I've done a thorough search on the boards for this, but can't seem to get all the information I need. I bought this machine about a month ago. I know great espresso is comprised of technique, fresh beans, correct grind, and lastly the machine, but I'm not seeming to get any great espresso with this machine. I have been using beans from my local Joe Muggs Coffee Shop which I had ground at the store. These beans are about 3-4 weeks old. I'm waiting on my tax rebate to buy a good grinder. I bought this machine after suffering through a worthless steam machine...I didn't know what to look for in a machine when I first started (pump, water reservoir, etc.). Anyway, to the point...

I can't get that thick crema that I've been seeing on the other lower budget machines like Krups, DeLonghi, etc. This is the only site I've found that has visible proof of producing crema with this machine. But that's only with a PID thermostat attached to it. Is there any way possible to get that great three layers of quality espresso with the thick crema with this machine without modifying it in any way? I've recorded my progress while making the past few espressos and can't get any different results. I've tamped hard--very hard; I've tried filling the coffee filter to the top and then leveling it off and tapping the grounds for better distribution; I've used the staub tamping technique (four corners of compass); I've tried filling the filter to the manufacturer's specifications (two scoops); I've tried everything! I've even went to Wal-Mart and ground fresh coffee beans on the espresso grind so I could tell if it was the fact that my Joe Muggs coffee was too old.

Until I can get a decent grinder (any recommendations for under $75?) I realize that that will affect the crema tremendously, so I don't want to return this machine until I test out the freshest beans with an immediate grind. I've found a place that roasts their own beans in town, so that will help tremendously.

From the reviews I've read on coffeegeek.com and amazon.com everyone who likes the machine pretty much says you can't get another machine with this quality pump (which they say most higher cost Italian machines use) that does the same job as the other machines at this price. So what do I do? Any help is much appreciated. I've wanted good quality espresso for a long time now and would love to save some money in the long run by not having to go to my local coffee shop. This is a great hobby for me as well, but not one I want to go broke over by buying very expensive machines. Besides, isn't the machine the last concern when making espresso? Doesn't Technique, Grind, and freshness of beans count for more?

Hi Eric, and welcome to H-B. The Hamilton Beach Cappuccino Plus Espresso Maker is currently on sale at Sears for under $50 shipped - an astounding price when you consider that the Ulka 41W pump alone costs that much. Can you make good espresso with it? At that price, I'm tempted to order one just to give it a try!

From what I've read, this espresso maker uses a thermoblock instead of a boiler, and temperature management is a problem. On the plus side, the commercial-sized 58mm portafilter does NOT have a crema-enhancing device, and benefits from aftermarket baskets. This means that you should be able to get decent espresso from the HB. But...

Espresso is by far the most demanding method of brewing coffee. Freshly roasted, freshly ground coffee and good equipment are essential. You're using preground coffee, some from WalMart - that pretty much guarantees failure. You should be grinding immediately before dosing, tamping, and pulling your shot, and this means you need a good grinder at home. Unfortunately good espresso grinders are not inexpensive. For under $100 you could try a Bodum Antigua or a Baratza Maestro or a Capresso Infinity, but honestly, they won't be up to the task.

IIRC, one of our members (JonR10) has experimented with this espresso machine. Perhaps he might be convinced to chime in...

EDIT: Sorry for the cross post. Clearly Dan and I agree about the need for a good grinder.

RapidCoffee wrote:Hi Eric, and welcome to H-B. The Hamilton Beach Cappuccino Plus Espresso Maker is currently on sale at Sears for under $50 shipped - an astounding price when you consider that the Ulka 41W pump alone costs that much. Can you make good espresso with it? At that price, I'm tempted to order one just to give it a try!

Check out this quote from the review of that machine:

I highly recommend using espresso pods vs. grinding and tamping manually... you will get much better body, heart, and crema results!

Sounds like someone tried it without knowing what they were doing.

brad

I e-mailed Hamilton Beach about this machine. Now it's beginning to have soupy grounds with a layer of liquid on top of the portafilter when I remove it. Can't seem to get that "puck" like I used to on this machine. I just had my dad make me a good tamper on his lathe and used that to tamp very hard. You'd think with a huge pump like this it wouldn't be a problem. The shots are pulling at around 25-30 seconds it seems, so I don't think it's the grind being too coarse or too fine. I've used the Weiss Distribution method to evenly distribute grounds and have tried both the manufacturer's recommendations for amounts of coffee to use and filling/leveling off coffee in the PF. I received a reply from Hamilton Beach saying that based on my machine's serial number, the unit was made in 2005--and I bought it brand new at K-mart! Luckily I kept my receipt and it's within the 90 day warranty. I'm going to send it to them if they have a newer version of the same machine. I can't honestly bear to try out a different machine yet until I've tried it with fresh coffee and a good burr grinder.

