Mr. Coffee Steam Espresso Machine

I've had this machine for over a year and paid 30 dollars for it at target. As another reviewer stated, I too have tried other machines. Ive 'tried' to upgrade to a Krups Pump 4030 and an expensive Breville Pump machine BUT have returned both. I find this machine to be much more convenient and makes just as good tasting cappuccinos as the pump machines ive returned.

For my purposes, this machine is strictly for making cappuccinos. I make about 4 cappuccinos a day for 2 people. I will say tho, that if your only into drinking espresso shots and strictly that, I would go with a pump. But if your going to add steamed milk and froth to your espresso to make a latte or a cappuccino, I say this machine is the way to go.

PROS
-Inexpensive, if it ever breaks its was only 30 bucks (have mine over a year)
-Makes good cappuccino / latte
-Steam frother is strong, plastic tip is removable. Makes thick micro foam (Krups frothing wand is horrible)
-Much more quiet then a pump machine, no loud grinding and bumping noises.
-Small footprint.
-Easy operation. Brew / Off / Steam... That's it!
-Looks good, clean classic lines, no weird protrusions or buttons. Easy to clean.
-Coffee pucks are dry and easier to clean then the wet ones created by Krups / Breville
-Customizable length of the power cord
-No leaking in odd places. Pump machines usually have a 'water waste cycle' after the espresso is made this water dumped into a drip tray which then has to be emptied. Some pump machines fail at collecting "all" the water and you end up with leaking water on the counter.

CONS
-Supplied tamper is just a slightly flattened end of the coffee scooper
-No frothing pitcher
-Takes longer for machine to heat up then pump machines do
-Feels cheap (because it is) It is definitely NOT one of those heavy sturdy tank-like machines.
-To make multiple shots you have to de-pressure the machine before you can open it and add more coffee to the portafilter. BUT you can make a max of 8oz at one time and I have successfully done so making 4 cappuccinos (2oz espresso for each) with no problem.

NOTES
-Get a tamper. I got a cheap but very nice one at Crate and Barrel and it fits perfect. Sometimes the quality of the espresso is dependent on how you tamp. Too hard and nothing will come out, too weak and the coffee will rush out with no flavor.
-Get a grinder. I got an expensive conical burr grinder thinking I was going to upgrade to a much more expensive espresso machine but ended up not. I kept the grinder anyway It's the Breville Burr Conical. The key is a consistent grind and one where you can adjust the grind fineness by slight increments to suitably match your machine. I used to get my beans ground at the coffee house but find sometimes the fineness varied per visit. Grinding just what you need before making the espresso is the way to go.
-Get a frothing pitcher. I got the Krups one. It's nice cause the glass carafe fits inside for easy storage.
-Sometimes I run a cycle of just plain water thru with no coffee to warm up the machine and place the hot water in cups to warm up the cups.
-Don't use the plastic frothing tip it wont make "micro" foam just big froth. You can make lots of thick froth by placing the tip of the steam wand right at the skin surface of the milk. The thing to note, is that the skin surface level changes as the froth is produced, and you have to adjust the height of the pitcher accordingly. It takes a few times to learn but its very easy once you do.
-Descaling. I've used Durgol to descale and it works perfect and makes my machine like new.

This little espresso machine is great. I love it. I've had others, but this one stands proudly alongside the expensive ones. I never go wrong with Mr. Coffee products. My only "suggestion" is they should have included the steal steamer carafe.

Bought this at Target for Christmas. Works great, easy to use. Took advice from the previous reviews and bought a frothing pitcher. I just use the scooper it comes with to tamp it down. I don't know much about espresso or the brewing process, but this machine makes a great cafe mocha so far.

As the other reviews indicate, this is a great, great machine. I do wish it were a little heavier. It's mostly plastic and to turn the knob I often have to hold down the machine with one hand, while turning the knob with the other. And as another reviewer mentioned, the frothing arm is a tad bit too close to the base. You have to use a pretty small/shallow pitcher for frothing and you have to hold it in one place.

But overall, for the money, you can't go wrong with this. Buy it -- you won't regret it.!

The coffee maker is just what I wanted. It's simple and makes a great cup of coffee. It's a great value!