West Bend Coffee Maker and Espresso Machine

I previously owned a Kitchen Selectives, extremely low-end coffee pot. I bought it for ten dollars at Wal-Mart until I could get something a little bit better. The Kitchen Selectives hot pad stopped keeping the coffee warm, so I decided it was time to look for another coffee maker. When I went back to Wal-Mart, I intended to purchase a normal coffee maker, preferably with a timer. While looking through the products available at Wal-Mart, I noticed the West Bend Coffee/Cappuccino maker, which was on sale for $45.00. After weighing my options, I decided to take a risk and purchase a brand I was unfamiliar with in order to get the inexpensive cappuccino feature.

I have owned this model for about three months. I have only made a couple of pots of coffee with this machine. It takes the cone-shaped filters, so the first time I was ready to make a pot of coffee, I realized I had the wrong filters. I have read some other reviews that indicate the hot pad on the West Bend coffee maker has a tendency to stop keeping the coffee warm. I do not leave my coffee pot on all day, usually consuming a couple of cups in the morning and carrying the rest with me to work. However, based on my last purchase, it would not surprise me if this hot pad also has issues. As of yet, I have not had a problem with the hot pad. I have also read that some other customers have had problems with spillage while pouring...I have not experienced that with the coffee pot, but have had a little spillage with the cappuccino. I solved that by removing the lid while I pour.

I make cappuccino every morning. I have made over a hundred small pots of espresso/cappuccino since I have owned this machine and haven't had a problem yet with the cappuccino maker. I normally make two runs of Cappuccino each morning, using the same grounds for both runs. The first run is obviously a little stronger. I pour my half-and-half into my coffee mug while the cappuccino is brewing, and steam it as the machine reaches it's peak. The window of opportunity for steaming your milk is very limited with this machine. If you miss it, forget about hot milk...just put it in the microwave to heat it up for the cappuccino. The cappuccino is stronger than regular coffee, which I have grown accustomed to now. I don't know if I could go back if I had to.

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