Easy to use Large water container - 1.5 litres Repeatable good shots of coffee Produces good frothy milk - with patience Very light and portable
Negative Product Points
Very light construction so not much thermal mass Portafilter occasionally blocks Milk frothing can be time consuming
Detailed Commentary
This was my first espresso coffee machine and once I got used to its idiosyncracies I could get pretty good tasting coffee. I eat out frequently and I always get a cappucino afterwards. By my reckoning 1 in 10 is heavenly, 1 in 10 is dreadful and the other 8 are very acceptable. I thought my Spidem's output was above the acceptable but never quite made the heavenly cup I really wanted.
The pressurised portafilter always gives a good crema but remember to flush clean water through it after use to keep it clear otherwise it may block and then things can get a bit messy then. Follow the previous instruction and it can take a pretty fine grind of good coffee from a local roaster (or good internet provider). Do not use the supermarket vacuum packed bricks as the coffee is awful and the grind too course.
The machine is made of plastic and very light but this has not caused any problems over the 4 years of continual use I have given it. It travels really well and often went on holidays with us so we did not miss out on the coffee experience and was also welcome at small dinner parties lacking 'proper coffee making' facilities.
The lightness of the machine means there is little thermal inertia in the heating elements and it struggles to provide sufficient hot water for a whole double shot. Similarly the milk frothing was pretty slow and it takes nearly two minutes to froth 400 ml of milk although the end result was pretty good. One trick I learnt (after a year) was to take off the metal frother and use a pin to clean out the gully that goes under the rubber o-ring, hidden behind the plastic steam spout . This allows air to be drawn through and the frothing was very consistent after that.
When it started to age I bought a Breville Cafe Roma as a replacment. Much heavier (less portable) and just as slow as the Trevi (all the weight was in the construction, not in the water retention areas) but the portafilter with a double walled crema system was unable to hold as much coffee or accept a fine grind. So the Trevi was put back into use until purchasing a much more expensive combi machie with an excellent grinder and huge boiler and not at all portable.
So I am determined to restore the old Trevi because reliable old friends are hard to come by.
Buying Experience
Bought from local coffee specialist on his recommendation as a demo unit. Probably overcharged but I was pretty naive.
