Diletta Mio Espresso Machine (Stainless Steel)

Beautiful machine, well made, wanted to love it First of all, I love coffee. I'm a coffee addict, and this seemed like the perfect splurge.I loved this machine-- it was so beautiful, and seemed like the perfect machine. It was very well made and seemed like it was worth every penny. Unfortunately, the results just didn't match the machine.The milk frother on this is 10/10, it's perfect. No waiting, a separate heating element, you can even froth/steam while you brew. It's fantastic. And the want is insulated to you don't burn your hand touching it.The espresso-- we were never happy with it. The espresso was never quite up to par-- it seemed that the espresso never finished the shot at the right temperature. We experimented with many high quality beans but were never satisfied with the results. For Americanos, we used a separate water heater and added the espresso-- but it was never as good as just bewing coffee in our Bonavita coffee maker. For lattes it's okay but not spectacular, but for americanos it just didn't cut it for me. From the specs it should be the perfect machine for that, but we were never quite happy and found ourselves far happier with brewed coffee.We bought this over the Christmas holidays so had an extended return window to really try it out. I was wondering if it was just a lack of skill, but I tried all types of (expensive) beans, grinds (we have a nice burr grinder), amounts, you name it-- and after 2 months still couldn't get good results.------------Update:I've since bought a Breville Express Impress and am loving it. After using that machine, I think I'm seeing why I had a hard time with the Dilleta Mio. First, you need the proper amount of beans. This is critical, and espresso is very sensitive to how much beans you're brewing and how long. And you need a perfect puck of espresso with the perfect amount of pressure-- this is very precise, or you end up with nasty espresso, no matter the bean. So a scale and a tamper that measures pressure may make all the difference with this. Also, the time and amount of epresso that you brew is pretty precise, or you end up with nasty espresso. I'll leave this as 3 stars for *me* as you really need a lot more things to make the espresso correctly. Unless you're a pro with prior experience, OR invest in a lot of additional gear to assist, I'd recommend a pass on this, you'll just end up disappointed. With that said, there's some great things about the Mio that I miss-- the dual heat source is real nice (so you can brew and froth at the same time), and the milk steamer wand is very nice. But it does lack a shot timer so you get the right extraction, and it requires a very manual precision to getting the espresso grounds puck perfect before brewing.

This isn't working! I think that I may have been sent the exact machine that an earlier reviewer was sent because my problems and, if I took pictures, would be identical - and their review was posted just a little over two weeks earlier. So I am going to quote that person's review "The PID display and control buttons are inaccessible. See photo. The buttons are supposed to stick out from the panel, but instead, they appear to be recessed and can't be used without a tool. The display is also pushed back and can't be easily read. The biggest problem however, is that the boiler won't fill using the "1st Time Use" procedure. I tried resetting the startup default process several times, and each time, the boiler would not fill. Seattle Coffee Gear Customer Service did not answer the phone after 15 minutes on hold. Also, there is a single "Quick Start Instruction" page included in the box, but the initial start up instructions don't match what is in the full manual. The full manual appears to have the correct instructions, but neither process worked." I am super disappointed and will not likely shop an item like this on Amazon again or shop at Seattle Coffee. It seems to me very shady to send the same machine out twice with the exact same problem and not even review it.

Love it !! Totally worth the money. Been using the it for about 6 months now, every day and love it. It did take me a little bit to figure out how to use it, but totally worth it and saved me tons of money of going to the coffee shop and now I make my coffee exactly how I like it. You can make hot drinks and cold drinks with it. And the espresso works great on it. My hard part has been finding espresso beans that I like !!

The best and worth the money Did lots of research and everything came back to this. This is commercial grade and exactly what coffee shops use to these specs. Just mini sized. The ten thousand dollar ones at my local shops don’t have a grinder so why would I think mines better then there’s if it has one? My brother has a eight hundred dollar one with a grinder, but the machine is plastic and I’m positive it’s not going to last as long as this. Also I spend $3500 a year at coffee shops, so this thing pays for itself easy.

Edit: A Few Production Hiccups, But Overall Great Product and Great Customer Service Edit:Since posting the review below, SCG were kind enough to explain that there was a manufacturing issue at their factory that (partially drained boilers were freezing in shipment) has since been caught due to recent reviews, and the defective machines have been identified and removed from stock. They offered a full refund, and were extremely kind, caring, and informative. I had issues with my machines, but I trust that the common issue has been resolved. Great company who stands by their service, even if some bumps happen along the way. Great machine, great company.Original review:I have now purchased two of these machines within a single month from Seattle Coffee Gear, and both failed. First machine worked fantastically, and made incredibly tasty espresso! Unfortunately, its steam thermoblock failed in under a month. Seattle Coffee Gear was kind enough to recommend that I return it for a replacement. No biggie, stuff happens.The replacement machine arrived covered in water from the inside (external box was dry, but inside of the machine and its box were very wet). Couldn't even get past the setup stage, because water flows outside of the group and down the face of the machine, rather than through the group head. Extremely frustrated in the machine’s reliability. Both machines came with an inspection sheet, but those don't seem to mean much. I was under the impression that this was a great machine, but 2 rounds of $1,300 a pop... yikes.

Excellent lower priced machine with upgraded electronics. Machine is easy to set up and use. However, this a different machine from the Quickmill Alexia we replaced and getting the correct grind on our coffee beans was time consuming. We did not use the steamer as we only drink black espresso. The steaming wand did work well with an adequate amount of pressure.