I purchased this machine based on recommendations from Amazon customers and am very happy.
I spent WAY too much money on a Starbucks Sirena at Christmas. Must have been in the throws of caffeine withdrawal DTs or something. The Sirena worked great until it's death after only 6 months of use. We make 4 lattes or mochas a day, took care of it per manufacturer's instructions, didn't beat it with a hammer, etc.
The Lello 1375 Areiete Cafe Prestige machine has the same number of bars-so the power is the same so it heats up the milk just as fast as the Sirena. You do need to get the little espresso cups so you know when to shut off the machine ( the Sirena has an automatic shut-off). You need to tamp your own grounds (big deal-the machine comes with a tamper).
We are very happy so far, have had it for 2 months. No need to spend big money on one of these things. It's cute, seems well made.

The Lello 1375 is well-assembled and functions appropriately (the majority of the time). It's easily paid for itself in saving in just a few months and I'm quite pleased with the product espresso that results from this machine. For my purposes, I never use the steam wand, only producing espresso shots.

There are a few shortcomings, as others have mentioned. 1) The "wet cake" issue is treatable by strongly compressing the grounds, but this compaction can lead to slowing of the espresso flow; for me, it's easiest just to wash out the wet cake. 2) Corrosion of the drip tray was immediate following use. From the rate of spread of the corrosion spots (>10 of them now), I expect the corrosion to migrate from the hidden part of the tray to the visible in a year or so. 3) The biggest issue is the occasionally erratic steaming of the espresso grounds. Rather than producing a nice stream of rich, creamy espresso, about 10% of the time, the machine will eject steam and a watery coffee-looking substances.

Overall, if this machine lasts as long as others here have found - and it appears to be built that way - it's *easily* worth the cost, even with the imperfections.

I just purchased my second machine. I make a quad espresso every day and find this coffee maker to be highly reliable and durable. After 2 years of daily use, my first machine still works fine. Since I'm not sure how much more life is left in it, I took it down to my vacation home and bought a new one for everyday use. Operationally, you just have to make sure that you don't pack the coffee too tight and make sure that you tighten the portafilter all the way - about 30 degrees past the center point to the right. I have read a number of complaints about this product anomoly, but that's just the design. (it doesn't help that the picture shows the portafilter centered on the machine) However, it's not tight unless you turn it all the way to the right. The steamer works fine as long as you use cold low fat or non fat milk in a reasonable quantity. I steam about a cup to a cup and a half of 1 pct milk at a time and it works just fine. For the money, this is a very good machine.

After reading all of the reviews we decided to take the plunge on this unit.
Love it - very happy with the purchase.
NOthing negative to say about it at all.
The final product is fabulous whether or not you do the milk froth.
YUM!

I like this machine enough that I bought two of them. One for home and one for the office. It makes great espresso, warms up quickly, has a good size tank, and is easy enough to use for my wife (who is techno-phobic) to figure out and she loves it too.

The second machine I bought had a drip tray that was corroded by the coffee, but Lello replaced it free of charge. Great customer care!

I LOOKED A LONG TIME FOR AREPLACEMENT FOR MY STARBUCKS MACHINE AND THIS MACHINE WAS WORTH THE THE SEARCH. THIS MACHINE MAKES A GREAT ESPRESSO EVERY TIME.COMPARES WITH ESPRESSO IVE HAD AT RESTAURANTS AND STARBUCKS.I AM TOTALLY SATISFIED.

I like my espresso straight, or over ice. Every once and a while I'll have a latte. After two years of using this machine I must say that it makes a great shot of espresso. Which is why I give it 5 stars.

This is the second one of these I have purchased. This is the absolute BEST espresso maker for the price. The first one I bought lasted for 4 years - and we use it every day! That's 1460 lattes + we make espresso often so figure at this price point you're paying about 10-cents per coffee drink.

It looks beautiful on our granite counter tops and again - the espresso is fantastic due to the 15 bar pump. I highly recommend it and hope a good review won't make them increast the price!

