I received this machine as a gift for Christmas, and I unfortunately have to say that this machine is one of the worst machines I’ve ever seen. For starters, the portafilter is a non-standard size (51.5 mm), which makes it extremely difficult to upgrade beyond what you get in the box (I personally haven’t found any replacement portafilters, baskets, etc. online), and it releases far too much liquid for a decent ratio of coffee grounds (weighed in grams) to liquid (again, in grams). An ideal ratio is around 1:2 to up to 1:4 (but even 1:4 isn’t seen as ideal), but in my testing, I have only been able to achieve a ratio of 1:5. This results in watery “espresso”, more comparable to something one could achieve from a moka pot than actual espresso. Additionally, this machine produces far more pressure than is needed, with the pump going at 15 bar, when 9 bar is all that is needed for espresso. Overall, I wouldn’t recommend this product to anyone, not even beginners in their barista journey.