The Barista is a great espresso machine; don‘t waste your money on a "designer" machine like the Francis X Francis, which is plastic, has a poor porta
Positive Product Points
Great Portafilter, design of movable steam wand is brillant!, all metal housing, adjustable drip tray, commercial size group and portafilter, cup warmer is a great feature, 96oz water tank, nice design to machine.
Negative Product Points
Although the sales people at Starbucks are friendly and knowledgable about coffee/espresso, I found that they really don‘t know much about the machines ~ I found 1 person who new everything about the machines ~ but on average, most of the Starbucks employee‘s don‘t know the machines.
Detailed Commentary
This machine is a work horse/tank ~ and its designed to provide the best cup of espresso every time. The soft grip portafilter, the commercial sized portafilter basket and the amount of steaming duration makes this a great machine for anyone ~ I paid $299 and its worth it.
The machine is made in Italy, comes in several colors, and has a 2 year warranty and a great support crew at Starbucks 1.800 number.
