Faboulus espresso with lots of crema - easy to use - adaptable (ESE pods-grounds)-worth the $ but not to sturdy
Positive Product Points
Awesome crema - accepts ESE pods and grounds -water level is visible from front - looks nice
Negative Product Points
light weight and a bit cheap appearing - the additional frothing attachment doesn't work that well
Detailed Commentary
I bought this machine on eBay for $200. Got it and couldn't get it to work right. Cleaned it thoroughly and “holy cow” was it dirty. Also had to order a new gasket because the handle was too loose and water was leaking out of the head. It was very easy to order and change the gasket and it cost only $15 to replace. Once I did all that it works like a peach now. It makes great espresso with the pods and also with grinds. It will also accept pods that I had purchased in Switzerland, even though they are a little larger in size. When making espresso with grounds, don’t tamp it to hard or your espresso will just trickle through. Also, the additional frothing attachment, which they claim takes the guess work out of frothing, didn't work all that well for me, but the original one that is on the machine works great! In short I would say the espresso it produces is fabulous, the looks are very nice and the only negative thing for me is the plastic body. I thought this was a steel machine but it is ABS plastic with a chrome finish and it appears a bit cheap when you lift it and handle it. My old Rancilio Audrey seemed like a tank compared to this but the Audrey wouldn’t accept ESE pods.
Buying Experience
Bought it on ebay for half of what it cost new so I didn't mind the cleaning job I had to give it. Seller was very helpful and paid for a new gasket. If you buy one on ebay be sure you get it from someone with very good feedback!
