Breville 800ESXL Die-Cast Espresso Machine

I bought this as a gift for my wife. She loves it. Therefore it is great!
We used to have one years ago (different brand, I beleive) but after a short while, the steamer stopped working. I feel this is a weak point for these types of machines. The better the performance, the more you have to pay. At this time, it works perfectly. We will see how it fairs over a year or so. Also, the difference between then and now is that you can easily get all the different types of coffee off the shelf at Starbucks rather than have to shop around.
The build quality seems very good and solid with some nice design touches.
If I had more to spend, I would've bought the next one up in the range.
Pictures are silent. In reality, the machine whirrs and clicks when in use. I'd forgotten about that!

First off, I managed a Starbux for four years and was originally trained as a barista over eight years ago. I can honestly say, this is of better quality than any of the ones we sold in our stores and the price is better too.

I am impressed with the espresso from this machine! It has great crema which is hard-to-find in non-commercial cappuccino machines. Also the group is very heavy and solid. In general, its a very hardy machine and worth the money.

Also, the size is right and can fit on the counter without having to be put away in my small kitchen and its a very pretty machine - just like the picture.

For the money, 5/5.