Great machine for the price, but cumbersome

Author's Rating:

Pros: Genuine steam (not pump) pressure, good build quality, price

Cons: Slightly cumbersome b/c it's steam not pump (pressure tank)

The Bottom Line: 
Buy it for the espresso side of things, and be happy it also happens to make coffee.

Author's Review
It's a trade off. For espresso you can either get a pump-driven machine (with bar/psi ratings, etc) and you just fill up the water tank and let the machine use what it needs, or you do it right and get a steam pressure driven machine. A traditional Italian espresso machine is a stove-top device that uses steam pressure to force the hot water through the grounds - this machine works that way. The high-pressure tank holds up to 4 "cups" or water for 2 servings of espresso and enough steam left over for the milk to make to full cappuccinos. I think this is better because it uses the natural steam force rather than a pump to make espresso. On the other hand, it is a bit cumbersome, because you must never open it until you have let out all of the pressure, lest you want to sear your hand with hot steam.

The froth attachment works great - I have no idea how that little second nozzle tip thing actually WORKS, but the results are much better than just using the steam tip bare.

Ok. Enough about espresso/cappuccino.
On the coffee side is a large capacity, VERY EASILY programmable coffee machine. I never use the coffee side - but my wife does. She seems quite content with it, but in my world of "espresso or bust" - a coffee machine is a coffee machine.

So, if you're looking for a great espresso machine that won't break the bank, uses steam pressure not some hyped up pump motor, and happens to have a good Krups coffee machine built in, this is a great unit. I recommend it.