Ms. Silvia Cooks

Author's Rating:

Pros: Solid build, great lines

Cons: Long heat time

The Bottom Line: 
Good pro quality machine. Buy it and you have your last espresso machine

Author's Review
I have had this espresso machine for 5 years now and believe I can give an honest opinion of its performance.
I bought this espresso machine after dinking around with other cheaper types, Krups, Delonghi etc. I thought they were okay but after some serious research I found you really can't make a good espresso without a good machine.
This thing is built like a tank. You are not going to take it with you as you go to the office every day. The old axiom of "If it's heavy it must be expensive" lends true to this appliance.
The machine takes a fair amount of time to heat up. The cup warmer is a passive type relying on heat from the boiler to heat the top of the machine where you park the cups.
The portafilter is commercial quality and I can't see wearing it out in a lifetime. You get both a single and double dose insert for the portafilter which is handy.
Once you get your grind just right, and you have to work at this part, you can make anything your local coffee shop can concoct.
The water reservoir in the back is simple to install and remove. It holds enough for many shots and steam sessions. You should be sure to clean it on a regular basis just for the sake of hygiene.
The steam wand comes with a single hole tip. I purchased a three hole tip from 1st Line equipment (where I bought this machine). This seems to have made a greater volume of foam when steaming. You should also wipe down your steam wand every time and turn on the steam briefly when done for the day before shutting down the machine to get any milk out of the wand.

I have had two problems with this machine in 5 years.1) The pump went bad after 1 month. 1st line equipment sales sent me a portafilter with a pressure gauge to help diagnose the problem (on the promise I would return it). They then rushed me a new pump to replace my defective one.2)The little clip on the knob for the steam wand broke after 4 years. I called first line and purchased a new one for something like $1 and I was back in business.

All in all this machine has been very dependable and will surely last a lifetime if past performance is any indication of future results.