Exclusive Emerson CCM901 Programmable Combination Coffee Espresso and Cappuccino By EMERSON

This coffee maker has some really smart features. It's a very heavy, solid unit. The top panel is vented so as the coffee is brewing, it can vent itself and the lid stays flat. It makes a great cup of coffee. I use one scoop per cup and it seems to be a good strength. I have to admit, I'm not very good at using the expresso maker. The steamer is pretty easy to operate but I still need to practice with making latte's and expresso. I don't know how much water and expresso coffee to use to make good cup yet. I was concerned with the seller in that my instructions weren't inside the box. I called and they mailed them out very quickly but I wondered why they were taken out in the first place. Why would you open a brand new box and remove anything? Why open the box and remove the instructions? That was strange. I'm hoping it was really new and not refurbished.

This was a gift for my mother. No matter how many time she tried to get it yo work it didn't. Sent it back.

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My advice is to never buy items of this type on Amazon. You end up with return shipping fees, plus I paid an exorbitant shipping fee when I first ordered this thing. It has been weeks and still no refund from Discount Jungle. All together I have nearly $50 tied up in fees on a unit I was only supposed to pay $39 for. The thing did not work after a couple of days. I sent it back and the return unit leaked water. Discount Jungle said I would have to return it to the manufacturer if I want it fixed. Do not buy coffee makers over the internet. Go to Sears. The one I had I purchased from Sears 2 years ago and if I had simply pulled my service contract I paid $6 for I could have returned it and got a new one from Sears. Instead I screwed around and bought this one. I went back to Sears and bought another just like the one I had for $40 plus $6 for a return contract. Ione thing I will not forget this and will take my Sears unit back if it stops working.

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Major design disaster unless you want to hear a LOUD sucking sound go on and on and on! The instruction booklet was used in both the first one and the replacement one. Wished I had demanded a refund but I let them send me a second one. Big mistake because it would cost me twice what I paid for the item to ship it back. Probably will give it to Goodwill.

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we ordered this machine a few weeks ago and it works great. its nice having the espresso machine right there whenever you want it. it was a bit tricky to learn at first but after a few times it was no problem...

Mr. Coffee JWX23 12-Cup Programmable Coffeemaker, Black

I've had two of this same model. The first just stopped working after a few months and was replaced by the company. The second leaks all over the countertop even though I wasn't overfilling. When I called the company, I was told they had had no complaints about this, but there are numerous complaints about the same issue with this model on the internet.

Won't buy Mr. Coffee again.

Worked fine for three months, then just stopped heating. Lights come on, relays click, but neither the pot warmer nor the water heater heat up. This pot is the epitome of "you get what you pay for".

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The great Joe DiMaggio used to be the spokesperson for Mr. Coffee products and and thankfully he's not with us anymore to witness the decline and fall of the company he once touted.

I write this review as I wait 45 minutes for a pot of coffee to brew. There is the constant, incessant sound of bubbling and gurgling. There is steam fogging up the kitchen windows. But at the machine there is only the occasional drip, drip of water soaking through the coffee filter and into the pot.

This is the second Mr. Coffee I purchased and this time the last. The first just stopped working, and this one now takes half the morning to brew a pot of coffee. Enough already! I'm finding it hard to believe that these sleekly designed coffee makers

can't stand up to the old white plastic Mr. Coffee brewer I bought in the 1980's; the same one that was Made in the USA and lasted more than 15 years.

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I have purchased 2 of these Mr. Coffee machines. Both from Target. I normally only make 4 cups during the week and 8 to 9 cups on the weekend. The first machine went back just before the expiration date on my receipt. If I made more than 8 cups the coffe grinds in the filter backed up to the top of the filter and into the coffee pot. I hate grounds in my coffee. If I wanted that I would make "Cowboy Coffee".

