I have had this machine for 3 years and it works flawlessly with minimal cleaning without any problems. It clogged once, but it is very easy to clean the basket; it only has 3 screws to remove the plastic cover from the bottom to clean the mesh. The coffee doesn't need much pressing as it creates pressure by itself, just enough to level it with the spoon. It makes a rich crema with every commercial coffee. The only problem I had is that I bought it from a well-known chain of stores and the capsule basket was missing from the packaging. However, it doesn't bother me much since I only use ready-ground coffee. With a little experimentation, you can get the coffee exactly how you want it just by eye. I have stopped buying coffee from outside; it no longer satisfies me. Just one piece of advice: use only filtered water and not bottled water; a pitcher filter is better as it also removes minerals. For three years now, I haven't even done descaling. If I had to mention one negative, it would be the steam wand, which you need to open a little at the beginning as it sprays a bit of water for a few seconds before trying to make hot froth.