I am absolutely thrilled with this coffee maker. It makes the best coffee that I have had in a very long time. This machine is a much better alternative to the pod coffee makers. It uses whole beans and grinds them for each cup or you can use ground coffee, if you prefer. You can make anywhere from a three oz espresso to a 24oz thermos of coffee. It also has an option for iced coffee. I have tried making the coffee each way and it has come out perfectly every time. The instructions were very easy to follow and it even came with a pound of premium coffee. I have only been using this machine for about a month but I am completely spoiled by it. The coffee it makes blows away coffee shop coffee. I can never go back to a drip or pod coffee maker. I highly recommend this product! It has raised the bar for at home coffee makers.