The 2nd machine is still in my house. Today was the worse day yet. We were given some Starbucks coffee. I made 9 cups and yep, the grounds overflowed again. But worse this time. I had kept my receipt, but low and behold it was over the expiration date. Not sure which machine I will buy now. I have been using Mr. Coffee for years...........

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This is by far the WORST coffee pot I have ever owned. This is supposed to be a 12 cup maker, however from the day it came out of the box it has never made more than 10 cups, regardless of how much water is poured into it. If you add more than a drop of water over the 12 cup line on the carafe it leaks out the back of the maker. It brews VERY slowly. (Understatement! It's been brewing for an hour and just now reached the 8 cup mark.) It's supposed to beep when finished brewing, which it did for the first 3-4 days. It now beeps to announce that it's done after two or three minutes with not even two cups in the pot. The carafe is a problem in itself. The "newly designed spout" does nothing but produce a steady stream of coffee down the side and onto the counter, floor, your clothes or whatever else happens to be in the area. We've tried pouring with the carafe resting on the cup, from higher up, super slow.... nothing helped. The super slow brew does nothing for the taste of the coffee either. After only 3 weeks with this maker we're going back to a BUNN, expensive, but they work and they work fast. The only positive thing I can come up with for this maker is that the plug fit into the outlet.

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Gaggia Classic Espresso Machine - Brushed Steel|14101

I have this machine for over 15 years and I can't be happier with it. It is also impressive that Gaggia Classic has sturdy, compatible and replaceable parts in case you need any. A caveat with a manual espresso machine is that if you have never done it before, you will have to learn how to properly make an espresso. You will find many guides how to make a good espresso with this machine on or if you just search the internet via google or bing. I will just add that it is very important how you grind the coffee for espresso so that is not too fine or too coarse.

I also recommend you get a higher quality espresso tamper. The one that comes with machine does the job, but it is made of plastic and is pretty light.

If you are looking for a manual, high pressure, espresso machine then look no further. If my Gaggia ever breaks, I'll get another one.

I had been using a Saeco Classico for many years and it served me well as I don't drink or make too many cups of espresso for myself or others every day. Maybe two cups of latte every morning for my wife and I and sometimes I'll make a solo espresso mid-day as a pick me up. I've always looked around for used or refurbished models as there are some great deals if you look around. Thrift shops are also good places to look.

I found a used Gaggia Classic on Craigs List in my area for $200.00 and after I took it home and cleaned it thoroughly and ran some descaler through it, I started to make coffee and I was impressed. The machine is nicely constructed and pretty heavy with large 58mm portafilters which have they're own heavy feel if you're used to the less expensive machines like I was. The coffee, the crema, the steam are all improved from my previous experiences.

Even at $375.00-$400.00 new, these are good buys. They'll last, parts are avilable, can be rebuilt,etc. I wanted to get a Rancilio Silvia but even used they were $300-400.The Gaggia Classic is definitely in the "prosumer class"!

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I did a lot of research on espresso machines before deciding on my Gaggia Classic. I chose it due to the overall rave reviews and a great sale on Amazon. I have worked in coffee shops and have a keen sense of what "good" espresso is and this machine makes "GREAT" espresso!

You will need more than this machine to pull great shots:

Grinder: For now I am using a Mr. Coffee Burr grinder (plan to upgrade to something better in the future) but even with this grinder I am pulling great shots almost consistently!

Tamper: You will have to purchase a good tamper. The one that comes with the machine is very light and doesn't allow you to get enough pressure. I purchased a stainless steel 58mm tamper on Amazon.

The machine: The frothing wand works well but isn't as adjustable as I would like it to be to fit under large frothing pitchers. If you use the frothing wand and then want to pull another shot you have to let the machine cool down (or add more water) to bring the temperature down or the coffee tastes burnt. You just have to pull all your shots then froth milk to avoid this problem.

It is very stylish, I have gotten a lot of compliments on the looks of it.

The portafilter is quite heavy and well built.

