This espresso machine has been around for decades and for good reason. It pulls genuinely great shots. The brass boiler and group head give it better thermal stability than older versions and it heats up in about two minutes flat. The steam wand is surprisingly powerful too, texturing milk for a flat white in under 10 seconds. For a single person making one or two drinks in the morning, it's a real pleasure to use.

But there's a learning curve here and it's steeper than it should be for the price. Without a PID Proportional Integral Derivative controller, you'll need to do some temperature management before pulling shots, especially right after steaming milk. It takes some practice before you're getting consistent results every time. Rivals at this price point like the Breville Bambino Plus come with PID control and more accessories out of the box.

Speaking of accessories, the included plastic tamper is genuinely bad. No milk jug, no backflush puck, no cleaning tools. For $449 that stings. Budget another $40 to $50 to get what you actually need to use this thing properly from day one.

Who's this for? Espresso enthusiasts who want a boiler fed machine with serious longevity. This thing can last 15 years with basic maintenance and the community around it is massive, so parts and mods are easy to find. If you want to add a PID later, you can. If you just want great espresso out of the box without fiddling, look at the Bambino Plus instead. But if you're into the craft and you want a machine that grows with you, this one is hard to beat long term.