Updated --
Support did respond. They emailed but from an email address that didn't match company name, so obviously it went to junk. Returned my phone call and are sending out a replacement.

The replacement is plastic, as that's all they make. This is a genuine design flaw, which I've not seen in other machines, but I appreciate their responsiveness - just a note to CALL don't email via their online form unless you don't get a lot of emails and don't get a lot of spam. They don't answer the phone. You have to leave a voicemail.

Love the machine. EXCEPT. After 3 months, i discovered the little filter piece inside the portafilter basket, being PLASTIC, had melted.

Initially, espresso could get through but finally melted shut. I cut the melted tip off to continue use, but that didn't help for long.

I've reached out and emailed support several times but they never even respond.

All other espresso machines seem to use a metal piece for this component. It appears to be the only weakness - but I can no longer use my machine at all.
I can buy an entire replacement portafilter and hope the plastic is included (not pictured or referenced on the replacement part listing) but that's a bigger expense and I know it's a 3 month "fix" at best

Hoping they read their reviews more than their support emails.

I've had this machine for about a month and so far it is great! We make a latte and 2 espressos every day.
I read all of the reviews beforehand but decided to order it and hope for the best outcome. I was not disappointed! It's smaller and lighter than I pictured it , which works better for my counter space. The temperature is perfect for a ready-to-drink latte. My husband makes regular espressos and he prefers to heat it a little more in the microwave.
My manual was left out of the box, however, it was easy to find an online version via a scan code that was on a sticker on the machine. I just followed the link and printed that out.
I thought I ran into a problem right when starting it up, but it turns out that I didn't take off a sticker blocking the water intake. I called the customer service line and they were super friendly and helpful.

The only cons about this machine so far is that the espresso grinds get stuck to the top above the portafilter and there's no easy way to clean that part because it doesn't come out. So we have to leave a cup down there most of the time to catch the falling grinds.
Number two is, as many other reviews state, the overflow reservoir at the bottom does get filled with water after making a few drinks so you have to remember to dump it out.

The grinder has been working great so far too. Hopefully many of the problems that people were running into were either a random defect or from not following directions. My bean grinder grinds very quickly and easily.
Overall, the machine isn't leaking, and the latte tastes great!

I'm excited to keep using this and trying out all the options.

Received as gift, love being able to make various coffee drinks, don't like the extra clean up but I'm not paying $7 a drink either! Bean grinder works well but again it's messy and what do you do with all the extra-- have to put it in something air tight until you use it up and want fresh ground beans again. Love having the milk froth and have used all types of milk including almond or coconut depending on my mood. Good quality, seems like it will last a long time, stays looking nice on the counter, a bit noisy but that's to be expected. Good gift for any coffee lover-- I tend to just use it on the weekends when I don't have to run out the door and have the time to clean up afterwards. Now if only I could find room in the cabinet to put all the accessories...!

over a year now I thought I should update this review:
This is STILL the best machine we've ever used for latte's, espresso, cappuccino's, etc. With a lot of experimenting I have mastered the best latte's & Cappuccino's, etc. be creative! I don't use the glasses except for using them for espresso only. Use bigger cups and use a little warmed milk before using machine to do some frothing and foaming. The glasses are cool to look at layers but not much actual drink so I use large coffee cups.
This is the third espresso, latte, cappuccino machine we've had. This one (SO FAR) is the best. Now, we've only had it 5 days but have made a dozen + drinks. The Keurig we had was easy to use and made great drinks, however, you had to buy pods from them (very expensive ). also, the Keurig started breaking down, then the company discontinued it w/out telling anyone, and mostly, way to expensive. It was a gift as I would not have spent $400 for one. The AIcook we had at only $125 was great, it had its flaws, but only lasted a year, and to be fair, it was our fault for not cleaning it enough.
This machine is very easy to use, makes fantastic drinks, and at $249 beats out the $400 Keurig in every way. The key to this machine to work nicely for a long time is make sure you clean it after every use. Now, that doesn't mean you have to clean it after every cup, but, if your'e not making another for an hour or more i suggest you take the time to rinse out milk frother put clean water in, and, hit the clean button (make sure you have a cup to catch water). Wipe everything down, etc. One review said it leaked on bottom. after 1st use I noticed water under machine in front and was worried, at first, but as it turns out it was that i made 3 lattes & ran a clean cycle & it was the overflow container on bottom that overflowed. That's an easy fix, dump it and reinsert it if making 3 or more lattes at once. A clean machine is a happy machine. I hope I'm not giving this a great rating to soon.... we'll see. UPDATE a couple years in and it was still the best! unfortunately Hurricane IAN decided he wanted it to himself (like everything else in the house) and made it unusable

This machine makes a good and attractive cup of coffee and the frother does a great job. Several reviewers mentioned that their coffee (specifically Lattes) were not very hot. Sadly, I found this to be an accurate assessment. I've found the Cappuccinos to be a better and warmer option. I believe the poor temperature is because of the milk. Lattes have more milk so, naturally, they will be cooler. Too bad the milk isn't warmer from the frothing process.... You can microwave your coffee after it's brewed. That would work. I haven't tried it and I don't know if it would have an effect on the milk foam or not. Still, I really enjoy my machine and if you buy one or have bought one, I hope you do to.