Perhaps okay for a newbie, but you will upgrade sooner or later. Sooner, probably.
Positive Product Points
Solid machine, decent-sized water reservoir, good pressure for espresso extraction, useful and readable pressure gauge. Easy to use when bleary-eyed in the morning. (Update: the Grimac I replace the Nemox with is even easier to use, and there is no contest as far as build quality is concerned.)
Negative Product Points
Not the best steaming capabilities, though it's adequate; portafilter drips a bit when charged. Initially confusing switch orientation. Drip plate feels cheap, and is already starting to show signs of rusting. (Update: drips a lot now. Non-standard basket size *really* sucked. And emptying the puck would always require multiple bashings on the knockbox. Just horrible.)
Detailed Commentary
After making the typical newbie mistake of not getting a decent grinder, and realizing first-hand that I'd never make consistently good shots without a grinder at hand, I bit the bullet and ordered a Mini Mazzer. Today. Meanwhile, I am fairly happy, as I usually pull decent shots with enough crema to just cover the surface of a capuccino cup, but it's certainly not piled up in a brownish red seadrift foam that I've seen in espresso porn pictures. It IS a consumer machine, after all. We have a Braun piece of crap that has not been touched since we got the Nemox. There is no comparison. The finish of the Junior has grown on me: it is kind of a pseudo-hammered steel paint job that looks like plastic in photos--but it is much nicer in person. The machine is also heavy, satisfyingly so. (Update: The "lack of crema" problem persisted. The new Grimac made realize that it was the Nemox that was the problem.)
I suspect that once I get the Mini Mazzer I'll be ready for an upgrade. . . . I expect this machine will keep us in macchiatos, espressos, cappucinos, etc., for years to come. (Update: don't believe everything you read, because I certainly changed my mind and upgraded within two months to the Grimac/Mazzer combo, andI had the Mazzer just days after writing the initial review. The Mazzer is fantastic, but it didn't help with the poor shots I got with the Nemox. I estimate 95% of the shots I pulled were substandard.)
Buying Experience
www.1st-line.com was quick and convenient--nothing to report, so it was all good. (Update: I emailed them several times later about getting a replacement basket for the Nemox that I was bashing in a vain attempt to get the grounds out, which come to think of it was yet another annoyance with the Nemox. Never heard from them; they will never hear from me in the future, either. I recommend Espresso Parts Northwest.)
Three Month Followup
Ha! What a joke! I gave away the Nemox to a friend. I pity her. The Nemox had some serious long-term drawbacks, as far as I was concerned: no three-way valve, hence no back flushing; no quick, sequential shot-making capabilities (didn' think I needed that feature; I was wrong); damn thing started to leak at the joint of the steam wand. I tore it apart and found that the boiler is tiny, much smaller than advertised. And I saw that fixing the leak was beyond my capability, as the assembly is not something you can simply unbolt. The components are press-fitted together. I'm much happier with my much more expensive Grimac Mia.
