Mr. Coffee ECM20 Steam Espresso Maker

I looked at this maker in a store. The package had a warning sticker that stated that the product contains lead and that the user should wash their hands after using it. (The warnign was NOT your standard California prop 65 warning. It specifically mentioned lead and washing your hands.)

Not something for the kitchen...

I did buy mine refurbished, and once I got the hang of it, it worked OK. Reading other reviews, yes you do need to make sure the lid is on tight, and watch out taking it off. The steam is hot!! Really I think this item is a bit dangerous. You could burn yourself easily with it. Also the little carafe that came with it, the handle broke off not long after I got it and I only used it once a day and it was just me drinking the coffee. Just think it was either defective, or just cheap? I still used it, but had to be very careful. It quit perking coffee about 4 months after I got it. I think the frother part still works. I only paid $10 for it so I got what I paid for, but I will not buy another one.

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!

I bought this machine to replace an Italian unit that cost over $200 and the difference was huge. I even tried it with the same coffee brand and the taste was totally different.

Expresso is supposed to taste strong, it is made by shooting superheated steam through the coffee in a very short period of time. This machine never heats up and is not designed to build up some steam, so all it does is shoot the coffee with boiling water instead, making the coffee like it was boiled in a pot, ruining the coffee.

The nozzle was messy to use with the milk and all it did for me is to heat the milk and burn your hands in the process. My old machine had a compartment that you poured the milk into an it would combine with steam an pour the finished product (foam) into a cup for you.

If you do not like your coffee strong, you can always mix in a little more milk to make it taste less strong, but no matter what you do, you will always notice the difference in taste you get from having the expresso being made by superheated steam. This machine just won't do that. I am going to keep looking for a low priced machine that does this.

Needless to say, this machine was returned.

My husband actually got this for me and I love it. I've only had it a few weeks now, but I've had no problems thus far. I'm a huge coffee drinker (an unhealthy 5-8 cups a day) but I really love mochas! I've had 1-3 12oz cups a day. I could see why people say the top is hard to take off, but I don't think it's gruelling work or anything. I'd compare the effort to that of taking off an unopened peanut butter jar. The espresso isn't super strong, which I like, but if you prefer real european style strong espresso I wouldn't recommend it. My only issue is that you have to stand and watch the espresso brew so you can turn it off before it over-brews. I got spoiled when i worked in a cafe with an industrial espresso machine so I was pleasantly surprised that I liked this one so much.
Lots of people have mentioned it breaking. I haven't had it long enough, but honestly people, even if it breaks every year, it's still less than 30 dollars a year. Well worth it.