Pump Espresso Maker W/ Milk Frother

I ordered this Mr. Coffee Espresso and Cappuccino Machine in 2018, and it is still working perfectly. After years of regular use, it continues to make a delicious variety of coffee drinks, including rich espresso, creamy cappuccinos, and flavorful lattes, with excellent taste and consistency. The 15-bar pump produces smooth, café-quality espresso with a rich crema, and the automatic milk frother creates perfectly frothy milk every time. The programmable features make it easy and convenient to use, while the stainless steel finish still looks great on my countertop. It's also easy to clean and maintain. The durability of this machine has truly impressed me. It has provided years of reliable performance and excellent coffee, making it one of the best kitchen purchases I've made. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a dependable, high-quality espresso machine for home use.

The fact that you're reading this review means that you're looking for an espresso machine (yeah, I know - duh). The fact that you're looking for an espresso machine means that you probably want either the convenience of making fun little coffee drinks at home, and/or you want to save money because you've been spending a significant portion of your disposable income on similar concoctions at the overpriced coffee house down the street. To which concern I can most assuredly relate - we have the misfortune to live half a block from what is arguably the best coffee shop in Seattle, and I don't even want to think how much of the owner's retirement fund has come out of my pocket. Good thing he's a friend. So anyway, here you are on Amazon, trying to filter - ha ha, please note clever pun - through the endless product choices, which range from cheapo plastic crap to espresso machines so expensive and complicated that you wonder if you'll need a degree in engineering to operate them. Your head is getting ready to explode as you read about things like burr grinders, with some Amazonians subtly implying that if you don't use one of these for your home-roasted gourmet coffee beans - the ones you import weekly on a private jet from an exclusive estate in the Ethiopian Highlands - then your intellect must compare unfavorably with that of certain lower primates. And then there are the reviews that provide detailed instructions regarding this or that machine's temperamental foibles and intolerance of idiots, advising you sternly that if you don't do X, Y and Z in a very particular order, accompanied by ritual chanting and animal sacrifice, your $2000 espresso machine will never perform in the optimal way. Or so it sure seems sometimes. So here's the key question: WHY do you want an espresso machine? Do you truly want to become an espresso master, the envy and talk of all your Yuppie friends ("Wow, Bob has a Lockheed-Martin X-320 Parisian-Bistro-Espresso Cafe Super-System with built-in burr grinder and rocket launch module, and he sure knows how to use it!") Or do you just want a machine that costs (way) under a thousand bucks that'll make a tasty latté or cappuccino in the morning, and in so doing save you from supporting your local coffee shop owner's boat payments? If it's the latter, then I humbly recommend this fine little machine. It's easy to set up, and if one uses decent ground espresso (for the record, I use Lavazza) it makes excellent coffee drinks with a minimum of fuss. You don't need to fiddle with frothing yourself - just hit the right buttons and it will turn out coffee that will have you saying "Mmm, that's good!" before you proceed with your day. Unless, of course, you're a coffee snob who wouldn't dream of using anything smacking of "automatic" that doesn't involve multiple complex steps, a $300 grinder, manual frothing, a degree in engineering and animal sacrifices. But then if you're that person you're probably not looking at this machine. Put the machine through a clean cycle regularly, and DO delime it at least once in a while. It's a tedious procedure but not doing so may affect performance (we had some issues a few months in and deliming fixed them). Do follow the setup instructions carefully, especially with regard to priming the machine the first time. And don't do what I did, which is to wonder why nothing was happening - specifically, why no water was coming out - and then finally notice the sticker on the back of the water tank that said "Remove plastic plug before use". Duh. UPDATE, SEPTEMBER 2021: we have now owned several of these machines over a period of 8 years, so I can tell you with confidence about their durability. Bottom line: they're good for about a year of daily use. Eventually, the frother stops working well. Despite deliming, it will have a harder time getting up to pressure and producing froth. Eventually it ceases to be functional. Since there's a one-year warranty, you might want to trigger that before the year is up - we did that with a previous machine and Mr Coffee's customer service was terrific - they immediately sent us a new machine for free. So, basically, you get two years of use out of one purchase. Key point: despite the durability issue, this machine has saved us a ton of money and I'd still highly recommend it (and will likely buy another when our current one dies next year). P.S. As some others have noted, the reservoir sometimes leaks water; we had this on one unit. My stupid but effective solution to this was to insert a strip of thin cardboard (part of the flap of a small cardboard box works) between the machine and the reservoir (i.e. behind the reservoir). Apparently this "pushes" the reservoir back enough to set it right, and it fixed the issue.

