Gevi 20 Bar Espresso Machine with Professional 58mm Espresso Maker with Milk Frother,Smart Touch Display&PID Temperature Control for Cappuccino, Latte,Great Gift,White

Let's start off with the first thing you notice about this machine, and that's its appearance. The machine has a super modern, clean look. It honestly reminds me of a baby Arkel Coast. (Even more so now that they released that machine in white!) That's one of the things that drew my eye initially, but it's hardly the most important part. It just means it looks good in your kitchen, which is a huge plus! Now let's talk build quality. It's got a stainless steel construction for the most part, save for the drip tray, the water tank, and the piece that holds the group head/steam wand. The thing feels SOLID, especially for an espresso machine at this price point. The portafilter has a really nice weight, and the included tamp is surprisingly heavy too! It just feels really, really nice to use. As for the user experience, I'll start off with something that might concern some people. It's got a vibratory pump in it, and they have a reputation for being noisy for a reason. But this machine is surprisingly quiet when in use! The pump makes noise, but it pales in comparison to my previous (terrible) espresso machine by a very wide margin. As for the interface, the touch buttons are fairly responsive. I occasionally have moments where I need to hit them a couple times, but it's not bad enough to dock any stars over. The machine has a PID in it, and you can access the temp settings by holding down the power button for a few seconds. You don't get a whole lot of temp settings, but the fact that you get a PID at this price is incredible! No Gaggiuino mod required! You also get an OPV set from factory at 9 bar, which is awesome for consistency! Other machines without it can over-compress the puck on extraction, leading to chokes or channels, and if your puck prep is right, this one sits right at 9 bar. The portafilter locks snugly into the brew group, and I haven't had any issues with leaks thus far. You get four baskets with the machine as well. Two single-wall baskets and two double-wall pressurized baskets, single and double shot size each (12-14g and 18-20g respectively). I didn't bother with the double-wall baskets, but have been very pleasantly surprised with the build quality on the single-walls! The holes are clear and free of any burrs or other issues. Perfectly circular stock baskets! They're not straight-wall baskets, but they're made very nicely! All of this contributes to a workflow that makes pulling a shot a breeze if you know what you're doing! Quick note. The taste of your shot is going to depend a lot more on your grinder than anything. If you have a bad grinder that doesn't produce consistent grind size (minimal fines and boulders) you're gonna notice your shots taste harsh/bitter/astringent/acidic. That's a fault of the grinder, not the machine! Your grinder and the coffee you're using is always the most important factor in getting good espresso! Your water, too! Don't underestimate the variables! Now let's talk steam wand. At this price point, you're not steaming and pulling a shot at the same time. That requires a double boiler/thermoblock/thermocoil/etc. machine, which this is not. You've got a single thermoblock in this machine, so keep that in mind. Heat-up time for steaming is pretty quick, which is awesome! The steam pressure is a bit on the low side, which is common with thermoblock machines, but you get nice dry steam from the three-hole tip. I'm getting my milk stretched and heated to temp in 60 seconds on average, but the texture is great! Nice and silky, with good microfoam. However, the quality of texture is more a matter of technique. If you're struggling, Lance Hedrick has an incredible video tutorial on it that I highly recommend you watch! Overall, this machine is a serious contender for anyone who wants great features without breaking the bank. I haven't had mine for very long, but my experience so far has absolutely blown me away. You get a 58mm group head, single-wall baskets that are made well, a three-hole steam tip, manometer, PID, OPV, solid tamp, solid portafilter, stainless steel construction, and more, for significantly less money than you'd expect to spend for that feature set. Yes it's a thermoblock machine, but if you're good with descaling according to manufacturer recommendations, that shouldn't be an issue. I'll update my review if anything changes, but thus far, this has been money very well spent!

I waited to review just incase it broke down after a few months. Still running well.

This is a sleek, stylish, good looking espresso maker with a steep learning curve! The unit itself is quite heavy and substantial. The top metal area is a heating pad where you can set your cup to heat while the machine warms up (takes about 45 sec to 1 min to become functional). I love coffee and coffee drinks, but I’m not an espresso-making expert. It’s taken a bit of practice, but so far I have made lattes, and they have been great. Accessories include multiple brew baskets for the espresso handle (depending on size/crema preferences) a coffee spoon, a tamper, and a milk-frothing pitcher. The box came missing the cleaning needle and cleaning brush. Overall, I have been happy with this espresso machine. I have seen no leaks or signs of malfunction. It appears to be very durable, and I expect it to last a long time. As for value, it seems expensive, but I see that there are many espresso machines out there that cost way more, and I doubt that they make a better cup of coffee.

