Lukewarm

Author's Rating:

Pros: Large water capacity

Cons: Doesn't make hot espresso hot enough

The Bottom Line: 
Find another brand.

Author's Review
I purchased this machine after researching all those in a moderate price range. I chose this one because of the large water storage capacity and the claim that it makes the best "crema". When we took it out of the box and tried it out, the first couple of cups were lukewarm. After reading all the fine print, I realized that the only way to get a hot cup of espresso was to preheat the entire machine. This includes the part that holds the ground coffee. The only way to heat this part is to run water through it. I find this very inconvenient! Our previous machine didn't require this extra step. (Maybe this is why it has such a large water capacity...you need to waste some of it heating up the holder).

Now, after using the machine less than 6 months, it has developed the rather alarming habit of spewing coffee grounds all over when the holder is removed. There is obviously too much pressure building up somewhere, rendering the machine unsafe to use.