Update: 1/25/2020 - Added a picture of a brewed latte. Review of: Mr. Coffee - Espresso and Cappuccino Maker Reviewed by: The examinator Product rating: 5 out of 5 Packaging rating: 4 out of 5 Summary: Simple to use, clean, and makes great tasting Espresso/Lattes/Cappuccinos. For details as to how this item received the given rating, see below: This little machine makes three things: Espresso, Cappuccino and Lattes. With good coffee, all three of these come out fantastic. When first purchased we thought it was going to be low end or seem janky, however, it has proved us wrong. It's well built, easy to clean and extremely easy to operate. You fill the reservoir in the back with filtered water, power it on and wait for it to warm up (which does not take long), scoop in the coffee in one of two sizes/shots, attach, and select your option. There is an additional step if you want to make lattes and add froth by using the accessory "milk" reservoir. *Note, we reference "milk" based on your preference (dairy or non-dairy) We drink almond milk and have had no issues with the attachment, the frothing or delivery of the "milk" from the reservoir. When done, the cleanup is a few steps, from dumping the coffee grounds from the handle attachment, rinsing that out (which comes apart in 3 pieces), then rinsing out the "milk" reservoir, filling it with water and running it through it's self clean cycle. All of these which take a few moments. The results are fantastic! This is such a great addition to our kitchen and especially if you enjoy coffee in it's various forms. The packaging used minimal plastic and appeared to be store drop off acceptable, which was a plus. No plastic would be best, but one day we will get there. Pros: • Easy to use. • Simple to clean. • Offers three options (Espresso, Cappuccino, and Lattes). • The maker comes with two size attachments (single or double shot). • Comes with a coffee scoop that has a multi purpose (to compress the coffee or scrape excess). • Comes with a "Milk" reservoir. Cons: • None *Note, there are two ratings applied to the reviewed item. "Product rating" and "Packaging rating". The actual product will not be impacted by the packaging as these are two separate ratings. In regards to packaging, the following are contributing factors against the "Packaging rating": • In an effort to globally reduce and promote less usage of plastic, any usage of plastic or non-environmentally safe packaging/products/material will be marked negatively. • Single use items that do not biodegrade or cannot be easily recycled (see point above on plastics). • The packaging rating is being introduced to help drive a shift to more sustainable and environmentally friendly resources.

I bought this just after giving birth to my daughter so that I would have a proper cup of coffee to greet me with those early mornings to keep me sane. I use a hazelnut infused dark roast that is locally made, nothing fancy, but this coffee machine has a strong enough pump that I can set my burr grinder to almost the finest grind, gently tamp it down, and have a perfect shot of espresso with 1cm of crema (see picture of double latte) and the perfect blend of flavor with only the slightest hint of bitterness. I know enough about espresso making to care about the flavor and process, and this machine is a perfect mix for semi-knowledgable coffee lovers who still don't want the whole nine yards. The machine itself is fast, efficient, easily cleaned, and for the price is able to do everything a formal Barista machine can. I'm actually having so much fun making delicious coffee I have to limit myself to two lattes a day! Do note; because of the nature of this machine, you cannot just grind the beans, press the espresso button, and expect a half decent cup. This is best for someone who knows how to balance their coffee type with the grind (a burr grinder is a must for consistency!) to get the right amount of flavor without it being too bitter. If you just plug and play, the resulting coffee will be way too bitter with no flavor. Edit: Still love this machine months later, still have to apply my two lattes a day limit because of the fun I'm having and the delicious results, and I've found the milk pump is strong enough to handle 50/50 cut of milk/oatmilk with no issue (75/25 if chocolate oatmilk)! Edit: Five months later with at least two lattes a day, this machine has been a champion! The espresso has been delicious, my only complaint that recently it has been harder to clean the lid of the milk canister. Because I've been cutting my milk 50/50 with oatmilk and regular milk, a film develops inside the lid of the canister that makes a deep cleaning a must. I use the system cleaning after every use without fail, but still need to clean the lid deeply to avoid milk spoiling mid-use (clumpy milk is no fun and gross). This may be avoidable with just dairy milk.

