Cuisinart 1.66 Quart Stainless Steel Espresso Maker, Silver, EM-100NAS

I bought this machine to replace my KRUPS XP 5220 that died after 11 months (steam wand broke off from the machine base), was replaced under warranty, and the new machine died after another 10 months (heat sensor began to fail, wouldn't steam)... so, I did a fair amount of research before first purchasing a Lello 1375 Ariete Cafe Prestige Coffee Maker - and finding it had a very similar problem to my 2nd KRUPS (steam wand just expelled hot water, no steam) - and this one from DAY ONE. So, I quickly returned it and decided my next purchase would bear in mind 2 things (in addition to creating beautiful espresso drinks and lattes).1. Unless you spend more than $500 you are pretty much limited to a machine that only has a 1 year warranty - and they ALMOST ALWAYS fail in the first year (read the reviews and you'll see I'm right. Since the Cuisinart comes with a 3 year warranty - I know I'll get my money's worth.2. Will the company honor said warranty? Cuisinart is a respected brand, has replacement parts on their website that are easily purchased, and has a service center that is easy to work with (prior experience with Cuisinart products).So, I took the chance and HOPED that I would love this machine. I got my first one on January 9th, and was sad to see that the water reservoir arrived broken. Since the machine housing looked to be such nice quality, and since the reviews for this product seemed most favorable, I simply returned the damaged machine and purchased a new one (both from Amazon). The second machine arrived on January 11, 2013 and I have been dutifully using it ever since.SO FAR... SO GOOD!On average I make about a latte a day. I like the espresso to have a strong crema and since I used to be a barrista myself, have a bit of talent at creating foam art. This machine DELIVERS in this arena. What they don't show you in the videos you see on line is that the metal steam wand is solid metal with a rubberized handle that a "frother" then slips on to. You don't have to use the frother to make foam if you know what you're doing, but it does help the milk foam, especially if you're working with full fat milk or cream.LIKES:1. Easy to clean2. Solidly built3. Great espresso4. Steam wand works well - so lattes and cappuccinos are a true success!5. Option for "hot water" out of steam wand for tea drinks, etc.OF NOTE:1. Machine does not self tamp. You need to ensure you have a firm, but not tough tamp or the espresso either comes out too swiftly, and a little weak or it can't quite make it through the espresso grinds and ends up making a huge mess coming out where you don't want it to.2. The steam takes a moment to come out after you switch the machine to steam. It needs to build up a bit of pressure first. Just wait 15 seconds and it all comes together nicely.3. A common way that espresso machines with removable reservoirs break is that they begin having issues with the seal and leaking and/or the handle breaks/cracks. Because of this I have always simply refilled my machine with a pitcher, and only removed it to scrub with a soft cloth when doing my monthly descaling. No machine I have had has ever failed in this way therefore.That's it for now! I'll update when/if I have more news to share.

[An update: It is now May and the 3rd machine is not working anymore. This machine, in a word, is total rubbish.]I am on my third machine since Dec. 30, 2012 right now, and even this one is jacked up. And the third machine showed up broken, but luckily I hadn't yet shipped back the SECOND replacement machine, so I was able to switch out the water tank with the new one, hoping that I'd be able to keep this one. But this third machine leaks.I don't think I've ever been so angry about a product experience in my life, or more disgusted than I have been Cuisinart customer service, or more frustrated with having Amazon only be able to replace things by shipping.The first machine I had worked wonderfully for 2.5 weeks and then the steam spout broke off. There is a plastic connector up inside the machine that just cracked through and there was no fixing it. I had to ship that machine back and paid for a second one out of pocket, waiting for the credit to my account to balance me out.The second machine showed up and did not draw water at all. So, since I was now out of pocket for two machines, I thought perhaps I'd give Cuisinart themselves a try. After a frustratingly slow replacement process and a few phone calls with incredibly rude, condescending agents (ONE was nice...I'll give them that) I got the third machine shipped.The third machine showed up with a cracked water tank. However, as I said, the second was still in my trunk so I swapped out the tanks before dropping it off at UPS. This third machine works, but there is a slow drip out the back that leaks out on my counter.I'm so irritated I can't even decide what to do. Go through ANOTHER really slow return process so I can pick a different machine? Deal with the slow leak? Call and be condescended to by some more Cuisinart agents? It's hard to decide.But honestly, I will not deal with this company again if this is how they view and treat their customers. Cuisinart has a good reputation but right now in my mind it's all fluff. The machine makes good coffee but seems only to work if you're lucky, and since I've had so many of the same machine it would seem the issue was not a one-off instance. And the customer service agents seem to be there to make you feel bad for wanting a product that works. One of them even told me that "because he was feeling nice that day" he would help me with a shipping label for pick-up of the machine. Really? Thanks so much guy, for being in a good enough mood to you know...DO YOUR JOB.Rant over. Buy it if you want a headache. Find a company with a better customer service record if you want to feel taken care of. I've learned my lesson.