Mr. Coffee model ECM250 Espresso Maker

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Mr. Coffee model ECM250 Espresso Maker

Mr. Coffee ECM250
Espresso/Cappuccino Maker

I received this espresso maker as a gift, and am happy with it overall. It is a Mr. Coffee brand, model ECM250 Espresso/Cappuccino Maker. It was given to me, but if I had bought an espresso maker myself, this is most likely the model I would have bought. It is a well made, quality product as most things from Mr. Coffee are. It is the first and only espresso maker I have owned but I think it is better than many other makers in this price group.

It looks very nice on the counter. It is black with grey and stainless steel accents. It is more compact than some makers and takes up little counter space. The case seems to be very sturdy and although it plastic it feels much stronger than a typical coffee maker and many cheap espresso makers I have looked at.

The only thing that has failed on it is the glass carafe, but that was due to my bumping it off the table and is not a fault of the product. The carafe has become a problem, though, as I have not been able to replace it. I thought a name brand product like Mr. Coffee would be easy to find replacement parts for but none of the stores I have looked in carry it. Even stores which sell this exact maker do not sell replacement carafes for it. Unfortunately this means that I have not been able to use the maker for quite a while. I have found replacement carafes online, but the cost of the carafe plus shipping would almost equal the cost of just buying a whole new maker.

The one flaw I have found with the maker is the frothing feature. The frothing arm has never done a good job of frothing the milk, even when I chill the milk in the freezer before hand. Also, the frothing arm and tip are difficult to clean. Because of this, I usually do not try to froth any milk and make cappuccino, but just make espresso instead.

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Mr. Coffee model ECM250 Espresso Maker

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Nov 13, 2009
Rating

Takes too much time to make coffee and milk
by: Anonymous

Pros
- It makes good tasting espresso
- It does make more than one shot at a time

Cons
- The arm that froths the milk does not move around
- It take too much time to make the coffee and then the milk

I will say on a scale of 1(worst) to 5(best), I would have to give this machine a 3. I moved to a small town and since there is no place to even get a latte here, that is unless you want to drive an hour to go to the city, I decided to buy this espresso maker from Walmart and bring a little of the big city home to my house.

I have owned Mr. Coffee coffee makers before (they all worked well and lasted) and so I thought for the price that this would be ideal. For what I paid it makes good tasting espresso, really close to what I have bought at the chain coffee places, and I like that it does make more than one shot at a time, but it does have a few minor drawbacks.

For one thing, you cannot froth the milk while it is in the brewing mode, you have to wait until it is all done. If you have a lot of time to spare, fine, but be prepared to spend about 10-15 minutes to make the coffee part and then make the milk.

The other thing is that the arm that froths the milk does not move around, and the way it is positioned, it can be hard to move the container with the milk in it around without spilling it. I did not know a whole lot about these kinds of machines before I bought this one, and I am not sorry that I did buy it, it was a good choice for a first one. The price and quality was nice, but I may have outgrown it, and think I may give this one to my friend and buy myself a new one with better features.

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Nov 13, 2009
Rating

Submitted by: Anonymous

Title

Comment
Pros - It makes good tasting espresso - It does make more than one shot at a time Cons - The arm that froths the milk does not move around - It take too much time to make the coffee and then the milk I will say on a scale of 1(worst) to 5(best), I would have to give this machine a 3. I moved to a small town and since there is no place to even get a latte here, that is unless you want to drive an hour to go to the city, I decided to buy this espresso maker from Walmart and bring a little of the big city home to my house. I have owned Mr. Coffee coffee makers before (they all worked well and lasted) and so I thought for the price that this would be ideal. For what I paid it makes good tasting espresso, really close to what I have bought at the chain coffee places, and I like that it does make more than one shot at a time, but it does have a few minor drawbacks. For one thing, you cannot froth the milk while it is in the brewing mode, you have to wait until it is all done. If you have a lot of time to spare, fine, but be prepared to spend about 10-15 minutes to make the coffee part and then make the milk. The other thing is that the arm that froths the milk does not move around, and the way it is positioned, it can be hard to move the container with the milk in it around without spilling it. I did not know a whole lot about these kinds of machines before I bought this one, and I am not sorry that I did buy it, it was a good choice for a first one. The price and quality was nice, but I may have outgrown it, and think I may give this one to my friend and buy myself a new one with better features.

