Hamilton Beach 40729 - Coffee machine - 15 bar

Heard pump machines were sooo much better than steam: less hastle, quicker, less mess. NOPE! I've always had (for 20 yrs) the Mr. Coffee basic cheap steam machines and then I got this one 4 months ago and its terrible!! I really loved it for the first 2 weeks fot then not so much. To make my standard 4 shots I have to brew twice in a row which means dumping grinds mid brew and refilling filter and waiting for it to heat up. The jobber on top where the scoop fits is a great idea AT FIRST but little bits of espresso groove down in the custom fit resting area and then you cant close the lid so that looks tacky and you cannot get all that espresso dust out of there so it never fits rite..ever. Today, & every morning when I hit the brew button it sounds like its gonna blow up. Seriously, if you use your machine everyday, don't buy this one. I'm sure this one is fine for someone who only occasionally makes espresso but everyday use is looking like MAYBE a 6month life span. Plus, it's just a hastle if you go for the gusto w/4 shot drinks that are standard with the steam models.

Last year I had the best cup of espresso I had ever had at a corporate office in Canada. I investigated what kind of coffee maker it was and it turned out to be a very expensive Italian brand. I decided to look up the spec's on that brand and set out to find a cheaper model that compared. I did. It was the Hamilton beach pump espresso maker. This little baby makes as good if not better than any espresso or latte that I have ever gotten from a kiosk that costs me $4.00 per cup. I love it and I will never visit a kiosk again. This machine has saved me $$$$. thank you Hamilton Beach for making a superior product for us working class.

Cons: The reason I got this machine was because it was the cheaper espresso machine I found. However this coffee maker doesn't have enough pressure to make a real espresso (with the thick layer of foam on top)! If you leave the water in the deposit you will find it all in a puddle around the machine, it started leaking from the first day I used it. For it to work a little better you need to let it heat up for a while, longer than the light indicates. The foamer will take even longer to work. Pros: When the machine is well heated the foamer is pretty good. It will work for cappucino's because the coffee won't have foam but you can compensate with the milk.

We've owned this machine for over a month now and my only complaint is that my milk and coffee bean bill has gone up tremendously. My girlfriend is hooked on this machine now. The regular coffee pot rarely gets used anymore. For the price this is one of the finest machines on the market.

Makes wonderful espresso only downside is does not have auto portion control, you do have to stop the flow yourself or it will water the coffee down if you don't turn it off in time. I love the new updated look, it's much better quality than the previous model. Buy it you'll love it, but don't be one of those people unhappy that it doesn't operate like a $1,200 machine.