I think this is a great machine. I did a lot of research leading up to buying this, and ultimately chose it for a few reasons:
- It can make coffee. My partner pretty much only drinks drip coffee or an americano once in a while, so it was important to find a machine that had this function, while also making other drinks like lattes, which I tend to drink more of.
- Its a great size and very easy to clean. Simple daily upkeep and you can keep this machine running very smoothly. Also the machine does a cleaning cycle every time it turns off.
- It looks really nice! Ultimately the least important factor, but is a great bonus. They did a great job with the design.
The things I was worried about that have not actually been an issue:
- I was worried it would be too difficult to use or we would not understand the buttons, lights etc. The manual walks you through all of this so its surprisingly easy to troubleshoot. However, you do need to read the manual! This is important. Don't expect to know how to get this machine going without the manual. User error is very real with this machine.
Things I wish it had:
- I wish it had a setting where you could bypass the beans you have in the hopper, or an easier way to remove beans from the hopper. This was something I knew I was longing for even before I bought it, so its not like I didn't have the information. But still wish it had a system in place for that.
- a bigger water tank, but then it wouldn't be such a great size!
Things I didn't expect:
- our dog was very afraid of this machine! We knew it was from the beeping noise that it makes and were able to easily turn off that sound function after a quick google search (smeg has lots of 'how-to' video content). Its been two weeks and she finally isn't hiding every time we turn the machine on.