Excelvan CM6811 Steam Espresso and Cappuccino Coffeemaker (4-Cup, 800W 3.5bar)

So far, so good. Got it for my wife for Christmas, and we've been enjoying it ever since. The only ding, so far, as that there's no way to tell how much water is in it. So, if you put in water for the sake of, say, frothing milk, you'll either have to run steam until it's empty, or you'll have to invert the unit to get rid of the water. Not a huge deal, but with a water-level window, I think this would be a 5-star item for the price.** 1/7/17 Update **Down to three stars. The lid on the decanter already broke.

I had this espresso maker for a few months now and here's my impression:This is a useful little machine. It makes good coffee (when it wants to) and froth is always perfect.Pros:Easy to use.- When everything goes perfect, the coffee comes out quite tasty (see below)- The frother is surprisingly good. Cappuccinos come out so nice and flavorful, that we prefer them over coffee shops and restaurants.- The "pause" setting is useful to get the milk under the frother without making a mess.- It's quite compact and easy to clean.Cons:- Sometimes the machine shuts off in the middle of making coffee. So the water going through coffee is not as hot as it supposed to be, and significantly alters the taste. Twice it shut off completely and then started brewing again after a pause.- I found out that starting on the "steam" setting first and frothing the milk before switching to "brew" leads to much better tasting coffee. This is tricky to do if you don't have a sink nearby.- Sometimes, the frother spits water (instead of steam) into milk. Not a big deal though.- A little plastic stopper that prevents the filter from falling out of the handle piece broke off after 2 weeks. Not a huge deal unless you want to make more than 4 shots of espresso. Then you need to exercise some finesse in taking out coffee grinds without burning your fingers.Overall its quite good for the price. First few times we made coffee, there was a plastic smell that came out of the machine. I threw out a few batches, but after that it was great. No smell or taste after 2-3 days of brewing. I'm sure there are better espresso makers out there, but I felt this machine was pretty good for the money.

After a disastrous bout with a so-called espresso machine from Mr. Coffee; I decided I wanted to try the Excelvan machine. It's terrific! The directions are easy, my cappuccinos are heavenly each and every time! There's no downside to this purchase. I can't wait for those cold winter mornings waking up to a sexy, fluffy, holiday cappuccino!

I've received no discount of any kind for this review. After researching different machines and reading reviews I ordered the Excelvan CM6811 and paid full price. This is the first Espresso/Cappuccino machine I've owned. Directions are straight forward and concise. Takes some practice getting used to the mechanics of all the parts/fittings. However, by the time you have run several rounds of water through the machine prior to making the first cuppa (as instructed), there should be no problems. The frother is a wee bit lacking on froth and have considered other alternatives. A frothing machine perhaps? It is a treat, however, to be able to make your own cappuccino when you need that afternoon pick-up! Pleased with product.

Terrible product. Almost caught on fire. Smelled burning plastic throughout the house, saw smoke coming out of the machine. Good thing we were home and unplugged it. Do not purchase this. Looking at other reviews I see I was not the only one to have one melt. Very dangerous. Days later our house still stinks of burning plastic.

The top and the bottom parts are not lining up. The top portion where the coffee is placed does not line up with the grooves. The bottom portion is a problem. It doesn't line up either. For the product to work, the lid on the glass cup needs to in an closed position instead of it being open. The coffee is delicious and comes out well. The entire Espresso and Cappucino Escelvan is constructed with cheap materials. These products are not made well. The majority of the these products no matter how much a person spends there are major flaws throughout

Was highly disappointed in this product. Cheaply made. Does not make quality espresso. Made of very lightweight plastic which makes it impossible to attach or remove the espresso filter holder without great difficulty... you will need to stabilize the unit or it will slide on the counter in the direction you are turning the handle. The resulting espresso does not have the desirable frothy/creamy topping or taste of a rich espresso drink. I tried several times to make espresso, but each time I ended up with a watery coffee drink that did not resemble the full-bodied flavor of good espresso. If this product cost $20, then it would earn a 3-star rating. But at its existing price... 1 star.

This is a good priced expresso machine, but it has its tricks learning to do the cappuccino coffee. After a few tries you get a hang of it, but I am sure you can find a simpler, easier to use machine. The instructions that come with it are quiet confusing, as well. Making the coffee is not complicated, but frothing the milk has its tricks. Placing the coffee dispenser is not also simple as it goes in a specific manner into the machine. My recommendation is to read reviews and watch videos regarding other options out there.