Mr. Coffee ECM20 Steam Espresso Maker
- Measures 12 by 9 by 14; 1-year limited warranty
- 3 way select knob allows for separate brewing and frothing
- Removable drip tray for easy clenaing
- Steam pressure brewing
- Measuring scoop and tool included
Mr. Coffee Espresso and Cappuccino maker.Steam pressure brewing. Powerful milk frother.
Rating: 
(out of 75 reviews)
List Price: $ 39.99
Price: $ 26.95
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Review from kermit rohrbach for the Mr. Coffee ECM20 Steam Espresso Maker
The Rating is:
I have read so many negative reviews of this wonderful little moka machine, I must put in my 2 cents. First, this is a stream machine, meaning it makes moka not espresso. If you like Bialetti but want cappuccino instead of cafe latte, then this is perfect. The grind must be close to espresso, finer than for Bialetti, and you must tamp it down, but no tamper included. There is only 1 knob, yes it is stiff, but i don’t have arthritis. The round design makes it easy to handle even though it is very light. It descales with…vinegar! How about that, actually a traditional machine. The panarello works, just put in extra “cup” of water for steaming. Make 2 “cups”, not 1 or 4, and always start with cold machine, or use very, very cold water. Stop the brewing as soon as moka hits 2 “cups” or it starts to steam instead of brew, then switch the knob to steam for the milk. If you don’t, coffee will taste slightly burned. I have owned espresso and moka machines from USD5 to USD1,000 over a period of 40 years. If you like moka, don’t waste money on anything more expensive. But, like any machine, read the manual, and experiment if things don’t work the way you want. Finally, garbage in garbage out. If you want great cappuccino, use good organic coffee and organic milk.
Review from R. E. Easton for the Mr. Coffee ECM20 Steam Espresso Maker
The Rating is:
I picked this product up at a local store for mid $20′s after getting sick of making my coffee with a stove top espresso machine. I couldn’t see spending $100+ for something conceptually as simple as an espresso machine. I know someone who got a simple Krupps machine for about $40 years ago and it still works just great. But since I couldn’t find anything else in the sub $40 range, I settled on this one.
It makes a fine cup of coffee if you just want to use prepackaged coffee grinds or you use a basic coarse to medium grind. BUT, when I tried to use a very fine grained “espresso” grind on my beans, almost nothing came out. It seems that too fine a grind stops up the filter holes and the machine just doesn’t have the oomph to force the water/steam through.
Also, it does suffer from
- a very difficult to turn knob (don’t get this product if you have arthritis)
- a caraf lid that won’t stay on let alone stay properly oriented
So basically, it’s good for making a medium to fairly strong cup of coffee (by my subjective measure), but if you really want something strong and sludgy, this machine won’t do the trick unless you want to wait for an hour for it to eventually push enough liquid through.
I guess now I understand why espresso machines aren’t cheap. Years of using a really simple stovetop espresso maker led me to believe that they’re really simple machines. But perhaps when you try to package it up as an appliance it isn’t so straight forward.
Review from C. Shih for the Mr. Coffee ECM20 Steam Espresso Maker
The Rating is:
I must confess that I spent a lot of time trying to get a good coffee maker, I had a Krups Single Serve My Cafe for about a year, I was never happy with it anyway. I am the only coffee drinker in my family, so I do not want to shop for a drip 10 cup type of coffee machine, so I bought this one.
Here is my review of this machine:
1. Build quality – Yes, the knob and top cover is a bit of hard to turn, build quality is so so, but I think the inards of this machine is ok, it generate steam quickly and appear to be built with no better or worse quality than many of the steam type espresso machines.
2. Coffee – Here is something that I am really surprise of, I think it makes great coffee, I run through it with three different kind of Ethiopian coffee, to my surprise, I can tell the subtle different among them, this machine produce very good coffee. Coffee is also hot enough contrary to some of the reviews mentioned.
3. Cost – I think this is a very good deal considering I spent more than $100 for a single serve machine but I do not get the enjoyment of coffee from that, I do now.
