If you like Americano, this is great. If you‘re looking for strong espresso, you might look elsewhere.
Positive Product Points
The Barista is easy to use and produces pretty consistent drinks. It‘s great for Americano. After four+ years of using the Barista every day, I finally needed a new gasket and Starbucks sent it free.
Negative Product Points
Espresso is on the light (weak) side, so I don‘t find it useful for milk drinks.
Detailed Commentary
As others have commented, the quality of coffee that you use is the main variable that you can play with to tune in your drink. Grind seems to have little effect (so I don‘t vary it for the humidity, etc).
Drinks are sometimes not hot enough, though warming the brew head, portafilter, shot glasses, and coffee cup will help a lot.
