If you only have $50, borrow $20 and get the Melitta/Saeco at Damark.
Positive Product Points
Cheap! (<$50)
Good steam out of the wand.
Negative Product Points
Cheap!
Can‘t switch between espressing and steaming very easily
Detailed Commentary
I got this as my first introduction to espresso/latte making. It makes a decent very black coffee, but no crema. The steam power isn‘t very strong, so there‘s no way to really get espresso out of this.
The steam wand is directly connected to the brew head. They include a blank filter so that if you only want steam, you can get it; but otherwise steaming is a .... an art form as you have to open up the steam valve while it‘s still sputting out the black stuff.
The main water container is the boiler itself. This is a bit scary if you don‘t like large containers of pressurized hot water in your kitchen. It has a pressure release valve which opens occasionally while drawing -- which means that the pressure to the portafilter is never that strong.
This was a nice little machine. We were happy with it until we had some real cappucinos a week after buying it from a great coffeeshop in downtown Portland, Maine. So we returned the Bravo and got a Novo 2300. Now, we‘re thinking of returning that and getting a better unit from an Italian maker, those Germans just don‘t know how to make good espresso.
If you only have $50, borrow $20 and get the Melitta/Saeco at Damark.
