The cheapest legitimate path to pulling real espresso shots, not just pushing a button on a pod machine. Out of the box it's mediocre, pressurized basket and weak steam, but swap in a non-pressurized basket and pair it with a decent grinder and this $100 boiler-based machine suddenly delivers espresso that embarrasses gear three times the price. The modding community has turned it into a platform: pressure gauges, dimmers, PIDs, bottomless portafilters, owners running them daily for 3-6 years. Buy it if you want to learn real technique without financial commitment and don't mind timing your own shots. Skip it if you want plug-and-play convenience or won't upgrade the basket, because stock performance is forgettable.
This is the flow-profiling machine home baristas daydream about, handcrafted with the kind of looks and shot precision that justify the lottery-win price tag, if you have the budget and the skill to use it. The single credible worry: a 2023 ex-employee post claims stainless steel has been swapped for rust-prone materials and customer service now leaves owners troubleshooting alone, though no pattern of owner complaints has surfaced yet. If you're spending five figures on espresso and can afford the gamble, you're buying the dream machine, bet the reputation still matches the reality and enjoy the best shots you'll ever pull at home.