Maybe I just got a rare defective machine, but this coffee maker is the worst coffee maker I have ever purchased and overall a worthless piece of cr*p. From Day One it has leaked EVERYWHERE, every time I try to use it, it leaks all over the counter, all over the floor, water not merely leaks out from everywhere, it POURS out from the bottom and the sides. The design externally is nice — it is a fairly compact nice size and looks very nice. However I don’t care how cute it is if if DOESN’T WORK. It also has some bizarre design features such as this ultra-weird removable BUCKET that you have to fill with water for the coffee maker, and this bizarre “showerhead” feature over the filter basket, which if you don’t swivel it into position each and every time, will pour further water all over the place. Also, it is very easy to forget to put the first lid on the espresso machine before covering it with the second lid, which could result in some further disaster. Overall, I rate this 5 stars for external frontal appearance and 0 for overall design. It is possible I got a fluke defective one but even if it worked, I find the internal design of it bizarre and convoluted. The only decent affordable coffee maker in my opinion is (was) the Braun, but that was before they started making them in Mexico and now those are cr*p too.
Rating: 1 / 5

Being compact,this is ideal for a small kitchen. Though I have had slightly better coffee makers,this is a perfect unit for a beginner barista. Basic operation is straight forward and can be adapted as you learn the techniques. With proper care it should perform well for a long time. As with any culinary undertaking it takes practice and good ingredients to make an excellent product. I’ve discovered a couple tricks that have improved the quality of my cappuccino a lot since I first gave it a go a month ago. Fine tuning the machine operation beyond the instructions in the booklet was key. First of all,I got rid of the rubber frothing aid tip cover-it was not helpfull.I fill the tank to a quarter inch below the bar that goes across the opening and seal, turn the dial to “steam” until water stops spitting out of the frothing tube (this gets the water temperature a bit higher for brewing and produces an espresso with a trace of caramel froth around the rim),turn the machine off, attach the brew basket with prepared grind, turn on and brew espresso. Then immediately return dial to steam and let it hiss until its pure hot steam-almost invisible. With milk in a metal frothing pitcher(an essential accessory)held in the palm of your hand,emerse the tip just under the surface of the milk,turn the steam back on and inject steam until you hear the pitch change and the heat on the bottom of the pitcher begins to get uncomforable, insert the tip a bit deeper into the milk for a couple seconds then shut off. Appart from that, getting the right coffee is important and a matter of taste and getting the grind just right is a trick too(a wee bit more fine than salt I find). Most of all its fun!
Rating: 5 / 5

I love the fact that I can make expresso for me and coffee for when I have guests. I have owned this for almost 2 months and I use it everyday in some capacity. This is a surefire way to cut costs on buying those expensive coffee drinks by making them at home.
Rating: 5 / 5