I spent hours watching YouTube videos, as well as reading reviews almost to the point where I almost lost all interest in buying an espresso machine, but I do not regret getting the ESP8XL. My main goal was to find a machine that could pull shots that taste "near as good" or "close" to Starbucks, and I have to say that the ESP8XL has done it! Granted, this is subjective. I don't mean to say that a double shot of espresso from a $200 machine will match that of a $1K machine, but if I cannot tell the difference between a shot from the ESP8XL and a shot from Starbucks, I have what I need - and that is what I got with the ESP8XL. But I give the ESP8XL 4 out of 5 stars because it has more potential than it presents with. Basically, it pulls really fast shots. I have yet to be able to achieve a 1:2 ratio of grounds to espresso. Currently, I am about 1:5. I start with 9 grams of grinds in the double basket and turn off the brew at about 40grams of espresso (with 10 more grams of espresso dripping in afterwards). I know this is not correct. Just watching the espresso come out from the portafilter - its clear that it is coming out faster than it should. At first I thought it was a malfunction. But when I ground the esspresso beans to a near pulp akin to a turkish blend (baking flour consistency) I was unable to pull a complete shot (only got a few grams of liquid), so its not like you don't have control over the draw time and cannot achieve the correct draw time. The problem is that the difference in grind time between what is a good espresso grind (find sand feel with clumping and a slight residue on the skin when pinching it) and baking flour consistency is a few seconds with my grinder. Granted, my grinder is a cheap Mr. Coffee grinder that beats the beans into oblivion rather than "cutting" as good burr grinders do. I have not tried to find this perfect grind "spot" but I believe if I had an "equally good" electric burr coffee bean grinder, I could hit this sweet grind consistency and achieve a 1:2 ratio. As of now, my 1:5 ratio tastes absolutely perfect - not bitter, not sour, full of boldness and flavor. That is what is so crazy. It makes me think that the whole 1:2 ratio is not "just" what makes a good shot of espresso. As for the other elements of the machine, the ESP8XL heats up (from a cold start) quickly. From the moment of turning on the machine to the heating light going off (meaning the water has reached the correct temp) I have ground my beans and filled the portafilter. At first I thought I would not like the fact that you are in complete control of the amount of water dispensed. Like, there is no one or two shot button that you can push and the correct amount of water is used. There is only a dial that has three settings: on (brew), off, and steam wand. This means that you have to start the shot and turn it off yourself - the machine will not do it for you. But I quickly found that I enjoy this feature as I can tinker with brew times as I please. In terms of water temp, I am not hitting the 195-205f temps that are best for espresso. The water temps fluctuate between about 150-170 depending on the timing of the shot. Again, despite this, the shots are still coming out very tasty! I like the weight of the machine. With a full tank of water, I barely need to hold it to get the portafilter in. Clearance between the bottom of the portafilter and the drain tray is 3.5 inches, so you are not going to get a traditional coffee cup under the portafilter (removing the tray gives you an extra 1 inch) but I drink straight espresso so my cups are smaller and there is never a problem (for me). The ESP8XL is not loud in my opinion. I have owned other machines that sound like a rocket blasting off. I like the build materials too - mostly all stainless steel - feels solid, especially when you slide it around on top of the counter as I have to do to save space - feels like a rock, but not hard to move. The basket diameters are documented at 50mm, but they are bigger - more like 51.5mm (at the brim) so if you are looking for a good tamper, don't get a 49mm (as I did) you will want more like a 50mm if you are a perfectionist. I have only used the steam wand twice. It seems to work well without the metal attachment piece that it comes with. The ESP8XL never slows down either. It is also making sure that there is adequate heated water/steam when needed. In between shots or between a shot and then using the steam wand, it quickly re-heats in seconds so you never seem to be waiting for it to "heat up". All in all I am very impressed and glad that I bought the ESP8XL. I never write reviews but I was so happy (mostly to have found something after all of my research and reviews) I had to let everyone know.Temperature of the espresso is perfect! Steamed Chobani Vanilla Oat Milk for Crema and steamed milk! Brewed two cups of espresso perfectly this morning!! The arm loads to left and tightly to the right. Beautiful Espresso Machine!!! Stainless steel is so pretty sitting on my counter top!!! Everything is included from Breville to brew even a scoop / tamper for espresso. I used Starbucks Espresso roast pre-ground coffee. Machine brewed so well!! I am so happy!! Clean up is easy!!I bought the Breville ESP8XL in early 2012 after much review reading and procrastination. I've only used large professional/commercial style 2-4 group machines in my bakery and struggled with the thought of not quite as much steam head and big boiler mechanics in a small espresso maker.One particular review captured my attention because it outlined the parameters of using the Breville and I expect many others in this price class. I was so thankful for the review and thought I could expand on it a bit more and add my process for making espresso in the Breville.I'm extremely happy with the machine and almost a year later still am. In that time every couple of days I make two cups one right after the other. Cleaning it immediately after use, especially the steam wand & wand cover have kept me from any deep cleaning since I've owned it.Steps to a great espresso brew:1. Check water amount in water well- fill as needed2. Turn ON Breville3. Grind your coffee, I use a little blade coffee grinder and drip sized grind espresso coffee which I spin around until it has some fines and a little bit coarser coffee. (mix the fines that fall under the blade with the above blade part.) Experiment until you can execute this every time to the right consistency.Note: too finely ground coffee will not allow the water through the group head (where you put the coffee) So if you ground the coffee to a powder by mistake - toss it out and try again.4. Heat a some water in your electric kettle, microwave or stove/pot and pour into your espresso cups to pre-heat them.5. Put your group head WITH OUT any coffee in it on the machine and run a little water through it. Keep it on the machine while you go to the next step. (this preheats it so the steam pressure and heat doesn't dissipate when you brew your espresso)6. Steaming your milk or soy. I fill the pitcher that came with the machine about 1/3 full of milk. (leaving room for foam when it forms) Blow any water out of the steam wand into a clean towel-Watch out it's hot coming out. When it's sputtering without water squirting out put steam wand into your pitcher. Keep it well into the milk and keep a hand on the bottom of the pitcher to track temperature. When it begins to get warm you can move the steam wand near the surface and it will generate more foam.