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MODEL- ECM21 VENDOR- MR. COFFEE FEATURES- 8 cUP Coffee/Espresso Maker Prepares 2-4 cups espresso Variable steam control and swivel frothing aid to create cappuccino, lattes, and steam your milk Removable drip tray Pressure safety valve Regular coffee maker prepares 2-8 cups Removable water reservoir Brewing Pause n Serve Removable cone filter basket Brew strength setting MANUFACTURER WARRANTY:andnbsp;andnbsp;1 YEAR
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Works well, good price
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I bought this as a gift for my husband, who works at StarBucks. He wanted an "all in one." It works very well; we've used it every day since Christmas. My husband had a Krupps espresso maker and he likes this one better.., the "frother" thing, (as you can see I'm not the espresso maker), is hotter and works longer than the move expensive Krupps version. I like the coffee maker because the water resovoir pops off, and back on, really easy.., and so you don't have to do the pouring-into-a-hole thing. Also, the basket that holds the filter and coffe grounds., it also pops in and out easily and makes for a no-mess exchange of old and new. Plus, that means the water bucket and coffee basket are easy to clean. (No "old" coffee taste that you can't wash out.)
I read other reports of leaking.., ours does not leak at all. However, if you don't put the water spout thingie back over the coffee grounds.., any unit will leak/fill/brew wrong. (And you have to have a moveable water spout over the grounds if you want to be able to take the basket in and out.) Also, if you use yours a lot (like we do), you may not notice that the upper most lid is not completly on it's hinge.., if you leave it off, then steam will escape and this will case a "leak." But when used properly, no leaks at all.
We've had more expensive coffee makers and expresso makers.., but it seems that the old stand-by "Mr. Coffee" works as well or better. And my Barista husband knows his coffee makers! Another bonus of a Mr. Coffee is that if you break the carafe it's easy to replace.
If there were a 4 1/2 star rating, I would have used that.., but for only one request.., it has no timer so you cannot set it to brew before you wake. Other than that, it's a quality product, which I bought on clearance.., and so it cost less than many units by themselves.
Rating: 
(5
out of 5) @ 2009-01-06
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I'm Happier Than I Thought I'd be With This Machine. : )
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I was hesitant to buy this machine when I saw some unhappy or any partially happy review for this machine. I have good news. This machine works perfectly for a latte, espresso, cappuccino, fancy coffee drinker like me. If you like fancy coffee like Starbuck but don't want to pay the price of four to five dollars a cup and drink coffee drinks in the comfort of your home or make it to go in a coffee thermos, then this is the machine for you.
Mr. Coffee is a well known company so it can be trusted.
Here is information about the machines abilities. This machine can froth and steam milk and soymilk nicely. But if you want hot coffee without burning the milk buy a frothing thermometer. The thermometer is important since with out it you may have either milk that it too cold or burnt, which will make the entire drink unsatisfying.
The espresso takes about three minutes to brew if your make between two to three shots. There is easy to read measurements of water use and espresso on the machine which makes this machine easy to use.
If you want a fancy coffee like Starbuck then buy a coffee recipe book. I have two coffee recipe books and the fun one to read with lots of pictures and that is informative is the ~I Love Coffee~ by Susan Zimmer. I didn't have much knowledge about fancy coffee drinks until I bought my coffee recipes books. It will inform you about frothing or steaming milk at the correct temperature, different syrups, measurements to use when making fancy drinks, tips when making the perfect coffee drink and more.
When you make a coffee drink put more water than needed to make espresso so that their will be enough steam pressure to make the frothed or steamed milk.
For the syrup in coffee the cheapest I've found is at the local Starbuck coffee shop. It is only five dollars for a liter of syrup of your choice. At the online Starbucks its ten dollars and ninety five cents plus the shipping cost.
Then for the espresso the best I've found is at Sprouts farmers market in the bulk section, that's were I work. We have a grinder for customers to use if they don't have one at home. To find the Sprouts nearest to you go to Sprouts.com.
Overall this machine is simple to use and fun. You can have perfect fancy coffee drinks if you follow the guidelines I've shared with you. Don't take in the extreme reviews that disvalue this machine. These people don't know the tips to creating the perfect coffee drink and that's why there having issues with the machine. I promise if you follow my tips then you can have a perfect fancy coffee drink like my family and I have.
Rating:
(5
out of 5) @ 2008-12-31
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You Get more than you pay for
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The Mr. Coffee ECM21 is a great deal. We have had the unit over a month and use it daily and occassionally twice a day. Some have commented how cheaply made the unit is - if you want a $500 to $2000 Stainless Steel unit than don't buy this Coffeemaker combo. This unit fits nicely on our small counter, a major factor in the decision to buy the Mr. Coffee machine. Some have complained that the unit doesn't make hot espresso; I have found that by starting the steam with the frother and then switching to the espresso maker that the espresso comes out very hot. The frother is simple to use and easy to clean. A final point of praise is the small pot setting. With other coffee makers, making only 2 to 4 cups of coffee resulted in weak coffee, not the ECM21. I would rather buy 4 of these units than 1 expensive unit.
Rating:
(5
out of 5) @ 2008-12-22
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You get what you pay for?
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Machine makes a decent cup of regular coffee, but the carafe is almost impossible to pour from without dripping. Even if you use the thumb lever to lift the lid you still have coffee dripping unless you barely dribble it out of the spout. The espresso part makes a cup of mud, more like Turkish coffee than Italian Espresso. The holes in the coffee holder are too large and let too much of the fine coffee through. There is none of the "la crema" foam on top of the espresso like you usually get from a decent espresso machine. I don't make latte's or Capuccino so I can't comment on the steaming part of the machine. I guess for $60 you get what you pay for, it does make a decent cup of regular coffee.
Rating: 
(2
out of 5) @ 2008-12-22
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good cheap java machine but...
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I was slightly apprehensive after reading some negative reviews. One reviewer complained that the carafe was difficult to pour without spilling, correct. Coffee maker works fine, espresso side works fine but the carafe for the coffee maker dribbles coffee all over the counter with astounding regularity. I have it a month and pour slow, pour fast, pour slower, pour faster nothing keeps this baby delivering joe down the middle of your cup. If you can bear that annoyance, this machine is fine. Directions are useless.
Rating: 
(3
out of 5) @ 2008-12-12
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