Didn't buy on Amazon as there was a cheaper option (but not by that much) ok here is my take on this.

Cost: it is a bit costly but you can limit this buy opting for the cheapest model the guts of the machine is pretty much the same from model to model and whilst a pressure gauge looks interesting it adds a chunk of cash and is probably not that essential. By opting for the cheapest you will be paying a bit more than the price of a pumped machine (which i had been considering but discounted due to the maintenance issues.)

The coffee... Is great, once you have got the bits right (as in coffee grind tamp pressure etc. temperature etc) the output is stunning have a look around the web and read up. Trust me once you have made a shot with this you will wince when you taste a Starbuks espresso....(every time...) It is like melted butter that tastes of coffee its amazing. Words just dont get there. Ok there is a bit of effort but not to much. And it is fun....

You will need: A good grinder (and by that i mean one that will grind very consistently and repeatably with good adjust ability. Eventually i got hold of a Comandante (Amazon..) which solved my grind issues. The options are manual of powered i went manual as it was cheaper...(relatively) and saved space..Good coffee beans nice and fresh and not ancient...(I roast my own for fun and to ensure freshness ) and that is it really.

The machine takes a few mins to get to temp. You need to pull some water through the head to warm it up. If you dont the coffee is not so good.

Using it takes a bit of experience but once you have got the gist of it you will be able to make amazing espresso trust me...

You can take it apart to clean and there is not much to do in terms of maintenance. There are no pumps or bit to wear out so I am anticipating a long service life out of this. There is a component that apparently dies in the group head but parts can be changed with a few

Didn't buy on Amazon as there was a cheaper option (but not by that much) ok here is my take on this.Cost: it is a bit costly but you can limit this buy opting for the cheapest model the guts of the machine is pretty much the same from model to model and whilst a pressure gauge looks interesting it adds a chunk of cash and is probably not that essential. By opting for the cheapest you will be paying a bit more than the price of a pumped machine (which i had been considering but discounted due to the maintenance issues.)The coffee... Is great, once you have got the bits right (as in coffee grind tamp pressure etc. temperature etc) the output is stunning have a look around the web and read up. Trust me once you have made a shot with this you will wince when you taste a Starbuks espresso....(every time...) It is like melted butter that tastes of coffee its amazing. Words just dont get there. Ok there is a bit of effort but not to much. And it is fun....You will need: A good grinder (and by that i mean one that will grind very consistently and repeatably with good adjust ability. Eventually i got hold of a Comandante (Amazon..) which solved my grind issues. The options are manual of powered i went manual as it was cheaper...(relatively) and saved space..Good coffee beans nice and fresh and not ancient...(I roast my own for fun and to ensure freshness ) and that is it really.The machine takes a few mins to get to temp. You need to pull some water through the head to warm it up. If you dont the coffee is not so good.Using it takes a bit of experience but once you have got the gist of it you will be able to make amazing espresso trust me...You can take it apart to clean and there is not much to do in terms of maintenance. There are no pumps or bit to wear out so I am anticipating a long service life out of this. There is a component that apparently dies in the group head but parts can be changed with a few tools etc so this dose not worry me.Down sides:

This espresso machine is fantastic, making great coffee while being fun to operate: literally pulling your espresso shot can be very rewarding.
Having said that, I wouldn't recommend it to someone who just wants a fully automatic solution, as a little bit of experimentation is required with different grind size, beans etc. until you get what's best for your taste. Of course, that's part of the fun!

The only negative I'd have to say is that the tamper isn't that good. One side is too small to do proper tamping while the other size is too large and doesn't fit into the portafilter basket.

The machine can get quite hot, so keep away from children.

This espresso machine is fantastic, making great coffee while being fun to operate: literally pulling your espresso shot can be very rewarding.Having said that, I wouldn't recommend it to someone who just wants a fully automatic solution, as a little bit of experimentation is required with different grind size, beans etc. until you get what's best for your taste. Of course, that's part of the fun!The only negative I'd have to say is that the tamper isn't that good. One side is too small to do proper tamping while the other size is too large and doesn't fit into the portafilter basket.The machine can get quite hot, so keep away from children.

Lovely coffee, once you manage to find the right blend, grounding, pressure of the coffee in the arm and pressure to apply to the lever. It took me around a week and will probably buy a coffee grinder once I understand which one will be worthwhile.

Have been very disappointed with my new coffee maker despite having previously used the same La Pavoni machine for something like 25 years, until it finally sprung a water leak in the boiler. Bought a replacement machine & have been very disappointed. First new machine was returned due to non-function thermostat resulting in operation of steam relief valve. Received replacement which initially operated correctly.. However, after that, its thermostat also failed to function. I have yet to return this machine for repair within the terms of guarantee

Have been very disappointed with my new coffee maker despite having previously used the same La Pavoni machine for something like 25 years, until it finally sprung a water leak in the boiler. Bought a replacement machine & have been very disappointed. First new machine was returned due to non-function thermostat resulting in operation of steam relief valve. Received replacement which initially operated correctly.. However, after that, its thermostat also failed to function. I have yet to return this machine for repair within the terms of guarantee

I love this machine, it's capable of producing some of the best cups of coffee I have ever had.

But & it is a big but - it can also produce some of the worst slop. The differnce in technique between great & slop is fractional. (Consequently my wife hates the machine)

So is it for you?
The machine is best to produce 1 cup of espresso or 1 macchiato at a time. (I have not been able to produce a good cappuccino)
You will need a good grinder.
It gets very very hot - not safe if you allow children in the kitchen
If you want a shiny retro machine for a breakfast shot - YES
if you want endless cappuccino for dinner guests - NO

Do read all the various reviews on the net before you decide.

I love this machine, it's capable of producing some of the best cups of coffee I have ever had.But & it is a big but - it can also produce some of the worst slop. The differnce in technique between great & slop is fractional. (Consequently my wife hates the machine)So is it for you?The machine is best to produce 1 cup of espresso or 1 macchiato at a time. (I have not been able to produce a good cappuccino)You will need a good grinder.It gets very very hot - not safe if you allow children in the kitchenIf you want a shiny retro machine for a breakfast shot - YESif you want endless cappuccino for dinner guests - NODo read all the various reviews on the net before you decide.

Having graduated from a fully automatic machine to a very old pumped machine, I always lusted after a manual lever machine. Coffee whilst not an obsession is still my one true indulgence. I was expecting a long learning curve but was surprised that my first attempt at using this was very good. It also looks extremely good in my kitchen.