Awful machine,awful customer service,steer away from them ,Its herb tea you need after this not coffee!
Positive Product Points
Great looking machine,bit primitive in construction,nice blue lights.seems to be good and solid.looks like it will do wht its supposed to.
Negative Product Points
The thermometer is all over the place,Stinks of burning when steam switch is on,Pours out liquid and foam when steam switch is on.Steam valve wheel comes off in you hand.
Detailed Commentary
Bought this machine as being no expert on espresso machine internals I was sold by the appearance and claims of "commercial spec" wanted to get something a bit beefier than my Gaggia Tebe (which has provided years of faultless service and I am now using again.) "Commercial spec in a domestic size" bollocks! this is a domestic spec machine through and through! I have never used such a load of rubbish before, it spews out liquid,steam and foam like a volcano,smells like one too! You'll never get to enjoy your coffee as you'll be too busy mopping up the kitchen. So maybe I was just unlucky with this one,maybe they're a decent company ,lets return it and even offer to pay the difference (half as much again)for a machine with some of that commercial spec or at least a solenoid valve to stop eruptions. Read on.......
Buying Experience
Ascaso and their Uk importers Fairfax Coffee are like a monster with no heads. Pass the buck is their middle name ,they've elevated obscurity to a national sport.I'd have had a more successful experience returning it to the Kremlin for inspection.I 've emailed ,cajoled ,begged, bribed,threatened,made numerous telephone calls ,learnt to speak Spanish all to no avail Ascaso just keep reiterating that it isn't their problem and so do Fairfax coffee UK,No one is able to tell me whose problem it actually is apart from mine!Ascaso told me to send the machine to Fairfax and Fairfax won't do anything now they've got it,apart from be either unavailable or downright hostile,they clearly don't like returns or complaints,or seemingly any interruption from the outside world.Ascaso meanwhile express by emails their total faith and confidence in Fairfax.Its gotten so bad I'm now taking legal action to either get a refund or a replcement.
