Mr. Coffee ECM20 Steam Espresso Maker

I must confess that I spent a lot of time trying to get a good coffee maker, I had a Krups Single Serve My Cafe for about a year, I was never happy with it anyway. I am the only coffee drinker in my family, so I do not want to shop for a drip 10 cup type of coffee machine, so I bought this one.

Here is my review of this machine:

1. Build quality Yes, the knob and top cover is a bit of hard to turn, build quality is so so, but I think the inards of this machine is ok, it generate steam quickly and appear to be built with no better or worse quality than many of the steam type espresso machines.

2. Coffee Here is something that I am really surprise of, I think it makes great coffee, I run through it with three different kind of Ethiopian coffee, to my surprise, I can tell the subtle different among them, this machine produce very good coffee. Coffee is also hot enough contrary to some of the reviews mentioned.

3. Cost I think this is a very good deal considering I spent more than $100 for a single serve machine but I do not get the enjoyment of coffee from that, I do now.

4. Design it looks ok and do not occupy a lot of counter space. I actually think it has appeal of its own.

Be aware of the amount of water you pour in, I usually turn off the machine before the last drop get vaporized, otherwise, your coffee will taste a little bit overdone.

I think this is a good machine as long as you treat it gently, it may not have the best build quality but it gets the job done. I am happy.

I picked this product up at a local store for mid $20''s after getting sick of making my coffee with a stove top espresso machine. I couldn''t see spending $100+ for something conceptually as simple as an espresso machine. I know someone who got a simple Krupps machine for about $40 years ago and it still works just great. But since I couldn''t find anything else in the sub $40 range, I settled on this one.

It makes a fine cup of coffee if you just want to use prepackaged coffee grinds or you use a basic coarse to medium grind. BUT, when I tried to use a very fine grained "espresso" grind on my beans, almost nothing came out. It seems that too fine a grind stops up the filter holes and the machine just doesn''t have the oomph to force the water/steam through.

Also, it does suffer from

a very difficult to turn knob (don''t get this product if you have arthritis)

a caraf lid that won''t stay on let alone stay properly oriented

So basically, it''s good for making a medium to fairly strong cup of coffee (by my subjective measure), but if you really want something strong and sludgy, this machine won''t do the trick unless you want to wait for an hour for it to eventually push enough liquid through.

I guess now I understand why espresso machines aren''t cheap. Years of using a really simple stovetop espresso maker led me to believe that they''re really simple machines. But perhaps when you try to package it up as an appliance it isn''t so straight forward.

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I have read so many negative reviews of this wonderful little moka machine, I must put in my 2 cents. First, this is a stream machine, meaning it makes moka not espresso. If you like Bialetti but want cappuccino instead of cafe latte, then this is perfect. The grind must be close to espresso, finer than for Bialetti, and you must tamp it down, but no tamper included. There is only 1 knob, yes it is stiff, but i don''t have arthritis. The round design makes it easy to handle even though it is very light. It descales with...vinegar! How about that, actually a traditional machine. The panarello works, just put in extra "cup" of water for steaming. Make 2 "cups", not 1 or 4, and always start with cold machine, or use very, very cold water. Stop the brewing as soon as moka hits 2 "cups" or it starts to steam instead of brew, then switch the knob to steam for the milk. If you don''t, coffee will taste slightly burned. I have owned espresso and moka machines from USD5 to USD1,000 over a period of 40 years. If you like moka, don''t waste money on anything more expensive. But, like any machine, read the manual, and experiment if things don''t work the way you want. Finally, garbage in garbage out. If you want great cappuccino, use good organic coffee and organic milk.

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o.k. let''s all get a grip concerning this product.

it cost me twenty-five dollars at walmart three years ago and i and a co-worker draw about twenty shots a day, every day at work (backstage at a theater) and it makes a perfectly fine, strong coffee... not bitter... but no crema... it''s not espresso.

it''s not supposed to be.

tastes fine black... i use milk and sugar sometimes... sometimes i froth the milk... sometimes i heat it in the microwave... sometimes i pour it over ice and add cold milk... it all tastes fine.

if i want a real double shot of espresso i go to the locally owned coffee house and splurge every week or two.

so i know what really good espresso tastes like... as many of you do.

if you want strong, cheap, good coffee... brew it with this thing using a good quality course grind or a good espresso grind (fair trade would be nice)... don''t tamp it down (too tight for the pressure it delivers)... and it you want it to heat up water quickly turn it on before you filter your water and set the grounds into the coffee filter (a couple of taps on a table after you fill it will get the grounds to settle in).

oh yeh, and the carafe will break apart almost immediately, so i''ve used a big, low profile mug to catch the coffee for all three years... man, what a chore. ha.

as a perpetually starving actor of twenty five years this is a tasty way to get your caffeine cheaply without injecting it directly into your bloodstream.

and to all you espresso fanatics... welcome to the new economic depression...i hope you have already purchased your several thousand dollar machine, time to brew the best cup of coffee you can for the least amount of money at home or at the office for your economically deprived friends ... and let starbucks sink under it''s own expensive weight.

if not, get this one and go socialize at a locally owned coffee house when you get an extra dollar or two.

whoohooooo! i''m buzzed already!

Update:

i''ve used the thing backstage for over six years now and it is performs exactly as described above... never cleaned it... still twenty shots a day... still using the same low profile mug as a substitute for the piece of junk carafe.

i''m trying to kill the poor little thing, but it just won''t die.

oh, and welcome to the double did depression.

aren''t you glad that you are buying a home espresso machine to save cash?

shots at the coffee house add up quickly.

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One of the biggest complaints with this machine is that the reservoir lid is difficult to open. The manual tells you to release the remaining pressure by turning to either coffee or steamer. Then it opens easily. The knob to select steamer, off, coffee gets easier to use once it is broken in, but I agree, if your hands are not dry, it is a bit slippery.

The manual also gives clear details how to make different types of coffees and a troubleshooter. The frother makes long-lasting tasty foam, and I found the coffee to be plenty hot. I cools quickly because there is no hot plate to keep it warm, but you are only making one cup at a time--why wouldn''t you drink it right away?

The coffee I liked in my previous coffee maker didn''t taste the same in this machine. I had to experiment with a variety of brands and finally decided on Bustello. Someone else I talked to raved about LaVazza, but I didn''t share her enthusiasm for the taste. It''s all about individual preference.

I like that with one machine, My husband can make his espresso, and I can have my weaker American style coffee by simply adjusting the amount of coffee vs the water.

I have had my machine almost 6 months and my handles have not broken. Perhaps the other folks contributed to theirs breaking by banging the coffee basket against something to release the grounds. This may have weakened the handle? The glass is thin and you do need to take reasonable care not to break it. The metal parts are not Stainless Steel (except the inner grounds basket)and I found the finish on the frothing tube began wearing off (to what looks like brass or copper? )when I used a scrubby to clean off the dried milk. I have since steamed water with it right after use, use only a sponge and finger nail to clean and have not noticed more wear.

This machine is the same one sold at Walmart as Mr. Coffee (same model #)for $25 and at Walgreen as Signature Gourmet for $20 (the one I bought). It is not going to be made with the finest materials, Folks!

It does make very good coffee, is extremely affordable, simple to use, takes up minimal space on your counter and has held up almost 6 months so far. That''s why I gave it 5 stars

EDIT It is now November 2008 and My coffee maker is still going strong! The knob is easy to turn but the white lettering has worn off. I broke the carafe by throwing groceries against it in a rush. The carafe can be replaced for about $10 but I am using a regular coffee mug. It works fine and the coffee is just as great!. Best $20 I ever spent.