Hamilton Beach 40729 Espresso Machine

Before I comment on this machine, let me say that I am a coffee geek. I have barristad at a friend's coffee shop in the past, and when I travel, I taste coffee at small shops the entire way. However, I firmly believe in value. I don't spend money that isn't needed to be spent. I understand that inexpensive machines will never make the quality of espresso that an expensive machine can do.

That said, despite the relatively inexpensive cost of this espresso machine, it still has major flaws.

Upon opening the package, I was first impressed by the compact design of this machine. The portafilter has a good, heavy construction. This is useful because it allows the filter to hold heat between cups (a warmed up machine makes better espresso). The water reservoir is large enough to make two seperate cups of espresso (total of 4 servings if you count 2 servings per "go" as is by design). It is also easy to fill the water, and very convenient compared to boiler machines that have to be upended to empty the tank. It seemed very nice as well that the water is heated completely prior to starting the brew.

Now for the bad. A minor quibble here, but no pot or cup is included with the machine. While I wasn't expecting the porcelein cups pictured on the box, most home machines at least come with a glass pot that fits into this machine. Not this one. Since I drink lattes, I don't have the smaller espresso shot cups. I had to scour my kitchen for a cup small enough to fit in the machine.

I noticed that during brewing process, the espresso turned light very quickly, and there was NO crema (the caramel colored foam on top of the espresso which indicates a good brew).

When it came time to froth milk, I discovered to my dismay that the steam wand is extremely short, and too low to fit most cups underneath it. Steaming enough milk to make a latte is neary impossible, as a cup large enough to hold the milk without sloshing out will not fit under the wand, nor will it go deep enough to make froth in any but the smallest of cups! When you do finally get the milk steaming, the wand doesn't really make much froth. I'm used to THICK froth that will stick to a spoon. This was more like a very thin layer of bubbles on the top. A good steam wand should be able to make as much froth as you want. On my $30 Mr. Coffee machine, I can froth nearly the entire cup! Not so on this machine.

Finally, when I had managed to steam enough milk, with a tiny layer of froth on the top, I poured the milk and coffee into the same mug I always use for my cappucinos.

Time to taste. A sip, and it is hot... and watery. Weak. I had used the same amount of coffee grounds I use when brewing with my Moka pot or the $30 Mr. Coffee pot, so I had expected something of similar strength. I can't even comment on the taste as I couldn't really taste the coffee the way I like to drink it.

I tried several times more to make a good cup of cappuccino. I added twice the normal amount of coffee grounds, I tamped them as tight as I could with the included plastic tamper. Upon doing this, a little crema was present at the start of the brew, but the coffee turned light colored very quickly again.

Every decent espresso machine I've ever seen will extract almost everything out of the grounds. After making an espresso, the spent grounds should form a hot brick. They stay tightly packed during the brewing process due to the heat and pressure put on them, causing the coffee to extract more from the grounds. On this machine, the spent grounds simply turn to sludge, like on a drip pot.

Honestly, that's what this pot feels like. A fancy drip system. There is either a flaw in the design of the filter basket, or maybe not enough pressure, I'm not sure, that causes the coffee to "loosen" during the brew, and thus water simply runs through without extracting properly.

Is there anything else to mention? Those who bought this machine trying to be able to make espresso faster in the home will be disappointed as well. Due to the fact it has no boiler, you cannot steam milk while the coffee is brewing. You have to wait until the brew is finished before you can begin frothing.

I want to say more positive about the machine. It feels solid, it is compact and attractive looking. But ultimately, an espresso machine is measured solely by the quality of the coffee it produces. And on that count, this machine falls far short - so far short I cannot honestly even consider what it makes espresso.

I would recommend an inexpensive stovetop Moka pot over this machine, or even an inexpensive boiler-based machine. Typically pump machines are supposed to be the better choice, but in this case that does not hold true.

As a final comment, I'd like to note that some positive reviews I've seen refer to the coffee pods rather than loose espresso. A different filter basket is included for use with pods, and from what I hear (hearsay) it makes good coffee when pods are used. Most likely this is because the pods stay packed due to the paper container and smaller basket. However, using coffee "pods" is more expensive, and is not an option if you prefer fresh-ground coffee of differing varieties.