So far, so good! I would definitely recommend this machine!
Positive Product Points
Quality looks, feel, and espresso. It's a compact, stainless-steel, sharp-looking machine. The machine tells you when the dump box is full and holds quite a few pucks. It also has a cup warmer and a bypass doser as well.
Negative Product Points
Cup warmer isn't particularly fast and the front door hangs down a bit and wants to scrap the drip tray. The only other minor annoyance is that you have to open the front door to get to the dump box. The water container isn't the easiest to get to without a swivel base.
Detailed Commentary
Positives: The heavy, durable feel and good looks of this machine far and away overcome the minor negative points. Since I'm always in a hurry in the morning, one of my favorite features is the low maintenance. The nice stainless-steel drip tray cover hides the waste nicely so it only requires emptying every three days or so. Also, as mentioned before the dump box takes care of itself and holds 8-10 pucks.
Negatives: If the dump box had external access it wouldn't look as good. As for the door hanging low, I just hold the door up a bit to keep it from scratching.
Espresso: While I'm still dialing it in, the espresso seems to be a notch above what I was used to with the Saeco Vienna Deluxe.
Verdict: Relative to the other machines on the market, I think this machine is definitely worth the $695 Starbucks is charging. Yes, the price paid (+$40 for shipping) is correct! What a steal!
