Espresso Machine 3.5 Bar 4 Cup Espresso Maker Cappuccino Machine with Steam Milk Frother

I read other reviews, watched videos on how to make espresso, and make way too much espresso and went haywire. Anyway, I'd like to address issues cited in previous reviews:- If you are looking for a super smooth espresso with a beer style foam on top, you are an espresso snob and need to upgrade. This is a $50 machine. The spout is wide and you get a little bit of a head but not much.- I have no found that this machine splatters at all. Use cold water guys! and make sure the little espresso holder is in with a tight seal, brush off any extra coffee bits that would prevent a tight seal.- the coffee matters. It has to be a super fine, powdery grind. It has to be tamped down tight. I'm seeing reviews where people don't tamp it down at all, the water will go right through and then you'll just have a super small regular cup of coffee.- The milk steamer: I was frustrated with this because it wasn't lasting very long. I don't know why they don't tell you this but you gotta put in extra water for the steam. I make lattes and need a lot of milk, so I put in a bunch more water and it worked a little too well. If you have any extra water the steam is gonna keep shooting out after you turn the machine off, it automatically releases steam. But it does work! It was super hot and frothy.- It doesn't have an auto shutoff. It's not a coffee maker. It's an espresso maker. It takes all of two minutes, the coffee shoots out real fast, and then you shut it off. That's how some professional espresso makers work.- It has a chemical smell at first. My coffee maker had the same smell for a while, it's not going to hurt you, it's not dangerous. Clean the removable parts before you start and the smell goes away over time. All is well.I think it's great. It does well for a $50 machine. I recommend it.

This coffee machine is running well. Makes great cappuccinos. Primarily cause I prefer strong espresso and for me cappuccinos are a good balance of milk and espresso. Good appearance but mainly plastic with some stainless steel accents. Easy operation, excellent frothing, good coffee extraction. For the price it's a good machine, nice look to it and the most important...good espresso. Manual espresso is fun if you have time to enjoy the process and toy with your methods. Super automatics are great if you just want to enjoy a better than average cup of coffee. My day-to-day beans are the Costco house blend, which are about $5/lb and they are not too oily for this machine. This means my cost per cup of coffee is crazy low considering the quality (about $0.09 per shot if you're just considering the bean cost).

For long time have wanted buying an espresso maker, but didn't find any in retail stores near my house with affordable price. This product solved problem. I don't find any difference in taste between coffe made from my friend's machine (which is much more expensive than mine) and one made from my machine. Would recommend it!

I used this machine to cook coffee several times. I should say this is a good machine. I bought this one just to learn how to brew my favorite coffee. But I must say I was surprised by the result. I like coffee very much. I usually buy it from Starbucks. Now I can stay at home on weekends and make myself a delicious cup of coffee.

This is good Espresso machine for coffee lover. Machine is small, portable and easy to use. It is also good for making cappuccino.

Your browser does not support HTML5 video.  After our DeLonghi broke down (mea culpa, gotta keep it descaled) and receiving 2 separate shipments of the same style, each with problems, I opted to give this brand a try. As seen by so many positive reviews, this is a great little machine. Not only is it compact and simple to use, it makes a nice cup of espresso. Fine grinds and puck packing practice helps fine tune the flavor. Overall, I am very pleased with this Sowtech Espresso Machine.A couple of tips from a non-barista.1) A common mistake may be to leave the press bar on the funnel handle pressed against the portafilter basket (also called “steel mesh” per instructions) after packing the puck; the press bar must be folded back to insert metal funnel assembly into machine.2) As seen in the photo, I prefer to leave the carafe cover off while making espresso so as to make placing it under the funnel assembly easier; however steam will rise from carafe a little more haphazardly so discretion advised if doing so. By the way, this machine does a halfway decent job of producing espresso crema (see video).3) Since there is no auto-off, care must be taken to turn OFF after each use. This is especially important when using steam mode to froth milk; turn knob OFF before lowering vessel with milk from steam wand (“frothing device”) unless you want milk splattered everywhere and risk a steam burn if there is any water left in reservoir. This may be true of other brands of espresso makers as well.4) This is a 3.5 bar machine, not a 15 bar. It is generally accepted that 9 bars is needed to make a perfect espresso shot. That said, be realistic regarding expectations of a 3.5 bar machine; it still can make a great shot but may not be up-to-par with espresso snobs (if a person frequents Starbucks, they may not be considered an espresso snob; Starbucks’ preparation and puck tamping may vary from location to location or even person to person and may not be considered consistent or high quality; but mix it with enough foo-foo flavors and who’d notice anyways, right? — can’t tell I’m biased against them and a bit sarcastic, can ya? Note Kaladi Brothers mug in hand...shout out to the best baristas in AK!)Why pay high prices for espresso drinks when you can make them easily and quickly at home?

It is a very nice machine. Fairly easy to use. You have to get the "hang of it" as far as frothing the milk. It does not include a "frother" so you need to go out and buy one. Try different kinds of milk and creams and see what gives you the best results. I'm happy with mine. Good Luck!

New to make coffee, have not tried yet. I love Espresso, easy to install and should be work great. Looks awesome.

I've had this product for about a week now and I can say it does its job quite well for now. The milk steamer provides a good amount of foam, and the espresso it produces is not bad. For one of the cheaper espresso machines on the market, it does its job well. I would recommend the Sowtech espresso machine for any coffee lover looking to venture out of their boring drip coffee routine.

My family members and I take pleasure in using this machine. It is handy and makes coffee and cappuccino bothin a few minutes for four adults. The price is also reasonable.

I usually use the item in the morning to get wake me up, I mix the espresso to make Americanos to relax before work

Very good

This is exactly what I was looking for. I used to have a huge machine that did the grinding but it had to be replaced. I decided that I wanted one that just made espresso, simple espresso. I was lucky to have found this little machine. It makes delicious coffee, and even my age 14 daughter uses it with decaf. Great product!