Question, I don't have any place in town to buy fresh roasted beans; will it be okay to still buy whole beans when I do get my grinder and hope for good crema? If so, how many months before the expiration date printed on the bag should I buy them ahead of time? 4 months before expiration? I know the earlier the better, but what's the minimum time?

Also, I accidentally forgot to empty the water reservoir one day and turned the machine over to find the serial/model numbers to register the product. Would this hurt any internal components and make it incapable of the pressure it needed to pull the shots, hence the soupy discharge mentioned above?

I have tried coffee I had ground myself from whole beans from Wal-Mart on their grinder and still couldn't produce a decent crema. But like I said before, this machine is capable of producing crema without a crema enhancing PF, if you can get the temperature right. The best method I've read about that makes sense is here under "Readying An Idle Machine".

Any more info on this machine would be greatly appreciated.

sword wrote:Question, I don't have any place in town to buy fresh roasted beans; will it be okay to still buy whole beans when I do get my grinder and hope for good crema? If so, how many months before the expiration date printed on the bag should I buy them ahead of time? 4 months before expiration? I know the earlier the better, but what's the minimum time?

Babbie's Bean-Fifteen Rule:
Green beans should be used before fifteen months;
Roasted beans start to lose their oomph in about fifteen days;
Ground beans are near useless in about fifteen minutes.

Either get greens and roast them yourself, or have some friendly roaster (and there are literally dozens on the interwebs that will provide this service) mail you a pound a week, or two, or five, depending on your habit, or simply decide that your happy with what you're getting now, and there is no reason to add the hassle or expense.

walmart bean = ridiculous.

Not trying to knock you, I've done plenty of "me=ridiculous" stuff. But seriously, walmart? PM me your address, i'll ship you a half pound. (unfortunately they would be whole beans, though.)

As far as grinders, check out the ascaso I-mini series. I know it's a lot, but it's the least i would spend. Another possible option is craigslist, but be prepared to have to replace the burrs.

RapidCoffee wrote:...one of our members (JonR10) has experimented with this espresso machine. Perhaps he might be convinced to chime in....

A local friend brought this machine to my place to play with...

We made drinkable shots with the HB machine using freshly-roasted beans, ground with a good grinder. The trick for the thermoblock was to hit the steam switch a few seconds before starting the shot. Use a decent aftermarket basket, not the stock baskets it comes with. And don't expect to get a full 2 ounces , shoot for 1.5 to 1.75 oz.

We made very nice double shots with this machine and a Virtuoso grinder set at it's finest setting. We dosed high and tamped firmly to get 1.5 ounces in 20-25 seconds. The shots were markedly improved when we switched to the Mazzer Super-Jolly grinder, I would say smoother and creamier.

Again, the keys to success were:
1. Use high-quality, freshly roasted coffee beans, within 2 weeks of the roast date
2. Use aftermarket ridgeless double baskets, they fit perfectly
3. Use a good (or great) grinder
4. Dose a little high and pull the shot a little short
5. We got good results by hitting the steam switch just a few seconds before starting extraction

The machine is a terribly weak steamer, best for smaller amounts of milk (as in pico latte or machiatto)...

Just bought and ground a new Sam's Choice gourmet coffee. Came straight home and let the machine go through it's heating cycle one time, pulled a blank shot with PF attached to group, dried PF and measuring cup I'm using to catch shots since there's not a lot of space, waited 'til the unit reheated for temperature regulation one time and pulled my shot. Result: Much more crema. I feel a lot better about this machine now that I have fresh coffee. I can't wait 'til tax rebate time so I can get my own burr grinder. Any recommendations?

I'm confident there would've even been more crema if I had a real shot glass that was much more slender than the measuring cup I'm using. Question: I've read somewhere that it's best to freeze your ground coffee to prevent excess gases from leaking too quickly. Is this what I should do. Also, does this apply to the whole beans as well; should I freeze them?

I also read here about managing temperature regulation. This, I believe, is VERY important. I'll continue to experiment between the time it takes to reheat once and the seconds I wait to pull my shot thereafter. I'm also going to buy some filtered water or install a water filter on my home faucet. I'm very relieved about this machine now. Whew. Hopefully, with a little more experimenting, I'll get that maple syrup consistency very soon. Good luck to anyone else out there with this machine. At least I can tell if I'm doing things right since this PF isn't one of those "crema enhancing" ones.

Brew on!

Having recently purchased this machine, I found the tips on here to be quite helpful. While I was able to make a very drinkable cup (with good crema, no less) using a Mr. Coffee modified Burr grinder, my recent upgrade to a vaneli mini pro II has made a huge difference. Three cascading layers with tiger stripped crema. For a first timer looking to save money on his habit, this machine has been a bargain, never mind that my grinder was 3 times as much.

Next stop: PIDville.