Purchased on sale at starbucks. Mine was actually the pre-Starbucks estro profi with a built in, so-so burr grinder. I had owned and burned out two krups machines before getting the profi and was quite pleased with the coffee (peets italian, usually) I was making. The machine itself is quite adequate for making single and double espresso. It's a little lacking in the steam department, but compared to my older krups, it was a big step up. If you are patient, excellent foam can be achieved. It's recovery time however, is slow. if you have a room full of dinner guests, make a nice pot of drip. it will take 30 minutes to make 4-5 drinks if You steam any milk at all. It probably takes about 3 minutes total to make a shot of espresso as one must wait for the pressure on the head to come down so as not to spray grounds all over the place.
On the other hand, if you typically make yourself a double in the morning, and one when you get home, this is a great machine. I had mine for two yrs using it 2-3 times daily. It is now in the hands of a friend who's been using it similarly for the past 18 months. Can't really complain about that.
Buying Experience
easy. but i'd shop around. they can be gotten cheaper.
