Small, doesn't take up too much room. Excellent temperature and it seems to have good steam capacity but I don't make anything but straight doubles. Warms up very quickly.
Negative Product Points
My only complaint is with the rather small water reservoir. However I keep a container of bottled water handy and refill frequently. I started with the non-pressurized portafilter and it was fine but I bought a pressurized one and feel that I get better results with it. A seasoned barista would probably do better with the non-pressurized unit.
Detailed Commentary
This is my first "real" espresso maker after the Krups steam machine. I bought it to see if I wanted to get in to espresso after lurking in alt.coffee and reading this site. I thought for $30.00 I couldn't go too far wrong. I was right, this is a great machine! The third shot I "pulled" was better than any I have ever had at Starbucks. I have read that the boiler is small and the temp falls off quickly but that has not been a problem for me, probably because I only make 1 double at a time. However when I do make coffee crema the temperature seems fine. I do have an OK grinder (Solis Maestro). It proves the adage: better a cheap espresso maker and a good grinder than vice versa. I thought I would use it to see if I liked espresso enough to get a Silvia or something in that class. I decided that I do like espresso, but I don't see any reason to buy a more expensive machine now. I don't know where or when this was originally sold. When I called Saeco to get the pressurized portafilter the clerk had never heard of it. He suggested that it might be a European machine. I don't think that is the case because it was wired for US voltage and Hz.
Buying Experience
I bought it on ebay from a person in Baltimore who must represent the factory in some fashion because he only seems to sell Saeco espresso makers. The unit was described as being used but I could not see that it had been apart from the box having been opened. The shipping was very prompt. He urges you to contact him if you have any problems or questions but he never responded to any emails or calls. (I didn't have any problems, only a question)
Three Month Followup
I really can not add anything else to the previous report. The machine continues to work well and the quality of my espresso and americanos continues to improve as experience increases.