The best I can say for Gevi is it was a valuable learning experience (but also hope to never repeat). As is the case with many of these Chinese products Gevi has no domestic support. That's not to say that all Chinese companies have poor support. Just that many, including Gevi, do. Don't expect competent customer support from Gevi when you need it (and with this machine you're pretty much guaranteed to need it at some point). The first issue I encountered was the descaling icon came on along with a very annoying beeper after only after 2 weeks of very nominal use (3-4 double shots/day), far sooner than the expected 3 months. There's no way to bypass the descaling alert so you're forced to descale to stop the beeping, even when it's not needed. Gevi "support" (email only) was useless in addressing that issue. They were equally evasive in answering whether it was safe to backflush this specific machine, even though their own web site has two blog articles explaining the importance of weekly backflushing any machine that has an OPV (which this one does have). However, the owner's manual makes no mention of backflushing, even though it makes a very big issue of descaling. Again, Gevi support would not answer my repeated inquiries to know whether or not it was safe to backflush this specific machine. I made several other inquiries of issues not addressed in the less-than-informative manual, all to no avail. The final straw for me was when I discovered the drip tray, after only three weeks of use, had become severely warped where the steam discharges into the tray (steam dumps out into the tray after switching from the steam wand back to espresso shot mode, a behavior the manual also makes no mention of). Gevi promised to send a replacement tray (which they failed to do) but avoided addressing my repeated request to know, "Is my machine defective or is this a design flaw?" With the 30 day return window fast approaching I needed to know if this issue would just keep happening and if I'd be looking at having to replace the drip tray every month. Given what is (for many people) a reasonable price, this machine does have potential. But in my view it's not ready for prime time, nor is Gevi support up to the task of competent support. So I made the decision to return it. After more thorough research I settled on what has proven to be a vastly superior machine that cost me a mere $50 more than the Gevi. They also get bonus points for vastly superior support, both pre-sale and post-sale. Couldn't be happier.

Does not make hot expressos, called customer service and they don’t make this anymore due to that exact reason.

I have had sometime to use this machine and can now give an accurate review. First, this machine has some guts to it. It is on the heavier side. But, it looks really nice sitting on the counter. It comes with everything you need. I like the fact that NONE of the accessories are cheap. They are nice, stainless steel. It comes with 4 grind cups. So, you can truly make your coffee exactly how strong you like it. The tamper has a nice weight to it, not the cheap plastic like you see with other machines. It also comes with the milk frother pitcher. It is also stainless steel. So, you don't have to try and find something suitable to use to make your foam. There is a learning curve to using this machine because it is not a cheap, entry level machine. But, after you get the hang of it, it is pretty easy to use. The coffee comes out at a nice hot temperature and tastes amazing! And as i stated before, it is a bigger machine. Clean up is pretty easy. While the grinds snap in tightly, it is not so tight that it is hard to remove. And since these parts are stainless steel, you can throw them right in the dishwasher. You can also use the frother to dispense hot water. This machine is multi-functional, making it the only machine you will ever need. And this is coming from someone who is incredibly picky about her coffee.

It’s a pretty good machine for the price.

The Gevi espresso machine was easy to set up and simple to use. I’ve owned smaller units in the past that lost pressure over time, but compared to those, the Gevi consistently maintains pressure, as shown by its reliable dial gauge. If you grind your own beans, the larger portafilter is a big advantage it allows you to fine-tune the strength of your espresso. The finer the grind, the greater the surface area, resulting in a stronger equals a bolder flavor. Temperature control is another major benefit. I like my espresso hot, which has always been an issue with smaller machines. With my old unit, the coffee would become lukewarm by the time I was ready to drink it. That’s not the case with the Gevi. I love being able to sit outside and enjoy a properly hot latte. The design is another plus in my book. The machine looks sleek and clean, and it fits beautifully on my counter. I would highly recommend this as an inexpensive alternative to the larger more known espresso makers.