I'll give tips after a little background info, what wasn't right and what customer service said to do, that WORKED! First off my background. I am not, nor have I every been a barista. I am an average person who likes mochas from the coffee shop, but I live 80 miles from town, so I don't get them very often and wanted to try making them at home. This is my first espresso machine. I read a lot of blogs and watched online videos from real baristas giving tips how to make good espresso drinks at home before purchasing this. I got this thing and things didn't taste right to me, bitter. So I did more research and figured out the problem, it wasn't heating up well. I checked temperature and it was only getting to 157*F on average (too cold) and took 14-15 seconds to make one shot (too fast). NOT what the online advice says you need. Online advice says 170-180*F and 27-30 seconds is about right. So I called Mr Coffee for help before I sent it back to Amazon. GLAD I did. The call: In short, customer service told me to run a cleaning cycle per directions from page 16 in the user manual. Which is 1/2 tank of white vinegar, hit the button for double shot. Repeat as many times as you need. Also run a cleaning cycle through the milk dispenser. My thought was, "what the heck, its a new machine! I did the priming as directed before use, how can it be dirty?" But I had to give it a try or send it back. Well I'll be go to heck, it WORKED! While directions said you only need to run it few times. I had the time, so I ran the whole 1/2 tank white vinegar through (double shot at at a time) since I has to toss the vinegar anyway, so why not really clean it eh? Anyway, after a couple times running the double shot espresso button the temperature went from consistent 157*F to 175-182*F. Wahoo! It seemed to matter how long I let it warm up between shots. Running two times consecutively got the 175-177*, which is just what you want. Letting it sit and warm up a few minutes before runs got it 180-184*, which is getting a little too hot. BTW, I was using a good quality quick, calibrated thermometer that I use for caramel making, which is a very exacting process to do right. So I figured it could accurately measure the espresso before it cooled from air temperature, which by the way is mere seconds I found out. NOTE: The higher temperature is NOT for drinking comfort (how hot you like it) it is what the espresso NEEDS to properly extract and not be bitter. You can let it sit a few minutes if you don't like it that hot, personally I don't want a burned tongue, so I wait a little. Coming out of the machine perfect drinking temperature is NOT a good thing. SECOND NOTE: Running the vinegar through is NOT descaling, it is cleaning. Descaling is something else you do, read the manual on how. The vinegar clean is NOT priming, it is cleaning. Don't know why you need to clean the new machine in addition to priming, but DO it anyway. Make sure to rinse the reservoir out, then run some PLAIN water through to remove the vinegar afterwards, do it as many times as it takes to get the smell out, mine took a full reservoir. Honestly though it's faster shipping it back and waiting for a replacement machine because it doesn't get hot enough, this WORKS. When I first got it, as I said it was taking 14-15 seconds to run the shots through. During the cleaning process they got longer and longer. Now that it's clean, it's about 28-30 seconds. Again, just what you want. I use my cell phone stop watch feature to be accurate. In summary, based on what I've read and how I got it to work well, at least for "normal" person standards. This a good machine. Here's my TIPS TO GET IT WORKING RIGHT: 1. Learn to grind grounds well. Do NOT buy pre-ground, buy beans and grind them yourself. It has to do with when the oil is release one how well it works. If you are going to the trouble to use a machine like this (rather than just normal a coffee machine) you can go to the effort to grind as well, it's just part of the process. You can use the hand held cone burr grinders for the most accurate fine ground. Or you can spend a bundle on an electric burr grinder. From what I read, you REALLY do need to get a good one if you go electric. In fact that is almost more important than the machine they say. Inconsistent size of grounds will yield inconsistent shots. Too fine (Turkish grind, which is like flour) and it clogs the filter making the machine unable to push all the water through. Too course (regular coffee machine grind) and the water goes through too fast making it bitter. Espresso grind has to be the consistency of table salt. I'm cheap, so using the hand grinder does work and I advise it for other cheap people. However, in the morning I am cranky and impatient, I'm also lazy, so I've ordered a couple different electric burr grinders to see if that works as well. I plan to return which ever (or both) that don't grind as the espresso NEEDS (good ol Amazon prime and their return policies). No, I did not take the online baristas advice and buy a $200 burr grinder (I am cheap after all), but I did spend about $50 on a burr grinder and $20 on a blade style. Will update when I have decided what works or not, which I kept or if I end up just doing the hand grind. 2. Learn how full to fill the cup. At least to the top of the rim, or a little higher. You want the end result about 1/8-1/4" from the top. The amount in the cup DOES matter. 3. Learn how to pack your grounds to 30lbs of pressure. How to do that, put your bathroom scale on the counter. Use your tamper to push until you get the feel of 30lbs pressure. Repeat several times until you can push it pretty accurately. This is very important. Also, but a metal tamper, the plastic one isn't sturdy enough for 30 lbs pressure, it bents and packs unevenly. You can get metal tampers cheap, it's worth it. 4. Before you make your cup each morning, warm the machine as directions indicate, but ALSO run a shot of plain water through first. The second time through will be hotter, and it only takes 30 seconds. 5. Even though it's a new machine, and you did the priming as the manual says, run 1/2 tank of white vinegar through it (directions on page 16 of manual) and it will make a tremendous difference. Don't argue, just do it. 6. You can open the lid and fill the reservoir with it ON the machine with a pitcher if taking it on and off is too hard. NOTE: I did NOT receive this at a discount in exchange for an honest review. This is a good machine for the average espresso based specialty coffee drinker. I gave it a full 5 stars because it's pretty idiot proof (I'm not the most mechanical person) and it makes mochas that are pretty darn good in my average persons opinion. I have no idea what a real coffee expert would say, and really, shouldn't they have a professional machine anyway? [...]