All in all, I love my new Gaggia and look forward to creating my beverage every morning. If you are new to espresso making I suggest going to youtube and searching for how to pull the best shots. It is a great resource, and with the knowledge of how to pull shots this machine will not let you down.

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There is no doubt that this machine can make great coffee, with a very solid group handle and construction, its some of the features that leave me shaking my head and asking myself... 'why?'

In order of irritation, I rank them as

1. The steam wand is utterly useless at making creamy aerated milk instead it blows huge bubbles into the milk, which ends up looking like a witches brew instead of shiny aerated milk. Taking off the 'steam enhancer' helps, but even then I got much better milk from a $200 Sunbeam with a plain steam nozzle. No idea why Gaggia did this, as it majorly detracts from the machine. On this basis alone, I wouldnt rebuy it because it irritates me every single time I froth milk.

With practice, I've got better at steaming milk, but other machines with ordinary nozzles do a much better job.

2. The wand is too long when the steam enhancer on, and too short with it off so short that it can barely touch the milk in a medium sized steaming jug.

3. The group handle basket is too low to fit anything under except short black cups too bad if you want to pour into a cappuccino mug... because it won't fit under unless you unscrew the spout and leave a fairly unsightly hole, or replace it with a single spout.

4. The lights are back the front. The red light goes on when its ready and off when its heating... the reverse of every other appliance under the sun.

As said above, the biggest problem is the steaming wand which I believe lots of people replace with a Silvia wand I bought one but the copper pipe thread was a different grade, so it wouldn't fit. One of these days I'll get it professionally replaced I think... then it would be quite a good machine... but my next buy will probably be a Rancilio Silvia

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An excellent choice for the best espresso, without the bells and whistles of other complicated machines, It is a true expression of simplicity with intelligence in design.

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De'Longhi EC155 15 BAR Pump Espresso and Cappuccino Maker

I love espresso, and this little baby makes a great cup. Here are a few points that might be useful for you to know:

Good points:

*It doesn't take up too much room on the counter and looks nice with it's silver metal accents.

*The water reservoir is a good size, you can make about 8-10 shots before you need to refill it, which is very easy to do, and there is a clear section behind the basket which shows the water level.

*Fast heat-up time (only about a minute), good frothing wand, no wait time between frothing and brewing (though you do have to wait a little between brewing and frothing).

Be warned:

*Frothing wand is only 3 1/4 inches from the counter top. Not a big deal, I just went and bought a frothing cup that is about that height.

*Distance from grounds basket to tray is only 2 1/2 inches, I usually use a small espresso cup.

*Built-in tamper sucks, buy a good metal one.

*You don't end up with a nice dry puck, the grounds basket is a watery soup after your espresso is made, so I dump it down the disposal.

*You will end up drinking more espresso than you mean to, it's that good!

Seriously, I chose this machine after a lot of online researching, and decided on this one based on its outstanding reviews and great price. What led me to it were the reviews of another DeLonghi, the EC140B, which is an older and less attractive model, but had reviews from people who had owned theirs for 6 and 10 years! I'm hoping that this one will have the same longevity.

-----> UPDATE: I've now had this machine for 8 months and it started running very slow. I'd been using only distilled water, so I knew it wasn't a calcification issue, so I looked into it and it turns out machines like this one (no backflushing) need to be cleaned every month or so to remove built up grounds that work their way inside the machine. So I ran some cleaner through it and all this nasty brownish liquid came out, and now it runs great again! So remember people, take good care of your things and they will take good care of you. A lesson I am still learning...

and to answer a question commented on this review, my tamper is 2 inches in diameter.

First, a couple of disclaimers:

1. This is the first pump-driven espresso machine that we have owned.

2. We generally drink cafe Americano, which is an espresso with a little added hot water (or cold water with an iced Americano). We make an occasional cappuccino and have thus used the steam wand, but not extensively.

