Good sized water tank, plenty of steam, controls are easy to use, reasonably quiet operation, filter baskets for either one or two shots.
Negative Product Points
Output is lukewarm and weak, errors in instruction booklet add to confusion, filter unit is difficult to remove when changing between 1 and 2 shots.
Detailed Commentary
I was hoping that the Briel Lido would be a step up from the "department store" machines. Unfortunately, it was not. Even correcting for the errors in the printed instructions, the results were a tepid cup of weak Espresso, tasting more like strong instant coffee than anything else. I ran tests of the water temperature using a candy thermometer, and found the output ran at about 172 degrees F. rather than the 190 F. specified. This is too low to be acceptable. On the other hand, the machine produces loads of steam for foaming milk, so if you don't drink your Espresso straight, this might still be an acceptable for you. Frankly, I was expecting something of higher quality for the money.
Buying Experience
Espressopeople.com was a pleasure to buy from, and my machine was delivered in just a couple of days.
