Customer Reviews

Mr. Coffee ECM21 4-Shot Espresso Machine and 8-Cup Coffeemaker Combo, Black

5 star:		(47)
4 star:		(55)
3 star:		(37)
2 star:		(20)
1 star:		(35)

 

 

I purchased this coffee maker a few weeks ago, and I enjoyed many good coffees since. I am Italian, and I find the espresso as good as a good espresso prepared with a moka. This is good enough for me, but don't expect a REALLY good espresso, the kind you can have in that special little bar in a hidden corner of an Italian city. I did not have any trouble with leaks anywhere, so far (as some reviewer complained about). Only small complain, the espresso sometimes has a "metallic" flavor coming from the high temperatures reached by the water container. But no big deal, overall I am happy I purchased this product so far.

P.S. I posted the review in May 2007 and I am writing this PS one year later, in April 2008. The machine still works perfectly, with no leaks. I have also used the milk frother several times, and it makes a pretty good cappuccino! Maybe I should upgrade my rating to 5 stars!

P.P.S. In February 2009, everything still works fine!

P.P.P.S. In August 2010, this appliance is still working great. Indeed I have updated my rating from 4 to 5 stars.

P.P.P.P.S. End of January 2011, all is still good! One added piece of advice: the following is probably obvious to most people but I keep forgetting to do it myself... When I make espresso for one-two people (which happens every morning to me), the sooner I turn off the machine, the more concentrated the coffee is. When I have 2 inches of coffee in my cup, the espresso comes out thicker and full of aroma. The many times I forget to switch off around this level, the coffee is still all right but it's significantly more watery (and if you wait to switch off until all the water is gone from the reservoir, that old burned metallic flavor comes out a bit).

I have had this machine since February and use it nearly every day. This is definitely one of the best coffeemakers I have ever owned, and I haven't had one single problem with it.

When I was deciding whether or not to buy it, some of the negative reviews had me a little skeptical. But I am SO glad that I took a chance. It was absolutely worth it for me.

I honestly don't see how some of the reviewers have had some of the problems that they have. Reviewer 'Joan of Arc' seemed to have quite a bit of leakage problems. It must have been a defective machine, because ours hasn't leaked one time -- not even a little drop. I'll go over a few of the issues she and some others had:

- The removable water reservoir (or "bucket" as she called it) for the coffeemaker is easy to remove and replace. If you don't want to take it out to fill it with water, just pour water into it. It is marked clearly and is easy to read even when stationed on the machine. No problem.

- The showerhead over the filter basket swivels outward to allow you to change the coffee filter. When you're done, you just swivel it back into place. I don't see how you can forget to do it, because the lid is designed so that you can't even close it if the showerhead isn't moved back into place. It really isn't even something you have to think about.

- Some people have had problems with the carafe lid. It doesn't open fully, but opens wide enough for me to clean it with little problem. We haven't had any problems with it dripping or leaking at all. It's like any other carafe that I've used over the years.

- 'Joan of Arc' mentioned that it was easy for her to forget to put the 1st lid on the espresso side before putting down the second lid. I'm not exactly sure what she was referring to, but I think she meant the water reservoir cap and lid. Again, I don't see how you could forget to screw the cap back on after you fill it with water. I suppose it's a learning curve. The first few times I used the machine, I referred to the instruction manual to make sure I did everything right. Now I can crank out good espresso and cappuccino in minutes without really even thinking about it. It just takes a little practice, like with anything else.

- Some people wished for a frother that was a little more accessible to make it a little easier to froth milk in a larger pitcher. That would have been a nice feature. It isn't too difficult to use, however, and seems to work just fine. The milk is always steaming hot, and the froth doesn't get cold for us.

- The coffee and espresso COULD be a LITTLE hotter. I don't like scalding hot coffee anyway, so it doesn't bother me too much, but for someone that does, it might be a small issue. Again, it doesn't seem like a deal-breaker, though.

- A clock or timer would have been a nice addition as well, but not having it doesn't affect the quality of the machine. It would have made a good product even better.

We have used both the coffee side and espresso side many times, and have yet to have any problems. I think some people may have received defective machines, but any product can be purchased defective. Some issues can easily be resolved with a little practice in getting used to the controls and operation of the whole machine, but once you do, it's more than easy to make good quality coffee and espresso.

I would definitely have to say that I got a great deal on a sleek, stylish machine that also works very well and makes good quality coffee. If you 'get what you pay for', then I made out like a bandit. Perfectly satisfied and VERY happy I bought it.

