Review on Hamilton Beach 40792: Experience Espresso Excellence – Latte, Cappuccino, and Milk Frother, 15 Bar Italian Pump, Single Cup Brewer in Black & Stainless by Timothy Gonzalez

The Hamilton Beach 40792 has some commendable qualities aside from making a decent espresso. I use a carafe from an old machine to make about 4 servings (oz) in the morning. The espresso might not be as rich as store-bought espresso, but not bad. It outperforms cheaper espresso machines with a removable, clear water tank at the back, allowing you to brew multiple drinks before needing to be refilled. The manual warns that running the machine without water will damage it. I like the ease of use, especially the filter locking lever. It is a mystery to me why people still blindly screw in portafilters in other, more expensive machines. Also unique to this machine is that production is not metered, there is no one-shot-two-shot button. The extraction time and thus the amount of coffee brewed at once is up to you. This approach requires you to watch the process or risk a spill. Extraction is quick, so not too fiddly, and allows you to prepare larger, albeit weaker, portions. The instructions recommend unplugging after use. When brewing espresso, turn the dial to the neutral position to stop. Wait a few seconds for the system to purge, then press the power button. You can then switch off the machine. In the absence of microfoam (explained below), I pour about 4-6 ounces of espresso into a regular coffee mug with about an inch of cold milk. The coffee is rich enough to support a foam that, when not a latte, has a similar texture. Not bad for under $100. On the other hand, don't expect much from the steam wand of any machine that may or may not use a plastic wand, it's a disappointment. The wand works well for heating milk, but you'll probably have to spend at least $300 more to get microfoam. I'm eyeing the Breville Bambino Plus (not currently available from Revain), which just went up another $100 to $599 but promises to make microfoam easy. Nevertheless, the comparison is wrong. For the price of 40792 it's worth it. I would add that using good, finely ground beans improves results significantly. Finally, the power cord is short, no longer than 18 inches, so you'll likely have to physically take the machine to an outlet to get a drink.