Highly recommended if you can find second hand, otherwise the Sylvia/ Rocky combo would be less money for the same result
Positive Product Points
Heavy duty quality construction
Negative Product Points
High price if you are buying new, around $900(I paid $300 second hand) Sylvia/Rocky combo would be less with moneysame quality machine. No hot water switch like the Sylvia has.
Detailed Commentary
I bought this second hand on E-bay For a bargain at $300. Unfortunately due to the weight and size(above 50lbs) the shipping was expensive. I had previuosly used a Saeco Classico and a Krups novo 2000. This machine grinds them up with its monster burr grinder and spits them out for breakfast. It took me some time to get used to the proper grind setting, amount of grounds and tamp pressure, but once comfortable, WOW!!! I am more of a Cafe Mocha drinker than espresso drinker and this produces better mocha‘s than any shop in town. I had a friend over last night that had a mocha I made for him and he almost spilled it because I didn‘t give him proper warning on how good it may be. His knees almost gave out from the sheer pleasure of drinking this liquid gold. After using this machine for over two months I have gotten extremely comfortable with it making at least three to four drinks a day. I have experimented with my own roasts using a hot air popper but have actually had better luck with this machine using the beans from a local roaster in town. I usually get the beans the day they are roasted and one pound lasts me about six days in an airtight storage container. When the beans are fresh and I use the proper grind and tamp this produces huge amounts of crema. When used properly this machine will never let you down. Make sure you give it proper warm up time,(at least 20-30 minutes), I give it almost an hour, make sure you run the pump with the steam valve open to purge any steam or air before every use, make sure you empty the grounds from the filter basket and purge the machine after each cup produced. Anyone that wants a combo grinder/espresso machine should consider this machine. The steamer side of this also produces great frothed and steamed milk. This also took some time to get used to, but is now second nature. In the beginning I would say it ease of use was good but now after practice it is almost impossible to produce bad espresso, cappa‘s and mocha‘s.
