This machine can outlive you if mainained properly.
Positive Product Points
Heat exchanger built with the best quality stainless steel. Shiny and great looking. Hot water and no-burn steam nozzles. Unlike other machines it has E-61 commercial group. The temperature is kept steady at 204F. I like the Group pressure gauge which is useful indication for espresso extraction which should be 9-10 bars. I am very happy with this machine. No more shopping for any other one.
Negative Product Points
None except it is tempting to keep wiping the glossy stainless steel for more shine.
Detailed Commentary
With this machine you need some experience with tamping and grinding. It is not as easy as others say. It took me over a month to get 9-10 bars of bar pressure. This is important because espresso tastes best if extracted at this pressure. In addition, this machine has a powerful steam pressure but you need experience and patience to get your frothed milk like a wet paint. Anyway it is fun to play with this machine and by time you learn. I am getting now heavenly shots of espresso so no more buying espresso from any shop. I bought recently a Pod Insert Basket for E61 Group and 45 mm Pods from Chris coffee. I tried few different pods like Cafe' Cremoso from Chris coffee, Ferrero and lavazza supercrema pods. You get slightly over 10 bars of pressure using any of those pods. The quality of espresso from these pods is really good but not as good as grinding and tamping fresh coffee beans.
Buying Experience
I received the machine with the Rocky grinder well packaged within 10 days. No advertised free coffee arrived with it. I called studio lx but I found out they do not answer phone calls directly. It took one month with several email and many phone messages to get my free coffee. I can not recommend them to any one. The best place to deal with in my experience is Chris coffee, they are second to none.
Three Month Followup
This is a great machine but only to the enthusiast . I still make 2-3 shots espresso every day and occasional latte or cappuccino for guests. The machine is still functioning like a swiss watch. I like it more and more every day. I noticed by using different coffee beans it requires adjusting grinding and even tamping. Using Pod Insert Basket for E61 Group is easy but this machine is not originally made for pod use although it is fantastic for that and far superior to other pod using machines. I do not use pods any more because it is not as good as grinding beans. In conclusion this is a serious fantastic machine for home use.
One Year Followup
It is 10 almost of every category . You need to have experience in grinding, tamping and steam frothing which takes time. This machine is not recommended to every one. Some people do not have the patience to learn. I would say it is the same for all semi automatic machines. I know how to use it with ease because of experience but for the average person it is not easy. After more than one year of daily use it is hard for me to live without it. It is really built like a beautiful tank. I hydro backflush once a week, use Cafiza every 5-6 weeks. I descale once a year. Descaling takes a long time to do !!! I use only RO filtered water and check it periodically with strips for calcium, acidity etc...