We went to Italy last year and upon our return we became true coffee snobs. I have tried a couple of different espresso makers and saw how great the reviews were for the Cafe Prestige so decided to order. I must say just after a few times of making espresso and/or Cappuccino we are hooked. So easy to use and very fast - especially if you need to make several cups. We especially love the Illy brand of coffee - very smooth and not bitter at all. Thanks Amazon for offering this great product

The Lello 1375 makes as good of a latte as you get at "four bucks" for a lot less and you get the convience of doing it at home. The machine is a little slow to warm up and recover (because of the small heating element) but this is a minor grip. A little more major is the flimsy design of the water tank lid. You get the impression it could easily break off if not handled very carefully. The machine is almost all metal and the designers did a good job with the machine's style. It looks good sitting on the counter. Of particular note is the height of the installed grounds basket above the base which makes it possible to use a full size mug to catch the coffee. Additionally, the water tank is large so you can go through several coffee cycles before you have to refill. The machine has good heft and does not slide around on the counter when attaching the grounds basket. I was moving up from an entry level pump expresso maker with this purchase and the Lello 1375 is a significant improvement over my previous machine. The long term durability of the Lello is a question mark but thus far I have not had any problems. I recommend the Lello 1375 Coffee Maker to almost everyone. It is about double the cost of an entry level pump expresso maker but the machine is a significant step up in design. I do not think you will be disapointed.

I bought this machine about 8 months ago. I researched on the web for almost a month before making my purchase. My last expresso machine was a Krups that I had purchased more than 10 years ago. I was initially pleased, until the inside of the bottom metal tray started corroding. It has bubbled and bulged and corroded in such a manner that I began to wonder if the same is not happening elsewhere inside the machine, putting tiny hard metal fragments in my coffee. I'll be tossing this and getting another brand.

This is my first espresso maker in a looonng time...so before I spend some dough on good beans, I'm using regular cheap coffee. I am extremely pleased thus far. It is extremely easy to use...the last machine I had was super cheap so I thought the milk frothing was going to be a debacle, but got great even on my first shot! My regular coffee maker is officially in storage...who needs a mr. coffee when cappuccino is this easy? :-)

Despite the mixed reviews online, I've found the Ariete to work nicely. Be sure to leave the machine on when pulling out the coffee filter; if you turn it off first then you will have a soupy mixture of coffee and grounds. Saving money on the expresso machine let me spend a little more on the grinder (Capresso burr grinder) which was well worth it. All in all, this machine is well worth the price.

Purchased this espresso maker as a gift for someone and have had the chance to use it quite a bit myself. Seems to make a good espresso and is easy to clean. Pluses include the removable water tank and it also seems to be built well, looks like it will last a long time. Good deal for a relatively inexpensive entry-level expresso maker.

I had bought a $600 automatic expresso machine and had to return it because the coffee beans would get stuck during grinding.

Then I purchased this nice looking and well built unit.
My girlfriend loves it and works great. Nice price for a pump machine!

Recommended.

Overall, it is a decent espresso maker for the right price. It does take some practice to get good at making a perfect espresso, so don't expect to have a great drink on your first try.

I ordered this machine about six weeks ago and I am crazy about it. It's my first pressure espresso machine and I hope that it keeps running for a long time. Maybe some of the other people who have reviewed it on this page have a lot more high-flying taste than I do. All I know is that it makes great espresso with a beautiful crema on top most every time and seems to be very well made.

I had mine for about a month before the pump completely died- the machine seemed to be well-built, so I'm giving it one more chance and having it replaced.

We have had the machine for about a month now and love it. Looks nice, works well. I heard that that the manual is lacking, it is quite thin, but still an easy to use machine. I probably would not like it on a daily basis, it is a bit messy. I would highly recommend it for special occasions and weekend use.

