All the bang for the buck that you could ever need at home.
Positive Product Points
Hefty, semi-pro construction
Heat exchanger
E61 group
Easy to work on
Great price for what you get
Good shots right outta the box
Negative Product Points
Temp seems set too high by factory
Plastic tubing inside unit was old and needed replacing
Stock steam tip is terrible
Space between portafilter and drip tray is a little crowded for American coffee mugs.
Detailed Commentary
I have been using this product for only a week now, so please take this review for what it is worth.
I bought the Marcuzzi Office Control, which is a re-badged Expobar. It is basically identical to the Expobar, but came factory ready for plumbing, and came with two portafilters instead of one.
Out of the box, the machine was easy to setup. I removed it from the box, placed it on the kitchen counter, rinsed/filled the reservoir, and plugged it in. After I let it heat up per the hilariously translated instruction manual, I drained the boiler once, and ran shots through the heat exchanger a couple of times. I wanted to get rid of whatever was causing the "slightly industrial" smell that the machine took on during its first warmup.
I found an outlet for my nervous energy for about 25 minutes, and then I proceeded to grind my beans and pull a blank shot. I pulled a real one, and was prepared to just look at it. I had to try it, and it was not too bad. I spent the next 20-30 minutes dialing in my grinder and pulling countless shots.
By the end of the first night, I was pulling good to really good shots, with sufficient (but not great) crema. The next morning I was anxious to try again. After fiddling with the grinder a bit, I had a series of great shots. I have not had any bad shots since the first night (keeping my fingers crossed).
I now use this machine for a quick espresso when I wake up. I have it on a heavy duty timer so it warms up before I wake up.
I then use it for an Americano for the road. The hot water spout is indispensible for this purpose (no pun in there).
This past weekend, I used it mainly for lattes. Wife and I love those milk drinks. I hate the steam tip. Mine has a slight leak in it. This has been mentioned in the forums, and is a terrible annoyance. I ordered a replacement tip, a 3-hole, and hope that it is better.
Even though the steam tip is inadequate, the supply of dry steam is quite sufficient. The steam never ends.... Huge boiler does the trick.
My first impressions are that this machine is worth every penny. This is my first espresso machine, and I researched it extensively before I bought it. I knew I wanted a prosumer machine that could build multiple milk drinks in a row. This one was the lowest priced machine that had virtually all the features I wanted.
I would buy it again.
Buying Experience
I purchased this machine from www.ifyoulovecoffee.com . This is an Expobar machine that was rebranded a Caffee Marcuzzi. it is nearly identical to the Expobar, and is manufactured in the same Crem factory in Spain. The major difference is the plaque on the front that says "Marcuzzi" instead of "Expobar."
For $695 I got a white colored Office Control. Personally, I think the white machine looks better than the $795 Stainless Steel machine. For me, I saved $100 and got a better looking machine.
My experience with ifyoulovecoffee.com was good. I called in to place my order because their website was giving me some trouble. The guy who took my order (Bob) was very nice and helpful. He was able to get my machine shipped the next day, and I got it a few days later. They were able to send me an email confirmation, and, at my request, a UPS tracking number.
I did have to remind the guy about the free shipping promised on the website. Otherwise, he was ready to charge me $90, which would have quickly negated my $100 price break. When I received the machine, I was disappointed with the packing. I felt they could have done a better job protecting the machine. The machine was fine, though. No harm - no foul.
The website also promised a free lb. of espressso beans. I got the 1 lb. bag of Marcuzzi espresso beans. The bag "expired" about a month before I got it based on the printed date. When I opened the bag I discovered the most stale coffee beans I have ever smelled. Really, it was laughable they were so bad.
Overall I had a very good buying experience from ifyoulovecoffee.com . I would buy from them again.
