Every coffee geek should have one for those mornings away from electricity
Positive Product Points
Simple, well made, aesthetically pleasing, makes decent espresso, inexpensive compared to a quality electric espresso machine, easy to clean
Negative Product Points
Does not develop as much pressure as an electric machine, so probably losing something in the extraction process compared to an electric. Doesn't steam milk - you need separate equipment for that.
Detailed Commentary
The Presso is a marvel of simplicity in function and design. It is light and compact, so fits anywhere, and you can take it with you camping, skiing, etc, as long as you have something to boil water with. To clean the filter head (group head?) you can turn it upside down under the kitchen tap. It is solidly made of cast aluminum, with the portafilter being stainless steel (or perhaps nickel plated something? - sorry i flunked metallurgy in school) While the espresso it makes may not be quite up to the standard of a machine like a Rancilio Silvia, it still makes espresso that I find is better than 90% of the commercial examples where i live. It is much better espresso than I have ever produced from the various stovetop and cheap electric units i have owned. For cappucino, i have just microwaved milk, and frothed it with a hand frother, which produces a satisfactory result. In my use so far, I have not been able to produce espresso with really thick crema - but still very tasty. It is fast - no waiting for boilers to heat up - you can make mutiple shots as quickly as you can dump the old pucks and boil more water. Given that it costs only 20-25% of what a Silvia would cost, there ain't alot to complain about. Manufacturer has a website - with a 1950's ish demo video www.presso.co.uk
Buying Experience
Nothing good or bad to say about the dealer I purchased it from - i handed them money, they handed me the box. The manufacturer, Presso.co.uk has been very helpful. I emailed them with a few questions on use of the machine, including that it seemed like the expresso did not come out of the 2 portafilter spouts evenly. They offered to send me a replacement, redesigned portafilter at no charge. (just rec'd it - haven't tried it yet)
Three Month Followup
see 1 year review
One Year Followup
Hey geeks! The Presso is still going strong over one year later. While the siren song of consumerism fills my ears with the promises of god shots from $2000 machines, I have bought nought. The Presso makes great shots - I see no reason to upgrade.
