Hamilton Beach 40729 Espresso/Cappuccino Maker

I''ve used this machine for two years now, and would buy it again in an instant. I''ll add these comments to those previously written:

* Crema varies with coffee bean; shiney fresh beans give more crema and have more (but subtle) flavors. I don''t get the best crema with Starbucks beans. Peets is great though, so is Nicholas. Even the generic beans ($5/lb when on sale at the local grocer) work OK. Remember, these espresso machines extract more flavor from coffee beans (than perk or drip machines); it''s the nature of the pressure (vs temperature) process.

* For a great double shot (actually, 4 oz), I fill the fresh-grounds filter to level (not heaping) with whole beans, grind them for 8 seconds in a cheapo spice grinder, and tamp them (not too hard, not too soft). The tamped grounds come up almost to the #2 line in the filter. I run the pump for 30 seconds after liquid starts coming out of the nozzel. The machine has been turned on and heating for only about 5-10 minutes prior to this.

* I''ve used Starbucks pods. It does takes two (at 15 seconds of pumping per) to make a double shot. It tastes good (but not as strong as when I use fresh-ground.) Pods are quicker, but more expensive, than using grounds. You do need to be careful to press the pod in the filter so all water goes through, not around, the pod. Be aware that this machine comes with two different stainless steel filters; one for grounds, and a smaller one for pre-packaged pods.

* These machines use ***PRESSURE*** not temperature to extract flavors. This results in smoother taste, but not scalding temperatures. If you want your espresso law-suit hot, nuke it afterward.

* The included plastic tamper is too flimsy for the tamping pressure I''ve found works best; get a sturdier one (I got an aluminum one from a local kitchen store.) If you don''t tamp hard enough, grounds float up and coat the nozzel that high-pressure water comes out of. If you grind and tamp just right, the used grounds will maintain their hockey-puck shape when you shake them out of the filter.

* Coffee mugs don''t fit under the spouts. Its not like this machine will make enough espresso in one batch to come close to filling a standard 10 oz mug. I just want to drink a strong brew from a manly mug ;-) I''ve had to resort to using the shorter, dainty, coffee cups from the fine china set. (Don''t tell my buddies.)

* If you''re the analytical type, check out "The Complexity of Coffee" in Scientific American June 2002, Vol 286 Issue 6 p86. It contains good info you can use to perfect your brew.

* Use some of that cafeine buzz to clean the machine after each use, and it will last for a long time. There was a recall (on the older 40714 version) because some people weren''t cleaning milk off the frother, which resulted in scalding when the plug of old dried curdled milk suddenly erupted. Use common sense, keep this puppy clean, and it will make cup after cup of great brew.

* The frothing wand is not the easiest to use, due to the funny angle, short length, and low height above counter. I had to search for a stainless pitcher of just the right size; 10 oz to the brim. Disclaimer: I don''t use the frother much so this doesn''t detract from my rating of this machine.

* After years of use, hard water deposits build up on the nozzle just above where the coffee grounds sit. I noticed that water was spraying, rather than dripping, from here (during cleanup). There''s no need to run special cleaners through the machine; I successfully remove deposits by rubbing the nozzel with a hand towel after every use. It''s become part of the espresso-making ritual.

* I''ve been burned on other items when chosing the cheapest, but not on this one. It has some drawbacks, but for the price I can easily overlook them. It has kept my picky self satisfied!

Ok, so here was my conundrum. I''m a soldier deployed to Iraq and during midtour leave visited Italy and became addicted to espresso. I drank it over there many times a day and really liked the effects. The bad news is that I had to come back to Iraq for 7 more months and I''m too lazy to walk to the Greenbeans Coffee Shop (yep, we have one) and I didn''t really want to pay .75*6=4.50 every day. So, I knew I had to get a machine.

Now, given that I am in Iraq, the main things that I wanted were convenience and easy to clean. Given that I''m too lazy to walk to 50 or so yards to the bathroom to clean the thing, pretty much I have to rely mostly on water bottles.

