I have a hard time spending money on something, even when i know it's what i want. That being said, i couldn't be happier with the machine to this point. We have completely shelved the drip brewer and exclusively use this. I cannot emphasize enough the need to use freshly roasted beans. The difference is night and day in terms of how the grind size is dialed in and (obviously) the final product. I tried grocery store beans in the beginning because I was impatient and it was less than stellar. I had to use to the dual wall filters with an insanely fine grind size. As soon as i switched to fresh beans and was able to use the single wall, that value of the machine became apparent. I've never had coffee beverages like this at home.
My wife and i wanted "easy", and this delivers. Could you get better steamed milk doing it manually? Sure. But this is good enough, and by that I mean it's fantastic. I could do it, but why? We enjoy drinking a coffee together; not the act (or art) or making it. This machine has allowed us both to whip up amazing beverages whenever we feel like it. Cleanup is super easy, and not having mess all over the counter grinding, tamping, and moving the portafilter over has made such a huge difference in our coffee bar. My go-to is an Americano while my wife lives on the Flat White. Even if i never did anything but Americanos, i would consider this a sound investment. Perhaps its overkill for just that, but the convenience factor is off the charts.
The touch screen can be a tad slow, but the reality is you aren't interacting with it like a phone. You are selecting a few touches and you move on with life. I am picky and thought it might be a deal-breaker for me, but it's not by any stretch. Beautiful screen and build quality of the machine as a whole is fantastic. My only quibble is the drip tray top rattles around like its in an earthquake, so i'll need to add a bumper of some kind to quiet it down.
I do see some inconsistencies in brew time from cup to cup. Sometimes i hit a perfect 32s and the next cup may be 29s. The single shot basket always tends to take much longer to brew through, even with single shot volume. It often sticks to the screen, whereas the double doesn't. I'm sure I can play with this and figure it out, but this is about as perfect as it gets without having to invest hours/days/weeks/months of learning. We love it, and highly recommend you add to your kitchen (especially when you find it on sale)!!
