I researched many different espresso machines and read numerous reviews but I finally decided on the GARVEE Espresso Machine and I am extremely satisfied so far. I have owned it for about a month and make 2-4 coffees per day. Using the instructions recommended starter settings, the machine produced a delicious espresso and cappuccino right out of the box. I’ve fine tuned it following the instructions and You Tube videos to make it even better. My wife and I believe this produces much better coffees than the local coffee shops. The machine comes with everything you need to get started other than good coffee beans but I highly recommend getting a few accessories and upgrades for the best results: a small coffee scale to help fine tune your input and output amounts, a bottomless portafilter (the one provided appears nice but has plastic inside), a self leveling tamper, a WDT to break up any clumps in your grinds, and a few nice microfiber clothes for wiping the steam wand and quick cleanups of the machine. It is very easy to use, very easy to clean, and makes delicious coffee drinks for a fraction of the local coffee shops. A few notes for other reviews that I’ve read: heat up time - people have complained about the start up and heat up time, I don’t know what they are talking about, as this heats up very fast and is ready to go before I have my portafilter tamped; grinder fineness, watch a few YouTube videos and they show you how to adjust the grinding settings inside the grinder.

This is our first espresso machine. We love the professional look of this product and its easy to keep it clean. I like the little pop up sign when the drip tray is full. We have had it for just over a month and only now really starting to understand how to use it properly and pull perfect shots and get the milk frothed properly, thanks to a number of good instructional videos on line. It's still a bit hard to predict how it's going to come out as small variations in puck compression etc can make a difference and I'm working on my cappuccino art skills. The machine heats up quickly, but it's recommended to turn it on in advance and warm the cup on the top grill. My daughter LOVEs the frother for the most amazing hot chocolate using ordinary carnation hot chocolate powder. This is a great machine if you want the satisfaction of pulling your own shots and frothing your own milk. I am really happy we didn't buy a fully automatic, where's the fun in that? I am also very happy that it has a built in grinder but wish that a water line could be installed to replace the tank. We unknowingly ran out of water once because it was hard to see the water line, but other than that I don't know enough about other machines to say anything bad. We still have our regular coffee maker along side this one for the daily grab and go.

I bought it mainly for the all-in-one setup. Grinding and brewing in one machine makes mornings easier, and the 15 grind settings gave me enough room to dial in the beans I like.

It takes just a few times to get the hang of operating this unit. The Consumer Report reviews are absolutely right. High quality, brilliant design, the bean grinding integration is awesome, and the result fantastic. I wouldn't mind the coffee being a little hotter, to be honest, but that is likely the result of it being 110 and not a higher voltage like commercial units. I don't think I could give a home unit a higher mark than this. It's just really well done, easy to clean and the functionality and design is outstanding.

Milk foam comes out smooth once you get the angle right.

The built-in grinder saves counter space and the espresso comes out with a solid crema. The steam wand took me two tries to learn, but now my lattes are pretty consistent.

Heats fast and tastes way better than my old pod machine.

After a few months of use, everything still runs smoothly. Buttons respond well, pressure is steady, and the family fights less over who gets the first latte.

Between the aroma of fresh ground beans and the steam wand hissing, our kitchen feels like a downtown coffee bar, minus the lineups and tip jar.

Grinder occasionally clumps a bit on very fine settings, but a quick tap fixes it. Overall, the shots and milk texture make it easy to overlook.