After doing a cost/benefit analysis in regards to our current cafe Americano habit (~10 per week), we realized that there would be some justification to buying a home unit. We first considered the Breville ESP8XL Cafe Roma Stainless Espresso Maker, but reviewers consistently lamented the unit's tendency to clog the filter, necessitating time-consuming cleaning. Also, not being completely sure that we would actually use the espresso maker, we balked at the $250 price tag.

We also considered moving up to one of the superautomatico machines that grind, tamp, brew and dispose of the grinds, but we worried about the reliability of technology that had only recently hit the consumer-grade appliances. After reading zillions of reviews, we realized that every mid-priced machine had some glaring flaw and, in the end, we decided to buy an inexpensive pump-driven unit and wait for the technology to catch up before investing a huge chunk of change in an espresso machine. Moving our investigation to low-end espresso makers, we were impressed by the reviews of the DeLonghi EC155 and purchased it from Amazon.

I put off writing a review in order to make sure that the DeLonghi was going to last until we had at least broken even on it. We received it in mid-July and since then it has produced about 200 double shots flawlessly. By my reckoning, that's about $400 worth of Americanos at the local cafe. Even considering the price of the coffee, we have more than broken even. So, here's our pros and cons:

PROs

Price--we paid $91.28.

Crema Production--this unit consistently produces a thick layer of delicious crema.

Powerful Stream Wand--Easily froths milk.

Mechanicals--After six months of nearly daily use this mighty-mite works as well as it did the day it arrived.

Easy Cleanup--Filter cleans easily.

CONs

Ergonomics--As other reviewers have noted, there could be a little more room between the area where the cup sits and the output nozzle. Also the steam wand could be longer.

Features--No cup warmer. Not a big deal to us, especially considering the price of the EC155, but it will put off some buyers.

SOME THINGS WE HAVE LEARNED

Using a coffee especially made for espresso, such as Lavazza, produces a much better espresso. Lavazza has the added benefit of allowing you to go for hours without blinking.

Preheating the unit for 15 minutes and warming the cups in the microwave improves the results and experience.

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I was always skeptical of expensive espresso machines and wondered why anyone would pay hundreds of dollars for an expensive machine. It turns out that the more expensive and quality machines are "pump-driven" rather than the typical "steam driven" found at your local Wally World and such. A pump driven machine will hit pressures 4-5 times greater than that of a steam driven machine and gets much better extraction from the espresso grinds (better flavor) and are the only machines capable of generating the "chrema" foam at the top of the espresso.

The DelLonghi EC155 is an excellent budget machine found for under $100 that is pump driven. I was happy with my old steam driven Delonghi, but once I received this I realized that I didn't even know what I was missing. This espresso is as good or better than anything you'll get in a nice Italian restaurant or at your local Charbucks. The chrema that this thing produced is flat out great (you'll get a nice 1/4 layer of tasty emulsified foam). The convenience of pulling a single shot is great too, and you really only need the machine to warm up a few minutes before you pull a shot.

The best feature about this machine in my humble opinion is that it is E.S.E certified (easy serve espresso). This means that you can pick up the ESE certified pods from Charbucks or a good online pod retailer and not have to go to the trouble of grinding and tamping. This is a HUGE feature that even some more expensive machines do not have and is what eventually sold me on this unit. Having grown accustomed to the convenience of pod coffee, it was only natural to look for the same thing in my espresso machine. Do note that coffee (senseo style) pods will not work in here as those are much larger than the ESE certified pod. Try a nice blend from Baronet or another find espresso brand and you won't be sorry.

I highly recommend this machine. In short, it has fantastic features for the money, makes awesome espresso chrema, and it ESE certified for pod use. You will definitely not do any better than this machine for under $100.

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I really wanted to like this machine, I thought DeLonghi had given us an affordable pump-drive cappuccino maker. And it just isn't quite.

