Beautifully built and performing machine - I don't imagine you can do any better for the $ (or even more)
Positive Product Points
A beautiful hunk of machinery. Reminds me of a high performance vehicle. Its' ability to produce great shots and cappas greatly exceeds my own abilities at this point.
Negative Product Points
Much like a high performance vehicle , you have to learn how to handle it. After owning a gaggia classic for 6 years , I had forgotten about the steep (at least for me) espresso learning curve. I thus experienced some frustration in finding a "groove" with respect to controlling brew temps via a cooling flush and recovery time ritual. None of this is reflects on the quality of the machine , however. Equipment -wise the only minor issue might that the fill port for the water tank is rather small. It is easy enought to remove cup warmer tray for access.
Detailed Commentary
The step up to a prosumer grade hx machine like this was a big one for me. As I have climbed the learning curve (am still learning) I am amazed by the andreja's ability to bring out nuances in blends that I could have never imagined.
The steaming abilitiy is awesome. Steams a comparable amount of milk in less than half the time it took with the gaggia.
As I have tweaked boiler and brew group pressure (thanks to the CG community for tips)I am finding the groove and loving this machine!
Upon unpacking the Andreja I was intially impressed by the looks and heft. As a mountain biker and performance car enthusiast I can appreciate "high performance" equipment. The andreja is such a piece of equipment. As with mountain bikes and cars, the user's ability,not the equipment,is most often the limiting factor in performance. My shots are getting better and better and as I learn to "finesse" andreja I know the quality of my shots will improve.
Buying from Chris makes the entire experience that much better. After seeing enough of the CG community rave about this guy, I knew who to call about a new machine. It is a rare thing for any saleperson (much less the owner of a co.) to spend the kind of time Chris did with me (and with anyone who calls, I think). As someone in sales I recognize and greatly appreciate the the service the Chris gives. He is clearly in for the long haul.That is what develops customers for life.
Buying Experience
Dealing with and buying from Chris is THE way to go- see above. Just don't make fun of his golf game (he's a low handicap!).