It was good while it lasted. I used it about twice a day for almost six months. I figure all in all I got 300-350 espressos out of it before the pump pretty much quit. It still makes a lot of noise and sputters a bit but just can't create the pressure any longer. So is it worth it? Actually I am still giving it three stars. I figure mine lasted for a shorter period than most but even if most last for about a year, for $100-$120 (free shipping with Prime) that comes out to about 30 cents per shot each morning. At $2.00 per Espresso con Panna at the local Starbucks it paid for itself in a month. So within 6 months I do think it is a bit disposable but still worth it...just consider I am not alone.

And no, I did not consider sending back. It is made in China and no local repair firm. I opened it and see no way to replace the pump myself. The thing weighs about 20# so shipping back when shipping a new one was free with Prime is just not worth it. So go ahead but buyer beware.

It's not a $2000 machine. Get used to it. I wanted something I could break even with after a few months of not paying for coffee, not a few years. There IS a trick to this though. I had a Delonghi that worked really well but it was plastic, low powered. And no quirks. This one..

When I first got it, I would make a cup of americano. The espresso had very little crema and tasted just a little off. I would try a second cup and it came out perfect. AHA. So it seems the 1st cup was maybe warming up the fluid in the tubes leading to the filter? Who knows? So here is now my procedure:

1) turn it on, wait for it to warm up - light goes off.
2) run it with WATER ONLY (no grounds) for 1/2 a shot glass of espresso. this also warms up the espresso cup better than the heater on top. take off portafilter, dump remaining water from portafilter into espresso cup, put aside.
3) fill portafilter with scoop of grounds, tamp only so no grounds are above the top level, dump out hot water in espresso cup.
4) MAKE your espresso!
5) dump out contents of portafilter, clean portafilter and its receptacle, put on empty portafilter, run with WATER ONLY again to clean.
6) remove portafilter, dump water, store on drip tray.

So basically I run it 3 times for 1 shot of espresso. But it works. Good espresso, clean machine. Faster than you would think. So yeah, I'm keeping it.

I got the double wall shot glasses and mugs. Seemingly fragile, but keeps stuff warmer longer. Not broken yet.

I've been drinking my morning coffee using the Melitta pour-thru
cone method for maybe 20 years. I didn't know what I was missing. This "little" Ariete Cafe Prestige quickly makes coffee that is FAR superior to the pour-thru cone method, using LESS COFFEE.
I'm talking "regular" coffee here which I drink 95% of the time.
The coffee that results has that "crema" that espresso-lovers
crave, and unlike ordinary drip coffee, there is no hint of bitterness in the beverage that is created. Needless to say, the espresso made by this little beauty is great as well. The only reason that I give it 4 out of 5 stars is that I've had espresso from machines costing many times what the Ariete costs that might be slightly better. But for this price for a machine with a "pump",
buying this one is a no-brainer if you love great coffee but decline to pay many hundreds more for what might be marginally better coffee. Oh, I use only premium, freshly-ground coffee here i.e.: like what you can get at ParadiseRoasters: [..]
.......... to do any less is just self-deprivation

This is an excellent espresso maker for the price when you get it exactly right - you need to be precise with the grind of the coffee, the amount of coffee and how hard you pack it. Plus you need to regularly clean the filter because the very fine holes get easily clogged. If you do all that you get brilliant espresso with fantastic crema. It also froths milk beautifully.

Plus it's a beautiful looking machine on your kitchen counter!

I bought this based upon looks - bad idea. It works okay and the water storage reservoir is nice, but...the bowl is too small and it seems to take longer to get good steam going. It is now sitting next to a cheaper Krups model.

Water tank difficult to fill and put back on. Nothing seems to fit quite right on it. I've had other espresso makers and this is the worst. Involved packing made it impossible to repack and return.

I've had my Ariete for a week now and it makes wonderful espresso, especially with raw grounds, but also somewhat less well with Lille prefab packets. (I've decided to go all fresh grounds - it's way cheaper, one can get better espresso coffee that way - at least here in NYC - and the mess is minimal if one simply uses a flexible plastic kitchen cutting board/matt upon which to tamp the grounds down into the holder with the tamping tool provided).

