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I purchased one of these machines about a year ago for my mother on her birthday. She's a huge coffee and espresso fan, so I thought this would be a good treat for her. This Cuisinart is a handsome little machine with a shiny, brushed stainless steel casing and a smooth, sleek appearance. I have been very happy with most Cuisinart appliances I've purchased in the past, and this espresso maker is no exception.
This is a medium-large sized machine with a generous 8-cup capacity and produces a pump pressure of 15 bars. It's programmable and simple to use, allowing you to easily specify cup size, and also includes a steaming feature for making cappuccino. Either ground or pod espresso. I typically prefer the pod variety, as it makes for easier cleanup. This maker works pretty quickly and generally only takes a few minutes to crank out the espresso. The milk steamer also works very well (takes about 20-30 seconds), so you have your fresh espresso ready to drink in 5-10 minutes.
My favorite feature of this maker is the programmable dosing options- it can make standard espresso, or tell it to make a double shot. For someone like my mother that thinks the stronger the coffee the better, this is an awesome feature. The machine is a little noisy while in operation, though I've found this is true of most espresso makers.
My only complaint about this unit is that like most espresso machines it's a little on the bulky side. It weighs close to 25 pounds and takes up nearly a foot of counter space, which could make it a bit of a pain to store. Fortunately my mother's kitchen is quite a bit larger than mine, so she just leaves it out on the counter all the time. I'm not a frequent coffee drinker, but I love to treat myself to a quick cup from this nifty little machine whenever I go for a visit.