Final update: 11/3/2020: Finally got a hold of someone and everything was eventually taken care of (returned machine-again-and recieved refund in mail). This was still the worst coffee and consumer experience, and I strongly recommend against buying this machine. It did not work for very long, which seems to be a common problem, and it was extremely difficult getting a hold of anyone. If you really want a more hands on espressso experience, just save a little more and buy a better/more reliable machine. If you don't care about the experience and just want some good lattes/tasty drinks, get a Nespresso vertuo pod machine. Delivers good coffee, consistently, and is user-friendly and reliable. 10/23/2020: This has been the absolute worst experience I have ever had with any consumer brand service. After speaking with multiple representatives about returning the defective espresso maker, I was assured that I would be receiving a refund. Instead, they shipped out a new machine, which I expressly stated I did not want as I had already bought a different machine. I had been in a decent back and forth communication with the Representative Rouella Marie, with them responding within 24 hours. Since their last message stating they ordered a replacement to be shipped out to me, it has been radio silence despite several email attempts. I am frankly appalled by the Mr. Coffee customer service, as I was told I’d be getting a refund only to find out they were sending a new & unwanted machine instead. I am now out $180, and can not get in contact with anyone. Do not buy this machine-as it will break quickly and it it impossible to get a hold of anyone. 10/12/2020: Just about two months in to having this machine and the milk frother stopped working. And by "stopped working" I mean it absolutely does not function-the milk is not being pulled from the reservoir and into the cup. I run a clean cycle after every use, so it is definitely not due to any blockage or buildup. Waiting to here back from the Mr. Coffee customer service, but I am very disappointed the machine appears to only have lasted a couple of months. 08/10/2020: I have had this machine for a couple of weeks now and I absolutely love it! I mostly make cappuccinos with a latte every now and then, and it does a really good job extracting the flavor of the coffee from the espresso/coffee grounds (especially for this price point). The automatic milk streaming/frothing apparatus makes it really simple to make delicious drinks, and the removable container is convenient for storing unused milk in the fridge. There’s definitely a bit of a learning curve when it comes to how much espresso to put in the portafilters, and how much tampering is needed. But once you get that down, it delivers pretty consistent drinks. Note: You must follow the directions when first setting up the machine and Prime it! It may take a few tries for the water to come out of the milk steam pipe during priming, but it will come out eventually. You also should do the clean function after every use (if you’re making several drinks, then clean after you finish making them all). It only takes about 30 seconds for the clean function to run its course, so it’s not really that inconvenient. I usually do it when I’m drinking my cappuccino.

