Consistently quality shots with superb crema. Second gauge is a plus. Machine looks great and is built like a fortress.
Negative Product Points
Would like to have a larger water reservoir (may have to plumb in). Other than that, no problems so far.
Detailed Commentary
This an excellent machine for home use/entertaining. It will pour great espresso shot after shot. There is no lag time between shots. Perhaps the greatest limiting step will be your expertise with tamping/grind. I also recommend pulling a blank shot before your first espresso shot - this seems to flush out any water in the group head that is too hot and helps with temp stablility. I have used the steamer a few times and it performs extremely well. The bottom drip pan is a great plus. It holds a tremendous amount of fluid and is simple to clean as it pulls right out. The other plus about the Tea is that it is made with stainless steel inside and out and not some cheap plastic shell.
Buying Experience
Chiris's coffee is the way to go. Chris is passionate about what he does and equally passionate about customer satisfaction. When I initially received my Tea, the heating element did not work. He helped me diagnose the problem over the phone and overnighted me the element. (For those with any mechanical inclination, the Tea is very easy to work on). He even offered to overnight another machine if I did not want to mess around with repairing the heating element myself.
Three Month Followup
No problems so far.
One Year Followup
So far so great. I have used the machine daily and have had zero problems. My earlier commentary still applies. I have no doubt that this machine can produce fine espresso consistently. I have read that some owners have needed to adjust their thermostats to fine tune the temperature of the water - mine seems to be just fine. If you buy this machine, you need a great grinder, good tamping technique, and most of all fresh coffee. If you buy cheap coffee, you are wasting your time.
