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My husband and I bought this model for my father on Father's Day. I've used it several times when I've visited him and overall I would say it was a decent buy for the money but it isn't perfect.
The biggest complaint is that it's somewhat difficult to make more than one shot of espresso at once. My father initially thought he just couldn't get the hang of it but I had no luck either. The machine is just awkwardly set up for that. The steam wand is also somewhat cramped and hard to use and it leaks as well. My father insists this isn't a huge deal as he's able to just leave the wand over the drip tray with no problem.
The main advantage of this machine is that it is reasonably priced. Considering the minor imperfections, I would say that it's a good buy for the money. One of my father's favorite features is that you can use either pods or loose grounds. He does sometimes use the pods, as they are much more convenient to just grab and use when he's in a hurry. However, they can get a little expensive and sometimes he likes to make his own blends. In those cases he simply uses the grounds he wants.
My father also has arthritis in his hands and we specifically chose a maker that is easy to use and doesn't require turning a lot of dials or making a lot choices. The interface on this espresso maker was very simple. He's also able to add water for up to 8 espressos in one sitting. This cuts down on the amount of work he has to do and saves him the main and trouble of constantly refilling it.
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