Purchased 01/2017 Five stars because it performed exactly the way I was hoping it would. Never owned an espresso/cappuccino machine before, so I cannot honestly compare it to other brands. Was looking at the all in one brands which had excellent reviews but they were $600 and up during the holiday sales. And since I never had a machine like this, I was sure I'd make mistakes and waist money. So I bought this for $121 on Amazon, was a little cheaper on other sites, but didn't want to wait two weeks to get it. Instruction were very clear, some misspellings, but clear. Cleaned, primed the pumps, and then made a double cappuccino. It came out perfect the first time. I was amazed. I'm learning that reading instructions really does help when it comes to machines. I used an excellent crema espresso bean, also purchased on Amazon. I kept making different size/types of coffee drinks until I was wired to the max. I did purchase the Mr. Coffee burr grinder for use with this Barista. Worked perfectly also. This Barista, and the attachments are easy and quick to clean. I noticed that the device has two stages for various cup sizes. I missed that in the instructions somehow. You can also remove the bottom stage to place a small/short travel mug in with narrow bottom. The Mr. Coffee Barista photo shows the cup sitting on the bottom stage. The first stage for smaller cups, slides out from under the milk foam dispenser. Since my travel mugs are too large, I pour two large cappuccinos into my travel mug. I put hot water in the metal travel mug first to warm up the inside, pour out the water, then the cappuccino stays hot. I have been using the large/wide Starbucks city cups in this Barista. They work perfectly. So wide isn't an issue, just tall. I do enjoy this machine and will continue to try the various drink recipes I see posted for this Barista. Update: 9/2022 Still 5 stars. I use it 2 - 5 times a day, everyday. I have a water distiller I purchased here which I use for this machine. I had to replace/rebuild the portafilter a couple times though. Since Mr Coffee does not sell the portafilter for this model separately(or just out of them all the time), I purchased similar ones from other manufactures and exchanged parts, which worked fine. I tried for over a year to find a portafilter for this but I would have had to purchase a new (or used) machine to get one. The expresso comes out great. I grind Lavazza Super Crema Whole Beans to make the coffee. I do two long pours so I get a large mug of strong coffee each time. I stopped using the integrated milk frother early on since I got tired of cleaning it after I used it. I put purchased a small stand alone frother here, that is easy to clean. For the price, I think I have gotten my money's worth out of this machine. I will continue to use it until if fails, if it ever does. They look at the price of replacing it. The price on this machine fluctuates allot. Even the sale prices seem a little high now.

