Gaggia Carezza

Smart design ; Great, reliable coffee quality

Operational quirks ; Look and function of controls not always in harmony

Easy use ; fast heat up ; water reservoir fills from top or removable container ; heavy brass 58mm portafilter ; relatively easy to clean up

Steam spout is a little low ; Portafilter has a plastic dispenser instead of being molded brass like it used to be. (after 1 year no problems with it) ; Steam spout does drip right after you "prime" the machine (and it's like 4 or 5 drips, no big deal)...

Great quality internals for a cheap machine. Probably one of the better entry level machines available

Can be a hair clunky in terms of usability

Powerful Pump ; Hot steam ; Good instructions

Very noisy with the plastic case rattling while pumping ; Frothing nozzle(with foaming attachment) is too low to get a cup under it without spilling the steamed milk ; Difficult to get the right amount of froth and the right temperature when steaming...

Makes good quality shots

Lacks in both built quality and usability. Functional design is appalling

The reason I chose my machine is that it has all the same components as the more expensive Gaggias, some of the main features I like ; huge wattage- this translates into more steam power and quicker recovery ; commercial style portafilter, it is heavy...

Some of the features that I don't like about my machine ; The silver is a paint that can be scuffed pretty easily, in fact it came from the factory scuffed, WholeLatteLove.com were pretty fair and knocked off 50.00 from the price. So I cannot...

Only 3 switches (power, steam, brew) and 1 knob (steam) ; About size of coffee maker

Cannot disassemble for cleaning ; To nitpick, no storage facilities for filter baskets, etc., but I guess only a fully auto would not need storage facilities

Makes nice shots with rich crema. Lots of pressure, easy to use and clean. Seems built to last. Reputable brand for 200 bucks

Its a little bit noisy and has some ergonomic foibles, such as the inconveniently located water reservoir and the low steamer. I keep it next to the edge of the bench as I find I need to hold frothing milk jug below bench level to get it clear of the...

Easy to learn on. Good price. Makes a decent shot

Plastic exterior gets old quick in the kitchen ; Hard to clean ; Too short ; Steamer doesn't do its job ; Grouphead gets dirty quickly and is hard to clean, mine has also started to corrode