Jarden MrC Steam Espresso Maker

Awesome Steamer with Minor Adjustment
So I bought this machine like everyone else trying to save a couple bucks instead of going to Starbucks all the time. First time I tried it I had the same problem everyone else did...only 4 seconds of steam for the milk...than I remembered reading somewhere online about adding more water to your machine than the directions say for less bitter tasting espresso and figured that also might work for the steamer. So I added enough water for 4 shots...2 for espresso plus 2 extra for steam, brewed my 2 shots of the Espresso and than turned the machine off. Than I turned on the steamer for my milk OMG!!!I had more steam than I needed to make three Mochas. It took several minutes for all the steam to finally run out! And the actual mocha I've been making taste just as good as Starbucks which shocked me because normally the home brewed stuff tastes really burnt. This doesn't. This steamer with the extra water works better than both the $350+ dollar pump machines my parents have invested in. If...

First Espresso Machine for a Coffee Lover
I bought this for my parents this past Christmas (2011) and with all of us being avid coffee drinkers, we hooked it right up. My fifteen year old brother was able to set it up without directions; it is just that easy, although the directions are really simple to follow- not much handling required. My mother used to be a barista for a local coffee company so we let her have the first go. Our first two espresso's were hot, but not as hot as needed for espresso, but the flavor was great. However, the second round (my mother got the hang of it real quick) was perfect in temp and the flavor was amazing. Then we got funky with it and instead of using skim milk with the frother we used half skim, half french vanilla creamer. Oh my gosh were those amazing! My mother continued to make mochas and cappuccinos throughout the day and even zested some godiva chocolate on the top! Everyone was very pleased with the quality of the coffee that was being brewed. We must have made at least four dozen...

It Works! (instruction manual poor)
I was ready to give up on this machine, but decided to wait a day and try again. The machine has two separate functions: making espresso and foaming milk. Each require water in the water reservoir. So, if making both espresso AND foaming milk, put extra water into the water reservoir. Use the dial to turn it to the function you want e.g. "brew" to make espresso, and when you have the expected amount of espresso in the carafe, then turn the dial to off, put the froth tip into the pitcher of milk, and turn dial to steam. There should be plenty of water in the reservoir, so there will be plenty of steam to heat the milk. Voile! Then, it's just a matter of learning how to froth correctly. I like the machine now.

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