Ease of use; makes a very realistic Italian cafe latte and cappuccino; does not take up counter space; is impressive to show to guests unfamiliar with it.

Pressure valve adjustment between latte and cappuccino sometimes slips out of position. This can cause an overflow as the machine will be unknowingly set for cappuccino when you have put in quantities of milk and water for latte. Also, if you are not carful and get one grain of coffee ground on the gasket surface, it will leak a little during brewing; If the milk is cold, may need to keep it on the burner for an extra 30 secs or so to heat up the results a little more. The machine will make some noise, but it works; You have to pour all the contents as soon as you take it off the heat because a negative pressure will begin to draw coffee and milk back into the water tank, through the valve unit. I recommend to pour all contents at once and then immediately cool off entire unit by rinsing in cold running water. This serves to de-pressurize the unit quickly and you can make another round.

This is a very good purchase for those that like a latte or capucco in the morning. It make enough for two large cups It works best (and quickest) on a gas stove, but it is adaptable to electric. It is not exactly like going to the "bar" in Rome, but it is fun and gives better than good results. Keep in mind that it gets better over time. Do not scrub it clean. Only rinse and wipe and let it dry un-assembled. Occasionally you will need to gently scrape off some cooked on milk solids around some areas in the top collection chamber, but it is relatively low maintenance. I would say that you may need to replace the rubber gasket, and perhaps the (spring-loaded) basket once a year.

Purchased in Rome, so price was 39 Euros.