Mr. Coffee One-Touch CoffeeHouse Review + Comaparison with Cafe Barista
Comments: 22↓ specifications & manual ↓
 Amazon.com
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$263.48
2 new
from $259.99
5 used from $190.89
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 Mrcoffee.com
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$359.99 |
Mr. Coffee One-Touch CoffeeHouse is a new espresso and cappuccino machine that appeared on the American market this autumn. However, it’s a replica of already well-known Oster Prima Latte II, which was introduced on Canadian, South American American and Europen markets last year. This doesn’t mean that Mr. Coffee copies Oster. Both brands sell OEM-manufactured Chinese appliances (just a fact FYI).
One-Touch Coffee House BVMC-EM6701SS is an upgraded version of another Mr. Coffee’s model called Café Barista. They are very similar and all the main parts are the same, however, there are few differences and improvements, which I will list at the end of my review.
Mr. Coffee CoffeeHouse belongs to the rare class of machines, which makes milk foam automatically, however, espressos should be made manually. Overall, it’s quite a controversial machine. Buying it is a compromise between price, automatization, durability and coffee quality. However, since Delonghi EC860 (see at Amazon) left the market, Mr. Coffee’s machines with automated frothers have no strong competitors. Thus, this machine could be recommended overall, but with the following provisos:
- First of all, you are really looking for an espresso maker with automated milk frother. 9 out of 10 other semi-automatic espresso machines on the market have a panarello steam wand, which requires you to whip milk manually (see example video below). Based on my observations approx. 10% of people can’t handle it.
- Automated milk jar is definitely one of the strongest sides of Mr. Coffee One-Touch CoffeeHouse. You are guaranteed to get a milk foam for your cappuccino. Even your grandma will be able to do it. Just compare:
- However, there are some flip sides of such automatization:
- With such type of frother, you can’t make latte art and you can’t regulate the temperature of the milk foam. You may get colder cappuccino than you get used to.
- Another con – automated milk frother by Mr. Coffee doesn’t have a quick rinse cycle as more expensive super-automatic machines do. This means that after every cappuccino you will have to do quite complicated cleanings: empty the milk jar, wash it, fill it with fresh water, put an empty cup on the cup stand and run cleaning cycle by pressing the ‘Clean’ button.
- Lack of cleanings can lead to poor milk foam. But even with appropriate cleanings, this milk jar can be broken in 1-2 years due to average build quality.
💡 Alternative purchase idea №1. Consider buying a cheaper manual espresso machine by more renowned brand like Delonghi, Gaggia or Saeco plus a separate milk electric milk frother and warmer. This pair will be more durable, however less automated. Example: the old good Delonghi EC155 and something like Nespresso Aeroccino3:
- Secondly, if you are looking for something cheap, yet with a good customer support and warranty.
- The low price of this Mr. Coffee BVMC-EM6701SS should definitely be listed in pros.
- Mr. Coffee has good customer support, spare parts availability and warranty conditions in the States. There are cheaper Chinese OEM-manufactured espresso machines like Aicook, for example. But they have terrible support (better say ‘none’). Read comments left by real customers under my Aicook’s review.
💡 Alternative purchase idea №2. However, if you are really short on budget, you may look for cheaper and older Mr. Coffee Cafe Barista. Current prices are shown below and differences (not much really) are listed at the end of my review.
- Thirdly, you understand that Mr. Coffee One-Touch CoffeeHouse Espresso Maker and Cappuccino Machine is not as automated as it may seem. It is not a super-automatic machine:
- You still need to make espresso manually:
- Put ground coffee into the filter basket
- Tamp it
- Install the holder into the machine. In the weeks, it could be tight. This is always the case with manual espresso machines.
- Clean the filter after you finish.
- Don’t forget above-mentioned cleanings of milk carafe, which are quite complicated.
- You still need to make espresso manually:
- Finally, if you mainly drink cappuccino/latte. Because if you drink espresso than the taste would be noticeably worse and flatter if compared to the results of Delonghi, Gaggia or Breville. That’s because of the filters:
- Mr. Coffee uses pressurized filter baskets that guarantees good coffee extraction even without good tamping and with inappropriate grind level (I described the difference in the Delonghi EC155M review). Nevertheless, the construction of the filters is less effective – water runs too fast, which leads to more watery, flat taste. Not terrible, but still could be better.
