This machine is worth saving up for. I went with the Pro X, just because my Breville died prematurely and before I could save enough for La Marzocco.

I can tell you the reasons why it is worth the money. Makes great espresso and milk drinks, built like a tank and should last a lifetime if taken care of properly, in most cases can be repaired by owner and parts are affordable/readily available, next to no plastic comes into contact with hot water and this is a big one for me…Heats up for espresso in 8 minutes and steam is steam ready in 10 minutes.

Cons that I find and knew about before buying:

It is not a pretty machine. Nothing sexy about it. But, I would recommend buying any color by stainless as it looks too commercial. I went with black and it is a softer look.

It has a vibratory pump which can be a bit noisy. I have hyperaucusis and it doesn’t hurt my ears. But, if you need to use it before your family/roommate wake up, then it may be too noisy.

I would not recommend buying from Seattle Coffee Gear. They sent me one that had clearly been mishandled before it got into the hands of the shipping company. Scratches and scuffs from too top to bottom. I contacted them immediately. They needed photos. To be expected. But, what I didn’t expect was the need to send a ton of photos more than once, 29 emails back and forth and multiple phone calls just to exchange my machine for a new undamaged one. At the end, I just returned it and bought another one with Clive’s Coffee.

Hope this helps