4. Design – it looks ok and do not occupy a lot of counter space. I actually think it has appeal of its own.
Be aware of the amount of water you pour in, I usually turn off the machine before the last drop get vaporized, otherwise, your coffee will taste a little bit overdone.
I think this is a good machine as long as you treat it gently, it may not have the best build quality but it gets the job done. I am happy.
Review from Trusting in Him for the Mr. Coffee ECM20 Steam Espresso Maker
The Rating is:
One of the biggest complaints with this machine is that the reservoir lid is difficult to open. The manual tells you to release the remaining pressure by turning to either coffee or steamer. Then it opens easily. The knob to select steamer, off, coffee gets easier to use once it is broken in, but I agree, if your hands are not dry, it is a bit slippery.
The manual also gives clear details how to make different types of coffees and a troubleshooter. The frother makes long-lasting tasty foam, and I found the coffee to be plenty hot. I cools quickly because there is no hot plate to keep it warm, but you are only making one cup at a time–why wouldn’t you drink it right away?
The coffee I liked in my previous coffee maker didn’t taste the same in this machine. I had to experiment with a variety of brands and finally decided on Bustello. Someone else I talked to raved about LaVazza, but I didn’t share her enthusiasm for the taste. It’s all about individual preference.
I like that with one machine, My husband can make his espresso, and I can have my weaker American style coffee by simply adjusting the amount of coffee vs the water.
I have had my machine almost 6 months and my handles have not broken. Perhaps the other folks contributed to theirs breaking by banging the coffee basket against something to release the grounds. This may have weakened the handle? The glass is thin and you do need to take reasonable care not to break it. The metal parts are not Stainless Steel (except the inner grounds basket)and I found the finish on the frothing tube began wearing off (to what looks like brass or copper? )when I used a scrubby to clean off the dried milk. I have since steamed water with it right after use, use only a sponge and finger nail to clean and have not noticed more wear.
This machine is the same one sold at Walmart as Mr. Coffee (same model #)for $25 and at Walgreen as Signature Gourmet for $20 (the one I bought). It is not going to be made with the finest materials, Folks!
It does make very good coffee, is extremely affordable, simple to use, takes up minimal space on your counter and has held up almost 6 months so far. That’s why I gave it 5 stars
EDIT – It is now November 2008 and My coffee maker is still going strong! The knob is easy to turn but the white lettering has worn off. I broke the carafe by throwing groceries against it in a rush. The carafe can be replaced for about $10 but I am using a regular coffee mug. It works fine and the coffee is just as great!. Best $20 I ever spent.
Review from Gayathri Ram for the Mr. Coffee ECM20 Steam Espresso Maker
The Rating is:
First of all….
CONS
- Neither it makes good espresso or cappucino with its present design (so, if this what you want it for…DON’T BUY IT)
- does not heat up your espresso or coffee with the steamer / frother, it is a piece of junk
- very hard to turn the knob
Pros
- makes excellent lattes
- no need for filters
But if you like strong coffee (lighter than espresso) or caffe latte (adding milk to the brew) this does a very good job. Better than all the other coffee machines I have used ($15 – $25 ones you find at walmart)
My wife likes only lattes (with stong brew and milk), she never used to like it from any other coffee maker. But this was an instant hit with her.
One hint – you do have to REGRIND the coffee powder you buy off the shelf to get the thick strong brew. This is the way to check it – If the coffee drips ar more than half a cup in one minute, your powder is too coarse, you need a finer grind.
This makes excellent Madras Kaapi (might help any south Indian from tamilnadu)
EDIT – Update As of June 1, 2009
It has been more than 4 years since I purchased this product. It is still making good coffee for us. The handle for the coffee powder holder broke 1.5 yrs ago, but I can still use it. The glass coffee holder broke 2 weeks ago, but I am using a regular coffee mug.
I am very satisfied with the $25+ investment I made and I couldn’t expect anything better than this. I grind my coffee v.fine (finer than espresso) and it gently drips for 5-7 mins to make 1 cup of coffee. You need to be careful with the amount of water you add, so that you maintain you coffee’s consistency and taste. I had to remove scales twice during the 4 year period to get the steam to flow again through the coffee powder.
I’d recommend this product to any one looking for a decent coffee maker.