Easy to use.. good to very good Espresso with properly ground Arabica coffee. Would be a fine entry level machine for the novice or occasional user. Very easy to keep clean.
Negative Product Points
Plastic tamper is okay, but spend the $8 to get an aluminum one. Will do two espressos at once, but I get better results with only doing one at a time.
Detailed Commentary
As with any machine, it takes a while to learn how to get it to make the best cup of coffee or espresso, or at least one that meets your particular standards. I found that this one is pretty tolerant of the grind as the filter baskets are well made, and the pump does a good job providing the proper pressure. Temps seem to be right on. But the reservoir is really only adequate for two shots of espresso. When doing espresso, most of the time I can get a nice crema, but it is very dependent on how consistent my grind is. Unit is well built. Filling the water reservoir is easy. I have an all black unit, so although one can see the reservoir it is not that easy to tell the actual level from a distance. I usually just take a glance in the top to make sure enough water is there. Cleanup is a breeze.. bottom tray is groved to prevent splashing if you try to remove it when it is too full.. has a aluminum slotted cover that is easy to clean. I usually just leave a small cup under the brew cup to catch drippings rather than depending on the tray. Comes with two filter baskets, and one or the other can be stored in the top. Plastic tamper stows under the left side so you can either bring the brew cup up to it to get a light tamp, or remove it to work a heavier tamp. Again, I think buying a nice aluminum tamper is worth while as it makes it easier to approximate a 30-40# tamp. I am very pleased with this unit.
Buying Experience
Was lucky enough to come across it as a returned product, marked way down from the list of $129. No idea why it was returned.. works GREAT.
