I really did enjoy this machine. It's about the best machine you can get for under 100$
Positive Product Points
Good beginner machine Easy to use
Negative Product Points
Makes substandard espresso at best Boiler barely has enough juice to make one cup Hard to clean portafilter
Detailed Commentary
(I actually owned the EC140b which is very similar to this, just with a different body. )
Negatives: Boiler is frustratingly small. You can make espresso shots one after another fairly easily (with a little lag time to heat up the water) but when you switch to the steam arm setting, you lose everything. The rhythm comes to a screeching halt. But- this machine is not designed for parties, its for that first cup of the day to get you going. I did not like how difficult it was to clean the portafilter. It is a specialized Delonghi design, with a bunch of plastic parts that do not come clean very easily unless you are religious in your cleaning routines. The tank is also not super easy to fill, but on the plus side it will get you through a few cups before it needs refilled. Oh, and the plastic tamper (if you can call it that) that it comes with is completely worthless.
Positives: Very good first machine, for someone just getting into coffee/espresso or someone who does not have much room, like a college student. One good thing about the portafilter (or, a not-so-bad thing) is that you can remove the pressurized part and leave just the filter basket in the rubber gasket and use it much like a "real" machine. If you have a good grinder, and with a little practice, you can get some okay tasting shots out of this thing. You will need to learn to temp surf, and will have to be meticulous in your ability to repeat technique in order to dial in what you get, but it is possible to get a good shot once in a while.
Buying Experience
Actually had this given as a wedding gift, but I hear that it was on clearance marked way down.
