Gevi Espresso Machine with OPV, 20Bar Espresso Maker with Milk Frother Steam Wand, Dual Display, 58mm Portafilter, Stainless Steel Espresso Machines for Espresso/Latte/Cappuccino, White

I was quite excited to get offered this Gevi machine on Vine. I had previously bought one of those cheap entry level DeLonghi machines that was honestly awful, and then I bought a Gevi that was the same design as the DeLonghi that was definitely less awful. When I saw this come up, I knew that it'd be something good. Getting this machine in was quite an experience as it's wrapped in a number of big boxes and it's pretty weighty. I honestly got tired of taking things out of boxes by the time I got into the machine's actual box. I decided to read through the directions before using this machine and it seems pretty simple. My machine included 4 different filter baskets--2 single shots and 2 double shots, one each of single wall and double wall. I tried using the double wall first which honestly was a huge mistake. I do not recommend using the double wall at first as I was unable to get even a little coffee out of this basket. Once I switched to single wall it worked a lot easier. For beginners, definitely use the single wall. I will be honest--I have been struggling with this machine. I feel like I must tamp too hard or something. I use 18g in the basket for 2 shots for lattes and usually I have to run it for like 70+ seconds to get the amount of brew I need. I've never been an actual barista so I feel like I'm still learning. I've had this machine a week and I still am trying less/more tamping and different grinds to try to get what I need. I don't mind it, honestly. The reason I don't mind it so much--even the worst shot I've gotten from this machine has been better than the best one from my other cheapo machines. That's wild to think about! I can't believe the machine really does impact the flavor of the coffee, but it does. If you for some reason are looking at this vs a cheap machine, GET THIS. This is only a mid-range machine but the taste of coffee is so much better and you can learn a lot about the espresso process. You will likely only get better at brewing even if you struggle at first (like me). My favorite parts of this machine: +All parts that come in contact with heat seem to be metal. There is no annoying plastic insert in the portafilter like with cheaper machines! +The steam wand can dispense hot water on demand, which is great for tea etc. +The machine looks pretty with the white coated metal. Honestly, it's a bigger footprint on my counter but not enough to have to change things around. It's a great size. +The instructions are really educational (despite some little spelling errors). They really help you understand espresso +There are more options to brewing on this vs my cheaper machines. You can adjust the temperature if you want! You can run the brew process however long you need if you just hold the cup button. It's a lot more flexible. +The steam actually sits over the tray instead of hanging off the side. +The screen tells you how long it has run +It comes with a very nice milk jug for steaming, not a tiny one like sometimes you see but an actual large pitcher +It's really quiet overall! +It can turn all the way off vs being in an 'idle' mode like my old ones Things that make me go "hmm": -It's a touch screen. I'm worried it will get damaged somehow over time. -The bottom tray needs cleaned out as the excess water will backwash into it. That's it. Overall, I am so happy with this machine and I'm excited to keep using it to brew better and better espresso. I would recommend even to beginner espresso users.

First, I have to admit, my wife and I are what you might call coffee snobs. Some of our friends are into wine; we are into coffee. We buy green coffee beans that originate from several different countries in different parts of the world through an importer in Florida, have them shipped here to Ohio, blend them, and roast them ourselves, perhaps once a week, to get absolutely the freshest coffee possible, exactly to our liking. Obviously, we grind the beans right before we make the coffee, and have used a significant variety of espresso/cappuccino makers over the years. Let me say straight up, this machine makes a GREAT cup of espresso. One of the best I've used. The only reason it did not get a five-star rating is that this unit, as is frequently the case with others I have used, just doesn't give a good milk froth. In order to get that nice stiff frothed milk, it requires a well-designed frothing tip and a large volume of steam. On this unit, the frothing tip simply has several small holes at the end, which, in my experience, usually doesn't work very well. Also, the volume of steam, even on the high setting, is really not adequate. Nevertheless, I really do truly like this unit. It comes with four different baskets for the ground coffee. Two of them are "single wall," which are used to brew either one or 2 cups at a time. This is a really nice feature which allows you to completely fill the basket and be able to tamp down the grounds nicely, regardless of whether you are brewing one or 2 cups. There is also a pair of "double-walled" baskets, which significantly slow the passage of the water through the grounds, giving you a higher degree of extraction. There are actually three different ways to control the characteristics of your brew. First, obviously, you can use more or less coffee. The unit comes with a coffee measure, which is a reasonably good starting point for a single cup. Next, you can choose either the single-wall or double-wall basket to control how long the water is in contact with the grounds, giving you a higher or lower degree of extraction. Finally, you can preprogram the actual amount of water that passes through the grounds, giving you a stronger or weaker brew. I really love that degree of flexibility! I do not use the single-wall baskets at all, preferring the higher extraction and the greater degree of "crema" that you get with the double-wall basket. The frothing wand has three separate settings. Low, which I have not really found all that useful, and high, which you are probably going to use most of the time. There is also a setting to simply dispense hot water from the wand if you want to make some other beverage, like tea. The unit is very solidly made and is quite attractive. The stainless steel top gets quite warm during use and is a perfect place to set your cappuccino cups to preheat. So, final thoughts: if you are like my wife and prefer "dry" cappuccino with a lot of very stiff foam and very little liquid milk, you will probably be disappointed in this unit. I, on the other hand, am not as concerned with the stiffness of the foam but rather the flavor of the coffee and the steamed quality of the milk. For me, I love the unit, and if you are primarily an espresso drinker as opposed to cappuccino, I think you'll be very happy with this machine. A couple of hints: make sure you clean the steaming wand after each use. What I do is simply submerge the tip in a cup of water and run either steam or hot water through it. That keeps the steam holes clean, and it is then very easy to wipe the outside of the wand and get all the dried milk off. Also, clean the unit regularly with a good coffeepot cleaning solution. We live in an area with a relatively high mineral content in the water, which gives it a great flavor but can absolutely wreck the delicate plumbing on a unit such as this if it's not kept clean. Finally, if you really want a higher degree of froth to the milk, there is a neat little inexpensive battery-powered gadget available in most supermarkets that spins a springlike device around. After I steam the milk, I use this to add a little bit more froth, and my wife seems to be quite happy with it. Addendum: I had to go back and upgrade this rating to 5 stars. I've gotten a little better at frothing the milk, although it is still not as good as I would like. But after using this unit for a month now, the coffee is just SOOO good, and since I can't give it a 4 3/4 rating, I have to upgrade to 5-star.

I have had sometime to use this machine and can now give an accurate review. First, this machine has some guts to it. It is on the heavier side. But, it looks really nice sitting on the counter. It comes with everything you need. I like the fact that NONE of the accessories are cheap. They are nice, stainless steel. It comes with 4 grind cups. So, you can truly make your coffee exactly how strong you like it. The tamper has a nice weight to it, not the cheap plastic like you see with other machines. It also comes with the milk frother pitcher. It is also stainless steel. So, you don't have to try and find something suitable to use to make your foam. There is a learning curve to using this machine because it is not a cheap, entry level machine. But, after you get the hang of it, it is pretty easy to use. The coffee comes out at a nice hot temperature and tastes amazing! And as i stated before, it is a bigger machine. Clean up is pretty easy. While the grinds snap in tightly, it is not so tight that it is hard to remove. And since these parts are stainless steel, you can throw them right in the dishwasher. You can also use the frother to dispense hot water. This machine is multi-functional, making it the only machine you will ever need. And this is coming from someone who is incredibly picky about her coffee.