IMUSA GAU-18200 Elecric Espresso / Cappuccino Maker with Milk Frother 4-Cup, Black

I ordered this to replace a Bialetti stove-top maker. I have had it a couple of months and it is great. I saw some reviews about some machines within this price category being flimsy and unreliable. The Imusa is terrific. Easy to clean (Bialetti was awful!), and makes up to a quad in under 5 minutes. It is lightweight, but sturdy; and makes thick rich foam, even with skim milk. I am a former chef and have had some fancy machines that cost thousands of dollars in my kitchens, Imusa gets it done for me at home. I even went back and ordered a second as a gift.

Adding on to this review: If you haven't been using your old espresso/cappuccino maker because it isn't easy, or a pain to clean up, then this is the machine for you.

I'm going to start out stating I am no barista.

But I love coffee and simply don't like paying $4+ a cup and inconveniencing myself in the morning making an out-of-the-way, time-consuming stop during my commute.

That said, this is my first espresso machine. As with many things I don't know if I'll ever use again, I purchase the absolute cheapest low-end model, and if I like it, I research and splurge (or ask Santa.) I feel I really lucked out with this machine since it cost half of other machines I was looking at, and it works. I followed the directions (and a youtube) and with some trial and error (actually only the first try was really bad) I am able to make espresso mocha's in the morning for my wife and I.

I've gotten so good at it that I can make two cups with ~2 shots each, a squirt of chocolate syrup each, about 10oz steamed milk, and clean it all up in under 10 minutes.

Notes and experiences about this machine:

-When you first receive the machine, fill and drain the machine numerous times with hot water (by filling and turning the entire machine upside down.) Mine had a bunch of metallic flakes inside the steam chamber left over from manufacturing. These could definately clog the machine or worse, end up in your espresso.

-Use mildly fine grounds and tamp softly. I wasn't getting any crema until I used a burr grinder on a medium-fine setting. This machine has NO control over the brew group pressure, so the only way to control extraction is with the grounds and tamping pressure. I was using too fine of grounds for the first week or two and was getting weak extraction. If tamped too hard the grounds overheat and the extraction is bitter. Ideally each shot should take 20 seconds.

-The control dial has a "dead zone" where steam continues to come out, but the boiler is off. It is between OFF and LOW STEAM settings. This allows you to safely release pressure in the boiler chamber when you're finished. Never leave the machine sit with pressure in it. The instructions don't mention anything about this 'hidden' setting, but you will find it and use it every time you use the machine for one reason or another.

-Tamping the grounds is important. At first I used my fingers. Then a spoon. Finally I got a tamper. All of them were effective but a tamper makes me feel like a pro and its definately the fastest/easiest. 50mm is a good fit. Not perfect, but good enough; in reality its probably a 51mm or 52mm.

-Don't use the rubber guard for the frothing wand. It's hard to clean. Not just hard, impossible. Also, if not removed and cleaned after every use, it will for sure trap bacteria; it obviously needs to be removed to clean your frothing wand, which you want to clean while its hot so stuff doesn't cake on it, defeating the entire purpose of protecting you from burns since you need to deal with the hot wand, anyway. Just throw this thing away.

-Clean it while its HOT. I rinse and wipe everything right after a session. The steam wand, grounds cup and locking cup, the collection cup and the waste tray all rinse clean with no soap when they're hot. The steam wand takes about 10-15 seconds of wiping to get milk residue off; everything else takes a few seconds.

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For the money, this is one great little machine. It heats quickly, foams the milk easily and promptly, is easy to clean up, and looks cute on the counter. This is our fourth (and least expensive) cappuccino maker it is also the best.

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Especially for the money, this is a great little espresso machine! I've never had an electric espresso machine before. I have several manual espresso makers but no way to easily froth hot milk so I ordered this one. I received it yesterday and made a wonderful latte last night for the first time in my life! It's easy to use, looks cool and has a small footprint so it's great in a small space. (It did not say anywhere to remove the soft black plastic 'cover' on the steaming rod but I did...I don't want ANY plastic of any kind near my food, especially steaming hot plastic. I'm assuming you remove it else there's no way to clean the rod...) It's a perfect 'treat yourself' gift to yourself when you know you deserve it!

If anything goes awry, I'll certainly update this review but I feel good about it and it works just like I've seen my daughter's much more expensive coffe/espresso/cappuccino maker. I'd NEVER consume name brand commercial coffe store, overly sweetened and overly fat and chemical ladened products, and I cringe when I see so many people putting that inside their bodies, but if I were one of those people, this would pay for itself within a week! (Can you tell I'm a cancer survivor and that I want to keep it that way!)

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The metal water basin contains lead. I recently purchased this espresso maker and at first really liked it as it does the job, and I made delicious decaf lattes with it. The plastic on the outside is number 5 which is considered generally safe, but I was unsure about the metal used on the inside. I recently bought some lead test kits and decided to test the metal on the inside of the opening where you pour the water in. I highly doubted that it would be positive, because who would put lead in a machine that makes beverages especially that part that holds the water you drink?!!! But, because I am pregnant, I decided to check it just in case. Anyhow the test turned red which means it has a dangerous level of LEAD! I am so angry that they have this product on the market. Not only did they put lead in my body and my babies body, they are poisoning everybody who uses it. I already drank 3 lattes using this machine before my lead tests arrived in the mail. Amazon, please do not sell this product.

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