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Nov 13, 2009
Rating

Easy to use but slow to produce espresso
by: Anonymous

Pros
- Compact and easy to use
- Easy to clean and disassemble

Cons
- Limited water reservoir size
- Slow to heat, and thus slow to produce espresso

The Mr. Coffee ECM250 4-cup espresso maker is the ideal appliance for the space-limited college student or budding espresso aficionado. The machine's compact design and ease of use make it a perfect solution to the casual user's needs. Additionally, the removable drip grate and easy-to-disassemble carafe allow for easy cleanup.

While the machine is well-suited for casual home use, its design makes it less than ideal for the true caffeine junkie. The device's limited water reservoir size makes the pulling of espresso shots in rapid succession a difficult feat to accomplish. Moreover, its low-powered heating element and steam operation make the product slow to heat, and thus slow to produce espresso.

As such, the more dedicated espresso user will likely find this compact espresso maker leaving something to be desired, and might be better suited to a more lavish pump-powered model. The included combination scoop and coffee press is a far cry from the proper equivalent in use at any respectable coffee shop, and subsequently makes the task of pressing coffee grounds for a shot a tedious errand at best.

This 4-cup espresso machine, however, is targeted at a particular audience and adheres to its needs quite aptly. Rather than being intended for the professional caffeine connoisseur, this compact and affordable appliance is designed specifically with with casual user in mind. For this reason, the machine possesses more utility as a compact, small-quantity device than as a monolithic espresso-spouting leviathan, and so achieves its purpose quite successfully.

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Nov 13, 2009
Rating

Submitted by: Anonymous

Title

Comment
Pros - Compact and easy to use - Easy to clean and disassemble Cons - Limited water reservoir size - Slow to heat, and thus slow to produce espresso The Mr. Coffee ECM250 4-cup espresso maker is the ideal appliance for the space-limited college student or budding espresso aficionado. The machine's compact design and ease of use make it a perfect solution to the casual user's needs. Additionally, the removable drip grate and easy-to-disassemble carafe allow for easy cleanup. While the machine is well-suited for casual home use, its design makes it less than ideal for the true caffeine junkie. The device's limited water reservoir size makes the pulling of espresso shots in rapid succession a difficult feat to accomplish. Moreover, its low-powered heating element and steam operation make the product slow to heat, and thus slow to produce espresso. As such, the more dedicated espresso user will likely find this compact espresso maker leaving something to be desired, and might be better suited to a more lavish pump-powered model. The included combination scoop and coffee press is a far cry from the proper equivalent in use at any respectable coffee shop, and subsequently makes the task of pressing coffee grounds for a shot a tedious errand at best. This 4-cup espresso machine, however, is targeted at a particular audience and adheres to its needs quite aptly. Rather than being intended for the professional caffeine connoisseur, this compact and affordable appliance is designed specifically with with casual user in mind. For this reason, the machine possesses more utility as a compact, small-quantity device than as a monolithic espresso-spouting leviathan, and so achieves its purpose quite successfully.

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Jul 04, 2009
Rating

No carafes for ECM250 at WalMart
by: Anonymous

The Walmart Stores in my area don't carry this carafe. I was told the smallest they carry is a 5 cup carafe. I am going to Target now to pick up a 4 cup carafe. I hope it fits. It's amazing that every department store has these machines but no one carries an official replacement carafe for it. Even the Mr Coffee website doesn't advertise one.

Apr 20, 2009
Rating

Replacements
by: Dave

Try Wally-Mart, all of them here have the replacement carafes.

I've had an ECM250 for 2 years, using it only on weekends.
I agree with the others about the frothing arm's short-comings. Cleaning it is a chore.

Also, eventually the black plastic frothing arm cracked.
If you have hard water, after awhile the unit will need to be taken apart and completely cleaned. Even using filtered water, the unit became blocked.

All-in-All a reasonable home unit.

Mar 21, 2009
Rating

Machine needs redesigned
by: Anonymous

I agree with the other reviewer's assessment of the frothing arm. It's difficult to use. It's too close to the side of the machine, and no matter what I do, I end up with too much foam.

I too, am also having issues with replacing the carafe. Right now I just have a coffee mug sitting under it to catch the espresso.

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Mr. Coffee model ECM250 Espresso Maker

Comments for Mr. Coffee model ECM250 Espresso Maker

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Mr. Coffee model ECM250 Espresso Maker