By the way, technically speaking Mr. Coffee Coffee House Cappuccino Machine doesn’t make cappuccino in one touch. The programmed recipe is, in fact, a latte macchiato because it adds espresso into the hot milk foam. Classic cappuccino is made vice versa – first espresso, then milk. You can do it on this machine in two steps: first make espresso by pressing ‘Espresso’ button, afterwards – press ‘Froth’ button.
There is one more unobvious advantage of the Mr. Coffee BVMC-EM6701. Since it’s a replica of Oster Prima II, which on the South American market goes with Nespresso capsules compatible filter (not available in the US market due to patent reasons, I assume), you may buy one and turn your machine into multipurpose espresso maker: ground coffee, ESE pods and Nespresso capsules.
Mr. Coffee CoffeeHouse vs. Cafe Barista
As I already mentioned at the beginning of this review both machines have similar cons and pros. However, in the One-Touch CoffeeHouse they made several improvements if compared to Cafe Barista:
- New pump with a maximum pressure of 19 bar (not 15 bar). Honeslty it’s kind of useless improvement. In both cases (15 or 19 bar) it is the maximum pressure measured in the pump’s output. Espresso needs just 6-8 bar inside the filter. So both 15 and 19 bar is more than enough for espresso. Just a marketing trick.
- Increased milk tank capacity (now 650 ml, was 480 ml). The construction of the milk frother is the same, the milk jug still needs to be cleaned after every cappuccino and that still ruins all the automatisation.
- In the same time. the water reservoir became smaller, which I find to be more critical.
- New filter baskets. You can use ESE coffee pods now. Plus new filters are separable, which makes it easier to clean them.
- The width isn’t changed. New Mr. Coffee CoffeeHouse looks smaller, however it’s just due to more lightweight design.
- Colors available. As for November 2018 CoffeeHouse is sold only on black and silver coating, while Cafe Barista is available in red&black, white&black and silver&black.
However, the most important improvement (in my opinion) is a new control panel, which became much more user-friendly. Cafe Barista has three buttons for 7 different functions (six automatic recipes + cleaning cycle). The new model has exactly 7 buttons for 7 different drinks and operations. I found this new “1 button – 1 function” philosophy to be much easier to use.
My Review Conclusion
Should you pay more for a newer model or buy old Cafe Barista? It depends on the price difference. Now, when the Mr. Coffee One-Touch CoffeeHouse has just appeared on the market the difference is rather too high if compared to few improvements that were made. However, I think that in a few months the price will drop and if the surcharge will be no more than $40-50 then it’s worth it.
Nevertheless, I want to repeat myself once again:
Mr. Coffee One-Touch Coffeehouse BVMC-EM6701 is quite a controversial machine. Buying it is a compromise between price, automatization, durability and coffee quality. Consider buying a less automated machine or raise the budget for the super-automatic machine, which is really automated.
I NEED your opinion. Please rate my review:
(14 votes, average: 4.57 out of 5)
Loading...Mr. Coffee One-Touch CoffeeHouse BVMC-EM6701 Coffee Machine Specifications: |
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|---|---|
| Download manual: | Download pdf manual |
| Machine type: | Pump espresso machine |
| Width х Deep х Height: | 8.86" x 11.22" x 11.6" (22cm x 28cm x 29 cm) |
| Coffee used: | Ground coffee or E. S. E. pods |
| Grinder: | No |
| Brewing group: | Metal filter |
| Heater: | Thermoblock, 1170W |
| Max pressure: | 19 bar |
| Water container: | 40 fl oz |
| Bean container: | No |
| Waste container: | No |
| Cappuccinatore: | Automatic with milk foam regulator |
| Max cup height: | 4.1" (105 mm) |
| Controlling: | 7 buttons |
| Colors: | BVMC-EM6701SS (Stainless Steel) is black and silver |
Breville One Touch VCF107 (UK). Is it the same?
Lou
21 Nov 18 at 2:01 pm
Sure. As well as VCF108 and VCF109 models (the only difference between them is color).
Dmitriy
21 Nov 18 at 4:19 pm
Many thanks. It says that CoffeeHouse has 3 Thermo Couples while Cafe Barista has two. What does it mean?
