I've owned a couple of different cappuccini machines that broke after a year. This one works very well, and I paid the few dollars extra for the product insurance.After sampling the espresso, I find that it is almost as thick as the $700 machines. It is a great value for the price.I like the self-pucking feature, which packs the coffee for you. The brew process is all manual with the machine heating up the water in the reservoir and dripping into the cup until you shut it off. You are supposed to count to 20 for the optimal drip.The milk frother works well, but must be cleaned after each use. This means that the process of creating cappuccini will add about 15 minutes to your day, everyday. Of course, the espresso is over and done with in less than 5 minutes. I have to say though that it tastes much better than what we get at our local coffee shop, and costs far less. So, you break even at about 40 cups.Because it is manual in nature and needs cleanup to maintain quality and its life, it is a tradeoff between cost and convenience, but with no sacrifice to quality of what you would get with the trip and line waiting at the local business. I use it for espresso during the week and a cappuccino on the weekends. I am satisfied with this purchase.**Update**After about a year. It still works great with no leaks. A couple times it stopped working and I thought I might have to use the insurance I got with it. I cleaned it thoroughly and it was up and running again. We use it at least 2 times a day every day for the last year and it has held up fine. It is probably the best value we have gotten out of any of our appliances.