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

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.

I came from another machine that was not a good experience. The only negative with this machine was my fault - I should have bought the barista plus which has the pressure gauge. But now I get to learn how to produce espresso with good taste, crema, and visually appealing. This machine continually amazes me: 1. The manual actually reads well and has good information. 2. I can EASILY insert/remove the portafilter basket. 3. I use a puck screen, so cleaning the machine after brewing a double shot is a breeze! 4. I can use a fine grind espresso bean and produce a very good shot! The pressurized basket continually produces a shot that's rich in color, taste and appearance. It is very "forgiving" in the amount of coffee used, the actual grind used, and the amount of coffee used. The taste continually amazes me! 5. The non-pressurized basket just blew my mind! The machine I came from would not work at all with a non-pressurized basket. I had to have a bit of help from the support staff, and now am producing shots that have excellent crema, superb taste and rich color. I have learned to use a scale (I use 15 grams of coffee per double-shot, a shot time of 31 seconds - and I can reproduce these results every time! 6. I can produce superb silky frothed mike. The frothing wand REALLY works well! 7. And last but not least - the support staff are excellent! They went above and beyond helping me to learn how to use a bottomless portafilter. I have high respect for the team. Thank you! I use a scale, timer, dozer, 30lb tamper, good burr grinder, WDT distributor, milk frothing pitcher (I like gadgets!). And even though I don't have a pressure gauge I am learning how to produce excellent expresso and frothed milk (I use Italian sweet creme, but I can use practically anything to froth). The company is good, the staff superb, and the product is awesome. It would be fun to use the bean-to-cup model, but I don't feel I have to. This machine allows me to have a good cup of espresso and have fun while doing it!

After several months of use, I can finally put something together here. The size is fantastic compared to the cheaper boiler models and even the high-end models, so it's easy to store. It's also not a bad unit for travel because of the slim profile. Really easy to use, once you figure out the order of espresso first, then steam second. It's extremely fast to heat the water, compared to the cheap models. My only gripe is that the espresso cup will vibrate off of the plate while pulling shots. The smooth stainless steal plate wasn't a good design. Overall a good value and 4 out of 5 for me.

Got this yesterday, and fired it up this morning. Easy to operate, not too noisy (after my De Longhi Stilosa that I had to junk because it started leaking all over the place), and a lot more compact—I have limited counter space, but I actually have room to leave this one on the counter instead of storing it underneath. Plus, the base has four little suction cups that keep it stationary while it’s running, instead of the vibrations sending it galloping all over the counter. Not too long to warm up, makes a good cup of espresso, and a good latte….a plus is that the steamer actually makes a good froth from oat milk. Stainless steel—no plastic parts touch any food ingredients except the tank, and it is BPA free, in case you’re worried about that. The price is also right—I am not a coffee snob, and I have no intention of spending $800-1000 for a gadget I may not use every day. Comes with a stainless steel tamper, and an instruction booklet, quite clear in spite of its broken English (one of the situations on the troubleshooting list is “less grease,” and I’m still scratching my head over that one). Easy to clean, if you’re consistent about it. So far, I think it’s a great little machine for the money!

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.

This machine cannot make a warm cup of espresso. The proper serving temperature of an espresso in the cup is between 160° F and 165°F (70–74°C). This is virtually impossible to reach with this machine. Instead, this machine produces a cold, poor tasting cup of espresso with a weak crema that goes away in a few seconds. If you start making coffee by placing an espresso cup in the warming tray at the top of the machine, and proceed to make the coffee according to directions, the temperature of the coffee in the cup is about 122 F (50 C). By the time you sit down, the coffee is likely closer to 113 F (45 C), or less. This is unacceptable. It is virtually impossible to make a warm cup of espresso. Even if you use the hot water dispenser to pre-heat the cup, the final temperature of the espresso does not approach 160 °F, the minimum serving temperature for espresso. The same conclusion applies if you run water through the filter holder (called the "metal funnel") to preheat the cup before making espresso. This machine has other shortcomings: 1) Unlike other machines, the filter holder does not warm up when the machine is turned on. As a result, the filter holder is cold when you make the first cup of espresso. Hence, the water used to make the first cup is cooled even further by the filter. This is probably a main reason why the cup comes out at a temperature of 122 F, way too cold. 2) The machine vibrates so much when brewing that the cup moves around on the drip tray, and the coffee misses the cup. 3) The holes in the filter holder are too far apart for a standard espresso cup. So the coffee misses the cup when making a double cup, 4) The included tamping tool is very flimsy. It won't last long if you subject it to 33 to 40 lbs of tamping pressure that is recommended in the included manual. 5) The tamping tool is too large for the double-cup brewing filter, making it impossible to apply the "2 step dose & tamp method" that is recommended in the included manual. The narrowing shape of the double-cup filter makes it impossible for the tamping tool to reach the bottom of the filter, so it is not possible to tamp the first dose. 6) The tray at the top of the machine is designed to warm your espresso cup, but that doesn't work. Even after half an hour on the tray, the cup has barely warmed. These are all shortcomings that other machines in the same price range have overcome.

