Nuova Simonelli Musica Espresso Machine

Overall design:
I brought the Lux version. The overall "look" stands out from the rest of machines in the similar price range. All the knobs and switches are intuitive. The electrical switches on top are well designed and protected with a soft touch glossy pad. The power on/off rocker switches are all hidden. Once the power switch is on, you will see the machine "on/off" switch light start flashing. It tells you the machine has power but it is not on. After the on/off switch is pressed for a few seconds, then the entire panel is all lighted up to tell you the machine is on. The casing has polished stainless steel finish. The drip tray is made of stainless steel heavy gauge wire grid similar to the commercial soda fountain drip tray. The bottom is of heavy gauge plastic. Cleaning is reasonable easy. The portafilters (a single and a double ) are heavy and with a nice polished chrome finish.

Cleaning: very easy. Just run some water right after every shot by pressing the manual shot switch, then wipe with a soft towel. I've checked this method of cleaning after one week of use by removing the splash screen under the group head, and found the group head is quite clean. For the steam wand, I recommend to clean with a towel that was wet with cold water. As the steam wand is very, very hot. It will burn you if you do not use cold water towel. I also recommend to remove the stainless steel filter from the portafilter handle to remove all the oil that can trap inside the portafilter.

Function: (I am a very busy person and I do want everything quick!)
This machine takes about 5-6 minutes to warm up and ready for the first shot. There are two ways you can find out if the machine is ready. First, you will hear a click on/off sound from the valve, and the second is by looking at the pressure gauge. By the time, I put the toast in the toaster and finished the grind, usually the machine is ready for the shot. One very good feature about this machine is the ability to do automatic dosing. ( Remember I want everything quick.) I do not have to baby sit the machine as with other manual machines. Once the shot begins, I can go get the milk and start the steaming process. The steam is powerful and it is "HOT". It does heat up the milk very quickly. By the time, I finish the steaming, coffee is ready done, my toasts are ready done waiting for me. Then, breakfast is ready.

Learning curve (!) : Remember I never make coffee like this before.
Thanks to the videos from Seattle Coffee Gear, I am able to make a decent shot within 5 tries (I also brought a grinder from Seattle Coffee Gear). Plus, this is a semi-automatic machine, and I do not have to guess how much water I need to run thru the coffee. (I do not have time for that). I just use the milk to adjust for the strength of the coffee.

Other things you also want to know:
1, The steam wand is very, very hot, and the black rubber insulator is very skinny. Therefore, never touch the steam wand even with the rubber insulator on the machine. You will get burn!
2, This machine is made in Italy, and there are a lot of spell mistakes thru out the instructions and on the machine.
3, If you are picky with product finishes, you will notice a slight warping with the stainless steel drip tray. It is due to the numerous welding made to this wire mesh. It is not a function problem but the company can do a little more QC to correct this welding shrinkage issue.

All and all it is a very easy to use machines, very easy to clean, and it is not an industrial looking machine in my kitchen.

(Posted on 5/12/13)

This is a fantastic machine in every way.

(Posted on 5/2/13)