This has to be the best bang for buck in a utilitarian espresso maker ever!
Positive Product Points
Workhorse! - German engineering providing years of daily use and still going strong without a single repair or replacement part. Small! - fits in a corner of a shelf and happily resides and functions there. Decent, maybe great, espresso. I get crema almost every pull. Excellent milk frothing, even for a novice when using the pinhole-air attachment.
Negative Product Points
Utilitarian, not a beauty in the kitchen. Water reservoir seems to run out more than I'd like, but it's removable and can be topped off while operating.
Detailed Commentary
It's hard to imagine a more functional, compact, easy to use and clean, espresso machine. The Germans definitely know engineering! It isn't ugly, it's just utilitarian looking. It makes a nice espresso, and the frothing wand rarely fails with anything other than skim milk. It seems like I've had this for 15 years, at LEAST 10, and it's still going strong with zero new parts required. Alas, it's lacking in pizzaz in the kitchen like some of the Italian espresso makers. If someone could combine this German engineering and longevity with some of the "steam punk" styling of the Italian machines they'd have a killer mid-range espresso maker.
Buying Experience
I bought this so long ago I can barely recall the experience. I vaguely recall buying it at a local shop, brought it home, set it up, and it's been going strong ever since.
