Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Ok, so first things first, you should take advantage of the neverending videos online on how to make espresso before buying and REVIEWING an entry level espresso machine. And you should also have some understanding of what to expect from a machine of this type before you make your purchase. This machine is for those who want to be able to make espresso/cappuccinos/lattes at home, but don't want to dive Right in to the higher quality and much more expensive machines that require understanding of grinding, tamping, and even technique of milk frothing. Here are some things to consider: 1. This machine is built with forgiveness of your grind settings and tamping, as are all machines that utilize a pressure basket, which helps you achieve the correct pressure via the basket instead of with the grind/tamp of the coffee. 2. Unlike a true boiler system, you have to preheat this machine prior to brewing. This is done by turning on the machine with the power button on the side, allowing the machine to heat up, the running a brew cycle without coffee until the light goes off. Once that happens, turn off the brew cycle and wait for the light to come back on. One tip, install the brew basket without grounds during this heat up cycle to make sure the whole system is at optimal temperature for brewing. 3. Froth your milk first, then brew your espresso. Countless hours of watching videos and reviews on espresso machines has taught me this. Reason for this step is that once brewed, the coffee starts to degrade and cool quickly after brewing. The milk will hold up and remain hot during the short process of brewing the espresso, which will give you a much smoother and warmer cup. After frothing, repeat the process of flushing the heater by turning on the brew process and then turning on the wand, which will running the remaining heated water out of the wand and not through the brew basket. And last tip, if you want more of a micro foam rather than the large bubbled foam (latte foam instead of cappuccino foam), remove the pannarello wand and keep the tip of the frothing wand just Bellow the surface of the milk (you should hear the air being sucked in by the steam pressure) and make sure the milk is swirling rapidly. Once you have the foam density you desire, submerge the tip to continue heating the milk until the cup is hot to the touch. This all was learned from doing the research before making a purchase. This is not the machine I had my heart set on, but it doesn't have the $600 price tag either. For under $200, this machine will make a good cappuccino and latte, as long as you follow the instructions. I really like having the ability to make a brewed pot at the same time for those that don't like the fancier coffee drinks, as the heating elements are independent from each other. I REALLY like the carafe and the set up of the drip side, minus the included filter. I have never cared for mesh filters. The wide spout pours perfectly as long as you don't try to fill a cup in an instant and just pour steadily. Honestly one of the best carafes I have used. The reason for the 4 stars is simple. This machine was purchased for our camper, and we have a much nicer and higher end Delonghi espresso machine at home, and the quality of the brew basket on this machine is not near as good. There is nothing holding the brew basket in, our other machine has bars in the basket housing that holds it in with pressure. Also, this basket uses too much plastic in my opinion that your brew will flow across. The other design on our home unit is all metal. All in all, for a combo unit, this is a DECENT machine that will produce a good latte or cappuccino if operated properly, and a decent pot of drip coffee for the other half that prefer that. If you want to start down the expensive path of brewing espresso, this will get you heading in the right direction. But please, do your homework. There are many variables (grind, coffee type, etc.) that will affect the quality of your brew.