-It makes espresso and steams milk. -Gaggia makes decent quality machines.
Negative Product Points
-Not worth $300 - buy a refurbished model if you can find. -No 3-way valve. (more important than I thought it would be) -Drips a bit -Loud vibe pump. -You will not be able to get microfoam with this steam wand. You will have to modify or change the wand out.
Detailed Commentary
I had a cheaper model Gaggia which I gave to my brother soon after purchasing. I have now had the Coffee model for over a year and I wish I'd have gotten something with a 3-way solenoid. You'll want to skip this machine and go right for a Gaggia Baby or better. If you're just starting out then this is probably a good machine for you. It's very hard to tell what mistakes you are making since you can't inspect the puck after extraction - it is a mud-puddle after brewing and if you leave it in during steaming it becomes a very brittle and dry lump that gives you little to no feedback. You can get a bottomless PF if you want to blow $50 to see if your tamp sucks. Brew temperature is not hot enough (about 190F). You can do a PID which is $200 for equipment, or you can save your money and get a machine that doesn't need a PID.
Buying Experience
My latest machine was a refurb from WLL. First machine was from a local coffee shop that sells some machines. I was under the impression that WLL only takes returns after 30 days (could be wrong). So I was surprised that this machine had a good amount of scale built up already. Flow through the head was slow and steam valve wouldn't close all the way until I descaled TWICE. There are other places with prices just as good and much better prices on parts and cleaners. Since I had no real problems with the machine I had no need to deal with them directly but have heard great things about their customer service.
