Unbelievable value for a REAL grinder and Espresso machine.
Positive Product Points
Excellent conical burr grinder. Large, easy to clean, drip tray. Quiet. Fast warm up
Negative Product Points
Lightweight/ small portafilter
Detailed Commentary
This machine has a pressurized portafilter which makes it easier for someone just starting out to make a decent espresso. With this type of portafilter the quality of the grinder is not as important as it is on a machine with a non pressurized PF. That being said the grinder on this machine is wonderful! I really cant believe how nice it is for the price. I have tried using it to grind for my Gaggia Espresso and it can easily choke that machine out. I really am not much of a fan of the pressurized PFs but it makes it easy to make a decent shot. I use this machine at work and it is easy enough for anyone to use. I took the top of the machine off to get a look at the internals and saw that the grinding burrs are really heavy duty and the pump is a ULKA. ULKA pumps are used on many machines that are much more expensive than this one. The machine also has a decent sized aluminum boiler. I do not steam milk very often but I did try it and it seems that the machine makes a lot of steam. This machine makes good drinks all the time with a minimum of effort. I think that the grinder alone is worth more than what these machines are going for on Ebay. The machine retails for around $250 and I think it is worth it at that price but for $100 or less on Ebay it is an absolute steal!
