Mr. Coffee ECM250 more steam than coffee

[raydarluvr]

OK, I know the Mr. Coffee ECM250 is not a real espresso machine, but it was for use in a hospital room. A contingency buy. The housekeeper snatched up the instructions with the bed sheets and I have no guidance. First, can someone scan a copy of the instructions and send them to me? Second, does anybody have any secrets to making a 4 cup pot of espresso with this clunker? I get about an once of coffee and the rest steams out. I''ve tried different grinds, different tamps, no tamp, putting my tongue on the other side of my mouth, the hokie pokie, etc. Please offer any advice you have. I''m not about to bring my DeLonghi Magnifica to work! Thanks in advance. Jeff

 

[shadow745]

Sounds like a steam machine....... In all honesty I didn't bother looking it up, but you mentioned the "4 cup" thing and all steam machines have the infamous 2 or 4 cup markings......

I used a steam machine for about 8 years before stumbling onto a good pump machine, but it was all I knew and it worked for what it was. They just don't work well because they overheat the water to reach steam pressure and then the pressure is only 1-3 bars......

Never tamp the grounds in these things as they just can't handle high pressure. You'd want something in between a drip and an espresso grind. Don't try to use a true espresso grind.....

Preheat your cup...... What I would do with mine is pour in the water, let it build up steam and then run maybe 1 oz. of water through the grounds, switch over to steaming to churn the milk the best I could and try to switch back over to finish out the puck before running out of water. Regardless of what beans you use or the technique involved, what you end up with is barely drinkable.

Oh yeah, you'll never get more than an ounce or 2 of drinkable coffee from one of these things. Even the best pump machines can barely get 1.5-2 oz. of espresso before the puck is useless. Later!

 

[omegapd]

I wish you the best of luck my friend. My wife gave me one for Christmas a few years back when my other junk espresso machine gave up. I was never able to get anything worth drinking out of it. It came out over-extracted and awfully bitter and burned. It wound up in a yard sale earlier this year...

Is the steam leaking out of the frothing wand somehow?

Let us know...

EW