When first unboxing this tiny espresso maker I did not expect much from it. It has a plastic feel to it that does not exude quality - although it is sturdy. I had just packed my Breville Barista Express and needed a small maker urgently to use while I move to another country. Enough with the background, following is the review (be aware I've only had this for a couple days so will update if something changes).

Portability: this thing is super small and super light. The hardened plastic exterior is justifiable when you take into consideration the weight. This is meant to travel. Other reviews that mention bad quality plastic are taking this machine out of context - while it can definitely shine in your house, it is meant to be taken out into the wild. Everything you need (except for the coffee) can be packed within the body of the machine. While I don't have the NS capsule adapter, I gather you'd even be able to take one capsule inside the water tank. All you'd need then is hot water.

Ease of use and clean: while I might be biased coming from a vastly more complex machine, this thing is incredibly easy to use. A few main steps and you got yourself nice coffee. I'd say the hardest part of the entire process is cleaning the portafilter once you're done. Because of pressure requirements, that thing has to be packed tight. While I have not yet completed a deep clean of the machine, from looking at the steps it seems straightforward. Again, this is my opinion coming from a more complex machine. Ultimately, this is an espresso machine, not a long coffee machine. The love and patient you put into the process will return you better results. It's not a one button operation, but the few steps required make it a incredibly pleasant experience.

Coffee, the crux: Given all that has been said about this machine, it makes incredible coffee. No, it will not give you the complexity and layers of a machine that costs multiple times its price, but wow, was I taken back when I first tasted the coffee coming from it. The coffee forms an incredible crema, although not as tall as a machine with more constant pressure, but it is there and it is noticeable. The coffee extruded is creamy and packed with flavor. My only complaint, not really but more negative observation, has been that unlike other machines the crema and general texture of the coffee decays rather quickly with this machine. But...again, it's an espresso so you should be done within a couple sips anyways.

Overall, if you're looking for a solid cup of espresso at low prices and are especially concerned with portability, I don't think you have to do more research. Go with this machine.

I got a bad unit but was sent a replacement so updating based on that unit. After a lot of testing, it depends on the bean you get and the grind you grind it at for this to work perfectly. I would recommend grinding on the coarser side until you figure out what works best because the pressure it can handle is not great and a weak shot is better than grounds in your coffee. It'll leak through the silicon seal which makes a mess. When it does work perfectly, it does make a better shot than the automatic espresso maker I bought, but the learning curve is probably not worth it compared to a manual espresso machine if you use that at home. I bought this to take to work but it takes too much time. It's not very practical to use at home or work. Maybe the nespresso version is what I need but I've already spend too much on this and those pods are pricey.

It is an excellent device for the office and camping when you are an espresso drinker. I would not use it daily because you need to clean the device thoroughly after every use.

I really like this. If you love coffee gadgets and you lobe espresso just get it. I figured out how to use it in about 5 minutes minutes and pumped out my first espresso shot. It was great.

It takes a bit of work to figure everything out (grind size/qty/pack, water amt, pump speed) and get your process nailed. We were ready to return this the first time we used it. It was a bit of a disaster. But we are so happy we stuck with it. Once you figure it out, it makes absolutely fantastic espresso. We have the Barista kit and always make double shots. We had a problem with the Barista Kit - the extra sleeve to size for the double cups broke after a month of constant use. We contacted the company and they were going to send us a replacement, but we're in Mexico with no address to send it to, so it'll have to wait for us to get home. Still, it was a positive experience with the company backing their product. We ended up ordering a second Barista kit and had a friend bring it down to us so we're hoping it holds up!