Great quality internals for a cheap machine. Probably one of the better entry level machines available.
Negative Product Points
Can be a hair clunky in terms of usability.
Detailed Commentary
I bought this machine because it was cheap, my original plan was to pick up one of the other entry level Gaggias. It seems they all have the same internals and as a group they're probably one of the best values on the entry level market, IMHO - so just pick the one that appeals to you.
Despite being something of a newcomer to the home espresso world, I was pulling quality shots with this machine from the first day, and have only improved over the last month of use. The hefty all-brass 68mm group seems to show through here. It's not gonna pop off drinks at the rate of a enormous commercial machine, but the quality is definitely there considering the price point.
I will, however, echo the comments that some other reviewers have made. In an effort of making the machine visually appealing (from a certain point of view I guess) it seems like they let the usability suffer. The machine looks nice sitting next to other modern kitchen appliances, but there are a few minor problems: the drip tray is TINY and will probably overflow after just a few shots' worth of runoff, the steam wand is short and doesn't swing that far away from the machine, the water tank is pretty small, there's no cup warmer to speak of on top of the machine, there's not enough room under the portafilter for a larger cup, so when making drinks you have to pull into a shot glass and transfer the coffee to your serving cup, etc. This may sound like a lot of complaints, but honestly it's no big deal once you're used to the machine. If you're still nervous, just get one of the other entry level Gaggia machines instead.
Buying Experience
Bought from WholeLatteLove on eBay in a reconditioned state. The price was awesome ($90 plus $35 shipping), and the unit was in great shape - just a tiny scuff on the front. The experience as a whole though was pretty lousy. They promised a 48-hour window from payment until the unit was shipped - I called/emailed several times over the course of a week and a half or so before they bothered to ship the machine. Phone support was OK, but emails pretty much went unanswered. This was a great deal on a nice machine, but it just seemed like they didn't care to treat me well. To top it all off, I left them positive feedback on eBay immediately after getting the unit, despite the hiccups along the way - it's been a month, and they still haven't left me ANY feedback. Overall, I'm going to be shopping elsewhere in the future.
