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When I ordered this espresso maker on Vine, I was excited and looked forward to being able to make espresso in my home. The first machine I received was defective, but the Technical Support people were very communicative and helpful and told me exactly how to document the problem. When I did that, (using the direct Technical Support email address on page 33 of the manual) they promptly and helpfully rushed a replacement item to me, which worked correctly.In the process, I came to think of the Technical Support staff as my colleagues and offered them a number of suggestions which might profitably be added to the user manual. The most important one is the missing explanation that this is a machine which, after its brief startup cycle, subsequently heats up its brewing steam and its foaming steam and also its hot water dispenser on the fly: while it's operating. A different, more professional espresso machine that I have used has a reservoir which takes a long 15 minutes time to heat up initially but then can produce steam and hot water at a higher rate. In my comparison below, I will call the two types of machine the Urintells (on the fly) machine and the reservoir based machine. The differences between these two styles of espresso machine is a matter of personal preference as each has some positive and negative qualities.The Urintells machine has the advantage of a quick warmup. I can grind, and carefully fill and tamp the portafilter with espresso powder while the machine warms up. The portafilter can be in place, ready to go when the machine is ready to brew. Push "start" and the machine is ready to brew a nice double espresso quickly. Advantage Urintells! But the Urintells has a limited maximum rate of production, so if I want to steam milk to make a foamy cappuccino, I must wait till the espresso is brewed (I can use the time to fill the foaming cup with milk), then turn the mode switch to steam, and heat and foam my milk (while the espresso cools slightly). With a double walled cup, there is little cooling, so not a problem for me. But I can't steam the milk while brewing, which is not the case with a reservoir type machine, which has enough stored heat to brew espresso and steam milk at the same time, although it would take 15 minutes to heat up in the morning.I have learned that it's important to use the finest grind setting, to set a longer grind time than the default setting, and to temp the grounds tightly, in order to ensure the highest brewing pressure.Overall, the Urintells machine fits my lifestyle better, since it is more energy efficient. Despite not being able to brew and steam simultaneously, that 1st morning cup of espresso comes out fastest from Urintells. It saves energy as well by shutting off after about 30 minutes. If I want a 2nd cup, or to brew for a guest, it only takes seconds, to be ready again. It pumps steam at 15 bars, which is adequate but a little less than a professional machine can.On the other hand, if I were operating an espresso bar, I would not mind the significantenergy cost of heating my reservoir style machine all day. The Portafilter would stay hotter, cups could be pre-warmed, and the espresso, brewed at 20 bars pressure, would come out hotter. I could steam while I was brewing, and have a lot higher overall throughput of beverages to serve. But operating such a machine represents a commitment that does not fit my lifestyle well.So I like this machine a lot. It is perfect for my lifestyle and brews good quality espresso. I can brew a strong Americano by brewing, a double espresso, and then immediately after, brewing another double espresso through the same grounds without having to switch modes to serve hot water. I know this horrifies Espresso afficionatos, but it works great for me. I took off one star because I was originally sent a defective machine, added one star back because the Technical Support people were just wonderfully interested in my case and helpful, and took off that star again because there are many issues that should have been included in the instruction manual that were not, such as the distinction between on the fly and reservoir type machines. I hope this lengthy account helps you to decide whether the Urintells machine is right for you.

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The espresso maker came very well packed in a sturdy box with styrofoam inserts. Assembling, cleaning and priming the espresso maker is very easy. All the components fit well though some of them such as the tray and the plastic parts are on the flimsier side. The manual is well written but not needed for those with prior experience using such espresso machines.In terms of operations, it is also very easy to use. The burr grinder is sharp and appears well designed and the grind is comparable to that from high end grinders. I used settings between 3 and 5 as suggested by the manual for espresso grinds. The grind was fine and could easily be tamped with the provided tamper. The doser also works well with a good fit with the provided portafilter and contains the grind well inside the portafilter. The unit comes with two single wall filter baskets, for single and double shots. Both filters have a snug fit with the portafilter and it’s relatively easy to attach and detach from the portafilter.The extract flow is fairly uniform as you can see in the picture and the lcd display shows the volume extracted. The espresso I have extracted so far has had little crema and is somewhat on the weaker side. I assume as I play with the settings more, the quality of the extract will improve.I haven’t used the frothing wand, since I have a standalone frother. Have found most of the home use espresso machines are weak in terms of frothing and never get the micro foam at a latte art quality for a good pour on the extract.Overall, I think with some adjustments I should be able to get a very decent extract with nice crema. For the current pricepoint, this machine certainly provides very good value.