UPDATE, MAY 2012: We have been using this coffeemaker for 5 years now, and it still holds up just as well as it did in April '07. It is used nearly every day, or at least 3 times a week. Never had any problems with it whatsoever, easy to clean, makes a fast batch of hot coffee every time. This was worth every penny!

Having used this machine almost daily for over a month now (usually the espresso functionality), I have definitely found gotten a feel for this machine.

Despite the number of con's below, they are all pretty minor...

CON'S:
===========
- Coffee maker is slow compared to my last coffee maker (Hamilton Beach "Graves" edition). I would estimate it takes about 10 minutes to brew a full 8-cups.
- The coffee karaff requires you to pour your coffee very slow (my girlfriend prefers to dump coffee into her cup quickly).
- There is no program function for the coffee maker: its either on or off.
- Every once in awhile, the steam function doesn't work. One day, despite daily cleanings, it must have been clogged and it sprayed out quickly upon unclogging.
- Espresso functionality doesn't allow for making more than one batch within a few minutes (that is, without the risk of steaming your hands).

The biggest drawback in my house has been the lack of a timer setting. We would prefer to set the coffee to start in the morning and wake to the smell of coffee, but that's a no-go with this machine.

With that said...

PRO's:
===========
- GREAT espresso! (Some visiting friends told me they liked my mocha's better than those from coffee shops)
- Steam function works great if you have enough water in the reservoir.
- Very simple controls...I had no trouble making my first espresso
- Phenomenal value for the money.
- Removable water reservoir for the coffee, which makes filling it very easy.

I would definitely recommend this machine to anyone interested in a cheap, simple but very effective espresso machine. If you're looking for a great COFFEE maker, you might look elsewhere.

i ordered my coffeemaker after reading the reviews below.. since they were mixed, i went for it anyway- i had a good experince, the coffee was good and i did not spill when i poured - overall id have to agree that i am pleased with my decision to purchase this coffeemaker

I really like this machine and thats why took all the time and effort to write such a long review. I am not a regular but the occasional Starbucks goer because I have always resented their high prices but then everyone needs their regular coffees, mochas, espressos, lattes and cappuccinos. So after a lot of research and spending more than 20 working hours looking for that perfect combination coffee-espresso maker, I zeroed in on this one. My wife and I have totally stopped going to Coffee houses after we purchased this because now we can make excellent hot and cold drinks, even better-tasting a lot of times, right at home. Talk about saving money, if you were paying almost $8 for two drinks at Starbucks. I was willing to spend about $250 on a good one, but almost every product I saw in this range on Amazon, had bad reviews and quality problems associated with it. Even companies like DeLonghi and Krupps. I initially brushed off Mr.Coffee because I thought of it a cheap brand making stock coffee for the masses in offices and homes. But reading reviews by other users here turned me around. Its outward look and feel isn't what a Krupps would give you, but doesn't look as plasticky and cheap as a Cuisinart either. Overall it looks good.

Espresso Part: Its got a nice frother. Use it submerged and down to steam milk, and use it set higher in your mug or cup to generate froth. The quality of both has been very good, especially the froth. I did notice however that the temperature of steamed milk after steaming is not as high as I would have liked. Maybe its because thats how they set it at the factory and don't want to get sued by some sucker who burns himself in the mouth or maybe I just like it really hot. So I just zapp in the microwave right after steaming for 30 seconds if its not hot enough and that does the trick. I haven't bought a stainless steel frothing mug yet but found that a regular ceramic coffee mug works just as fine. Many people complained about the length of its frother but its not really a problem if you are using regular sized coffee mugs. And you can always move the frother around to the side if you wanted to. Also make sure you clean the frothing aid after each use to ensure it doesn't get clogged. I have to tamp the coffee myself but it really results in a in-you-face-punch espresso shots. Although the manual says you will get espresso in 3-4 minutes, its really a lot more quicker than that. You do have to screw the top lid tightly though...think of an engine oil cap; otherwise much of the steam will escape through that while frothing. The espresso feature is very easy to use, choose either brewing or espresso making. Water compartments are separate for both the functions and thankfully so. The drip tray below comes in very handy as well. It won't be able to brew coarsely ground coffee in the Espresso maker very well for simple reasons of physics.

