SHARDOR CM1661 20-Bar Espresso Machine: problems, parts and running costs
Checked: 2026-10-05
Summary
The recurring complaints are small and mechanical rather than electrical: a cheap plastic tamper that buyers replace, a portafilter that needs firm force to seat, and two-cup mode that pours unevenly. Running costs are only coffee, milk and descaler, with descaling recommended every one to two months, and no yearly figure can be computed because no non-Amazon machine price and no consumable prices were found. Because no defensible street price could be verified, judge it as a first machine by the reported crema and steam rather than by any price band.
Common problems and fixes
- The included tamper is basic plastic — both readable review pages describe it as cheap plastic and say buyers commonly replace it, and the dosing workflow otherwise depends on user-supplied grind and tamp, so budget for a better one. Not a warranty item. [1][2]
- The portafilter needs firm force to lock in — owners report it has to be pushed hard into the group, which is friction rather than a fault but is felt every day. No fix is described beyond seating it firmly. [1]
- Two-cup mode pours unevenly — reported to split unevenly between the cups; the source workaround is to pull two separate single shots when you want matched volumes. [1]
- A first-use plastic smell from the steam wand — one reviewer reports it and expects it to fade after descaling and use; this is a single report, not a pattern. [2]
- There is no front pressure gauge — owners who wanted visible extraction feedback note its absence, and a sibling model CM1660 is advertised with a gauge, so check the exact model before buying. Nothing to fix. [1]
- No-brew from a clogged steam outlet or an unseated water tank — the listing troubleshooting lists both as no-brew causes, and they read as operation errors: use the steam button to complete preheat, unscrew the steam knob fully, and reseat the tank. [1]
- Grind and tamp have to be dialled in — consistent flow depends on it and the machine is ground coffee only, so a grinder is a likely extra cost. [1][2]
- Long-term reliability is unknown — the only owner material found is a month-plus review describing easy setup and a compact footprint, and exact-model forum discussion was not readable, so there is no long-term record to judge. [3]
Parts and consumables
- Tamper — the included plastic scoop/tamper is a consumable-quality accessory that buyers commonly replace; no replacement price or part number was found. [1][2]
- Filter baskets and portafilter — single and double baskets and the portafilter are included, but no spare-part catalogue or price for CM1661 was found. [1][2]
- Descaler — you supply it, and one review recommends descaling every one to two months. [2]
- No water filter or pod — the machine takes ground coffee only, with no pod or capsule lock-in, so there is no filter consumable and no subscription. [1][2]
Yearly running cost
Not enough data to compute a yearly figure. Recurring costs are coffee, milk and descaler at a documented one-to-two-month descaling interval, and there is no pod or subscription cost. No source gives a machine price, a descaler price or a usage rate, so a yearly figure cannot be derived.
When it is a good buy
No non-Amazon price for CM1661 could be verified, so no price band is stated here; the only figure found sat on a review page’s Amazon price check and is excluded. Judge it by tier instead. As a first machine for one to four drinks a day, the reported crema, steam microfoam and fast heat-up are the parts owners praise, so it works at an entry price if that is the job. It does not serve a buyer who needs even two-cup volumes, matched-volume service or a pressure gauge, and no price makes it do so. If warranty length, spare parts or long-term serviceability decides the purchase, this model cannot support that: no manufacturer warranty term and no parts channel were found, so verify both before buying. The machine is ground coffee only, so add a burr grinder to the budget unless you already own one.