thaisnob's Full Review: Hamilton Beach 40729 Espresso Machine
I learned about this machine on Amazon and after reading all of the (mostly) glowing reviews decided to purchase one locally.
I currently have a $45 Krups mini espresso machine. It does an excellent job, steams milk beautifully and I can make great cappuccino or 12oz latte / mocha (my favorite) easily & pretty quickly with it.
I've had it over two years and have made approx 300 mochas in that time, it's still going strong Just a Dip-It cleaning every six months or so is all it takes. My espresso drinks are better (and hotter) than Starbucks and cost about 80 cents each using premium ingredients (bottled water, Starbucks fresh espresso[ground by them] hot cocoa mix, imported gourmet cinnamon) add 20 cents for fresh homemade whip cream from my ISI siphon.
I wanted something that would cut down the time involved in the process...specifically I wanted to eliminate the steps of having to measure the water for each use and fill the handle with ground espresso. I also want to be able to make multiple drinks without a lot of hassle. This Hamilton Beach pump machine has a good-sized water tank and can use either ground espresso beans OR ese pods. I THOUGHT it would be fast and easy!
So I got the machine, picked up a box of ese pods from Starbucks, reviewed the instructions, (it also came with a brief video but who uses a vcr anymore?) flushed the machine, filled the reservoir with bottled water, plugged it in and got to work on my first shot. I quickly found out that I HATE this machine!
The machine is compact and feels somewhat heavy/sturdy but is mostly plastic parts. There is a clear plastic water reservoir that holds approx 16 oz. A plastic twist knob on the right side of the machine controls the steaming wand. Three large push-buttons on front: the top one is to start the espresso brewing process, the second one is the on/off button for the machine and the third is to turn on the steam wand feature. This is somewhat counter-intuitive, as I feel the on/off button should be on top and not in the middle.
In addition there are 2 lights on the front of the machine, one is the on/off indicator and the second is the temp ready light.
The handle has two different filters- the small one for using ese pods (only one at a time) or the full sized filter which will accommodate enough ground espresso for either one or two shots. My advice is to go with the pods but you have to be willing to go thru the process twice with reaheating time in-between for a double-shot. Or buy good quality fresh espresso beans from a local coffee house you like and have THEM grind the beans for a pump machine. You'll get the correct grind that way- grinding at home or in the grocery usually doesn't produce the proper grind.
The top of the machine is touted as a cup-warmer, this is a joke, it's plastic and has no rail to keep the cups from slipping off- oh, and it doesn't even get hot enough to heat cups anyway. There is also a nifty little compartment on top that holds the flimsy plastic espresso scoop which comes with the unit. At the opposite end of the scoop is a flat disk that is supposedly for tamping. That's not even funny, you'll need a "real" tamp albeit not a professional model. I picked up a metal universal tamp at Bed Bath and Beyond for about $5 a couple of years ago, works great.
So, you fill with water and you choose your espresso type and load the handle with the appropriate filter- if you're using ground espresso be sure to give it a good firm tamp.
Make sure the knob that controls the steam is tight and push the on/off button (leave this button depressed until you are completely done using the machine) Wait for the temp light to turn from red to green then place a cup under the spout and push the brew button. Wait for the right amount of espresso to drizzle out of the machine (yeah, figure that one out yourself!) then push that button again to stop the brewing process.
If you want steamed milk, push the steam button and wait for the green light, pour a tiny amt of cold milk into whatever small container you can find that will fit under the pathetically inadequate steam nozzle (for me a coffee cup or 5 oz creamer was all I had that would fit- and THAT was even too deep!) then twist the steam knob on the right and TRY to steam the milk to the temp you desire for your drink...good luck to you. After my first three attempts I just gave up on steamed milk and made iced mochas until the pods were used up and I could box up the machine to be returned to the store.
Here are my complaints:
1) When using pods, only one shot (1.5 oz) at a time can be drawn- you cannot pull a double shot without removing the handle, replacing the used pod with a fresh one, waiting for the machine to finish reheating and pushing the button again. What a pain! The second shot always comes out a little watery for some reason too.
2) When pulling a double shot using fresh ground espresso, the results are too thin, a LOT of espresso is being wasted.
3) You have to "time" the shot yourself during the brewing process and push the button to turn off at the correct time.
4) The steaming wand is ridiculous- it's MUCH too short to steam more than 4 or 5 oz of milk at a time- to do so you really need a VERY small container, even then it's awkward and messy to fit one under the nozzle especially at the wonky angle of the the wand. To steam enough milk for a 12 oz mocha or latte you have to do it in 2 batches, allowing for reheating time in-between. Even then, the steam could run out before the milk is hot enough OR it could water down your milk too much.
5) The water reservoir is clear and you can see the water level from the side of the machine BUT the "minimum fill" line for the water cannot be seen unless you pull the whole tank out. The minimum amt of water is about 1/3 of the tank size so you could easily let the water level get too low.
6) The machine drips quite a bit after each shot, the drip tray is plastic and fits awkwardly into place.
After going thru a box of 12 ese pods, I find the process to be too cumbersome and slow. I want to use pods to save time and effort and cut down on clean-up. While the flavor of the (Starbucks) pod espresso was very good, it was too much hassle to get a double.
Ditto the steaming issue, it takes way too long to steam the right amt of milk for a decent sized drink (12 oz = approx 8 oz milk)
I made several more double shots using fresh ground Starbucks beans- the flavor was mediocre, the strength was inconsistent and it was actually MORE work and cleanup than my old machine. I can make a better drink faster in my old Krups.
I've boxed this machine up and it goes back to the store today after 2 weeks of frustrating experimenting I've determined that this machine is NOT a time-saver and the drinks it makes are NOT worth the effort.
IF you like plain old espresso and the convenience of ese pods, I can see why you would rave about this machine. But if you like drinks that require 2 shots and steamed milk forget it!
This machine is a piece of junk. Eternal optimist that I am, I will keep searching for a quick easy inexpensive way to brew authentic mochas at home, I have a feeling I should just keep saving until I can finally afford the super automatic machine I really want.
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