wirsh Espresso Machine, 20 Bar Semi-Automatic Espresso Maker with Pressure Gauge, Steam Wand, Stainless Steel Expresso Coffee Machine for Espresso/Latte/Cappuccino, Touch Screen,Home Barista Plus

I do like this machine, it makes a strong cup of coffee. I like making one cup at a time. I like being able to make expresso shots. I almost never use the steam handle, it makes a mess all over the place. It does work and for hot chocolate it is great. I like that it is not too hot and the aroma is well preserved, the flavor is robust, when using a quality coffee, the results are good. The look on my counter is compact, better looking than plastic, the fake metal and the real metal get smudge marks that stop coming off. Maybe a wax will help with that. Value for the cost is good, I have bought several other machines and they all got returned, not this one..it is a keeper.

For an entry level machine this is a SUPERB value and will pull exceptionally good shots if you read the directions and follow a few simple universal truths about making espresso. No machine instantly produces great espresso by just pressing a button. Preparation is key, and thats the same whether it's a $100 or $1000 machine. The courseness/fineness of the coffee grounds matter. The amount of coffee you cram into the portafilter matters. Tamping pressure matters. So if you are an absolute beginner, then check out the million videos out there to learn about all the do's/don'ts/variables that go into pulling the perfect espresso shot. But if this is not your first rodeo, you understand the art of making espresso, and you are just looking for a solid espresso machine for home at a great value, this is the one. I don't need to go into much detail on all the positive aspects noted in the description and in other reviews. It's awesomely slim/compact, heats up quickly, has a large removable water reservoir and very capable steaming wand. However, a common negative aspect I've seen in a few other reviews relates to experiencing excessive wait times between functions, most notably between ability to pull shots after using the steaming wand. I can say with confidence this is not an issue when armed with a basic understanding of how the machine works and possibly incorporating a small change to the production process. I believe this noted drawback is squarely related to the temperature/heating capacity of the machine. And for this machine, at this price point, what you don't get is an adjustable water temperature setting. Love it or hate it, the machine comes preset for only two temperature levels, one for making espresso, one for making steam via the frothing wand. So if you pull a shot, then steam some milk, then try to immediately go back to pull another shot, you will more than likely encounter the frustration of the "blinking lights" while it tries to cool itself back down to the lower espresso brewing temperature. By itself, this cooling process is exceptionally long, but if you are impatient like me, while all the lights are blinking, you can simply just eject hot water out of the wand (not steam, just hot water...like you're making an americano) and the temperature will quickly lower to enable another shot to be pulled within a few seconds. A few ounces of hot water will be wasted, but thats the tradeoff for saving time. I have had absolutely no issues pulling two espressos back-to-back, then hitting the steam button (i.e., raising the water temp) and frothing milk for both drinks. As for taking too long to heat up, I've never experienced that yet and would certainly recommend returning the machine if that happens to you. The 1450W thermo-block heater in this Wirsh product literally takes 15 seconds or less to be ready to extract. So for me, this is an exceptionally good espresso maker that sits comfortably on my limited counter space next to my regular drip coffee maker and bean grinder. It looks great, cleans up easily, and consistently delivers a few tasty latte's or cappuccinos a day. I love this machine, especially under $150.

