CASABREWS ULTRA Espresso Machine, Professional 20 Bar Espresso Maker with 58mm Commercial Portafilter, Adjustable PID Temperature Control, LCD Display & Steam Wand

This espresso machine replaces a very old, extremely heavy, and much larger Italian brand machine that must be plumbed into the house to be useful. This unit has a water reservoir that holds enough water for several uses, and is easily refilled when needed. The front panel is intuitive, and the instruction manual provided give enough information to make successful coffee fairly routine. The only issue I have is that the size of the portafilter seems to be slightly smaller than the other unit I have. That means if I want to buy after-market pieces, I will have to buy them from Casabrews, at a higher price point. While I understand the business model is to keep prices low, that comes with a significant downside: the pieces included are cheap plastic and most likely must be changed to keep them from sloughing off into the product. The tamper, for example, is low-grade plastic, and seems to be included almost as an afterthought; it is one of the pieces that is a cheap excuse and must be replaced. I would have paid a bit more for higher quality parts. All in all, however, the machine deserves all five stars, even though I will replace some of the parts right away.

I can't say more great things about this espresso machine. I haven't had any issues with it, it works perfectly and the espresso comes out delicious!! It is a top-notch machine at a great price!