This saved us from doing coffee runs during covid!

So I purchased this machine before covid was even a thing. Honestly it takes a bit of practice to figure out the setting and the taste (we went through 1kg of beans before we figured it out) but once you do it’s like the best coffee ever. You can’t go to McDonald’s or Timmies after this. It’s honestly so convenient because we drink a few cups of every day and it’s great to make it at home. I also use the hot water option for making tea. It takes literally less than 1 min to make tea as the hot water is always ready to go. Also the automatic temperature detector for the steam wand is super convenient if you don’t want to stand there for the extra minute gauging the temperature of the steamed milk. I’d recommend it even though it costs a bit more. Worth the money and doesn’t require much servicing.

Barrista Quality with Phenomenol taste and Ease of Use

This is definitely a Barrista machine operators dream come true.

I know nothing about making anything other than coffee or tea, and do enjoy the occasional fancy cappuccino or latte at the local coffee shop. But I'd prefer to have a cup of fancy coffee at home vs out.

This machine makes that request a reality - with a touch screen menu, the ability to program preferred beverages (up to 8!) , and even customize drinks for different people in the home, it makes groggy mornings more enjoyable.

It has built in grinder, measures shots for super caffeine doses, steams milk for the perfect latte, duel boiler for quick heating, temperature control, auto on so you can use the least amount of energy to have the perfect cup when you wake up, and is reminiscent of a commercial quality barrista machine.

I love that my favourite recipes are now saved for efficient beverage creating, the coffee is consistent every time, and the latte foam is perfectly fluffy thanks to the steam wand. I've even started attempting "latte art" with the froth, and it's getting easier each time.

What I love most is that the flavour is full and balanced - it tastes just a delicious at the top as it does at the bottom - there aren't any grinds or sludge on the bottom of my cup - ever!

It did take me a few days to learn how to navigate the menu and customize our settings, but now it's as simple as pressing a button - seriously!

Even my 71 year old mom has a setting for when she visits - she can navigate the menu and choose her beverage. She's delighted that we can have fancy coffee during our weekend visits now.

It is a tall machine, and sits on our rolling Ikea nook table, otherwise, it does not fit underneath the cupboards (nor would I want it to, with the steam and heat it emits during drink preparation). So be prepared to have a special spot for this heavy duty machine. Albheit, it does have wheels to pull it forward during preparation, but it's just easier to have a stable spot for it in the kitchen.

For forgetful me, I realized early on that it has an auto shut off (along with the auto on setting), therefore I don't have to worry about it sitting "on" all day long.

Overall, it's an impressive machine for anyone who wants to take the leap into fancy coffee making, or just wants a better-than-coffee shop quality coffee before work or while reading the weekend paper.