I have the Gevi and it's OK, has annoying features but overall doesn't suck. I had the De Longhi and it was JUNK. Then I found THIS... The good/great: 1-A 1350W heating element makes for FAST ready state where you're brewing in nothing flat. 2-It has a large reservoir for the size of the machine. 3-The lever for the steam function is EASY to grip with WET hands..and you always have wet hands when making lattes. The knob on the Gevi bugs...can't crank it even with my iron grip strength. 4-The steam-wand assumes you're not a total NEWB at making lattes, the wands on the DeLonghi show no respect to your skill and make a poor froth because you can only use it in dingaling mode. The Gevi is better but THIS is the steam wand you want...perfect control for a perfect froth AND easy to clean. Watch a dang YouTube video if you need to learn up on food science there. 5-All stainless body...far better looking than either of the above. 6-Intuitive controls all located right in front/up top...keep it simple. 7-You can FEEL the quality in the handle of this machine. It feels like you could use it for self defense or hammering large nails whereas the DeLonghi feels as if it's made for a Fischer-Price infant toy. 8-This makes a TASTY cup of coffee, partly because it is so careful about the heat at which it makes coffee. I've had cups of coffee using the same beans and milk from all 3 machines and I'll choose this one every time BUT...THAT leads me to the ONE downside. The no so good: It takes a LONG time to go back to COFFEE mode after heating up to STEAM mode. If you understand that milk steaming happens at a higher temp than brewing does then you understand why it takes a while to shed heat back down to brewing mode. The simple answer: Brew first then steam second for all cups of coffee. If you're making three servings then grind and brew the 3 coffee servings first and then steam the 3 milk servings second. Overall this a better machine than most costing $500 or less. Unless you're getting a separate brew/steam heating element you're not getting a better machine...and you're not getting that for anything under $1200, which is a LOT to pay for a minor nuisance and a cup of coffee that tastes no better.

There is much to like about this unit, (see video). But it has just one thing that got it returned for me. The portafilter is too small. I could get about 16g in the double maximum. Had it been adjustable, perhaps I could reduce the water or run time to compensate for undersized baskets. Or, perhaps if they increased the volume of the portafilter to take more powder. I could do neither. I suspect that pretty much all of these 51mm manual espresso machines will also be too small. The preheat, water temperature and steam temps are exactly as advertised. The controls are idiot proof, it's easy to clean and fast. It's a little noisy and vibrates a bit. It's right on the value proposition. You may think a pressure gauge is cute, but they are not really functional for most people and except on higher-end, they are not calibrated or scaled - so why pay for one. This unit didn't have one, and honestly, you don't need one. It doesn't leak, all in all - very good for a basic machine. It's just a non-starter to not be able to hit -- 20 to maybe 22g. And while I did know the diameter of the portafilter, I didn't see the volume/capacity stated. It was only after I couldn't make it fit did I sort it all out as being too small. I rated it 2⭐ then revised and added one more because seriously, if you drink the Charbuckies type drinks - this is super! But I drink straight up, old style espresso. Not the other stuff (well, red eyes, black eyes and dead eyes (there is a trend there)). It just makes weak espresso. For the life of me, I can't understand why so many of these similar machines use so small of portafilters.