West Bend 55108 Espresso Machine & Coffee Maker

I previously owned a Kitchen Selectives, extremely low-end coffee pot. I bought it for ten dollars at Wal-Mart until I could get something a little bit better. The Kitchen Selectives hot pad stopped keeping the coffee warm, so I decided it was time to look for another coffee maker. When I went back to Wal-Mart, I intended to purchase a normal coffee maker, preferably with a timer. While looking through the products available at Wal-Mart, I noticed the West Bend Coffee/Cappuccino maker, which was on sale for $45.00. After weighing my options, I decided to take a risk and purchase a brand I was unfamiliar with in order to get the inexpensive cappuccino feature.

I have owned this model for about three months. I have only made a couple of pots of coffee with this machine. It takes the cone-shaped filters, so the first time I was ready to make a pot of coffee, I realized I had the wrong filters. I have read some other reviews that indicate the hot pad on the West Bend coffee maker has a tendency to stop keeping the coffee warm. I do not leave my coffee pot on all day, usually consuming a couple of cups in the morning and carrying the rest with me to work. However, based on my last purchase, it would not surprise me if this hot pad also has issues. As of yet, I have not had a problem with the hot pad. I have also read that some other customers have had problems with spillage while pouring...I have not experienced that with the coffee pot, but have had a little spillage with the cappuccino. I solved that by removing the lid while I pour.

I make cappuccino every morning. I have made over a hundred small pots of espresso/cappuccino since I have owned this machine and haven't had a problem yet with the cappuccino maker. I normally make two runs of Cappuccino each morning, using the same grounds for both runs. The first run is obviously a little stronger. I pour my half-and-half into my coffee mug while the cappuccino is brewing, and steam it as the machine reaches it's peak. The window of opportunity for steaming your milk is very limited with this machine. If you miss it, forget about hot milk...just put it in the microwave to heat it up for the cappuccino. The cappuccino is stronger than regular coffee, which I have grown accustomed to now. I don't know if I could go back if I had to.

This unit is fairly easy to clean. The unit is primarily plastic. When pouring water into the cappuccino side, there is a cap that must be removed. There is a plastic area near the mouth of the cappuccino maker, where spilled water accumulates. It is a good idea to dry that with a paper towel, because the water has nowhere to go. There is not a hot pad beneath the cappuccino maker. There is a small drip pan, which is also plastic. It wipes out easily. The coffee maker side is also easy to clean...the coffee filter section removes easily from the base of the coffee pot, for dumping used grounds, as well as cleaning. The carafes are dishwasher safe.

The unit itself is not very durable. I haven't had any problem with durability, but the plastic has a very cheap feel to it. The feel has nothing to do with the quality of the product it produces, which I have been satisfied with. However, I doubt that this unit will be around very long. I would give it a life expectancy of two to three years before finding it's way to the rubbish heap.

Among the other features on this machine are separate on/off switches for the coffee pot and cappuccino maker. The switches can be pressed to turn the unit on, and again to turn the unit off. The unit will also turn off on it's own after a period of time. The milk steamer has a removable rubber sleeve for cleaning, which it needs from time to time. This machine also has a knob on the side to control the amount of steam released into your milk.

The most attractive quality of this unit is the price. At a price point below fifty dollars for an espresso maker AND coffee maker, it is a steal. However, you get what you pay for. If you are looking to invest in a machine that is going to be around for a while, you definitely want to look elsewhere.

Overall I have been very satisfied with this coffee/cappuccino maker. Although it is cheaply constructed, it makes killer cappuccino. The only drawback to the cappuccino is the brief amount of time you have available to steam your milk. If you don't hit it at the right time, your milk will still be cold. Other than that, I have been satisfied with this product. Based on all aspects of this machine, I would give it three and one quarter stars out of a possible five. I would recommend this product to a friend who wanted to experiment with cappuccino and espresso who did not want to invest in a more expensive product. For hardcore coffee drinkers, I would recommend finding a better product, it will save you from having to purchase another coffee maker a few years down the road.