Mr Coffee Cafe Barista Review 2024 – Lattes & Cappuccinos Made Easy

If you have limited kitchen space like I do, you’re always trying to find machines capable of tackling more jobs.

The trick, of course, is to avoid compromising on the end results at the same time!

In my Mr Coffee Cafe Barista review, I’m taking a closer look at what’s become a very popular combination espresso machine.

It’s designed to deliver knockout lattes and cappuccinos, at the push of a button, and without compromising on quality. Does it really live up to its reputation though?

(Looking for something else for your morning cup? I have a massive coffee brewing archive that has more to explore!)

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What To Look For In An Espresso Machine

An espresso machine like the Mr Coffee Cafe Barista is designed to pack lots of functionality into a single espresso maker.

I think a machine like the Cafe Barista is ideal if you want one machine that can make many coffee drinks. You’ll also like it if you want quality espresso drinks, but don’t have the necessary skills to handle the brew yourself.

In other words, you want a really good cup of coffee, but you don’t want to have to do any tweaking or tinkering to get there!

If you want more control over the brewing process, then I’d recommend looking into something like a semi automatic espresso machine instead.

The best of these produce truly outstanding coffee, and give you much more control over the entire brewing process.

At the same time though, you do have to be willing to roll your sleeves up and work on your steaming, frothing and foaming skills!

Here are some things to think about when you’re looking into this sort of espresso machine.

• Frothing Control: How much control do you want – or need – over the milk frothing process? If all you want is a button-push cappuccino or latte, make sure the machine can accommodate this. If you want fine control over the foaming, you’ll need an espresso machine that lets you take more manual control over the steam wand.
• Ease of Use: These machines are designed to be as simple to operate as possible. Look for a coffee machine that keeps things as simple as possible. It should let you clearly – and quickly – navigate the drink settings you need, without any unnecessary control clutter.
• Reservoirs: Make sure the milk and water reservoirs are easy to remove, refill and clean too. I’m not aware of any machines at this level that let you plumb directly into the water supply. You need to make sure the reservoirs are generous enough that you won’t have to fill them up after every other drink.
• Dimensions: Most all-in-one machines have a pretty compact design. You’ll still need to allow extra space to get the water and/or milk reservoir out of the main housing. Check the manufacturer’s specs and then allow enough space all around the area you intend to keep the machine. Front-loaded reservoirs are a lot easier to handle, for obvious reasons!

Mr Coffee Cafe Barista (BVMC-ECMP1000)

The Mr Coffee Cafe Barista is a combination espresso, cappuccino and latte machine. It’s designed to be as hands-off as possible, taking care of each stage of the brewing process for you.

The fact that it handles so much of the process automatically means you have few options when it comes to tweaking the brew though.

While you can, of course, choose the coffee you put into it (and opt for different coarseness, for example), there are no options for tweaking the strength or brew time on this coffee machine.

That of course is a big benefit for its target audience, who want convenient, button-push coffee. It’s simply how the machine is positioned in the market.

In the box you get the machine itself, a measuring spoon / tamper (more on that later), and a pair of filters. These little metal trays – one for single and one for double shots – fit inside the portafilter, which is also included.

You simply place the one you want to use inside the filter, add your coffee, tamp it down, and then swivel the portafilter into the machine.

From here you just select your drink options (including milk setting) and the Cafe Barista takes care of everything else.

It’s pretty simple stuff, in other words, but convenience is the name of the game here!

Pros

• A simple machine that still produces very good cappuccinos and lattes.
• The Mr Coffee Cafe Barista creates dark, rich espresso drinks with a full crema.
• Water tank is quite generous, and big enough for the average household.
• Very easy to clean and care for. Drip tray comes out easily.
• Smart, modern design. I think it looks great on the countertop!

Cons

• Needs a few cleaning cycles on set-up to achieve a high brewing temperature.
• Very little control over the milk preparation.
• Plastic tamper included with the machine really isn’t up to the job.
• You’ll want to buy a bean grinder separately for best results.
• I’ve seen reports that the machine doesn’t have a particularly long lifespan.

Main Features Of The Mr Coffee Cafe Barista Espresso Maker

That’s a very broad overview of the Mr Coffee Cafe Barista Espresso and Cappuccino Maker, but in the next section I’m going to take a much closer look at how the machine works in practice.

15 Bar Pump Brewing System

The Mr Coffee Cafe Barista brews coffee with a 15 bar pump system.

That hits the minimum pressure you want to see in an espresso drinks machine to operate at. The end result is a bold, well-extracted shot of coffee, ready for the next stage of your drink.

There’s no grinder built into the Cafe Barista though, so you’ll be stuck with using pre-ground coffee.

Alternatively, you could consider buying a dedicated grinder alongside the machine. Personally I think this is a worthwhile investment, as you get a much better brew using whole beans.

Regardless, the espresso from the Cafe Barista is pretty good given how it’s targeted in the market. It goes without saying though that the better the beans you use, the better the end result will be.

To help you get started, you also get a recipe book out of the box. It’ll give you plenty of ideas to start working with, and I think that’s a nice touch by Mr Coffee.

Milk Frother Produces A High Quality Finish

As for the milk preparation stage, the Mr Coffee Cafe Barista includes a very simple dial on the milk reservoir. This lets you choose the type of milk foam you want for the drink you’re making.

Turning it to the right sets things up for a pretty good foamy cappuccino. Move the dial to the left instead if you want to prepare a smoother latte.

(Just make sure you’ve directed the milk spout into the cup first. If you forget to do so it’s going to make a real mess!)

Although you do get a reasonable amount of control over the density of the foam you create, you shouldn’t expect to flex your barista muscles too much with this thing.

