IMUSA USA GAU-18202 4 Cup Espresso/Cappuccino Maker

I wanted a small compact and simple machine and this one so far has delivered well. It’s a little tricky getting coffee holder and handle lined up but with practice it gets easier. You do have to watch and froth the milk while it’s still making your cups or it will shut down and you can’t restart it until the pressure is off of it. You also have to wait to make more so not a good machine if you have more than 1 or 2 people wanting a cup at the same time. But for the price it does a great job and easy to clean.

I like this product. No real complaints. We use it all the time. The espresso is always fresh, it’s convenient to use, and we didn’t have to pay an arm and a leg for it. 10 out of 10.

I use it every day. My coffee pot ended up in the trash. So easy to make single cup once a day instead of guzzling cups and cups or wasting leftover coffee.

My espresso is more economical than grounds. I buy 2 bags of cafe bustelo for $10 and it lasts
Me all month. I like to put cinnamon powder on top of the espresso. Yum!

Its been on everyday use for months, do not know how I ever got along without it.

Edit to add: One small complaint after using it for a couple weeks. The little tab that holds the filter in when you cash out the used beans is too long.
It sits over the grounds so they don’t come out in a solid clump. Just another small step to wipe it off when I wipe the top of the filter off before attaching back on the machine. Still didn’t stop me from buying a second one for backup when I destroy this one from overuse. I make 4 to 5 cups a day now.

Also, some reviews complain about the lack of crema. True with my first few brews until I adjusted my bean grind. It’s not the machine… It’s their beans. Try a finer setting on the grinder and you’ll get the crema.

Original review: Can’t comment on the frother. Don’t use it, don’t need it. My drink is an Americano. First I brew plain water while getting My shots and cup ready. Not only do I have my hot water ready to add to the shots, I’m sure the machine is clean before brewing the coffee. As soon as the water is brewed, I take the lid off and add the water for My shots. While that’s heating up, I add some hot water to My cup to melt the sugar then add the beans to the machine and let the shots brew. I always add more water than needed. When my shots are done, I add them to My cup, cash out the used beans, then run the remaining water thru the machine to rinse it. The machine gets turned off and unplugged. The carafe gets a rinse and it’s all ready for the next use. I add a bit more hot water to My cup, give it a stir, add My creamer, dump the remaining hot water and I’m all set. Perfect for me cup of coffee!

My last machine lasted a good 4 years of making 2-4 Americano espressos a day. It finally gave out when I had to move 5 times in one year and had to keep it stored in a plastic tub instead of in the counter. It took some abuse being packed away after each use before it died. I couldn’t find this unit to replace it at that time. I had to buy a more expensive machine. That other brand was CRAP! Even after a year, I could smell the plastic heating up, was way louder, constantly burned myself, and it took multiple washes when new to stop tasting like plastic. It was like the steam came out of the lid instead of down to brew.

When I saw this unit available again and cheaper than years ago, I ordered one right away. The day it arrived I washed all the parts, wiped down the machine, set it up, and ran water thru it only 3 times before brewing some coffee. Right away the machine did not fill my place with toxic fumes. That other brand caused me all sorts of reactions from the toxins for the first month. Not this little beast. The first cup of coffee tasted just like my 4 year old Imusa before it died. I had no ‘new plastic’ taste. No offgassing of the machine.

Coffee is my happy place and the other brand I dealt with the last year took the joy away. I’m so thrilled to have this Imusa back again. I just hope it lasts as long, if not longer, than my first Imusa. I’m very tempted to buy a second one to keep on hand as a back up so I don’t have to deal with a more expensive crap machine again. Why not? $30 machine lasted a good 4 years vs a $60 machine that gave me trouble daily for less than a year before I gave up on it.

I use it several times a day and this is my 3rd one in 10 years. I love it