- the size of the water heater is almost OK, in many other machines it is too small for ensuring enough steam for cappuccino - the overall size of the espresso machine is quite appealing, especially considering the integrated grinder. - coffee quality is OK but I've seen better
Negative Product Points
- overall quality is quite poor - grinder is extremely noisy and unreliable (it broke after one year) - instructions are unclear, commands are not that intuitive - poor and inflexible aftermarket service
Detailed Commentary
When the machine came in, I had already to struggle figuring out how it works: poorly written instructions, commands without indication, reversed coffee grinder command (+ and - were the wrong way round).... Some items were badly finished and needed adjustments and break-in before working properly. I wrote an e-mail to the German seller Il Mondo Italiano, and they replied with an arrogant tone - basically telling me I was unable to deal with the machine (I had espresso machines for over 20 years now, and I perfectly know how to deal with them). I have always been using special espresso beans, and have owned various grinders - each of them operating properly for decades ! But the integrated coffee grinder in this machine went dead (electric motor locked up) after just one year. So I wrote again to the seller, who told me to send the machine in and that it would probably be a warranty case. In order to save expensive shipping costs for the heavy machine, I send the grinder only. And then - surprise! - they sent me their verdict, that the grinder motor had locked up because I was using wrong coffee beans which ended up clogging the grinder ! This is absolutely incorrect, for first I have always been using espresso beans and secondly, the coffee grinder was absolutely not clogged. They proposed a repair against payment. I asked them to return the parts and refused the proposed repair. As a result they went silent and never sent me back my parts for several weeks, keeping them in hostage until I would pay. So I wrote to the maker Lelit, who answered this is not a warranty case for I have probably been using the wrong coffee, but at least they gave the injunction to the Internet dealer "Il Mondo Italiano" to send me my parts, which they did the same day. As you can easily understand I am definitively done with this Lelit company: it was badly spent money and I will invest in something serious next time.
