If your serious about making great espresso drinks, this will do it no problem!
Positive Product Points
This machine has been outstanding for 1.5 years of daily use.
Negative Product Points
Waiting 30 minutes for everything (mainly the portafilter) to reach proper temp. I usually turn it on before going to bed so it's nice and hot when I rise. Knowing it's waiting for me helps me get out of bed a little quicker.
Detailed Commentary
It takes a little work with getting the grind dialed in at first, which took a day or two. Once that is done using fresh quality coffee beans, it's pretty easy to produce outstanding espresso. You do need know what you are doing. This is not for the mildly interested. You almost have to be OCD as well as the given addicted to coffee to do this with any consistency. If any one of the following is off, It's not going to make killer shots: if the coffee is old or substandard, if the grind is off, if the tamp is not right, and/or the machine is not. Typically I get great shots on a consistent basis. Once in a while I may not get 25-30 psi tamp and end up with a watery shot that dispenses in 10 seconds. When that happens, I just dump it and start over as it's not worth drinking. If you are looking for a push button espresso machine that produces the same okay mediocre stuff day after day with little fuss, get a superauto. This baby takes some work, but you'll be rewarded time and time again.
Buying Experience
Awesome! 1-st line was great. It arrived at my door in 1.5 days in Star, ID from NJ via FEDEX. That had to be expensive.
