I used to be a barista and we used a commercial size La Pavoni at the shop I worked at. It produced beautiful shots. I decided to purchase this for my personal use at home because I was familiar with the brand. Like any new baristo/barista, you have to do your research on how to pull good shots. There is a lot of trial and error. That being said, most espresso snobs will tell you to avoid machines with built in grinders, but honestly, this machine and its grinder works great. I have had it for about 8 months now, and like the commenter below me, (Brad), I wasn't pulling good shots at first. When you are using a light roast, you need to grind EXTREMELY fine, and sometimes use less beans. In dark roasts, you have to go coarser. You generally want to pull a double shot in about 25-30 seconds. I have found the perfect "sweet" spot for my drinks and I am happy to say I have saved so much money making my own specialty drinks at home that taste a million times better than Starbucks.
If you are looking for a straightforward & easy to use machine, this is a great all in one.