I''m not a huge coffee snob and I just learned about crema, so quality might not be a consideration.

I bought this model, paid the exorbitant shipping costs and I''ve had it about a week. I seriously don''t see any negatives. I am surprised to read other reviews about the temperature because my shots come out extremely HOT. There must be quite a lot of variation on models, wonder if Hamilton Beach is aware of this? It''s convenient, cleans up nicely. I hate that I have to dump the grate at the bottom but that''s just because I''m ...lazy.

I will say that it takes some experimentation. I read about the crema so I worked to achieve this perfection. Let''s just say that it''s a work in progress. I don''t have much access to coffee, so I have some Starbucks and some other Italian brand. Pre-grind because I don''t have access to a grinder. My last pull which is sitting on my desk as we speak did have a nice crema head that I achieved by 2 scoops of coffee jammed down into the filter using that great plastic tool that they provide (tamper). Unfortunately...or maybe fortunately...I''ll have to have an operation later to uncurl my toes.

I haven''t had any problems with leakage and I''m going to take the advice to use a black marker to mark the water lines on the tank. I don''t really use the frother except to warm the cafe au laits that I sometimes make.

The only other problems that I have are that I shake constantly, am jittery, can''t sleep. But that''s just because of the addiction. haha.

I would highly recommend this machine to the average coffee drinker. It''s cheap, easy to use and clean, and FAST. It might not be for the coffee snob who might benefit from a little more upscale model.

Buy Hamilton Beach 40729 Espresso/Cappuccino Maker Now

I''m not sure what the below reviewer is complaining about with the machine''s heating element. I''ve had this for two weeks now and have made many great tasting cappucinos with it (I don''t like straight espresso).

The espresso shots come out perfectly hot (but not too hot) and the steamer froths and steams milk beautifully. My only gripe with the steamer is that I need to run it once, let it heat up again and then run it through a second time in order to get my desired results. The whole process is no more than a minute or so which is very tolerable considering the price.

I had read reviews on other sites that mentioned that this machine (actually an older model) did not produce decent crema. Well, I had no experience with making espresso in the past (I''m a home roaster for regular coffee) but my first try produced a great cup of espresso with a nice caramel colored froth on top. And this came from store bought, pre-ground espresso coffee!

Cleanup is very easy and the unit is small enough to store away when not in use. It comes with a measuring spoon that stores away in the unit and the machine accepts both ground espresso and pods (never used them). For the amateur and social drinker of espresso and cappucinos, this machine should suffice. I would not be able to justify spending any additional money on an expensive machine.

Read Best Reviews of Hamilton Beach 40729 Espresso/Cappuccino Maker Here

I''ve had this machine for 24 hours and have gone through a pound of coffee learning how to make espresso for the first time. So far I am very impressed with this machine. It really is as good as machines many times the price. However, the advice you hear everywhere is true: The grind and your technique matter much, much, more than the machine.

I did a lot of research online and talked to friends with home espresso machines. It seemed as if you had to pay $200-$500 dollars to get a good machine. I wasn''t sure I wanted to pay that much. I ran across some postings about this machine and it sounded worth a shot, especially for the price.

I started with good fresh roasted coffee ground in the store on the "2" setting which is supposed to be the standard espresso grind. I went through 3/4 of a pound trying to get a good cup and couldn''t. Light tamp, hard tamp, medium tamp, nothing worked. It was soupy in the portafilter, tasted bad, and even exploded over the counter several times.

Next I went to a coffee shop to buy more beans and asked the barista for some advice. They said a "3" grind might be more forgiving. They said to tamp it *very* hard. Also, the coffee left in the portafilter after brewing should be very dry and "brick-like". When you scrape a spoon across the used grounds, they should cake into clumps. The advice about the stream to look for was the classic "the tail of a mouse with the stripes of a tiger", which sounded strange at the time but was right on when I got my best cups.

