great machine, for the price i paid i couldnt have hoped for better.
Positive Product Points
Great steaming capacity - after removing the "froth enhancer" -------------Makes great Coffee-------------( nothing else really matters!)
Negative Product Points
A larger water tank would be good A larger cup warmer would be good too the steam wand could be a bit more flexible.
Detailed Commentary
My machine is about 5 years old, I don't know the history of it, but i gave it a good clean and away we went. After the first few pounds of coffee i was able to pull a very very good shot 9 out of 10 times. It looks a bit plasticy but on further inspection actually feels very solid. I did consider and try a silvia, i believe this machine is at least as good if not better.
The machine heats up fairly quick- but takes a while to heat the cups, so I normally run a few ounces of water through to heat the cups.
I often leave the machine on all day - I have learnt to run a little water through before brewing as i have found that if the machine is very hot then steam or super heated water comes through and burns the coffee - resulting in a rather bitter brew. The same goes if making a few coffees in a row, after steaming the milk you do need to to run a little water through the portafilter, other wise you risk a bitter brew. Whilst this may seam like a problem it quickly becomes part of the coffee making procedure, and is not a problem at all.
The portafilar has only a double spout underneath which can be a bit of a pain if making a single shot in a smaller cup.
After using the Domus i would never go back to the Gaggia classic - even though i thought it was the best when i had it. I think that even if i paid retail i would still be very happy with this machine.
As with all good coffee you do need to have - good coffee, ground right, brewed right - What more does one need in life? Have now matched with an inox grinder - great coffee got even better!
