Great machine; reliable and great coffee. DON'T DO BUSINESS WITH CHRIS COFFEE.
Positive Product Points
The Tea makes great coffee. And it's obvious that the manufacturer has used quality parts through and through. The hot water dispenser can come in very handy when you have a few who want an americano or tea. No repair issues to date after about two years.
Negative Product Points
The steamer nozzle's holes are a little too big to get a microfoam easily. So you either have to practice a bit to compensate or get a new nozzle with smaller holes. As with any machine, maintenance is a bit of a pain. Especially, if you choose to use filtered tap water as opposed to distilled water. Trust me, use distilled water!
It takes a little too long to get up to a usable temperature. And, power consumption is high.
Detailed Commentary
First, this machine looks very impressive in my kitchen. The polished stainless steel is beautiful and the whole machine has a bit of a classy retro look to it.
It does make some great coffee. It's so good that you'll be disappointed with the coffee you buy at any coffee house or restaurant. There are other variables to this: You must have a very good grinder and use top grade coffee. I use a Mazzer Mini grinder and Peet's coffees (www.peets.com).
I haven't had any repair issues, but I have kept up on maintenance (backwashing, cleaning the group after use, decalcifying, etc). I started out using filtered tap water, but now I buy the big size distilled water and only use that unless I run out and I'm in a pinch.
Overall I highly recommend this machine.
Buying Experience
Unfortunately, the buying experience was a big negative for me. I bought from Chris Coffee and I'm very sorry I did. The deal was the same as I would have received anywhere else. He threw in the same extras that all the others would have, so, I really can't even give him credit for that.
What was so horrible was his handling of a problem with my order. There was some confusion or miscommunication about a timer on the grinder I ordered. When I e-mailed my concern about this he replied explosively with personal attacks and abrasive language. I have never received such an immature and unstable attitude from any vendor of anything. Absolutely, the worst buying experience I've ever had.
For this reason, I recommend you buy your equipment from someone else.
