I purchased this product in May 2018 for a little less than Rs. 7000. This was the first time I purchased an espresso machine and was using a moka pot and French press before that.
The package was delivered to me promptly and in good condition. The machine is relatively light weight (around 3-4 Kg) and easy to move around. The provided power cord is fixed to the machine and is quite short (around half-meter). The machine appears quite spartan and does not have any aesthetically-pleasing design element. While some buyers have reported that the plastic housing of their machines were broken on arrival, I did not face any such issue and received the box in a relatively undamaged condition.
The package I received contained the machine, a composite material (plastic-like?) portafilter with two pressurized baskets of different sizes. Apart from this I also received a plastic spoon with a tamper on the other side and an unbranded pack of ground coffee.
As I had already purchased a separate hand-held grinder, I never opened the free pack of ground coffee and thus cannot review it. In my defense, it lacked any sort of information on the packaging regarding either the estate or the roast level and I never felt the enthusiasm to open it.
I used the provided composite material portafilter and the double-shot basket for a period of around 6 months. During this time, I had some issues in cleaning the portafilter and the baskets as the pressurization system was sealed with screws which meant that cleaning it thoroughly every day was a little difficult. The rubber rings on the baskets which are used to maintain the pressure also became brittle and sticky over this period of use. Except this, the overall experience was satisfactory.
Due to the above issues with the pressurized portafilter, I purchased a “Barista Pro Kit” worth Rs. 3,950 directly from the seller by contacting them through the details provided on their website. This kit contained a stainless steel (?) bottomless portafilter, basket and tamper. I had also separately purchased an electric grinder during this time. The bottomless portafilter combined with the electric grinder improved the quality of the espresso shot quite significantly, and I was able to better control the parameters involved in making espresso.
While the seller had stated that the bottomless portafilter was made of stainless steel, it managed to come off during a brewing session and broke in two. This happened in around the 15th month of its usage and so I decided to purchase it again directly from the seller. I am using the second portafilter (third?) even today.
As far as the steaming experience is concerned, I had removed the pannarello attachment on the first day itself as I found the steam pressure to be insufficient for using the attachment. Without the attachment, the steam wand has a single nozzle. The wand is quite short (maybe 7 cm from the bend) and so you will need to use a shallow mug to steam your milk. If you allow the heating element of the machine to turn on twice before actually steaming the milk, you will find that it produces very less water and can consistently steam cold milk for two large drinks quite well. But if there’s any more milk you will find that the machine runs out of steam quite abruptly. Due to this limitation, I would not recommend making more than two drinks at a time.
The machine uses a thermoblock as the heating element and I think this does not give it enough control over the brewing temperatures. Due to this, some minor inconsistencies in the brewed espresso can arise. I have tried to work around this by noting the time at which I begin brewing after the machine was ready and after doing one initial water flush to heat the cup.
With extended use the rubber gasket on the machine which connects with the portafilter for making a seal has become quite brittle and I think it may need replacement down the road. Apart from this and the pressurized portafilter, I had quite a positive experience with this machine and would whole-heartedly recommend it to everyone wishing to take the plunge into making espresso. I use the machine to make around 2 drinks a day, which mark a very pleasant start and end to the workday.
The fact that the manufacturer is based in India and has been available on call to provide support and equipment has only added to the satisfaction of using this product.
To close out, I would say that I was quite happy with the experience and am looking forward to buying a boiler-based machine from this manufacturer which can address temperature control and steam pressure issues.
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