--My past experience was to foam cold milk first then heat lower in the pitcher, but this reverse system works better in a small pitcher.When milk is hot to touch and foamy turn steamer off, remove pitcher. Now blow the milk residue out of the wand with a towel over the end of it. Watch out it's hot coming out. If this is the last coffee your making pull the outer metal cylinder off, toss in sink and clean the wand thoroughly with a wet hot towel. Getting the cooked milk of now will save time later I guaranty.7. Take your heated group handle off the machine and measure out your coffee from the grinder into it. Using a metal (my preference) or plastic tamper, press down firmly and twist. You might want to do this twice.8. Stick into the machine, pour the hot water out of your cup and stick it under the group head, turn on the brewing switch. Rule of thumb on a professional machine is a 20 second pour. The pour should be slow to start and build more volume as it continues. Color should be dark and rich. On the Breville with it's special group cup I find a 30 second pour is good. When the stream of espresso turns a lighter color turn it off. Lighter color tends to be bitter (a over extracted coffee)If all you are getting is a faint drip... drip...drip out of the group your coffee is to fine. Try grinding again.You may have to work a little bit to find the perfect grind to pour time when you first get started with this machine. Moisture in the air, in your coffee etc. play into the grind size as well. Patience is good and a better Burr style grinder if you can afford it!9.Mix up your steamed milk and foam, gentle pour it in your cup and sit down and enjoy!10. Remember to Turn Off your machine and clean all the parts, group, up inside where the group sits, bottom tray, wand & cover thoroughly after using.Please note that with any espresso machine if your cup & group is hot before you brew you'll have a far better espresso making experience!This is not a heavy duty machine but very adequate for your daily cups. Making two cups in succession does not over tax the boiler.Hope this helps in your research of counter top espresso makers. Cheers!Have been using this machine for just over 3 years now. I got it on sale here at 130$ and really, this is as good as it gets for this price. This is the machine you want to step up your coffee making game and stop going to your favorite coffee shop. Here's why :Get good beans, Grind them, make coffee. No fancy pressure gauge, buttons, lights or programs. Turn on, let the water heat, turn the knob, Enjoy coffee !The taste will definitely vary from the type of beans and the coarseness of your coffee grounds. Give yourself couple days to experiment then the whole neighbourhood will be lining up outside your house for more !Simple machine, simple and nice looking design. Great machine overall. I only have 2 downsides that are definitely not deal-breakers :1. Steam wand : great wand to use but since the machine only has 1 pump, you can only make either coffee, either frothed milk. It takes time if you'd like both. Obviously such a feature that allows to operate both will not be found at this price range. The fix : get a cheap milk frother on Amazon for 50$ and you saved yourself 600$+ for a machine with more bells and whistles than you need.2. Making multiple coffees : when you finish making a coffee, the machine will blow-through the lines to clean and this should dry the used grounds to make a "puck". However, when you make multiple coffees, there's a lot of water remaining that hasn't dried yet making the disposing of it inconvenient. Maybe an operator error but it doesn't bother me anymore.This machine has been making at least 8 coffees a day for the last 3 years and shows no wear or slowing down. This is a great coffee maker for this price point, even at full price.Stop looking, just get it already.I'm new to espresso makers with this being my first purchase (previous Tassimo owner). This machine surpassed my expectations and absolutely destroys Tassimo in quality - as you would expect. At first I wasn't steaming my milk long enough and the latté was not hot enough. After speaking with Breville and doing research, I bought a thermometer to steam to 140-160 degree range and it's absolutely perfect now. The more expensive machines do the same thing, just with more automation and conveniences (example, this one leave wet grinds instead of a dry puck - no big deal in my opinion). Also, I don't mind having to manually turn dials on and off to brew the espresso. One tip - take the frothing enhancer off of the steamer if you want to be able to steam for longer without the milk frothing up over the top of the pitcher. This helps it to get to proper temperature.I did have an issue with the machine in that it was leaking behind the drip tray each time I brewed. Breville and Amazon's customer service were exceptional to send me out a replacement machine with free one-day shipping. It just arrived and I'll be setting it up tonight. I'll update the review if this still remains an issue, but I'm sure it will be rectified.For the price, this machine can't be beat (I paid $160 on sale, but it's worth the normal asking price).I use this machine primarily for long blacks and lattes. The low profile under the portafilter only allows shorter cups. Having been a barista, I prefer to use the steam wand without the froth assist tube. It allows me more control and makes for a much smoother foam. For the price, I highly recommend this product.After almost daily use over almost a month, I still have to flush the entire system every time I want to make a coffee to prevent *most of* the plastic taste. I've had to throw coffee several times because of strong plastic taste that rendered it undrinkable. When the unit heats up, it emits a plastic smell. The water tank seems to be the worst part of all. Even after washing it several times, it still has a horrible volatile plastic smell and any water that stays in there for longer than 5 min ends up tasting plastic as well. Even the vapor that comes out of the frother tastes plastic, if I have it condense to water in a metal cup.Got the item, used covered in coffee ground with a note that says “do not clean please”. Just eww! Definitely was expecting a brand new item!! Do not buy!