I got this little machine as I'm always in Starbucks. I wanted a nice little alternative for nights and weekends when I felt like having an espresso based drink without having to drive to a coffee shop and shell out cash.
First, the good points of this machine:
-It's small, so you can easily store it inside a cabinet. It's not bad looking, however, so if you can sacrifice a little counter space, that works just as well.
-The machine is very simple to use. I have my own bean grinder, but you can get yours ground at Starbucks if you buy it there. You simply scoop the beans into the holder, screw into the machine, put water in the reservoir, turn on, and there you go.
-It's relatively quick to brew the espresso and it doesn't take too long to clean most of the parts.
Now, the bad:
-The biggest issue I've had with this machine is that it basically brews strong coffee, not espresso. I've tried a variety of ways of packing the beans, etc, but getting a crema with this machine eludes me. If you're a beginner at this stuff, it's not a big deal as the drinks will still taste alright. However, it's not really espresso in the full sense. You may as well just buy a coffee maker.
-The frothing wand is of okay size, but it seems like it takes forever to heat milk up to a desirable temperature for a drink.
Overall, not bad for a starter machine, but it's just that. If you want anything that will give you a crema and legitimate shot of espresso, shell out some more money and get a Delonghi. They're by no means perfect, but it will give you a more legitimate shot of espresso than this machine. However, if you're just starting with all of this and want to make a decent cappuccino occasionally, this isn't a bad machine.