I went home and tried again. I filled the portafilter and made an improvised tamper out of a 1/4 cup measuring cup. I pressed down hard with most of my weight. After the tamp the coffee came up to the double shot line. I started the pump and counted 25 seconds from the point where the stream started to flow and then shut it off. The stream looked just like it was supposed to and the coffee tasted great with a lot of crema! I then made half a dozen cups and they were all great. I made straight shots, lattes, and cappuccinos. The machine has plenty of steam to make good frothed milk. Once again, a beginner should expect some practice to get good. The steam alone doesn''t make good froth.

This is a great machine for someone looking to give espresso at home a try. In my research I found that it uses the same pump as popular $500+ machines. As long as you don''t mind plastic housings, I don''t think moving up to a more expensive machine will give you better coffee.

All in all, a great machine. Here are my tips:

1) Start with the coarsest espresso grind and a heavy tamp. The "3" setting worked everytime for me. The "2" setting never worked.

2) Get a good tamper. I think the portafilter is the standard 58mm size so it should be easy to get a different tamper. Given the heavy tamp needed, the included tamper is worthless.

3) Practice. There is a lot of technique involved. I couldn''t believe the variation possible when I tried different grinds, tamp pressures, and brew times.

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I wanted to enter the world of espresso at home without spending a bundle. I figured if I used it a lot, I''d upgrade to a better maker later. I decided on this model after reading reviews here and elsewhere. I''ve had this model for about a month now and I love it. It is simple to use and simple to clean and makes good espresso.

Here are some tips I''ve gathered from various places on the net and from personal experience.

1) The steamer works well if you do it right. I don''t use it often since I like straight espresso. However, I do like the occasional Mocha. Get a good stainless pitcher (the Krups 20oz fits this maker perfectly) and store it in the freezer for a few minutes before adding the milk and steaming. For frothing, hold the steaming head near the edge of the pitcher just barely under the surface of the milk until it gains volume. Then plunge the steaming head deeper to finish steaming and heating the milk. This gives me great results.

2) Preheat the maker and run a "blank shot" of just water through the system before making your first shot. This gets everything heated properly and will help ensure you get that nice crema head (see #5).

3) Make sure you have a proper grind. This maker likes a very fine grind. The manual says if you''re having your coffee ground at the coffee shop, have it ground a couple marks coarser than the espresso grind. I don''t know why they say this. If you do, you''re shot will pull too fast and be week and bitter. Finer is better. Don''t buy a cheap grinder or you''re just wasting your money. If you don''t want to spend a bundle on a grinder, just buy 1/4 or 1/2 pound at a time from your local roaster and have them grind it. Store it sealed air tight in the dark. It keeps about a week.

4) Tamp your grounds down properly. The standard says tamp to 30 pounds of pressure. Put your filter on a towel on your bathroom scale if you need to see what 30# feels like. You may not be able to achieve this pressure with the plastic tamper that comes with this model. If not, get a stainless tamper. I bought a stainless tamper with a slightly convex bottom and it helps a lot. If you shop around, you can get one for under $20. Fill the filter to just above the 1 or 2 shot line, tap the filter a couple times to settle the grounds, and then press straight down hard with your tamper. Just before you lift it back up, twist it slightly so that none of the grounds stick to the tamper when you remove it. Remove any loose grounds from the filter rim or inside above the compaction line.

5) And now, for my #1 tip if you want to get that nice head of crema on top of your shot, USE FRESH ROASTED, FRESH GROUND espresso roast beans. I was never able to get crema on my shots until I bought some fresh roasted espresso beans from a local coffee shop. The shots tasted Ok without the crema, but didn''t have that coffee-shop texture or visual appeal. Now they look and taste just like espresso from a real coffee shop.

Well, I won''t be upgrading my espresso maker. There''s no need to spend $200 (or $800!) when I''m getting the results I want from this model for much less.