Tessa
26 Nov 18 at 12:59 am
It’s some marketing rubbish from Amazon 😉 Even on the official Mr. Coffee website there is no information about 2 or 3 thermo couples.
Thermocouples are used in professional espresso machines with PIDs because they measure the temperature with high accuracy and constantly. On the Coffee House as well as on any other at-home espresso machine they use simple thermostats with preconfigured value. It just shows if the temoerature is less or higher than predefined value (e.g. 95ºC for coffee) and switch on or switch off the light, that indicates that the machine is ready to brew.
What Mr. Coffee calls a ‘thermocouple heating system’ is just another name for thermoblock – the type of heating element, which works like continuous flow (tankless) water heater for bathrooms.
However, as I said in my review, on the OneTouch CoffeeHouse model the thermoblock has a higher power, which allows it to deliver more hot water. For example, if you are making two lungos in one time (7 fl oz total volume) then the new model will make it hotter. While old Cafe Barista in the same situatuion wll deliver colder water at the end. For single espresso shot there is no difference.
Dmitriy
26 Nov 18 at 11:45 am
Hi there,
I hope you can help me? I am looking for info regarding how to clean the milk-pump, I have used it twice and on the second cleaning the pump was struggling to suck up water and the pump was clicking oddly…I only have this machine less than a month. The milk tank was left in my fridge over night, would this have affected the cleaning setting?
is there a video to show how to care for this device? ie the breville one-touch coffeehouse
Thank you,
Brendan
Brendan
14 Jan 19 at 11:45 am
Hi, Brendan.
When you write “the pump was struggling to suck up water and the pump was clicking oddly” – do you mean the milk reservoir of water resrvoir?
Anyway:
1) There is no special milk pump. The machine has one pump for water. For milk frothing it uses the steam under pressure which is generated by the same pump. In steam mode the pump is working in intermittent mode (the clicking sound). So this is generally normal, however, I can’t hear which sound your machine makes.
2) If the machine can’t make both coffee and milk – the the problem is in the pump. OR sometimes the problem is because the water tank isn’t installed properly and the machine can’t take the water – try instll the water tank deeper (push down) and check if the water level goes down when the pump is working.
3) If the machine makes espresso, but can’t make the the milk froth (can’t suck milk/water from milk reservoir) – the the problem is in the milk tank. More specifically – inside the water tank where all the tubes meets. That’s where all the frothing magic happens 🙂
As I pointed in the review, the construction of automatic milk frothers, which are installed on Mr. Coffee, Europen Breville and other chineese-engineered machines isn’t very durable. That’s why it’s double important to wash it properly and regularly as descibed in the manual.
Placing the milk tank filled with milk in the fridge for a night could be a reasin of your problem if you didn’t make a quick clean after last cappuccino. Even if you did it, the problem could still be in the milk jar (because quick cleaning cycles usually are not very effective).
If this is the case, then you can try now to disassemble all the parts (tubes, lids) of the milk tank. Wash it, then fill with water and try to make full clean cycle. If it doesn’t help – try to wash it with special milk cleaning liquids for coffee machines (but odrinary dish washer liquid could also help).
P. S. I don’t have a video for your model, bu you can watch this one (both machines are very similar) http://101coffeemachines.info/mr-coffee/cafe-barista-and-its-clones/#milkcleaning
Dmitriy
14 Jan 19 at 1:55 pm
I have a Café Barista which some days makes fantastic espresso, some days makes such disgustingly bitter espresso that I have to adulterate it with sugar!!
I pull 12oz shots. I think the problem may be that if I put a thermometer into the cup, on a good day it often reads 164 degrees
Is this unit with a it’s 1170 W vs my 1040W thermowhatever likely to be any better please?
jon stienberg
6 Feb 19 at 6:02 pm
Hello, Jon!
I doubt that something with a 12 oz. volume could be called espresso or even lungo 🙁 Any espresso machine even with the most powerful thermoblock is design to pull 1-2 oz shots and practically isn’t capable to deliver so much water of stable hot water. The tempreture falls and rises during the brewing, however, the average result of 164°F is rather normal, may be even hotter than classic espresso. So the problem is not in the temperature and changing the machine to any other espresso machine wouldn’t help.
