I had never used a Delonghi before, of any kind, but I get it now. This thing makes espressos that taste just like 'the real thing'. I say this coming from a fully automatic espresso machine, which does the trick, but isn't even in the same ballpark as this Dedica Arte as far as authenticity, for lack of a better word. The only thing I can complain about is the clean up time, but we knew that going in. If you care about the quality of your espresso, it's worth it.