****** - Verified Buyer
4.5
I’ve enjoyed using my new cappuccino machine. It does make a bit of noise but I’m used to it now. I have a cappuccino almost every day.Get your own cups these are very small one shots only.I love this machine very easy to maintain.My family enjoys the Espressos made with this machine. My oldest daughter is learning, because she wants to be a barista some day. However, my main issue is the portafilter (black piece holding the shot basket) broke off months ago and when dumping the shots out the baskets typically fall out with it. (In the trash) Ewwww gross. I have looked on their personalized store and they do not even have replacement options for purchase their. So alas... not even a year in and a pretty HUGE component of the machine is broken. It is fun to use with the family and no lines and drive thru waits and we saves tons of money by doing it ourselves. I have no option of reaching the seller either. ??♀️ sooo... dang it. Overall for the price, it is an alright machine for an ex-barista just trying to teach my daughter how to make some coffee and make some memories along the way. Cheers!Pros:- all included items are useful and good quality [impressed by the portafilter] except the cheap plastic tamper, but even that does its job- I can reliably get a decent long-lasting microfoam whipped up, though the steam wand is much tinier and more finicky than industrial machines I've used [as a barista]- well-manufactured product and easy to use, refill, clean, etc- reasonable price for the setup and the quality, definitely worth the money for me as I save up for a more expensive machineCons:- at this price point, the shots are a bit wonky, which is reasonable but worth noting for those waffling between this and a more expensive unit; the pressure is too low and they pull a bit fast even at the finest possible grind + fullest pack the machine can handle.- it is a very jerky machine when warming up and sometimes will claim it's in a ready state but stutter while in use, which has ruined a couple of sets of shots for me. not a huge deal tho, it doesn't happen often- as mentioned above, steam wand is inferior to an industrial bar; the wand is short, and while it puts out a decent whirl of steam [can get a good spiral going], I often find myself wishing I could position it deeper into the milk pitcher so I could get more foam from less milk. I like drinks on the very dry end, though, so if all you care about is having a little microfoam topper then it might not bother you at all.- no wire/plastic-bristled brush is included for cleaning the espresso head and portafilter, though they DID include spare rubber gaskets.Things I can't really get mad about but wanna gripe about anyway mostly come down to having had to buy a few things to make the setup complete for me:- I bought a small mixing pitcher for shots because many of my cups can't fit into the compact area under the espresso head. I can't really fault them for that because they included nice little solo macchiato cups, but if you want to cleanly slip the shots into a larger cup and keep the crema on top for aesthetic reasons, I'd add one to your order.- While I have rags around the house, I ended up buying some bar rags specifically to use on the steam wand and espresso head. I wish they'd included cleaning tools in general with this all-in-one kit.- Espresso knockbox. There are plenty out there on Amazon but getting the puck of espresso out w/o a knockbox is a pita.I’ve had this machine for 3 years now and still makes my espresso like the first day. You save a lot of money cutting trips to Starbucks ?I got this espresso machine for my sister and we both love it! if you are looking For the short and sweet, here it is: This is a great value: A high quality, everyday, at home espresso machine for a decent price.Here are some key points that we love about it if you want the details:When I bought it, I was worried it was going to be massive and take up and lot of counter space. Well it isn’t and it doesn’t. It’s a good size(I took a picture with my hand on it to give you a good visual. And I am an average size female) it is very sleek and will look very nice with whatever your kitchen/office/classroom decor or theme is. My sister is taking it to her classroom.Second of all, we were confused when we first tried to use it because we forgot to remove a little red piece on the bottom of the water tank. We called the customer service number from the QR code link and they returned our call within 5 minutes. We were not expecting that at all. They quickly resolved our problem and were extremely nice, patient and helpful. So if you have any questions definitely utilize their help line.It came with lots of functional extra items. The two “high quality porcelain cups” were surprisingly just that. Very cute and classy. I was planning to buy a separate set of espresso cups but if two is enough for you then you don’t even need to buy cups separately. Another cool thing about the cups, is that there is a heating tray on top of the machine that you can use to warm up your cups before you dispense, for a piping hot cup of espresso.It comes with a grinder that works perfectly so you can just buy whole beans and don’t have to worry about grinding them somewhere. The machine also comes with a scoop for the ground espresso. The rest of the functions on this machine are problem free so far. The drip tray is also easy and quick to clean.So if you have stuck with me so far, I can tell you this is a great product. Like anything, you get what you pay for, so while it is a little spendy, I feel like it’s an investment and you will get your money back if you(or friends/family) enjoy espresso, lattes or cappuccinos.I was happy with this product when it worked but only lasted maybe 6 months, not worth it in my opinion. Kept it clean and didn’t even use daily but it just quit working on me. What a shame
