CASABREWS Espresso Machine with Grinder, 20 Bar Semi Automatic Espresso Coffee Maker with Milk Frother for Home Barista, Professional Coffee Machine for Cappuccinos or Lattes, Gift for Mom Dad

I am going to fess up that I have never made an expresso in my life and have only drunk a few. But this machine can make cappuccinos, lattes, and expressos (probably even other coffee drinks I failed to mention). And given my love of coffee drinks, I was ready to venture into the world of expresso machines.This is an incredibly nice machine for beginners and is probably very appealing to experienced baristas as well. It comes with almost everything you need, except for coffee beans and a steaming cup for milk. It comes with a tamp for the coffee and filters for a single or double expresso. It also comes with a brush to clean the coffee bean hopper. It has a good-sized water tank for the machine that comes out of the machine, allowing you to easily fill it, if you aren't able to keep it next to a water source. The drain pan also has a pop-up sign to let you know when it needs emptying. I made certain to read the instruction manual prior to using, especially important for me in having no experience in using an expresso machine. The instructions were clear and easy to understand.My biggest fear in using the machine was not knowing how hard to pack the coffee into the filter. It refers to a specific PSI, which was intimidating to me. There is no way for me to measure PSI and it is important for the pressure of the water. Too much pressure (packed too tightly) causes the expresso to taste bitter. This is what it says in the manual, and I assure you, it's true. Very bitter! I tamped pretty firmly the first time and it was too much. The next time, I used a gentle, medium pressure, and it fell into the perfect pressure zone on the pressure gauge. And I was rewarded with a much better tasting expresso.There are also some very helpful videos on the Amazon Order page for the machine, if you are more of a visual learner. Bottom line, it's a very nice, easy to use machine for making expresso and it is most assuredly a high-end machine as well.

This machine works well and does appear to be well made too. The built in grinder is so convenient to use.It does take some experimenting to get the grind, tamp and amount correct as each machine is unique. So, be prepared to have a few sessions where you make adjustments until the coffee is extracting well and creating a good amount of crema. The combination of grind, tamping and amount will affect the brew. Also, I find shiny, oil beans don't work as well, but this might just be personal preference.

This espresso machine is fantastic in so many ways:* It's easy to use. You do not have to get the grind or 'tamp' perfect to obtain a great tasting cup(s) of espresso. And, if you pack it down too hard, it has appropriate self-checks to ensure neither the machine nor anyone standing close by is hurt.* It makes almost any coffee taste good - you do not need to purchase expensive coffee beans to obtain a great cup of espresso.* The machine is very well made, with quality parts and attention to detail.* The machine itself looks great!Bottom line - if you like espresso or strong coffee, this machine is absolutely worth it!

This machine comes with lots of instructions on cleaning several parts on a regular basis. I could not get the coffee bean grinder to work on a regular basis, despite my cleaning efforts.

This machine is very hard to use, I have had 2 people work with me trying to figure it out (they each have a different brand than this one), we have yet to get a good tasting, hot coffee and we have read every word of the enclosed ligature that came with the unit. I'm so disappointed, was so excited to get this machine and now I wish I had not wasted my Christmas gift cards buying such a misleading machine. Of course I Kept trying different things and having different people work with me, and now it is too late to return it. I'm just out about $500 for nothing! The milk frothier is a joke, never ever heats up enough to steam the milk, and then when you turn it off steam comes out of every crevice of the machine except the steamer wand. I did so much research before buying and thought I had found the perfect machine, not so much! Wish I could just send it back!