Wega has combined the best aspects of the best machines in one unit.  E61 group, rotary pump, large boiler, flexible steam wand, lots of wattage and more..wrapped up in one commercially engineered machine.

Well, I too would like a little less plastic, but it seems like Wega already solved that problem with the new units, so new buyers will have very little to complain about.

After my last mid-priced machine bit the dust, I decided that my next unit would be my last for a while.  I did a ton of research, and decided that I really wanted ALL the commercial features in a new machine.  I do not suffer from the same degree of "pernicious polished stainless steelaphilia" that many of my brothers on coffeegeek seemed to be plagued with, and like any serious bachelor searching for a bride, I needed to know that the charms of my intended were more than skin deep.  
Perhaps due to all the negative conditioning about the Wega's less than beauty pageant looks, I was pleasantly surprised when I hauled it out of its crate.  It's really a substantial, commercial looking, no nonsense machine that wasn't designed to be a museum or curiosity piece.  The Mininova is a high volume, high performance tool, and looks the part.  It really seems like the smallest "big" machine out there more than the biggest "small" unit.  The E61 group and the rotary pump are a killer combination, and it makes almost perfect coffee right out of the gate.  With a little practice, the results are truly flawless.  There are monstrous amounts of steam and instant recovery between shots.  The programmable feature is very handy when you have more to do than wait for your coffee.   The unit is substantial, whisper quiet, well made, and honestly....it's not ugly!

Vincent Gentile at Casa del Caffe was easily worth dealing with, and helped with every phase of the transaction.  The whole experience was a pleasure and I would wholeheartedly recommend Casa Del Caffe to a friend.  And his coffee blends are very good as well!