Now the coffe-maker part: I purchased a Mr. Coffee Gold-Tone filter for that. I like the fact that you can set it to brew 2-4 cups or 4-8 cups at a time. Me and my wife really don't need much, so the 2-4 cups setting works perfectly for us. The water compartment is translucent and you can see/set the water level as you wish to. The hot water shower head over the filter is movable and designed fool-proof so you can't close the lid if you don't have the shower-head in its right place. This is a very nice safety feature. Other than that I really wish it didn't have the standard bottom glass-carafe heater plate because it really messes the coffe up after some time and the coffee loses its flavor. Instead, they should have supplied a nice thermal carafe with it eliminating the need for a heating plate. But is not a big issue with us since we always drink the coffee fresh and never brew a big batch for the whole day. Plus you can also transfer the coffee to a separate insulated thermal carafe to keep it fresh as soon as its brewed. I have a collection of some gourmet Costa Rican coffees with low acidity + some European varieties and this has brewed them all each time perfectly. Obviously do not expect it to be a replacement of a $300-400 product but this thing really is the most bang for your buck. I have to also agree on the many complaints people have had on Amazon forum about how the coffee leaks because of the carafe-lid while pouring. This is a Design problem but a minor one. Yes the coffee does flow a little haywire because the particular lid structure breaks its laminar flow. A simple solution: Raise the lid a little with your holding hand from the back, and presto: problem solved!!

The instruction manual included is very easy to read and has recipes to make cappuccinos etc as well. Thats why I chose to give this 5 stars.
Great value for money!

I was initially scared by the mixed ratings this appliance got from everyone, but I bought it anyways, because there are days I want coffee, and days I want espresso/ lattés and mochas, and this mixed the two machines together. I might add that as I write this review, I'm enjoying some of the coffee from this very machine.

On the coffee side of it all:

The coffee comes out nicely. I haven't a single trouble with it at all. The coffee tastes just like every other kind I get and have drinking from all sorts of machines, like at friends' houses, or at coffee shops. It's not my personal problem, but I figured that I would point it out that the coffee isn't boiling hot. I personally love the temperature that the coffee comes out at, but I think it could still be a little hotter. I felt an extreme need to also include this in my review like everyone else: My carafe DOES NOT leak whatsoever. I have no idea what everyone is having trouble with (are you pouring it upside down?). I make about 4-6 cups each time I brew with it, and I have yet to spill a droplet of coffee. The coffee side gets a 4 star rating: because of coffee temperature.

On the latté/ espresso side:

I must admit that I am no pure-espresso lover. I know that a good thing of pure espresso tastes like what I'd imagine a tire to taste like. As such, it tastes just as much like a tire as the other coffee shops I go to. The steamer is very nice. I would recommend removing the steam wand's cover, unless you want bacteria getting you sick. That cover is just a nesting ground for those bacteria. The instructions are very clear for the pressure in the water canister for this side, as well as how to clean the frothing wand. This machine hasn't let me down a bit for my lattés. I bought mocha sauce, and peppermint flavors online, to start out my flavor collection. This machine is a good part of making a killer Andes Candies latté (my description for the flavor of it). The frother makes up for any lack in espresso temperature (remember, I don't drink it plain, so I have no clue how hot it is). If you let the milk froth in a pitcher (bought separately for a couple bucks) your lattés can be extremely hot. So if my rating was for the latté portion only, it'd be a 5 out of 5 easily.

Overall:

I still work at a coffee shop, but I really hate the high prices of drinking lattés and the like, so I know what to look for in a machine. This machine could be a little better with temperatures, or a faster-heating frothing wand, but you gotta remember this machine is cheap ( I got mine for about $65 including shipping) compared to coffee shop makers that cost thousands of dollars. The most surprising thing is that the end result of both machines taste about the same! Just about 10-15 stops to a Starbucks for example, will pay for this machine. In the long run it's so much cheaper and convenient. If you must have boiling hot coffee, consider a different machine, but if you don't mind having just pretty hot coffee, and great espresso, I'd definitely recommend this machine, and I think you'd be hard pressed to find a better machine for a comparable price!

UPDATE AS OF 1/4/10

I would definitely lower my overall rating, due to the fact that this machine is going pretty downhill.

First off, the coffee side is still the same as it was; I rarely use it, and it's just ok coffee. I have a smaller Mr. Coffee coffee maker that makes considerably better coffee, so it voids the use of the right half of this appliance.

