Morphy Richards Accents Espresso Coffee Maker 172004 Black/Stainless Steel

This is really excellent considering the price. Bought this while on a work trip. I have an old Nemox Fenice at home for comparison. Having tried with a number of bean/grind combinations, it can make a surprisingly good espresso/cappuccino. Obviously not the same quality as a professional machine, but it comes pretty close.Pros:-Amazing value for money. Does what it says it does.-Boiler is small so it heats super fast-Water tank is easily accessible and handy-Easy to cleanCons (in case any of these is a deal breaker for you, they weren't for me):-Handle is quite lightweight and the holders for the grinds aren't tightly fitted. Instead there is a little plastic piece that prevents the holder from coming out when you want to get the grinds out. This means you can't get the grind out with a quick tap.-Even the double-shot holder doesn't hold that much coffee so it is difficult to get a good double-espresso from the machine-Boiler is small and so you need to do everything quickly and right after the ready light has turned on-The milk frother is tricky to use, though with some experience it can produce the foam you want. I use it without the plastic wand attachment. It's really a matter of getting the quantity of milk right; it will not have enough pressure to heat enough milk for two cappuccinos. It tends to have too much pressure and then peter out very quickly, so it's tricky to get it to circulate the milk after frothing. You need to keep the momentum of the roll throughout the frothing because when the pressure reduces it won't be able to get it rolling again.-Drip tray is a bit shallow-Many of the reviews for this machine mentioned the lack of space between the handle and the drip tray. If you are using espresso cups or cappuccino cups, this won't be a problem at all. It isn't supposed to fit mugs. In fact, the gap is actually a bit too big for your regular cappucino cup.Despite all the cons mentioned this is definitely one of the best value machines. The next stage up would cost another few hundred pounds.

My first proper espresso foray and it's been reasonably successful. The machine comes with a single double spout arm which takes a single, double or pod holder. The tank is a decent size ~ 1L and more than enough to do a few coffees (usually just one or two though myself). I've generally found it quite consistent for espresso's - once you've got your technique consistent. I weigh the coffee then grind using a zassenhaus santiago weighing the holder also, would recommend a weighing scale in 0.1 increments, then time the shot 30-40 seconds depending on the coffee i've used. Plus take care to not over tamp the coffee (the supplied tamp is useless by the way, you definitely need a better one)I find the machine heats up pretty quick and i do a rinse of the head and the basket before use, then prewarm the glass. I think after that the "budget" aspect of the machine begins to show through as the longer the machine runs the hotter the water gets and if you do multiple runs without time to cool of it is mostly steam being pushed through the head, which will impact on the shot - not for the better. This is also a problem if you want to steam milk so i would always recommend doing the milk after you've done the shot. Overall i don't find it a huge issue as i always run some water through the head before i pull a shot and its then that you can see the temps not right, just have to leave for a little bit or turn off for a minute or two etc.The milk frother seems to work okay and you can get nice hot milk with a not too bad foam on it - certainly not a super smooth microfoam, but fine for my needs. Then once i'm done a wipe all and a final purge of the head, clean the baskets and the frother if used, then you can finally enjoy the coffee.I've been impressed with the machine and had no real problems (bar the poor tamp) and the temperature issues, but i think those are more inherent limitations with a basic machine. I honestly believe that i've had some nicer coffees out of this than in shops using machines in the 1000's of pounds - possibly the baristas are a major limiting factor?! Definitely been a good introduction and i fear a slippery slope in the quest for coffee perfection will ensue.

I love the design of this machine, and after reading all the reviews, I decided this was the one for me. Also, the colours match my other kitchen appliances very well. I have had this machine only 1 week and have used it once a day. Whilst I was waiting for it to arrive I watched videos on how to texture and froth the milk I have yet to master latte art but I am only a beginner. Always purge the steam wand to get rid of any condensation water before steaming and again straight after use to get rid of any excess milk. Using the measure and tamper provided, one 7g level scoopful per cup, tamper the coffee just enough so when you turn the filter upside down the coffee stays put. This will give you a nice even flow when the coffee is dispensing. If the coffee is too tightly packed, the water only drips through so the coffee cools down a bit by the time the cup is full (learnt from my experience). I always steam/froth the milk first so I can be "working the froth" whilst I dispense the coffee. When all done I get to sit back, relax and enjoy a lovely hot cup of latte with a luxury biscuit or cake. I recommended this machine to my Mum and Dad, so much so that I have now ordered one for them too. All in all, I am really pleased with this machine and look forward to practising my barista skills each day

Espresso side works well - all good but the frother is not good. Leaves large bubbles on top of the milk, not smooth froth and the nozzles get blocked quickly. The metal shaft insdie the plastic frothing cover get hardened milk deposits on unless you remove the plastic cover every time. The side holes in the plastic bit also get blocked with hardened milk deposits.Almost a great machine but sadly let down but the steaming side.