What you face when describe ‘disgustingly bitter’ taste is the overextraction. After 60-100 ml (2-3 oz) the machine starts to extract bitter flavors and burnt oils out of the espresso powder. If you want to get a decent big cup of coffee you have to ways to avoid overextraction:
1) Since you can’t regulate the pressure – use coarse grind for you coffee. That’s call caffe crema or australian lungo.
2) Pull classic 1-2 oz. shot of espresso, then add hot water to dilute it. It would be mild, not string coffee and there would be no ‘bad’ bitterness, the taste will be full bodied.
Dmitriy
7 Feb 19 at 12:49 pm
(Sorry for minor mistake, I meant that I press the button twice and then once more when it has finished to get a standard cup, – 8oz? But that this method does sometimes give a really nice cup)
You say, and I’ll try, pushing the top button once / twice and then filling with boiling water for a standard cup.
Thank you for this suggestion
jon stienberg
7 Feb 19 at 2:08 pm
I just recently received the One Touch as a gift and am very disappointed in the size of the drinks. This machine makes the smallest cap. and lattes I have ever had/been served. I mostly drink lattes and it is a stretch to say the large latte is 8 oz (likely 6 oz.) and that is WITH the foam on the standard latte foam setting. Are there any tricks to getting more liquid for lattes so there is more to drink?
I am using the machine correctly and always press the “latte” button twice for the larger drink.
Thanks.
MJW
9 Feb 19 at 4:26 pm
Hi! I may only suggest to brew cap/latte in manual mode: manually make bigger espesso (manual espresso button), then add frothed milk (or vice versa). Also you can move the froth level knob DURING the proccees. For example, start with less foam in the beginning (to get more liquid milk), then turn it to maximum froth to add foam on top.
P. S. You can try the following trick also, however, most likely it will not work. Mr. Coffee One Touch officially doesn’t allow to change the preset volumes. However, you may try to press and HOLD the drink button (e.g. espresso button) and release it when the desired volume is in the cup. That’s how the volume adjustment worked on previous models. There is a little chance that they left that function but didn’t mention it in the user manual.
Dmitriy
10 Feb 19 at 12:20 pm
No need to publish this but the problem isnt overextraction.
Making less volume doesnt work to improve taste and often when the coffee does taste good, it does so when there is more crema, which sometimes only comes in at the end of the third-push cycle??
Mixing with water just (perhaps predictably) makes the coffee taste watered down
jon stienberg
12 Feb 19 at 10:31 pm
“Coffee tastes good, when there is more crema” – that’s not exactly true. On professional espresso machines with unpressurized filter baskets – yes, good crema indirectly indicates that espresso shot is made correctly. However, on pressurized baskets (99% of home espresso makers) the crema is artificial and doesn’t idicate almost anything. Here on Mr. Coffee OneTouch crema filter is made similar to faucet aerator (see photo of disassembled filter here) – that’s why you get more crema at the end, when the coffee puck is already washed out and the speed of water flow rises.
“Mixing with water just (perhaps predictably) makes the coffee taste watered down” – that’s how caffe americano (large cup of coffee) is made on espresso machines (not on drip coffee maker) in any coffee shop of the world: from Starbucks on Time Square to any espresso bar in old Italian villagio. Just try it 😉
“problem isnt overextraction” – if you like the taste, then it’s OK for you and the overexctraction isn’t the problem you’re trying to solve (however, unless you use medium coarse grind it definetly does take place when you use 350ml of water, 14-16 g of ground coffee and high pressure). Then it’s probably the consequence of unstable temperature – as I wrote above, even thermoblock espresso machine isn’t design to deliver so much water of the stable hot water – the temp will fall and rise agaian during that 350ml. May be on ‘good coffee days’ you are just lucky enough to start the brewing in the ‘right’ moment of this sinusoid.
Sorry, that I couldn’t help you about that situation – I review espresso machines and drink classic espresso/cappuccino. Have no idea how to deal with 12 oz drinks except of classic recipe of Americano, which I mentioned above.
Dmitriy
14 Feb 19 at 10:11 am
Thanks for the review. I got it as Breville one touch and you are mostly right with the review. I got better taste by depressurizing the filter basket.
