I've had this unit for about 10 weeks now. I've made over 100 shots of espresso in that time.
Pros:
- Plenty of pressure. Has no problem extracting a double shot of espresso in 25 seconds provided you have your grind setting correct.
- Serious steam wand pressure. Easily takes 8 oz. of milk up to 150 degrees (and would easily go beyond if I let it) in under a minute, with a lot of foam (can easily double or triple the milk volume in that time).
- Easy to use. One button to start warmup, one button to draw the shots of espresso, and one button to produce steam for the wand. Dial to adjust steam amount. 15 seconds from pressing the steam button to having lots of pressure available at the wand.
- Produces nice espresso. With fresh beans and the right grind (burr grinder a must; you -will- get poor results with a blade grinder), really nice shots with lots of crema. The temp is right, it's not watery and it's not bitter/burnt. With old beans or a poor grind, still makes average to good shots.
- Perfect Froth wand. Purists hate this and insist that you should change out the steam wand with a standard one (which will work fine - check out forums on wholelattelove for the recommended replacement part). However, I actually like the froth wand. While I do like taking the purist approach to frothing sometimes, on some mornings I just want a pitcher full of froth without having to think about it, and the Perfect Froth wand will deliver that every time.
- Cleanup easy. Can clean up in a minute (bang out the coffee puck, rinse head under water, pop off Perfect Frother, rinse that, blast of steam out the wand, wipe the wand down, rinse out frothing pitcher, done.)
- Warmup time. Ready to use in as little as 5-6 minutes. By the time I've ground the coffee, got the milk out, prepared the frothing pitcher, found my mug, put a flavor shot in it, and run a blank shot through the unit (to get fresh water in the pump and heat up the head and glasses), it's pretty much ready to go. If you have time, give it 10 minutes to be sure, but works with 5-6 in a pinch.
Cons
- Can be drippy. I empty the drip tray twice a week, that's with making 2-4 shots per day. Doesn't really bother me.
- Water tank could be larger. Refill every 3-4 days. Slightly awkward to slide full tank back into place and manage the intake tubes. (Not really a big deal, may splash a few drops of water on you)
- Perfect crema device - could never get it to fit in the head, but haven't needed it. Unit generates good crema as-is.
- Casing not as sturdy as it could be. It does flex a bit as I'm tightening the head. Filter head handle has a little play in it.
- Tamper is cheap plastic. I bought an aluminum one from Amazon.
Of the cons, the only ones that concern/annoy me are the slightly small water tank size, and to a lesser extent, the sturdiness of the casing. The other things are either to be expected, easily remedied, or easily ignored. People complain about the unit being drippy, but I'd rather have that than a unit with too little pressure - it's the residual pressure that causes the drips. That's what a drip tray is for. Espresso is a slightly messy hobby, it comes with the territory.
Overall I am extremely happy with the unit. The internals are identical to units much more expensive. Results are consistent each time. The unit isn't fussy; it's fairly forgiving if I rush it in the morning or use older beans.
This is a great unit to graduate up to from an entry-level unit, when you start to get serious about making espresso and espresso drinks. For the price, the quality can't be beat. I researched units for about six months before I bought, and I am very happy with the decision.
Final note - you definitely also should consider getting a burr grinder if you don't already have one. You can't generate the consistency and fineness of the grind with a blade grinder, and if you buy pre-ground beans, that'll work in a pinch but you'll lose a lot of flavor and crema within minutes of grinding. Since buying this unit and a burr grinder, I now buy my espresso blends from local roasters directly because I finally have a unit where the quality of the beans does show through.
