Under 100 dollars, get it. Anything more, look elsewhere.
Positive Product Points
Uses both fresh ground and pods, automatic milk frother
Negative Product Points
Frother has to be removed to clean, slow to heat up
Detailed Commentary
The Delonghi Cafe Carmen makes a decent cup of espresso in about 8 minutes. For some, this may be about 7 minutes too long, but if you are willing to wait, the end result is very decent. The unit features a removable water tank (2 liters, I think), removable drip tray, and can handle both ground and pod-type espresso. The cappucino maker features are fillable tank, which is removable for easier cleaning.
The Delonghi manual was clear and easy to follow, with detailed instructions and diagrams.
I found the espresso was adequately hot, but you really need to let the unit heat up twice to get the water to the proper tempurature, which takes 5-8 minutes. I have made both ground and pod-type espresso, and both holders were easy to use and clean.
The milk auto-frother does an okay job, not great, but decent enough for cappucino. It is a little messy, as some specks of steamed milk will fly out of the nozzle in random directions, but wiping down the unit after use with a damp paper towel takes care of this issue. The volume of steam is controlled by a knob on the side of the unit.
I have seen this unit listed for as much as 420 dollars, for that price, there are much better machines. But if you can find it on eBay for under 100 dollars, it is a pretty decent starter machine.
The unit also looks pretty good, solid black heavy duty plastic.