Hassan
5 May 19 at 9:05 am
Hi to all, I have a very very similar coffee machine like this, but it’s named “Oster Prima Latte 6601” and I looking for any video nor service manual. NOT user manual.
Please, let me a link if you know of this.
My best.
Norberto
14 Oct 19 at 1:00 am
Hi! I don’t have a link for a service manual (and doubt that it do exist). But if you are looking for videos of disassembling/repairing then try to search for all clone names of this model on youtube, here is a list of sister models that I know: http://101coffeemachines.info/mr-coffee/cafe-barista-and-its-clones/#clones
P. S. Or ask if you have any particular question, may be I can help.
Dmitriy
14 Oct 19 at 8:08 am
Want good coffee, easy to use and easy to clean. My husband likes espresso and I like cappuccino. Not sure which to get. It would be nice having the one touch which uses both ground coffee or pods (which brands of pods?). Need a machine for winter home but don’t want to spend too much. Have an expensive machine ($5000) in main home which we love. Used a Tassimo in England over summer while visiting family and really liked the coffee it made as well as options of kinds of coffees. Both Barrista and One Touch have good reviews but I find it a bit confusing which is best for us for the winter home. Any suggestions?
Anne Reynolds
24 Nov 19 at 3:04 am
Hi, Anne.
Two thoughts:
1) Capsules or pods?
– If you mean ESE pods (see here – http://101coffeemachines.info/ese-pods/ ), than 99% of manual (semi-automatic) espresso machine are complitable with it. However, all semi-automatic require manual cleanings, which are simple, but I can’t say it’s mess-free. Especially if it goes with an automated frother. So among semi-automatic I would recommed to look for a machine with simple manual milk forther (panarello), and buy a separate milk frother if you need milk foam.
– If you mean capsules (like Tassimo, Nespresso, Keurig etc) than there is no decent espresso machine that can make both caps and ground coffee. Simply because all the capsules are patented and only Chinese factories produces such 2in1 machines.
2) If you want the machine, which is easy to use and clean then it is:
– either single serve capsule machines (Nespresso, Tassimo, Dolce Gusto etc). If you liked Tassimo, then you probably would like new Nespresso Vertuo, because it uses lower pressure for brewing as well as Tassimo does. It allows to make more soft , less strong coffee on bigger amounts (not like classic espresso).
– or automatic machines (also no mess, easy to use, but pricey). The cheapest one that I can recommend is Philips EP2220, which is now on sale. You can read my review here http://101coffeemachines.info/philips/ep1200-ep2000-ep3200/ yes, it costs more, but if you use it often, you will save on the coffee beans, which are cheaper (and more fresh!) than capsules. And you still can use ground coffee on this machine.
Unfortunately, in both cases there is no good golden middle.
P. S. “Easy to clean” is totally not about the One-Touch or Cafe Barista.
Dmitriy
25 Nov 19 at 2:38 pm
Hi, thank you for a very useful review. Do you know any other machines that are suitable for ESE pods and ground coffee? Dualit has coffee machine that is suitable for both but its not as advanced as Breville and after reading your review, I am now not sure about the fact that Breville requires cleaning after every cappuccino… Thank you
Vlada
2 Dec 19 at 1:59 pm
Please ignore the previous message, here is the correct one: Hi, thank you for a very useful review. Do you know any other machines that are suitable for coffee capsules not just ESE pods and ground coffee? Dualit has a coffee machine that is suitable for both but its not as advanced as Breville and Breville is suitable for ESE pods… Thank you
Vlada
2 Dec 19 at 4:18 pm
Hello,
I have been reading your reviews online and really appreciate your insight. We are in our 60’s and just now starting to drink latte’s. Right now we go to Starbucks and Dutch Bros mainly. We were very close to getting the Mr Coffee One Touch but it just sounds too mediocre with quality. Costco just advertised the De’Longhi EC860 with free delivery for $300. Again, we like to keep it on the easier side and Latte’s/espresso’s are more for us…..not coffee very often.
Your recommendations? Pros/Cons on the EC860?
Thanks Pat
Patrick Coons
1 Apr 20 at 9:34 pm
Hi what is the portafilter size of breville primalatte 2 edition? Is it 51 mm? And the bottomless portafilters work with it ? Thanks
Mehmet
28 Aug 20 at 1:19 am