-The Magic Deluxe does it all, from grinding, making the espresso, and dumping the puck, to providing great steam for the milk.  I‘d been making what I thought was a decent espresso for several years, but never came close to what this machine does every time.  
-Not having to clean up after every shot is too good to be true.  I clean the group head once or twice a week.  Other than that, it requires attention only every 15 shots or so (just a guess) for adding and dumping water, emptying the dump box, and adding beans.
-The removable group head for cleaning, and the bypass doser are great features.  
-It warms up very quickly due to the aluminum heat exchanger, just a couple of minutes.
-I didn‘t like frother attachments before, but the one that comes with this machine is very good.

-I would prefer less plastic.  It looks more impressive in pictures than "in person" due to this factor.  Most of what you see looking at the unit is plastic.  
-The large machine dominates the counter space.  But since we make around 20 shots a day, it‘s an icon to our favorite beverage.  
-Some people might want more flexibility in the settings and might want to look at the Saeco Royal Digital (I‘ve never used the Digital myself, though).
-The cup warming tray is not effective.  We use hot water from the wand to pre-heat the cups.

I had a Starbucks espresso machine for about 4 years, and when it died, I researched the net to determine what to do next.  I had never looked at the net for coffee information before, and never even knew there was such a thing as a super automatic.  After reading all the comments about needing a good grinder as well as a good espresso machine, and considering the amount that we make every day, the decision to move to a super automatic was a natural.  Another review criticizes the steam volume, but I think it‘s fine.  

I struggled with the ratings, particularly the construction/workmanship and cost vs. value due to the amount of plastic.  However, it seems well constructed and I‘ve had no problems with it other than the dump box light sometimes coming on sooner than it should and being hard to get turned off.  I‘ll be interested in seeing how the plastic group head holds up.  I‘m counting on this machine to last for several years based on the cost.  Considering all the mentioned factors, I chose to give it 5‘s across the board.

If you like to make espresso, this may not be the machine for you.  There‘s not a whole lot to tinker with, nor many decisions to make.  But if you like to drink excellent espresso without all the time consuming setup and clean up, this is a can‘t miss proposition, in my opinion.  I‘ve been so excited about it I‘ve even gotten into home roasting by buying an Alpenrost.  I paid around $700 for it from 1st-line.  See Click Here (www.1st-line.com)  They were very helpful in making my decision and the price is very good as well.  

I know you‘re wondering by now, but I have no connections or financial interest in either Saeco or 1st-line other than being a very happy customer.

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