This coffee maker does what it should...make espresso. Some reviews say the steam wand waters down the milk, but this is common with many espresso makers. Just run the steam wand into a cup for a few seconds to get rid of the liquid, then steam away. The coffee is great with lots of crema and good flavor. The machine is also easy to clean. Yes, it's plastic and doesn't have gauges and stuff, but it looks nice and functions properly. If you want more metal and gauges, pay more money. This machine has a 5 year warranty as well (in canada) which is great. Great value machine.