sunbeam Unhelpful
Summary: 1 Stars
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.
Customer Review: Eww, go elsewhere?
Summary: 1 Stars
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.Customer Review: Broke in 38 days - 2nd one in 10
Summary: 1 Stars
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.
Customer Review: Good Value, but can be tricky to use
Summary: 3 Stars
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.Customer Review: Incredible machine for the price
Summary: 5 Stars
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.