KRUPS Espresso & Cappuccino Machine

First off, two items for clarity of review; 1) I didn't add any photos because the stock photos are spot on (as evidenced by the photos others have already added in their reviews), 2) my perspective is a long time lover of Americanos but only owning an Aeropress for years of faithful service (the Aeropress now resides at work), and a very entry level, hate to call it an espresso machine Krups from years back. I was attracted to this super automatic due to the automatic milk frother, the of ease of use for making milk drinks was a win as it lowers the effort needed therefore increasing the chances of use (you know how some kitchen gadgets look great, then after a few uses "too much effort" is declared and they are stashed away in the cabinet). I can gladly say this has paid off, my wife, and all who have had the drinks are impressed with the taste and the foam on the top (using either whole milk or soy). My hesitation before purchase was the flip side for the milk frother, what will clean up be like? We find the process no more difficult than cleaning a steam wand and frothing picture out. We use the rinse function after every time milk is ran through, followed by a disassembly of the milk contact parts and wash/soak in soapy water at the end of a beverage session- sometimes multiple beverages are made for the morning or afternoon. The first time it is intimidating as there are about 9 parts, but there are no tools required and the process is simple after a couple of times.- Durability: The warranty is two years, the other brands we researched only had 1 year warranties, so that gives some peace of mind. As of this writing, we have only had the unit for 3 weeks, but have ran 3 pounds of coffee through it so far with zero issues. Yes the housing and many parts are plastic, but they don't feel flimsy, there is no give in the housing as I move it on the countertop to reload beans or water.- Pros: - can make two beverages at once, or a single with no additional setup other than proper cup placement and button pushing. - All who have had the drinks claim the taste is better than the chain they normally get coffee from. This machine may pay for itself in the first year :) - If you have never learned the art of grinding, tamping, polishing the beans into a porta-filter, and won't miss that, the effort to get a great espresso/cappuccino/latte/coffee/frothed milk, is reduced to selecting the beverage on a touch screen and pouring some milk if desired. - The amount of water, coffee strength, and milk amount can be adjusted and saved as a favorite with a custom name so you and others can easily pull up your "recipe" for the beverage without having to adjust each time. - This is a relative comment, but I find the machine quiet for a grinder and water pump at 15 bar. - The coffee hopper has a lid that seals very well to keep beans fresh. - The spent coffee is deposited in an easy to remove box on the side, and the unit will remind you to dump it every so often; it is supposed to hold 17 pucks. - The drip tray is easy to remove and dump the water from, and has magnetic guides on either end to snap it back into place with a positive firmness of feel. - Comes with water filter, water hardness test strip, and some cleaning tabs. - No block to pull out and clean, has built in rinse function, and a clean function.-Cons: - The price, however if you look at others with this feature set, it is not bad (I also, caught a great sale right as the newer model came out so the price was not near MSRP). - It is big, this is a minor con but something to consider, we do have to move the machine to refill water and fill beans, but we don't mind. The machine weighs ~22lbs so it maybe a consideration for you. Unlike some brands the water fill is not from the front. - There is no side dosser for ground coffee, this wasn't a feature issue for me, but maybe for others.I have been using Lavazza super crema beans, and both whole milk and soy milk; with great success. We have also been using the syrups for the "PSL" or "Cinnamon Dulce" drinks, and no one has been disappointed. The one drink I hadn't tried until writing this review was "coffee", I have the grinder set on the finest grind for espresso, so I thought the coffee might be bitter, but ... as I finish the cup, it isn't bad at all. I will stick to Americanos likely, but if I have a guest who wants a coffee, then it can be done without breaking out another coffee machine.