There’s a very narrow range of options to work with, but ultimately this is a machine designed to do the hard work for you.

If you want a coffee machine that’s going to give you much more control over this stage of the process, you might look to read our guide to the best semi-automatic espresso machines.

I’ve also highlighted a similar Mr Coffee machine that provides more frothing control towards the end of this review.

Milk Reservoir Made To Fit A Refrigerator

You obviously don’t want a lot of milk sitting around at room temperature for too long. Fortunately the Mr Coffee Cafe Barista has a very elegant solution.

Once you’re done making your drink, the front-facing milk reservoir detaches really easily. Once it’s out, you can just pop the whole thing in your refrigerator.

That’s great for saving on waste, and means you don’t have to worry too much about getting quantities perfect.

Easy To Remove Water Reservoir

Likewise the water tank – located at the rear of the machine – comes out easily enough for refilling.

Check your kitchen space carefully before buying the Mr Coffee Cafe Barista though. You’ll need enough space around the top or sides to get the tank out.

Simple Controls Get The Job Done Fast

I really like how simple the controls are on the Mr Coffee Cafe Barista.

Just three buttons allow you to navigate all the options that are available. If you want a double shot version of each drink, you simply press the related button twice. Just make sure you’ve set the portafilter up with the right size first.

Finally, the On / Off switch is located at the rear of the Mr Coffee Cafe Barista.

Overall I think it’s very intuitive to use and I don’t think anyone will struggle to find their way around everything this home espresso machine is capable of.

All Accessories Included In The Box

Although you get all the accessories you need out of the box – including separate filters for single or double espresso shots – I would definitely recommend picking up a separate, sturdier tamper alongside the machine.

The one that’s included isn’t terrible but it is plastic and flimsy. You want to be able to use a little bit of force when tamping your coffee grounds, and I don’t think the one that’s included with the Cafe Barista is up to the job.

By all means give the supplied tamper a go before shelling out any more money! Just be aware this may end up being an extra expense for you in the long run.

Alternative Espresso Machines

All in all I think the Mr Coffee Cafe Barista is a really impressive combination coffee machine. It does what it sets out to do really well, the results are better than you’d expect at this price level, and it’s a doddle to use.

It’s always worth checking out the competition before committing to a purchase though. In this next section I wanted to highlight some of the worthiest contenders that are worth considering.

Mr Coffee Automatic Dual Shot Espresso / Cappuccino System

If you’re particularly keen on having more control over the milk preparation stage, you might want to consider this alternative Mr Coffee espresso machine instead.

It has the same 15 bar pump system, but you have more control over the frothing process.

Unlike the Mr Coffee Cafe Barista, this machine also lets you prepare a double shot of espresso at the same time. That’s handy when you have guests over to visit, and you don’t want to waste time standing over an espresso machine!

It requires a little more hands-on control all-round though, so if you’re not ready to take charge over the brew you may find it a little more intimidating.

Pros

• Extra fine control over the frothing process.
• Cmpact design with high performance.
• Very powerful milk frothing wand.

Cons

• A rather “plastic-y” feel for this kind of design.
• Care required with the frothing wand if you’re to avoid large bubbles.

Keurig K-Cafe Coffee, Latte and Cappuccino Maker

Keurig K-Cups – and other pod machines – offer very convenient coffee brewing. That does mean you’re going to be spending quite a lot of money on pods in the long run. You’ll also be limited to the K-Cup flavors on offer, although the range of options is absolutely massive!

If you want to carry on using your favorite ground coffee, you’ll also need to grab the reusable K-Cup filter, which is sold separately. Compared to the Mr Coffee machine, it’s not quite as simple as it looks at first glance.

Keurig’s K-Cafe is a popular coffee machine in this category though, and is very simple to use. It’s also got a pretty beefy 60 ounce water tank as well, so you won’t need to refill the thing constantly!

Just make sure you’re happy with the trade-off here. Some love the convenience, others find it limiting. It really comes down to what you need your espresso machine to do, and how happy you’ll be to keep buying those pods.

Pros

• Auto-Off function provides peace of mind when not in use.
• Multiple brew strength and cup size options.
• Very simple and convenient to use – the Keurig trademark!

Cons

• Limited to using official K-Cups or buying the separate reusable filter.
• Quite a bulk espresso maker for what it does.
• No clock or timer function included on the control panel.

DeLonghi BCO430BM

DeLonghi has a well-deserved reputation for making really high quality coffee machines. I think the BCO430BM is a very worthy alternative to the Mr Coffee machine, made by a trusted brand.

As well as sharing that 15 bar pressure system, the machine also includes some patented DeLonghi brewing tech. That helps it achieve a really rich extraction. There’s a lot more flexibility in terms of the milk froth it produces too.

For those days when you just want a big pot of coffee, I think you’ll also appreciate the dual nature of the machine. On the left you can make your lattes and cappuccinos, on the right you can brew up a quick jug of coffee.

Pros

• Carbon filter helps with achieving a very clean espresso flavor.
• Ability to make large pots of drip coffee is very welcome.
• Drip-stop feature prevents over spilling

Cons

• No frothing jar supplied with the machine
• Bulky if you don’t need the carafe brewing functionality.

The Final Verdict On The Mr Coffee Cafe Barista

The bottom line? These sorts of espresso machines are all designed to pack plenty of versatility into one coffee maker, be easy to use, and still deliver really good lattes and cappuccinos.

In that sense, I think the Mr Coffee Cafe Barista does an excellent job of living up to its promise, and at a reasonable price point too.

The controls are really simple, the coffee’s very good, and the automatic frother means consistent results every time.

Click here to find out how other people have been getting on with the Mr Coffee Cafe Barista.