(n.b. I'm trying to get customer images up. If the technical difficulty goes away please refer to my customer images for visual reference.)

Things to like:

1. Pump drive! So much better than steam pressure machines. It works pretty well too.

2. The espresso comes out very good (though in small amounts, see below). All 3 proper layers are discernable, crema is especially satisfactory.

3. The removable tank is very handy. And large.

4. Price is right, I don't think there's a more affordable machine with such quality performance "guts".

These pluses are solid reasons to own this machine.

Why I am returning it:

1. The holder for espresso grounds is WAY too small. There are two of them and the bigger one is less than half the size of any standard equipment. Unless you only ever plan to pull 2oz at a time the espresso will come out weak. I usually pull 2-3 shots minimum and can't be bothered to pull, empty, and tamp for every 2 oz I want.

2. The frother is so low to the counter that even a small frothing pitcher won't fit under it. Boo.

3. The wand is so shallow that I cannot properly froth any decent amount of milk since the wand only goes down into the very top of the milk. Also boo. I can't make milk stretch with this gizmo and it's one of the reasons I picked this machine.

4. The only thing that fits under the espresso spout is a shot glass or espresso cup. 2 inches of clearance offers no flexibility for pulling into a mug or small pitcher. I could have lived with this if 1-3 were not already problems.

All of these issues, which I consider design flaws, could easily be corrected in a product redesign. The internal works are fine. A taller machine with a longer wand would fix all my problems. As is it takes too long to get coffee I don't want and there's always a clean-up mess.

I started with a super-cheap steam drive machine and upgraded to this one expecting an affordable way to take my coffee production to the next level. This machine should be great and instead it's just frustrating.

If you're only looking for a small shot in some modest foam and don't mind some hassle this is a fine machine. I regrettably will be looking for something else.

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This machine is fantastic and after i ordered (over great deliberation) and received mine, I could not wait to review this and rebuke other reviewers who clearly have trouble following simple directions or have no experience making espresso (point being, don't go so out of your way to bash something when you are clearly no expert). I was pretty put off by the bad reviews by seemingly well meaning and "intelligent" people. I've owned a really good espressso machine and the issues they were describing sounded like the sort of issues one might have if you didn't know what the heck you were doing. So I gambled ($60 bucks) and got this little thing. It ROCKS.

Here are some tips:

1. It's all in the grind, grimsy. You still want it slightly grainy about cornmeal but I actually have ground it into virtual powder, just to test it, and this thing still has no problem pumping the hot water through amazing.

2. The level and compression of the coffee grinds are CRUCIAL and I have found, after much use, that the single most important thing, is how hard you twist the "basket" on (no idea why they call it a basket but it's the thing that holds the coffee). I have found the ultimate way to make this work!!! I figured out the problem that everyone was having:

IN ORDER TO MAKE THIS PRODUCE PERFECT SHOTS WHeRE YOU END UP WITH ROCK HARD LITTLE PUCKS OF SPENT COFFEE AND BEAUTIFUL, CREAMY JET BLACK SHOTS LIKE YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO WITH A GOOD MACHINE:

FILL THE THING WITH COFFEE, PILED WELL ABOVE RIM, TAMP AS HARD AS YOU CAN TO RIM LEVEL

TWIST IT ON FAIRLY FIRM (IT TAKES BOTH HANDS)

THEN TURN IT ON AND THE SECOND YOU SEE A DRIP OF COFFEE COME OUT, TURN IT OFF

ONCE MORE, TWIST THE COFFEE BASKET ON EVEN HARDER YOU WILL FIND IT IWLL MOVE QUITE A BIT.

TURN IT BACK ON, AND IT WILL MAKE A BEAUTIFUL SHOT

This helps settle the grounds a little so you can compress them even more.

