LAFEECA 19 Bar Espresso Machine with Fast Heating & Milk Frother Steam Wand - Professional Cappuccino & Coffee Maker for Home Use (Black) - Perfect for Morning Brews, Entertaining Guests & Coffee Lovers

If you ever were on the fence about getting an espresso and didn't want to spend a huge investment, then this would be in your interest. In this market, you are either buying a very expensive machine for espresso which would require an expensive burr grinder, or a similarly priced machine that will require expensive pods to enjoy your espresso. You are getting value from this machine but you do need some guidance on how to make a proper espresso prior to using this machine. I would dock a point on the poor instructions manual, but youtube and some online espresso guides are more than enough to move past this issue. Keep in mind, this is a pressurized portafilter, so this is a good beginner's machine to appreciate the craft of espresso. Meaning, you don't need an expensive burr grinder and a heavy tamper to get the consistencey.Packaging and stuff: Nothing out of the ordinary but good packaging and presentation. It comes with a single shot or double shot pressurized basket, a portafilter, a plastic scoop/tamper, and the machine itself.The Machine: First to say the obvious, this machine is plastic. You are not getting a SS espresso machine for $150, but that being said for being plastic it does present itself and holds well during usage. The buttons on the machine feel tactile on feedback and do not feel cheaply made. Steam wand- Not the best, but not the worst either. It is slightly wobbly and looks flimsy, but it did do a milk froth well (I just noticed I don't have a photo for that, my apologies). This is a single boiler so you do have to wait and slightly cool down the boiler before doing your espresso. Espresso should be brewed at 190 F +/- 10 degrees (some people will probably be mad at me for saying this), but 190 is fairly assumed by most. This machine has a tendency to dip a little below so it doesn't hurt to bump up the temp by using the steam function. I did do a test run to see water disbursement prior to use. To my satisfaction, the spray was good and even throughout the test. Now putting in the portafilter will always be not my favorite part for a plastic machine but it is as good as it can be so *shurg*. When you press the coffee button, then the water will get up to temp and send the water to the portafilter. The extraction seems well but does contain a lot of air which I believe the machine is compensating due to the pressurized filter. Also the machine uses a lot of water and I would make sure to stop the machine when you achieve the right amount (1 to 2 oz depending on your shot) This was way more than that so I had to manually shut the machine off (pressing the coffee button). I did two attempts as the first one filled up my espresso cup.Conclusions:Needless to say, the espresso looks great and tastes as good as the pods and other entry-level espresso machines. Now if you spend $1500, you are going to get a richer flavor, but you are also spending $1500, so why are you even reading my post. But if you are trying to learn the art, impress your friends or just want a damn espresso without all the hoops or hurdles of entry. Then this is your best option, as it gives you everything you wanted without you spending everything to get it.