But since most of my initial review was on the espresso side, I will continue the reasoning in regards to only this side. So, the cap to the compression chamber...thingy, is very touchy. Sometimes it seems to think I twisted too tightly or not enough, not exactly sure which, because it lets steam escape. I don't feel this is my error, because I make sure the lid is tight, and that the letters are facing the same direction every time. When steam escapes, it makes the machine very loud, dangerous (I tried to take off the cap too soon, and it launched) and you have to wait for a long while for it to cool down and loose all the pressure. Secondly, the espresso itself is tasting less delicious, and I haven't done anything differently. Likewise, I have always lightly tamped the espresso to about the same degree everytime I use it, but sometimes steam comes out of the portafilter, and the espresso comes out tasting like mud, instead of that really welcome tire flavor I mentioned earlier. Also, the portafilter has gotten pretty nasty looking despite all of the regular hand washing I do to it. I don't even know how to describe the way it looks other than "not what I'd really want to serve espresso with." Everything else is in decent condition, but the flavor of my lattés seems to be rapidly deteriorating, and due to this, I fear I'll need a new machine. Based on the loss of need of the coffee side, and the relative short-livedness of this machine, I'm definitely not buying another one of these.

I'd still give this 3 or 4 stars, because I certainly got my money's worth, but I am still a little disappointed. After the whole kit and caboodle, I'd say this machine is great for people willing to take the plunge into espresso without having a coffee maker already, and might rather make coffee most of the time and have cappuccino occasionally. It's also a great machine to learn the basics on, in case you've never made espresso before. Since the price is so cheap, it's pretty forgiving if you make a mistake and need to replace the machine or a part (though that'd have to be a pretty serious mistake to do that).

However, if you are finally comfortable with making espresso drinks, and/or are in need of a more serious machine, I'd suggest a pump driven machine (this is steam-driven). You will need more money for a pump driven machine, but it has better results.

As many people reviewing this item, I was quite skeptical about this machine. Seemed way too cheap to get everything promised. This is definitely one time that I'm glad I trusted the reviews. I've used this machine for about 3 weeks now, and can definitely say it does the job really well. The big question when I bought it was, how can it be that cheap? The answer is that they skimped on some of the materials used - most of the machine is plastic, and this will probably not make it very durable over time. However, if you're not beating the hell out of your kitchen appliances, you should get quite a bit of use out of it, certainly way more than your money's worth, and let's face it, that's why you would purchase this machine anyway, right? To save money!

A lot of reviewers have gone in depth with how the features work in real use, so I'll just mention what stuck out to me as the big differences between this machine and others I've used.

First, I'm quite picky about my coffee, so I wanted to replicate it as close to my local coffeehouse as much as possible. I went to my local Stumptown vendor (local roaster in Portland) and asked for the ratio they use to brew their coffee. After doing some math, it turns out this would be about 2.5 tablespoons per 6 oz. cup (this machine measures in 6 oz. cups). This worked well, but I found that you lose about 1.5 oz. of water in the brewing process, so add extra for that.

Also, a big plus was the espresso carafe. It allows me to make two drinks simultaneously, which is perfect. My girlfriend and I tend to drink just coffee during the week, and a round of cappucinos on the weekend. It's not quick in the brewing process for either function, so its not feasible to spend that much time to make a cap during the week. Coffee brewing is not that bad, I just put it on in the morning and then get ready, and when I come back its done.

Overall, really happy with it, and hopefully it will stand the test of time!

For the price of this Coffeemaker/ Espresso Machine, this little guy is great. usually you would pay anywhere from 39.99-69.99 for a espresso machine alone. I like having both pieces together. But the only thing i didn't like was once i received it, the machine was damp with the smell of bleach which worried me, but i clean it again and everything has been fine since. This was the best coffeemaker combo i had found for the money.

If you are looking to try your hand at Espresso making and want to save money and space, then this is your baby!

We previously had the entry level Mr Coffee Espresso maker and ran it to death. We had it about 2 1/2years and it was used just about everyday. If you figure the cost of your average Cap, Esp or Latte drink we more than got our moneies worth. We made the small additional investment of a thermometer and frothing cup just to make the job easier. Never having made anything more than regular coffee, this is a great machine to learn on.

Anyway, we finally killed it, and decided to replace it and our previous coffee maker with this combo machine which takes up less space.

I have been using the Mr. Coffee Espresso machine and coffeemaker for just over a month now and have had absolutely no problems with it. My past experience with Mr. Coffee has been that the plastic handle tends to break or come loose after a while. This particular design seems to be slightly better, though time will tell...

The only issue I had with it was the extremely short wire used to plug into an electrical outlet (12"-18" only). It has intentionally been designed that way as a security feature but I would have preferred another foot of wire length.

Overall I'm very satisfied.