What I noticed is that, because this machine is so small and light, it's really hard to twist the basket on hard enough (the first time) without just yanking the whole thing off the table you have to wrestle like a little piggy! So you just can't compress the coffee enough and, if you don't, it won't pull a good shot and, that's where this "soupy mess" comes from that everyone complains about. I have it down now and don't need to do the turn it off and on thing when I twist mine on the first time, it seem fine and there seems to be no diff in the product that comes out. I am strong however so for those of you who may not be able to bear hug their machine as well as i do do the method above.

One thing that might also be happening is, I ONLY use the larger "double shot" coffee basket but the machine comes with a smaller single shot basket. I haven't even used the smaller basket (because uh, who drinks "one shot" of espresso) and it might actually be a little harder to get the right compression and all that with the smaller basket but honestly, I would exclusively use the double basket, and you will get a richer shot.

I also bought the metal 2 inch tamper that others recommended and I feel I could not be without it now after using for months. You need something hard and shaped like this to really really tamp the coffee in very very hard. I can smash a mountain of coffee down with this thing so it is in fact important.

If you pulled a good shot, you will get a nice, thick, crema (tan foam) with a buckskin or carmel color (this will settle more and more the longer the shot sits there). When you fill your shot glass and turn off machine, the crema should be around 2-3 mm high. If it's really high (say, half the glass) you probably didn't tamp it hard enough or your grind is too course. If there is no crema, you didn't tamp or compress coffe hard enough).

When you pull the basket off to clean it, you should have a hard, fairly dry coffee puck that is slightly resistant to coming out and has to be dug out with a little wooden stick (use chopsticks or similar blunt, wooden device or you wll harm rubber ring inside).

3. You can remove the little silver tray (it's superfluous and serves no great purpose) and just put a larger cup in the catch basket underneath problem solved for all the whiners who complained about "no room." I love how small the thing is whereas at first I thought "Oh god, it's a toy." It's not.

4. My machine seemed to heat up in no time (under 10 minutes) and my shots were scalding hot (I have no idea what to say to those who complained that their coffee didn't get hot mine would give 3rd degree burns and the cup is far too hot to hold). I admit there seems to be some confusion in the literature about warm up times (15 mins, 30 mins what is it guys?) but I guess it involves the fact that you can preheat it (by actually using it to cycle water only, with no grinds involved) and reduce the actual "ready time" and by practice, this seemed to work (though, again, the instructions actually say "preheat for 15 mins, cycle water...and it should be ready... now wait 30 minutes" what??? This is clearly a typo text left in when it should not have been and as I used to be a technical writer (computer manuals, etc) I can tell you that's a common mistake typos are eazy to see but sensible text, mistakenly left in is not since it does not at first blanch appear out of accord.

Look, once i was in a hurry, I turned it on (I always turn it on to steam first and make steamed milk, BTW) and 5 min later I made steamed milk and espresso, no problem.

After a full year of use, I routinely wait just 3-5 minutes for warm up but my trick is i always put it to "Steam" because that makes it hotter initially.

5. My steamer doesn't work, it only makes hot water, whaaaaaa!!! Yes it does, you just havn't had your cup of joe and you're still ASLEEP. You have to turn the knob....get ready for it, here it comes...to "STEAM." It does not make steam when the knob is in the "I want espresso" position it makes hot water. Mine makes plenty of steam. The knob doesn't say STEAM, or, I WANT ESPRESSO, but the little pictogram showing steam blasting out of a nozzzle that suspiciously looks like an espresso steam nozzle should be enough, even for sleepy heads.

This thing also takes the pre-made "pods" of coffee and as far as I am concerned, I would never use something like that. Old school for me, all the way and I guarantee you my shots blow those hugely overpriced poodle pods out of the water.

So, there is a tiny little art to this but it's not that hard to get it right so long as you know the importance of how hard you tamp it in. Have a little patience or you will be going back there to have teenagers make your $5 cup again which i don't really mind except I don't have time to stand in line for 30 minutes.

That's about it. have used for (over a year) now and it's awesome.

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