The main reason I'm bothering to write a review though is this. Earlier this morning I was about ready to return my unit to Amazon. Starting yesterday it had begun leaking out the junction between the grounds holder and the receptor gasket for it on the Ariete machine. Coffee was quite a bit weaker, steam and hot water began spewing out about halfway through the process, and it looked to get worse. I'd noticed that unlike the really firm and satisfying slow stop to the grounds holder after applying firm or even hard pressure on it's lever arm that the instructions recommend, the handle went all the way to the left and was stopped by some metal stop, rather than being too tight to get much further over with reasonable pressure. Uh, oh, I've already blown the seal I though. It's just too easy to do that ... Maybe I DID apply too much pressure ... Regardless, back to Amazon ....

Well guess what. I realized a bit ago that the two cup stainless espresso coffee grounds holder/filter was missing from it's cradle arm. I'd been putting the grounds "naked" into their holder. No wonder it bottomed out when tightening - there's about a 1/32" lip/flange to the stainless filter that was no longer there to tighten against. Yuup, it was in my trash. Fished it, that satisfying slow pressure stop to the grounds handle was back -- made another brew -- all was perfect

The moral of this story for me, aside from being a bit careful about knocking out the filter when tapping out the grounds (it is a pretty tight fit so one doesn't usually) is my vivid realization that the tolerances on this machine are REALLY close. That stands to reason - it takes lots of pressure on the steam to make a great cup of espresso.

What that means, on just a moments reflection, is that if you've got a unit that leaks (as many unhappy commenters do) with one of the stainless filters in fact in place, you probably were unlucking enough to get a unit with a manufacturing micro glitch in meeting the tight machining specs. In all likelihood Areitte or whoever the owning corp. is, isn't paying for lots of really good quality control over in China where these are made.

WE, the retail customers, are the quality control.

What THAT means to me is that if you had bad luck, realize that's in all likelinood what it is. Definitely return your unit. But the design is great. In all likelihood a replacement unit won't also turn up bad in this quality control lottery, though once in a while it might.

Well, I guess I may sing a different, less happy tune after the passage of more time, but that's how things seem to me now.

We after all aren't paying a lot for this Italian designed but Chinese made machine. Taking some quality control risk seems to me a fair trade. I'd be unwilling to pay twice or half again as much to run a much lower risk of having to return a unit, myself. YMMV.

This is a really nice machine, especially considering the price. My 16 year old son, who wants to be a chef, gets up a half an hour earlier (5:30am!!) every morning now, just so he can make himself a latte. It's easy to use and makes a really nice espresso.

I have a sorted history of buying "affordable" a.k.a cheap espresso machines and each has been a disappointment. This machine IS the exception. I am in love with the espresso it produces and the ease of use.

I have had this machine for a few days and am enjoying it as a first time espresso machine owner. It's pretty on the counter. I disagree about a previous reviewer who said that it is pod compatible. With a pod the water flows around the pod instead of through it which makes no crema; however, I have been using pods by ripping them open, tossing the paper, and tamping the contents down (I do not have an espresso grinder yet) with the included (plastic) tamper with delicious results. The instructions included are not great. Many thanks to the reviewer who said that you can find a full manual at sunbeam.au and look under cafe series for the machine that looks almost identical (the only difference is the voltage but they still operate the same). It also contains cleaning and use instructions that you definitely need, as well as recipes. I use filtered tap water from the fridge to help prevent mineral buildup, but cleaning will still be necessary. The frother works okay; as a reviewer suggested, in the beginning I point it into an empty cup to allow some of the wetness to flush, then put my frothing pitcher underneath. Go ahead and get the Krups 20 oz and the Taylor thermometer, they work fine. So far for me, the grinds are wet but that doesn't bother me as long as the coffee is good. This is fussy and messy but so much fun, especially for weekends. I looked for hours online before deciding on this machine and I'm glad I did so far!

