Morphy Richards Mr Cappuccino 47008 Filter Coffee Maker with Milk Frother

have had the 'combi' version of this machine on my'busy' desk for nearly three years.....just excellent on all counts....good coffee, robust design, filter levels do what they say....and its easy clean, wipe over...[but do it before its dried on...like you would with any kitchen appliance.

This scaled down version I bought 2 months ago for the 'occasional cuppa' desk....it's just as good-[the frother is even more efficient and easier to clean].

When I'm out and about[ especially holidays] I try out the coffee as a matter of course....and this little machine, just like its big brother, delivers as good a quality as the big machines in the major outlets....and yes, it's easy to clean as long as you do the simple common sense stuff with a damp cloth as soon as you've made your cup.

I've read moans about other machines re; the 'quality' of the coffee in relation to the amount you put in[ coffee that is.] Two to three[ work out your preferred strength] heaped dessert spoons of decent ground coffee will give you a big mugful of quality cappucchino...especially if you fill the fill jug about halfway. so that you can get a really good froth.

Need to make 2 mugs...it will double it easily...you just need to multiply by 2.

Have bought and used 3 other makes in the last 10 years....this comes over as the best I've found.Perfect for the solo person who needs a big mug round about mid morning.

I bought this coffee maker about a year ago. I must say that I have been delighted with it. It is permanently out on the work surface and is used every day without fail when we are at home and makes really good coffee. The frother works well - though you will find that some milks froth better than others. I was surprised about the comment that the coffee is not kept hot - ours stays at just the right temperature for a second cup.
I must confess that we have developed the habit of warming the milk in a separate jug in the microwave. This way we get it to exactly the right temperature!
Because of the constant usage my machine is beginning to look a bit worn - but I would definitely buy a replacement when the time came.

This article is an update - I originally owned the machine a few weeks before writing about it - now I have owned it since 2009.

This machine will make decent cappuccino/latto type coffee. I would say it makes 80%-90% the taste of more expensive high street latte ('store bought') coffee that you buy for over a quid a go. (see tip 2)

I have had this machine since 2009. I have been using cheapo coffee beans, with a proper burr (not blade grinder/food liquidizer type grinder) coffee grinder, or just packets of powdered ready ground coffee. No doubt thats part of reason its not quite top notch, but more than decent.

Heart disease: One important factor for me for the switch from a unfiltered french press was the raised cholesterol that unfiltered coffee machines produce. Filtered coffee like this machine produces, removes the oils in coffee that are proven to raise your risk of heart disease.

Before getting this, I was just using a french press/cafetaire, so this was a BIG BIG step up in quality as the bitters of the grind are properly filtered. I had bought into the French press after reading a romantic guide on the internet about making perfect 1890 style french press coffee with a thermometer, prefect water to grind balance, stirring it right, brew time perfection etc... - its only a fiver so why not... what a pile of ..... IT IS IMPOSSIBLE to compare a french press machine end quality even after all those steps to FILTERED, properly filtered is LIGHT YEARS better and far better for your health.

The only other machine I had experiance of was a Bush coffee maker which made expresso with a steamer, and not filtered - and not only took up a whole tabletop but was useless and blocked up all the time and which headed for the bin quickly.

This machine is very rapid at making coffee - within 3-4 mins for 4 cups. I have been using 4 tablespoons of coffee at a time to make 4 cups of coffee. Using 4 tablespoons of grind can seem a lot. This machine seems to produce less coffee than the standard formula of 177ml/Tbsp in fact about 140ml/Tbsp no doubt because the 'brew' stage is much shorter because the coffee is produced so quickly.

The 'cups' in this machine are far smaller than a regular coffee cup. Each 'cup' in the machine is actually about 140ml of water. 4 cups = 550ml of water (in the cona) when measured.
The usual guide for coffee is for 1 tablespoon of grind per 6 fl. Oz (177ml) water. On that basis, 4 cups would be 704ml. So you are short-changed somewhat at 550ml for 4 cups but believe me its not that big a deal for decent coffee.

All in all a great little machine which makes a good cup of coffee. I highly recommend it.

The frother is a whisk not steam based. Don't let that discourage you for a second. The whisk is BETTER than steam. Much easier and safer to use than a steam frother. Forget any coffee snob review that complains about this not being steam as a major point - I have used both and the whisk is better as long as the milk is microwaved/heated. *There is zero taste difference between the two*.

Tips:
1. Its a lot faster warming the milk in the microwave while the coffee is brewing, rather than relying on the hotplate (which is next to useless in a morning rush).

2. IMPORTANT: I have also found that by using proper cona filter papers ; in place of the plastic mesh filter, the coffee produced is noticeably better quality. Easily 90% on a parr with 'store bought' even with my cheapo generic beans. Less bitters and better brewed?

3. Its hard - hit and miss to have a decent cup of coffee with cheap vacuum sealed generic pre-ground. You will never match the store bought coffee taste with these. Too bitter. (The last batch gave me a headache).
The more expensive pre-grounds I have bought (ahem..when they are on-discount from the supermarket) have however, been good and sometimes the best coffee I have made, surpassing store bought. (ASDA South American speciality brands).

Overall I have had great results from straight cheapo generic coffee beans (same generic brand as the headache pre-ground above believe it or not) which I grind with a £40 burr grinder (Krupps).

They deliver 90% of the store bought experience with a cona filter paper (tip 2). (Unfortunately they seem to have now stopped selling the cheapo beans and have more expensive coffee capsules now instead.)

Bad points.
1. The coffee to water formula - Again the missing 2 tablespoons (37ml) per cup is not that big a deal considering the coffee produced is good quality.

2. The shorter brew - As already mentioned this machine tends to use less water to with a smaller brew time to deliver similar 'store bought' - like output.
A short brew is a very valid concern as arguably not all of the flavours will emerge from the grind. However, it also explains why there are less bitter flavours, and a far better coffee output than you would expect from a ordinary coffee machine.

Presumably the reason why using cona paper (tip 2) produces a better taste must be because the brew time is slightly lengthened because of the smaller pores, while holding back more spoiling grind bitters from the end result.
Perhaps turning the 'strength' knob to max will make quite a difference in brew time and flavour with this tip.

Still the machine produces great coffee even if only 90% comparable with 'store bought'.

3. Note: There are few niggles with the machine. Its cheap and plasticy and little tabs have fallen off mine on the lid, you have to watch the mains lead isn't over a hot plate etc.. but all in all it works fine.
Plus it's difficult to fill up with water.