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: Good coffee, but I really doubt its durability
Summary: 3 Stars
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...
Customer Review: Inexpensive machine. Barely suitable
Summary: 2 Stars
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.
Customer Review: While it lasted...
Summary: 3 Stars
I used this daily for 6 months with no problems. When it did it's "melt down" I just bought another one...Customer Review: Leaky, awkward design, eventual meltdown
Summary: 1 Stars
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.
Customer Review: Great value, Good first impressions
Summary: 4 Stars
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.