Lavazza BLUE Classy Mini Single Serve Espresso Coffee Machine LB 300, 5.3" x 13" x 10.2" 2 Coffee selections: simple touch controls, 1 programmable free dose and 1 pre-set

I love, love, love this machine!! The Lavazza Classy Mini is a hidden gem. I can't imagine why it doesn't show up on every "Best Espresso Machine" list on the internet.I've had mine for nearly 8 months now and I can't reccomend it highly enough. In fact I love it so much I bought one for my sister for Christmas. It's dead simple to use and pulls a consistently excellent shot of espresso. In addition the price is quite affordable, both for the machine itself and for the pods. And there's a decent selection of Lavazza espresso pods available, from mild and balanced to the bold and dark. Most of the varieties come in two versions Standard and Double, which contains more coffee for pulling larger shots. My personal favorite is Cafe Crema, it's just so smooth and flavorful. Speaking of "crema" (that silky foam on top), this little machine produces a nice thick layer that rivals any I've had in a cafe.Overall it's an excellent machine. There are a few drawbacks though. For instance, after refilling the water tank, it can be a bit fiddly and hard to grip when putting it back in place (especially with damp fingers). And the lid has a tendency to pop off during this process. Also when programming your ideal shot size it must be done with a fresh espresso pod in the machine. Because it seems to just be recording the total time it takes to make the cup and it takes longer for the water to work itself through the dry coffe grounds than it does if they're already wet or there's no pod on the mache at all. So if you reuse a pod or don't insert one before programming you'll get a smaller than desired cup when you go to use it for real. One last minor complaint, there's no sensor to tell you when the used pod bin is full, instead the machine just alerts you every 5 brew cycles to empty the bin, but if there's a power outage it will lose count and you could end up with an overstuffed bin that's jammed in place by too many pods.One last thing, the pods only seem to come in packs of 100, which is a lot if you just want to try out a different variety. I think a small sampler pack with 2 to 4 of each variety would be good to help customers discover their favorites.PROS:Quick and simple operationHeats up and ready to brew in about 20 secondsUses the recommended 9 bars of pressure for optimal extraction2 Programable drink sizesStandard and double pod optionGood selection of espresso styles available.Affordable priceHigh quality product from one of Italy's top espresso brandsBeautiful, classic Italian designCONS:Somewhat fiddly water tankNo sensor on the waste binMust be programmed with a fresh pod in place.Spout tends to drip for several seconds after brewing is completeOverall my recommendation is to buy this machine if you love a good cup of espresso. You won't be disappointed.

Completely in love with my espresso machine! Easy, quick and tasty! Worth it every single penny!!!

Bought one from Amazon the minute we got back home from a hotel that had one of these in the room. Started with Crema pods and then because of a shortage, switched to TopClass pods which we found to be robusto. Either way, we thoroughly enjoy the output of this machine in the last year which has brewed over 500-600 pods with no issue. If people are having problems it’s possible they are accidentally starting the machine with an empty water tank. It has a high bar rating so you will get that creamy head every time without fail. The taste is the real deal and consistent. The pods are more than adequate that we normally do one lungo and one espresso per pod so that you end up with a nice strong cup. We have also traveled with the machine carrying it in a diaper bag packed with ice and half and half milk. It withstood a pretty busy hotel itinerary so we know it’s a well built road warrior. At this price point there’s nothing on the market that beats it. I can’t tell you how much money and time this has saved on the road! Don’t hesitate to get one, definitely a quality of life booster. No more French press or pour over. My only regret is that I bought a really nice bean grinder just before I bought this machine. Haven’t been tempted to use it for French press or pour over.

I haven't seen any reviews comparing this to other machines, and I have a couple on hand, so I wanted to put some information out there! Specifically, I want to compare it to the LB910 (the other Lavazza Blue machine available in the states), and a Nespresso Pixie. As a reminder, this machine uses Lavazza Blue capsules, not Nespresso capsules.As compared to the LB910, the Classy Mini is smaller, and simplified in ways that should make it much more reliable. The 910 has two highly common points of failure: A motorized capsule piston that compresses the Blue capsules, and the sensor for the spent capsule tray. Both of these are removed from the Classy Mini - instead, the machine tracks how many times you've brewed, and after every 5, the lights begin flashing to indicate you should check the water tank and capsule drawer. The motorized piston is replaced by a lever, much like Nespresso machines, that compresses the capsules when you pull it down. These may sound like downgrades, but in reality the adjustments seem like a direct response to complaints with the previous machine. Many 910 owners are familiar with a stuck capsule piston or a tray sensor that won't detect it's been replaced. In addition, this machine can brew without a capsule inside, so descaling it is as simple as filling the water tank with solution and running the lungo shots until empty - no need for a separate purchase of a descaling kit.In terms of brew and quality against the LB910, they're fairly comparable. Taking some measurements, both wake up from sleep in about 30 seconds, and then take roughly 26 seconds to brew an espresso shot from button press to end of stream, producing coffee that hits the cup at 160F or so. This makes the brew time and temperature fairly ideal. I don't taste an immediate difference between either of them, though the LB910 seems to consistently produce a bit more crema - which could be caused by any number of incredibly minute factors, so I don't see it as an issue. I had been worried from reviews that the Classy Mini would use a shorter brew time or hotter water, but that isn't the case. They're nearly identical, and I see no real reason to go for the more-unreliable and more-expensive LB910. The only real downside is that the Classy Mini drips more after finishing a brew.As compared to the Nespresso Pixie (and thus most Nespresso machines), the difference is more interesting. The Pixie takes about 15 seconds to wake from sleep, and then brews an espresso shot in 18 seconds - the ideal for espresso is between 20 and 30. Coffee hits the cup at about 155F, which is lower than it should be. Realistically, neither the Blue machines nor the Nespresso machines are going to be entirely comparable to espresso machines that are multiple hundreds of dollars more expensive, which is fine. This does mean the Nespresso machine produces coffee in roughly half the time (bearing in mind that the difference here is roughly 30 versus roughly 60 seconds), which is more convenient.Comparing the Nespresso and Blue shots side by side, the Nespresso pods produce thinner coffee, with foamier/lighter crema. The Blue capsules visually more closely resemble 'real' espresso, with denser crema and more layering of the coffee in the cup.Taste-wise, which is pretty much the most important part, the Blue capsules are universally much more bold, and closer to coffee shop espresso. The Nespresso capsules tend to be weaker, with higher amounts of acidity and a bit of sour tang in a lot of cases, whereas the Blue capsules often have much more pronounced body and character. I've also found that the Blue pods tend to have leave a much better lingering taste, and have more depth to them - you can find more flavors on repeat sips than the Nespresso pods. Some people may prefer the more subdued flavor of Nespresso, but I find the Blue capsules FAR nicer.In the end, the Nespresso machines do have some upsides of their own - they brew faster, their pods can be easily recycled in large quantities (with the Blue capsules you're stuck removing the foil, dumping the coffee puck, then recycling the individual plastic/foil), there are many more first and third party varieties available, and you can actually find the pods in stores! But the Blue machines produce coffee that more closely resembles espresso, and for that reason I'm happy to stick with the Classy Mini.