Purchased this on recommendation from WLL. Asked for best super automatic for around $1,000 or so. Am ready to junk this and purchase something else.
Positive Product Points
Attractive and reasonably easy to change between espresso, americano and regular coffee (using same beans). Easy to clean.
Negative Product Points
Coffee always luke warm. W water tank small. Chaning between reg & decaf not easy.
Detailed Commentary
From the first day, the coffee always seemed to be only warm, not hot. And the coffee did not have the full flavor as coffee made with the electric Bodum vacuum pot I formerly used.
Water temperature has various option settings. I set the water temperature on "max". I checked the coffee temperature to discover it was only 150-degrees and has not changed since it was first purchased. This certainly explains the mediocre flavor since maximum extraction cannot take place at those low temperatures.
After a few months, the steamer does not foam the coffee; not sure what is up there. I did, indeed, descale the machine when called for.
Water tank small; only two regular cups of coffee can be made before tank must be filled.
Not easy to change between regular and decaf coffee; if using beans for regular, the decaf must be preground and added to the front hopper.
Good name in machines; very poor design in this unit.
Buying Experience
Purchased from Whole Latte Love...they did confirm there the water maxes out at around 150-degrees, but then, they indicate all Super Automatics only produce water about this temp. Caveat emptor
Also, I noticed we paid $1,000 last year; WLL's current price is $900, CoffeeGeek average price of $749......hmmmm
