Mr. Coffee 4-Cup Steam Espresso System with Milk Frother, ECM160

I bought this product about a month and half ago. Delivery was prompt and the product was as described and arrived in pristine condition. I have been using this coffee machine for over a month and I can say this “coffee never tasted this good”.However Indian buyers need to be a little careful. This machine is imported from USA and works on 110 volts. So you have to invest in a voltage converter before you can use this machine.Addition of an espresso tamper to the machine would have been great but still for Rs 6, 500 it’s fantastic value for money. I strongly recommend it for all coffee lovers.

Worst. Not working. Seller is not helpful. Do not buy this.

Easy to use. Intuitive design. Quick and easy procedure to make excellent espresso or cappuccino. Works well with a variety of coffee blends and different grinds. Steam wand does an excellent job of frothing milk. Steam wand seems to work best without the plastic sleeve. Best cup of cappuccino for the best price. This cappuccino maker works better than more expensive machines.

I want to start off and say the main reason I purchased this unit was for the steam wand. I needed a Diamond Steamer and I didn't want to pay $100 for a Jewel Jet or similar jewelery steamer. I did some research online and on diamond forums and found that the espresso machine steamers produced steam that was capable of cleaning jewelry. For the $37.00 price tag of this machine I decided it was worth a shot. I filled up the machine and did a test run to see how good the steam was and all I have to say is it is more than sufficient to clean jewelry and I give it a huge thumbs up in terms of value versus the stand alone steamer.Now onto the espresso making part of this machine. It is very simple in terms of its operation. I used to be a former barista and it makes decent enough espresso to be used for lattes, cappuccinos, and americanos because the milk and flavoring mask most bad pulls. Now the flavor of the espresso really is a function of the grounds you choose and the grinder that you have available to you. You will have to experiment with the grind coarseness to match this machine exactly. I just received my unit but I will be experimenting to see what the ECM160 likes in terms of how fine or coarse my grounds need to be. I have read other comments about the ECM160 and blowing up and other places online have addressed this issue and it seems that some users are either tamping much too hard, using too fine of a ground, or not locking in portafilter far enough. Also users need to look under the unit for the rest of the cord. It is just coiled underneath for shipping purposes.I do wish the wand was longer and could be moved, but I still find it is useful. The plastic steaming attachment really needs to be removed as it is of no help at all. I was actually impressed with this little units ability to froth milk. I created very very thick foam with this unit on the first try using a coffee mug and 2% milk. If you want the really dry foam the trick is to work the tip just underneath the surface of the milk.The carafe that comes with this unit is fine and if it does break like others have mentioned you always have the option of getting actual espressso shot glasses and using those as a true measurement for each shot.Now I do wish they would have provided a better tamp and milk carafe but at this price they would probably be junk anyways. My biggest concern is with the portafilter. I have to double check the dimensions but I don't think it is a standard size. It seems a little flimsy and I would like to replace it with a double spout unit if possible. I still have more research to do on this part.My last recommendation is for everyone knocking the quality of this unit, spend some money on a very good burr grinder such as the Baratza Maestro Grinder. A good burr grinder along with good beans will do a world of difference for your espresso.All in all I would recommend this unit to people as a cheap espresso solution. It's cheap enough for people to try. It's also a good backup and travel unit. The added bonus is the jewelry cleaner.

Love this machine. Had trouble at first with the steamer splashing milk all over the place. Turned out it was my technique. Two things I was doing wrong. Heating the milk before steaming, and putting the spout in too deep. I watched a tutorial on YouTube and now my milk is perfectly frothed, no splashing. Also, I was making the espresso first and then steaming the milk, and having to add new water every time. User's fault again. I watched another tutorial, and found it works better to do the milk steaming first, then turn the knob to make the espresso. Turns out the espresso/latte is much hotter doing it this way. Don't need a $500 machine. I had a $25 machine from K-Mart that made great espresso for 20 years. Honestly, this Mr. Coffee makes way better latte's than Starbucks. They never make it strong enough. Very happy with this machine.

I really wanted to get into making espresso at home as I always found myself going to Starbucks or other local coffee places multiple times every week. I investigated buying an Illy Pod machine, however when I went to visit a friend in L.A. she has this exact machine and made me some espresso and it was wonderful. So instead of spending $150+ on a pod machine or a super fancy machine I decided to give this little guy a chance since she loved hers so much. I am glad I did an I will tell you why:Design:This is a really nicely designed espresso machine, it is small, simple, and overall looks nice sitting on the counter. It isn't fancy as it just has a turn nob to make espresso or use the steamer. The top of the machine can be used to hold anything, I put a few small espresso cups on top and it looks nice.Ease of use:It really doesn't get any easier than this to make espresso. Simply fill the water up to the 2 or 4 (cup) line and pour into the top, and pack the espresso into the holder up to 2 or 4. The espresso holder simply lifts and locks into place. Turn the nob and it will start brewing, and once you no longer see espresso coming out you can turn it off.Espresso:I have used Fresh & Easy Espresso and also Lavazza espresso and it tastes great with this machine. I mix mine with a bit of soy half and half and I am good to go, or throw hot water in for an americano. Many people rate the espresso machine based on it's ability to make that nice froth on top of the espresso and you will see a bit here when you make the coffee. It is complete steam based system and it seems to work fairly well. The froth on top of the espresso isn't extremely thick and I am assuming higher end machines will do this better. I will say that once I bought a Tamper to pack down the espresso it helped a lot, so invest another $6 or so to get one of these and it will make a pretty decent difference, if not just for the ease of use.Frother:On the side of the machine is a milk frother/steamer. I didn't read the directions so I honestly didn't know how to use it until my friend from L.A. came to visit. All you have to do is add water to the little steam icon on the cup and pour it into the machine. Then turn it on and give it a minute. The steam is hot and pretty intense. It actually does a nice job of frothing milk or soy as long as you figure out how to use it. TIP: I like to turn the machine onto Brew after I am done frothing as there might be some water left over.Summary:This machine by far is the best bang for the buck. I have had it for around 2 months, and my friend has had it for a year and it is great. I still occasionally go to Starbucks, but it is great to just have it available right in my house. For $30 definitely give this little guy a try.

Faster and quieter than my breville. Use primarily for americano. Espresso is slightly more bitter than breville. I'm "guessing" it runs well above the 9 bar pressure of conventional espresso.