I ordered this product on April 2 and received it not long after on April 8, so I was very happy with the delivery speed (thanks Amazon). When I first received the machine I had some difficulty attaching the water reservoir to the machine but with some patience I managed to get it attached without breaking it. The design is such that after the reservoir is attached it is not really necessary to remove it again.

I pulled the first espresso shot from the machine using the single serving filter and pulled a relatively weak shot. It also left a lot of water in the filter, not a cake like patty. After reading another review that said the shots were better when pulled using the double serving filter I tried that and had success. I have been using the double serving filter ever since and have had consistent success with my espresso shot.

In addition to this product I order a 20 oz frothing pitcher from Krups. When I received the espresso machine I was concerned that the 20 oz pitcher was too large since the steam wand is rather short. My first attempt at steaming milk led to a lot of cold froth and lukewarm water. I ordered a thermometer that arrived shortly after the espresso machine and since then I have had better success at making sure that I steam the milk to the appropriate temperature, I highly recommend purchasing a thermometer to make sure you are steaming to the appropriate temperature. I also found that with the 20 oz pitcher tipping it to one side to bring the milk level higher on one side helps keep the steam wand deep enough in the milk so it doesn't create too much froth when you first start steaming and then ending up with cold froth. I will probably eventually purchase a smaller frothing pitcher, but the 20 oz pitcher is nice when you want to make more than one drink at a time.

In general, this is a very nice machine for the price and it does look nice in the kitchen. The cup warmer on the top is a nice added feature. I'm sure that I will continue to enjoy this machine.

I owned this machine for six months and now the steam pump is broken!!!
I called the customer service and they were very unpolite......so my suggestion is do not buy from this company if you don't want to have problem after only six months of usage!!!!

I got this machine because my old one of the same brand finally broke after 22 yesrs. I love this new machine the coffee is delicious and the machine look great on my counter.

I had a Krups pump unit for seven years, and used it several times a day every day. I looked high and low after it finally stopped working (the pump gave out) before deciding on this one, based on numerous reviews and the price. I really wanted another Krups unit but was surpised to find that most people didn't think that much of them. Now I know why!

When I received the unit in the mail I lifted the box - and was immediately impressed. 20 lbs! It is a heavy unit. And after taking it apart, I can see why. It is very well made - sturdy. This unit makes the Krups (which I also took apart in an attempt to repair it) look like a toy. Just about everything in the Ariete is made of nice heavy steel, and the water reservoir, although plastic, is HUGE! Even though it is a pump unit, it is much quieter than the Krups. It also makes great coffee. I just have to learn how to get it to leave a "cake" rather than a bunch of "soup" in the filter. But that's OK - I know others have done it, and I will too. By the way, if you like to use a regular coffee mug under the filter like I do, there is plenty of room with this unit. I understand that other brands don't necessarily allow you to do that.

What an awesome product!!!

GOT IT HOME FOR CHRISTMAS.WE OPENED IT AND THE POOR PACKING DAMAGED THE MACHINE.YOU GOT ONE TIME TO IMPRESS ME AND THEN YOUR OUT OF LUCK MISTER.

I have had the ARIETE CAFE PRESTIGE 1375 for three months, and as long as it continues to work as it has, it is a great machine.

Several things one ought to know before using it.

1) Download the comprehensive manual online (same model, different name ([...]) Notice that this manual has an extensive cleaning procedure that is never mentioned in the accompanying manual.

2) Look through the Customer Discussions in addition to the manual.

3) There is one small hole at the bottom. take care that it does not clog. Size of grind, tamping pressure make a big difference.

4) The seal is made of soft rubber that requires that you tighten the filter-holder all the way. If not, it can come off. This is a high pressure device.

I make three to four double espressos every morning, and it never fails to do it perfectly every time with minimal fuss. Learn how to use it and thus far, it has served me well.

Some of the problems mentioned in the unfavorable reviews are clearly operator error, so take some of them with a grain of salt, read the manual, learn to work the machine and enjoy!