Others say...

"This machine will break and you will not be able to get it fixed!"
I bought this machine not even two years ago through the Illy a Casa program for my husband's 40th birthday. For about a year and a half, it worked well (and looked great too, except for the clock, which popped off and broke almost immediately). My husband loved it and I congratulated myself on getting him such a great gift. But one day the boiler overheated and that was it for the machine. When I tried to contact Francis Francis, I was only able to reach Illy. The machine was out of warranty, so it cost $10 for them to ship a box to me to have it FedEx'd to the service center. Before sending it in, I tried to find out how much I would be charged for the repair, but Illy could not provide an estimate; they did say it could be as much as $150. Not only that, they couldn't give me a number for Francis Francis customer service at all. So after just two years I am stuck with a very expensive and very broken machine. : (

"It Works as Well as it Looks"
I recently acquired this wonderful machine through an offer by Illy, which may or may not be the best way to acquire the machine, as I'm on the hook for a boatload of coffee, but I'm liking the espresso from this machine so much that that may not be an issue. The pods can make this a great machine for a quick cup of espresso, but I prefer to use finely ground espresso roast for a more traditional (and inexpensive) cup of espresso (typically to make cappuccino or lattes).

Pros
* pro-style 56mm (not the full 58mm of other machines) chrome plated solid brass portafilter.
* Separate pod (ESE) adapter with three different screens for different styles of espresso from pods.
* Solid construction and very heavy (relative to its small size)
* Fast heat up (1-2 minutes) and a very large capacity for making steam (which is very hot and dry).
* After brewing grounds form a solid puck, though with water on top of them, as this machine lacks a 3-way solenoid of pricier machines.
* The clock is functional as it has a second hand.

Cons
* Odd assortment of manuals with really no continuity.
* Cup warming is relatively useless (it doesn't get that hot and it takes a while to warm up). Run water (without grounds or a pod) through the machine to heat up the machine and the cups.
* Often the cups will fill at different rates (despite my best attempts at a firm even tamp, but this is a relatively minor issue.

Comments
* This machine uses an odd tamper which separates with the handle coming off and the tamper head remaining on top of the grounds (remaining in the portafilter while brewing). Beyond being unconventional, it makes it hard to get 14g of grounds in with the tamper head on top. Brewing without it seems to work fine. Research seems to indicate that they sold the machine without this for a while then "enhanced" it with this feature to limit the water build up on top of the grounds after brewing.
* It may leak around the brew head while brewing but it is minor and infrequent.
* Not too noisy (it does have a boiler and a pump, so it's also not too quiet either).

"Good espresso, not so good machine"
This machine makes a good cup of espresso, particularly from the Illy ground coffee (not the pods, in my opinion). But I have had inconsistent performance from the machine itself. It is temperamental, and after about five months of average use, it began to take 40 seconds to make a cup of espresso instead of 20-25, as it did in the beginning. The non ESE handle also got a little warped (no clue why; I did not drop it). And, and this is perhaps a big one, that cheap crappy clock on the front that looks so cool fell out. Kept falling out. There is nothing that secures that clock in there, and it is horribly made. I really wish they had left that thing out.

So it was under warranty and I sent it back to Francis Francis. 3 weeks later, I got it back and it doesn't appear that they changed ANYTHING about my machine. The work order claims they fixed gaskets, but I don't see a difference. They didn't even unpack the handles that they requested I send (they were still taped as I had taped them), and even though I wrote (and phoned in) a detailed description of the things I needed fixed (the clock; the warped handle; and whatever was causing the machine to take so long), they did not replace the handle OR the clock.

I called FF and they initially claimed that they DID fix these things. I insisted they did not. Then they told me that the clock and handle were "on backorder." I have been waiting over a month for them to go off of backorder, but I do not quite understand how such a widely-produced machine could have basic parts on backorder. I have been trying to reach them by phone for the last three days, and their message consistently says "due to unusual high call volume, we cannot answer your call. Please leave a message and we will get back to you." No one gets back to me.

Horrible customer service. Some very major problems with the machine itself. Nice design, decent coffee, good frothing. I probably would choose a different brand if I were to purchase again.

Update: FF did, eventually, send me my new handle and clock. The clock they sent was ALSO broken (sigh), so I just gave up on that issue. I taped the old one in there, so there wasn't a huge hole in the front of the machine. Performance, 2 years after purchase, is about the same as it was a couple months after: inconsistent, but I can still get a great cup of espresso. I just wish it were consistent.

"A fantastic machine"
This is by far the best espresso machine I have owned. It is very easy to use, and creates espresso that tastes as good or as better than the neighborhood coffee shop.

One thing that really surprised me was how little time it takes to warm up. After only a few minutes, you are ready to start brewing. It's very easy to use, especially if you use ESE pods. I've been very pleased with the flavor of the pods, and I don't think I'll switch to grinding my own coffee anytime soon. It is very easy to froth milk as well. You're looking at less than 10 minutes from when you turn it on to having a latte to drink.

There are a few minor downsides. The first is that the water container is a slight bit awkward to remove and install from the back of the machine. Also, there is some dripping from both the steam nozzle and the filter head. Other than those items, I can not find anything to fault.

Highly recommended for replacing your expensive coffee habit by brewing your own at home.

"Better than you know who!!!!"
I recieved this machine as a very early x-mas gift, I was always @ *bucks spending $5 3-4x daily, withen 10 min. of unpacking this machine I was drinking the best latte that I ever made. Forget those cheap machines that try to emulate espresso, as you know, you get what you pay for and it's proven with this beautiful machine, I was just a little surprised that the clock bezel was plastic but it is very good plastic!! the Machine is heavy,solid and very well put together, solid brass pumps and parts, a true work of art, I look at it as a fuctional sculpture for my kitchen!!!!! Happy brewing !!!!