Others say...

"Take it traveling"
First, I did not purchase this for myself. I bought it for my son and daughter-in-law who recently returned from living in Italy for 3 years and missed having espresso.
The low profile was perfect for their kitchen small counter space. It was easy to clean up afterwards as well.
My son opened it for Christmas and had everyone drinking great espresso in minutes. It was simple to use and easy enough to make if you have a little espresso making experience in general. They buy good Italian coffee so that of course helps in the results.
He liked it so much that he packed it up and took it with him when he left for his tour in Iraq right after Christmas. I gave it 4 instead of 5 stars because I never actually got the chance to try it out myself.


"Tips and Tricks"
After getting used to half-caf lattes at a local cafe, I wanted a cheap way to get them at home. If you're prepared to experiment a little, this machine works very well. I wasn't sure if I was ready to spend $199 on a pump-driven machine, and so far, I'm glad I didn't.
For me, the hardest thing was filling the basket with ground coffee without spilling it (the spout on the bottom means that it won't rest level on a surface). I cut a round section out of a small yogurt pot and use that to sit the basket in while I then have two hands to spoon coffee from the grinder into it.
If you run all the water through, the coffee tastes burnt. Being a cheapskate, I don't like to waste anything, and if you unplug the machine 10-20 seconds before the end of the water (at 31/2 cups if you are making 4 cups) the remainder comes through at a lower pressure and without the burnt taste so you get more coffee and less waste...
Wiping the steam jet after it's used each time is much easier than soaking it to clear it...
The only thing I can't do with it is get that lovely milk feathering on the surface. So I still have a reason to go to the cafe...

"Small and Efficient"
The Capresso Mini Expresso/Cappuccino is my second expresso/cappuccino machine. Both have been small, countertop machines. The Capresso is perfect as a countertop expresso machine: small - which reduces clutter; fast - it takes about 4-5 minutes, start to finish to make a perfect 4 shot cappuccino; and really easy cleanup. It is pretty neat to be able to invite a friend for a quick cappuccino and know it will be first class. All it lacks is a WiFi hotspot!

"Great machine but a little complicated"
I know there are many review on this machine but I thought I would give my two cents.

I must warn you that I didn't watch the instructional DVD that came with the machine but I did read the instructions. Plus, I am very new at this.

The instructions are clear and the machine is very easy to use to make espresso. But, I did have trouble using the foaming nozzle. The instructions say to add water and turn on the machine until it the water fills the carafe to the steam picture, and then to turn the machine to steam mode. When I did this, the steam would come out for only a few seconds and then die out, not long enough to get the milk hot enough. I found that I need to add enough water to make 4 cups of espresso for the steamer to work long enough.

This is what I ended up doing.
1. Make espresso using the machine.
2. Pour out the espresso into a cup and add water to the 4 mark on the carafe.
3. Place water into the machine and turn on the machine until most of the water has gone through the machine.
4. Turn on the steamer and steam milk.
5. Add milk to the espresso that was set aside earlier and make cappuccino.

All in all, I'm very happy with my purchase but the steamer thing is a bit of an annoyance.

"Outstanding"
Works just like advertised. Make my first cup just as soon as it came out of the box!!