Need an espresso-jolt of caffeine to get your motor started in the morning? Enjoy a cappuccino or latte during the day? You can enjoy these beverages in your own home--if your espresso maker works! Here's what you can do if it doesn't.

How Does It Work?

An espresso maker brews coffee with steam instead of hot water, though many units can do both.

A home espresso maker is a small appliance for brewing coffee beans using steam rather than hot water. An electric steam-pressure espresso maker heats water, forcing the resulting steam through a filter basket filled with finely ground dark-roast coffee beans. Higher quality espresso makers also have pumps. In addition to espresso, many units can make cappuccino (espresso topped with steam-frothed milk) and latte (espresso mixed with steam-heated milk) beverages.

What Can Go Wrong?

A simple espresso maker is similar in operation to a Coffee Maker; many of the same things can go wrong with it. Electrical cords, switches, the heating element, thermostat, and fuse can all fail. In addition, the pressure gasket can be damaged or the safety plug may have opened, and the steam tube or frother can become clogged.

Fix-It Tip

Make sure you clean an espresso maker after each use by rinsing or washing the filter basket parts and steam nozzle. If your unit has a frother assembly, allow steam to escape into a water-filled frothing pitcher for a few seconds after use, then wipe the tube and frother with a damp cloth.