Before writing this review I took a few weeks to test out the features, and what a good time that was! My boyfriend and I have never had a home setup like this before and as beginners, this was a good option for us. We were able to make delicious espresso without  too much effort and this machine looks great in the kitchen. I hadn't realized the long-term cost savings that would occur until we noticed we were no longer wanting to buy coffee drinks anywhere else. Bonus: the house smells wonderful in the morning; more robust than the Keurig we were using.