Mr. Coffee ECMP50 Espresso/Cappuccino Maker, Black
by Mr. Coffee
List Price:
Our Price: $75.09
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Category: Kitchen
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Product Summary
Manufacturer: Mr. CoffeeBrand: Mr. Coffee
Model: ECMP50
Color: black and silver
Product features:
- Thermal block heating system
- Removable water reservoir
- Powerful milk frother
- Removable drip tray
- Lighting on/off switch
Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of Mr. Coffee ECMP50 Espresso/Cappuccino Maker, Black
Customer Review: "Mr. Coffee" Great Espresso machine???
Summary: 5 Stars
Like so many other reviews... this ain't my first Espresso machine rodeo. When my last one, a cheapie, had died I started my usual online review endeavor (my wife thinks I am an excellent researcher/buyer... I think I might be obsessed) and looking at all the reviews I could find on machines under $200.00 Not to my surprise there was plenty to look at.
A little background on me. I am a lifelong coffee snob/junkie (50 years old started with espresso at 19) and a true fan of Peets coffee. They have the best beans, coffee (of all types) and service in my not so humble opinion.
I looked long and hard at many reviews and one thing that really bothered me was the poor reviews and reliability of so many of the $100 to $200 machines... almost seems like they are real cheap versions of the $1000.00 stuff and suffering from being to poorly built to meet the price range. Just my theory but the reviews were all awful. I was pretty bummed out about this because it was not looking good for finding what I was looking for and the bottom line to that was an easy, fast, reliable and especially great quality shot of espresso. Maybe I was asking too much I started thinking. I have no idea why I started looking in the lower prices... I think it was because I had looked at everything at the top of my price range so I had no other direction to go because I was set on my price limit. Anyway... I came across the Mr. Coffee machine and especially this review
http://www.amazon.com/review/RE8IGWL0T4QJ6 by K. Krueger (THANKS!!!)
So with great doubt about a brand that I thought epitomizes crap coffee... you know... the big tin cans full of the stuff they make at the office? Well I started reading all of the reviews and was pretty surprised at what I was reading... almost all of them glowing, there are a few that are not but there always is, the main theme was clear, almost everyone was happy with it. It is a pump and not steam driven, it has a large tank so refilling the water is rare (love it!) and...
IT MAKES GREAT ESPRESSO?
It is true, I went to Target (yuk, not normally ever seen there) since I could have it right then and there and have a local place to return if it was bogus, which I thought there would be a chance of.
Brass tacks
Heats up super fast to make coffee, you turn it on and it will be ready in about half the time it takes you to grind the beans. The cup warmer will not be warming the cups in this time... that takes longer and if you want that, just turn it on sooner.
As mentioned, the tank is large, easy to remove and fill and to reinstall in seconds.
The steamer works fantastic... lot of high pressure steam... it foams FAST. Nice that it swings out to the front for use (which I hardly do, I like mine straight) and then swings back out of the way... I forget it is there sometimes.
The cup/coffee basket is easy to clean, fill, remove, insert... nothing to it, sweet and simple. There is one beef I have with it, it is not as large as some espresso makers have so you will not be making a true quad shot with this... you could keep pumping until you had that quantity of coffee but you would be over using the bean. If I want a quad, I have to make two batches, which is so fast and easy, frankly it is rarely an issue.
The position of the basket is high so almost all of my traditional height coffee cups can be used... not tall coffee cups but definitely a restaurant size cup.
The cup warmer tray area is nice and works nicely with (estimating/guessing) 5 - 10 minutes of warm up but is not something I care about or use... I keep my coffee scoop and a few demitasse cups there.
The coffee... ah yes, the actual product, is fantastic. You have to personally observe the process and switch the pump off when it has produced enough espresso... I personally wait until the coffee coming out turns an approximate "blonde" and then switch off. Sometimes I will switch off a little sooner depending on the strength I want. There is no "automatic" cycle... you have to watch it but it is fast and simple IMO. BTW, fast is definitely the key work here... this makes it fast and yummy. I am always rewarded with a perfect creamy cup of espresso that personally I would compare to the coffee I have tasted ANYWHERE.
Drain tray is easy to remove and clean
One thing I recommend is, FOR ANY ESPRESSO/COFFEE MAKER is a high quality burr grinder that gives you a consistent and proper grind. I have mine (can't remember the brand but about a $100.00 model) set to "espresso" and it is indeed ground "fine." When I pack the basket I pack it very firmly by hand with the supplied scoop/packing tool and I have NEVER had ANY plugging issues.
I saved the box in case of return... hah; I love that box because now I take it on short travel trips and make espresso in my room... no restaurant coffee for me, YEAH!
Not sure what I am missing here but the bottom line is (and I am so very pleasantly surprised) this Mr. Coffee espresso machine ROCKS. If it died today, I would go buy another today. I have been using it for about five months now... I have at LEAST one double shot a day then my wife has some too now and then. It has been flawless, simple and VERY effective. I still don't think the name is impressive but I have been gratefully humbled by the awesome price, quality and effectiveness of this wonderfully affordable machine.
(Gulp) Bravo, Mr. Coffee... I am impressed.
PS. if I missed anything, or if you have a question, I will be happy to help. Not sure if I get automatic replies to this but if so I will be happy to help. I don't do reviews very often but I should do more considering how much help they are to me. Thanks Amazon for having this venue... normally would have bought it from you as I do many other items... but just had to try it that day and the price was the same.
Description of Mr. Coffee ECMP50 Espresso/Cappuccino Maker, Black
Have the ability to make coffeehouse quality espressos and cappuccinos in the comfort of you own home. The Mr. Coffee 15-bar pump espresso maker delivers high-quality drinks on a consistent basis. The thermal block heater makes brewing faster and a removable water reservoir makes it easier to get started.Espresso Machines
Kitchen and Housewares