Be patient! It takes some time to figure out the settings that will get you that perfect coffee. Follow the instructions to the letter and you will get there. All and all, this is a good upgrade from my previous non-automatic espresso machine. You can choose between coffee beans or ground coffee, you can tune the intensity of the coffee, the size of the cup, and there is the steam nozzle that makes perfect milk froth for that morning cappuccino. There's also a bonus feature that allows you to control the height of the coffee dripping (evidently the lower you set it, the creamier the coffee). I read in other comments that it's too loud but it's just as loud as my previous espresso maker. It's also easy to keep clean with some nifty light warnings when something needs your attention. I'm removing one star because I've had to set the machine to the strongest coffee settings to get a drink of my liking and I suspect others might like their drinks stronger and there's no option for them.
