Gevi 20 Bar Espresso Machine

Update: After spending some time using this unit, I love it. It so much easier to use than my old unit. And it produces way better pucks than my old unit. Even with my old unit's portafilters. I modified my old portafilter holder to be bottomless, and the evenness of the expressed coffee was great. Original review: I just unboxed this unit. I purchased it to replace my Calphalon temp IQ espresso machine, purchased just over four years ago. First impressions, it is using its space more efficiently. Cleaner lines than the somewhat rotund Calphalon. Every mm of countertop space counts, and this one has a reduced footprint. It uses the same sized portafilter, but the one with this unit is clearly an upgrade from the Calphalon, which has a lot of plastic in it. Whereas the Gevi has no plastic insert, but it does have a nice ledge to use for tamping. It's a nice touch. The color is described as "silvery," making me think the sides would be plastic, like the Calphalon. It isn't. It's all wrapped in Stainless Steel. The top looks like it's possibly vacuum aluminized plastic, so we will see how that holds up. If it starts to look bad, I'll probably just 3d print a top with features molded to fit the tools. Operation couldn't be simpler. Easy buttons on the front, and a knob on the side to determine how much steam or hot water you want. That's definitely an upgrade from the Calphalon. I'll likely update my review of the Calphalon to state the cause of failure, but sufficed to say, this entire machine is around the same price as the replacement parts for the Calphalon, which would have to be imported from Australia. (From the Sunbeam parts centers there...) If I get 4 years out of this unit too, that would put me ahead.