A $5,000 bean-to-cup machine that makes genuinely excellent espresso but ships with smart features so poorly executed they're best ignored entirely. The coffee itself justifies serious consideration: rich extraction, dual bean hoppers, quality microfoam, and the kind of drink customization that separates premium machines from pretenders. The connectivity, though, is a flop that barely functions and adds nothing to daily use. Buy this if you want automated café-quality drinks and can treat the app as nonexistent. Walk if you're paying five grand expecting seamless smart control.
A fully manual lever machine that trades electricity and automation for compact size and hands-on control over every variable in the shot. You heat water separately, load the portafilter, and generate all pressure by hand, which means you need a stable counter and the patience to dial in grind and technique yourself. The payoff is real espresso in tight spaces and the ability to experiment with unconventional pulls (one owner nailed cold espresso by steeping grounds for three minutes before a slow press), but this is for the tinkerer who finds the process rewarding, not the person who wants reliable morning shots on autopilot. If you already own a grinder and like solving small mechanical puzzles, it's a capable tool at a fair price; if you want convenience or speed, walk.