By the time I bought this espresso maker, I had already gone through many different coffee and espresso machines. A friend raved about the Nespresso systems but I had used a Keurig for a few years and was done with the whole pod system, which seems wasteful and expensive, plus it was hard to keep it clean from icky sludge that formed in the water dispenser. Another friend raved about the Breville but the cost of that was way over my budget. This Mr. Coffee machine had great reviews and the price was good, so I decided to give it a try. I've waited to write this review until I had some time to really get to know this machine and I can tell you I absolutely love it. The Espresso, Cappucino, and Latte Drinks I've made have all been delicious. The espresso comes out dark and rich and even has that crema top to it when the shots are finished pouring. There are two options: a single or a double filter and I always use the double. For milk, I use almond or rice milk and the froth on the cappuccino is great! The bubbles aren't as fine and "creamy" as you would get from a professional machine at an espresso bar, but the results are still delicious and impressive. The machine dispenses the milk first, then adds the shots of espresso, so I sometimes stir it after it's done to totally mix the espresso (especially if you add sweetener). There is definitely an advantage to using the right grind for the coffee beans. Be sure your beans are ground for espresso. I had used beans ground for pour over coffee and the espresso was watery. The Machine If you are looking for a brew-and-run system, this isn't your machine. But the time and effort you spend is honestly not that big of a deal and the results are worth it. Take a cappuccino, for instance. Here's the process. First, fill the water container with water and place on the back of the machine. Turn the machine on (it takes a few minutes to warm up). Next, fill the milk container with your type of milk, place the top on, be sure the setting is set to "cappuccino"* and insert the unit into the machine. Next, take the "porta-filter" and place a scoop of coffee into it, tamping down firmly with the tamper on the other end of the scoop. Insert the filter into the machine. Place a large cup under the filter (there's a pull out stand for a small cup but I rarely use that), make sure the silver tube (dispensing the milk) is pointed into the cup (yes, I've forgotten that and dispensed milk all over the counter by accident), and then press the cappuccino button twice (for a double). The machine goes to work, first dispensing the milk, then the espresso. You'll know it's working because it is loud. After you've enjoyed your cappuccino, there are a few things you need to do to "clean up" and be sure the machine is ready for the next time. First, remove the porta-filter and dump the used grounds (they go into my counter-top food scraps bin). Rinse out the filter, and then place back on the machine and press the button for a single shot of espresso. This rinses out the espresso parts of the machine. I then remove the filter, take it apart under cool running water, and let it dry. For the milk container, turn the setting to "clean," place a cup under the metal tube, and press the "clean" button (it's the latte button, pressed and held for a few seconds until the "clean" function turns on). Now, the tube is clean and you can either place the container in the fridge (if there's milk left over) or rinse/wash and let it dry. Does this sound like a lot? It doesn't take long and it just becomes part of the process. Again, the results are worth it. *As you can see from above, after you've cleaned the milk container, you have to turn the knob back to cappuccino or latte. If you forget, you'll quickly realize that you are dispensing steamed water instead of steamed milk into your cup (plus, the cleaning sound is different than the frothy milk sound). Cleaning the inside of the machine is an easy process (using vinegar) and the machine seems to stay much cleaner than the Keurig machine I used to own. Bottom line: So far, this machine has produced excellent results. Takes a bit of effort but the results are worth it.

La máquina es muy buena, hace café excelente. Soy principiante con esto, pero me he podido preparar de todo, Latte, Cappuccino, Mocha, Frappuccinos etc.. Sencilla de limpiar en general, solo he batallado para limpiar al 100% la parte donde se acopla para poner el café. No he visto que algo deje de funcionar o algun error y vaya que lo uso mínimo 4 veces al día por 30 días que llevo usandola. También he hecho algunas reuniones pequeñas y me ha funcionado excelente haciendo todo tipo de cafés, cappuccinos y Latte. No se si me va a durar el año con tanto uso que le damos, pero de aquí pasaría a una más PRO si es que llegara a dejar de funcionar, la verdad ha sido una muy buena experiencia. La recomiendo al 100%.

What a great machine. Simple and easy to use. My one pick would be that it froths the milk a little more than I would like even when turned down. Other than that, easy to use, easy to clean and doesn't take up too much space in my kitchen

Owning the Mr. Coffee ECMP1000 Café Barista has completely changed how I make coffee at home, and I genuinely love using this little machine every day. I really appreciate how simple it is to get good results: with the one‑touch buttons for espresso, cappuccino, and latte, I just fill the portafilter, snap in the milk reservoir, and press a button, and it handles the shot and the milk frothing for me. I enjoy the fact that it works well even with ordinary pre‑ground coffee, so I can still pull a satisfying shot without obsessing over grinder settings or barista skills. What keeps me attached to this unit is how easily it turns out café‑style lattes and cappuccinos with nice foam, which feels like a big upgrade over basic drip coffee without costing a fortune. I also like that the water tank and milk reservoir come off easily, so refilling and cleaning fit right into my routine instead of feeling like a chore. Yes, the espresso itself isn’t as intense as on high‑end machines, and one day I might upgrade, but for now I genuinely enjoy the balance of convenience, compact size, and tasty milk drinks this machine gives me. For a home coffee lover who wants to press a button and relax with a homemade latte, this Café Barista has become one of my favorite gadgets in the kitchen.

使いやすい

Great machine, abit complicated at first and noisy, makes my cat run away.