***Update after almost 2 years*** Thank you for all the "helpful" votes. The Wirsh is still producing wonderful Espressos on a daily basis. Actually I didn't expect it to last that long... In the meantime, I upgraded from my exhausting hand-grinding to a conical burr grinder to grind the beans just before using them, rather than ahead of time and storing the grounds. Makes a big difference. I also got a decent stainless steel/wood handle tamper and threw out the plastic contraption. Two tips I wanted to share: Keep the manual in a secure place (I scan and save them as pdfs) so you know the instructions for descaling (ending with "After finish descaling, you need to cancel the descaling warning: Simultaneously hold and press the Single-cup button, Double-cup button and Steam button for 3 seconds.") Second, try not to run it dry. There doesn't seem to be much in terms of dry-run protection so when that happens, it basically empties out its internal piping, and it takes a while to get it to suck water again. ***Update*** Wanted to do a quick update after using it daily for the last 4 months: Still working great! Making good espressos, and I am enjoying the ease of cleaning this compared to super-automatic ones. Have not de-scaled it yet, so we'll see how that goes. I purchased a "bottomless Portafilter" which was said to be compatible with the Gevi. It ended up not completely sealing, so steam would shoot out between the filter and where it locks in. All is not lost though, the filter basket fits into the original Wirsh Portafilter just fine. Really spent more than necessary, again, I wish they would throw in a bottomless filter basket. As for the vibrating, I put a paper towel sheet underneath the cup, which keeps it from wandering off. I use that same paper towel to catch any drip drops and to wipe any coffee grinds from where the water comes out. Non-issue! Finally, the milk steaming wand works great, just had to practice a few times. No problems. With the non-pressurized Portafilter came a measuring spoon and a plastic cup (search for B0BPXLZZ4R) to put the coffee grinds into the filter basket without spilling. Still use the plastic tamping spoon, but have my eyes on a metal one. Conclusion: If I had to do it over, I'd choose the same one. I'll update if anything changes. ***Original Review*** After a number of super-automatic espresso machines I wanted to be able to control things a bit more, and also separate the grinding from the actual espresso making for simpler equipment which can be replaced/upgraded without throwing out the whole unit. The Wirsh Espresso Machine has been a good choice, so far. Here is what I like about it... • The price - compared to the brand names (Bambino etc) this is refreshingly affordable! • The size - very compact compared to the super-automatics I had previously • Fun factor - I use a hand-grinder to grind the beans, and filling the filter and tamping and watching it turn into black goodness is something I do enjoy • Simplicity - four easy buttons and a lever to turn on the wand. Easy to clean tray. • Control - while simple, it allows to program the amount of water to be dispensed (which may have been overlooked by some of the reviewers claiming this can't make espressos). For ex, I can program the double shot to output 75ml, so with the single providing 50ml, and 2 singles 100ml, there is quite a bit of variability to play with. • Don't know about boiler vs thermo block, but this heats up and brews fast, and the espresso is hot enough • Results - the produced espressos are tasty, with a good amount of crema on top, once you figure out how fine to grind and how hard to tamp • The user manual is (surprise) concise and clearly written, with good tips on how to get the most out of the machine. Now for the downsides, which at this point are few and not very serious • The machine vibrates when blowing out the espresso, which makes the catch tray vibrate and my cup wanders off and away from the stream of coffee. Maybe it will settle, but for the moment, I have to hold on to the cup. • Comes with a 1 and a 2 cup pressurized basket, I wish they would have thrown in one or two unpressurized ones, so one wouldn't have to invest in a second portafilter. • I am familiar with various steam wand designs, and this one isn't one of the better ones. Will probably take a bit of practice to get milk to where you can think about latte art. No big deal for me as I don't use it much. • Compared to all the stainless steel goodness of the machine, the flimsy plastic tamper is a letdown, and the attached spoon is one or two sizes too big for the small 51mm baskets. On a final note, going from milk steaming to brewing more espressos is very easy by just running some hot water through the steam wand to reduce the internal temperature. Not a problem at all, this is just how these things work unless you upgrade to a double-boiler monster.

Para mi que solo la utilizo 1 vez al día me pareció excelente opción, te da la oportunidad de generar una taza de café de diferentes mls., la recomiendo para personas que no tienen que hacer o beber muchas tazas de café, excelente funcionamiento, muy fácil de usar y de lavar.

The coffee maker works as described and the programming is easy. Set the time when you want your coffee and it's ready for you. The only issue I have with the product is the display light is so bright it's annoying.

Très bon rapport qualité/prix. Fonctionne très bien et la quantité de café est parfaite en ce qui me concerne.

Es bonita, elegante, de buena calidad, ligera, calienta bien, está bien el filtro de café de grano. No he usado el programador de hora pero me parece bien que tenga esa opción. Lo recomiendo para oficina y casa. Un plus es que tiene la marca de tres niveles de agua por si la taza es pequeña, mediana o grande. El termo me gusta, aunque no es de muy buena calidad la tapa y se empezó a salir el café, pero pues uso otras tazas o el termo sin tapa y listo.

I bought this product for our RV trailer. We are in close quarters so it was important to me that the coffee maker be quiet as my husband makes the coffee much earlier than I want to wake up! This is a good little coffee maker and does what it is supposed to do but the cup needs to go under the drip without the lid on. Without a lid the coffee has further to fall and therefore I found it quite noisy. The coffee maker we have at home has both a pot and a single serve and the single serve is much quieter. I asked to return it and the company was very prompt and dealt with my concern right away. So, the product wasn’t for me but the customer service was great hence this positive review.