I had recently purchased the new Mr. Coffee pump esspresso maker for 89.99 and hated it! the esspresso tasted like mediocre coffee. So, I spent another 49.99 on the Caspresso and am totally satisfied. It is easy to use, and produces that wonderful full bodied rich esspresso that I crave everyday at "Latte Time!"

I have this espresso machine for over 4 years and i am very satisfied. It's fast to boil water and has perfect ratio for steam pressure, so it holds enough pressure to froth even coarser grinds. In the past year i forgot to clean it with vinegar, so the steam spout got plugged, however it was really easy to disassemble and clean the insides. When disassembled, it revealed well made components that were cleverly put together. The unit is assembled in Portugal (which in my experience makes some of the best coffee in the world) and the metal assembly seems to be German (Blockmann?). After all these years the seals are still holding up great (these are made of thick rubber, unlike some other makes). I like the flat knob as well, it's easy to turn.
A great simple espresso machine that will last a very long time, which makes great tasting coffee and has been my morning companion for many years now !

Water and steam flows out the top no matter how tight cap is twisted on. Makes only one cup at a time. No creama. Don't waste your money. I'm going back to my Mr. Coffee which is far superior to this piece of junk and that's saying a lot.

Well, I have been using this little guy quite often...for about 8 months and almost daily. Dependable little bugger. For the price, I guess I would say that the experience has been well worth it. The main thing this machine has taught me, though, is how spending a little more for a REAL espresso machine is in my near future.

A couple things, successfully pulling a single shot isn't the same. It is using pressure to push the steam through the beans, but it comes out more as concentrated coffee and not really espresso. Not enough pressure. I do like that I can just exploit this fact and just pull some decent cups, but I've never had abundant success with the milk steamer.

Sometimes it just makes a mess...other times it works pretty good. If you want to make people think you're cool and like to drink something other than drip, go for it...but once they see you, they'll want one, too...and you can't properly pull a second shot without letting all the air out and filling it back up with water and coming back at it...you'll be dead before you can serve more than 3.

If you're all alone and don't have to pull shots for others (and you're broke but require some form of style), this would work for you...otherwise, don't be fooled by the discount...get something stronger...that's at least $125.

I use my espresso machine 1-2 times daily and save money at the coffee shop. I get my coffee and calcium at the same time. Love IT!!