Mr. Coffee 4-Cup Steam Espresso System with Milk Frother

I want to start off and say the main reason I purchased this unit was for the steam wand. I needed a Diamond Steamer and I didn’t want to pay $100 for a Jewel Jet or similar jewelery steamer. I did some research online and on diamond forums and found that the espresso machine steamers produced steam that was capable of cleaning jewelry. For the $37.00 price tag of this machine I decided it was worth a shot. I filled up the machine and did a test run to see how good the steam was and all I have to say is it is more than sufficient to clean jewelry and I give it a huge thumbs up in terms of value versus the stand alone steamer.Now onto the espresso making part of this machine. It is very simple in terms of its operation. I used to be a former barista and it makes decent enough espresso to be used for lattes, cappuccinos, and americanos because the milk and flavoring mask most bad pulls. Now the flavor of the espresso really is a function of the grounds you choose and the grinder that you have available to you. You will have to experiment with the grind coarseness to match this machine exactly. I just received my unit but I will be experimenting to see what the ECM160 likes in terms of how fine or coarse my grounds need to be. I have read other comments about the ECM160 and blowing up and other places online have addressed this issue and it seems that some users are either tamping much too hard, using too fine of a ground, or not locking in portafilter far enough. Also users need to look under the unit for the rest of the cord. It is just coiled underneath for shipping purposes.I do wish the wand was longer and could be moved, but I still find it is useful. The plastic steaming attachment really needs to be removed as it is of no help at all. I was actually impressed with this little units ability to froth milk. I created very very thick foam with this unit on the first try using a coffee mug and 2% milk. If you want the really dry foam the trick is to work the tip just underneath the surface of the milk.The carafe that comes with this unit is fine and if it does break like others have mentioned you always have the option of getting actual espressso shot glasses and using those as a true measurement for each shot.Now I do wish they would have provided a better tamp and milk carafe but at this price they would probably be junk anyways. My biggest concern is with the portafilter. I have to double check the dimensions but I don’t think it is a standard size. It seems a little flimsy and I would like to replace it with a double spout unit if possible. I still have more research to do on this part.My last recommendation is for everyone knocking the quality of this unit, spend some money on a very good burr grinder such as the Baratza Maestro Grinder. A good burr grinder along with good beans will do a world of difference for your espresso.All in all I would recommend this unit to people as a cheap espresso solution. It’s cheap enough for people to try. It’s also a good backup and travel unit. The added bonus is the jewelry cleaner.