Lavica Single-Serve Brewer for Nespresso Espresso/Tea Capsules (Silver)

I just got it and fired it up right away. I bought the silver. It's about what I expected, but it's a little light. The machine is attractive if a little gaudy. There's no mistaking that it's all plastic, but then again, it's a $50 coffeemaker. I would assume the fit and finish is not as polished as Nespresso machines, but it supposedly produces 19 bars of pressure so I can live with it. I plugged it in and it lit up. I have to admit I didn't read the owners manual. I filled it with water and waited for the blue light to stop blinking. I ran a quick empty cycle then popped in a capsule. They give you ten capsules with it so that's nice. I pulled a manual shot until I saw the water turning mostly clear. Very nice! I like the height of the spout of the Lavica as my DeLonghi espresso machine only allows very, very short cups. I was able to put a regular cup underneath the Lavica.Pros:- aSavings shipped and delivered my machine in two days instead of the five day window (super fast shipping, thanks aSavings)- Decent looking- Easy to use- $52.95 is hard to argue with. That's a great pricepoint to use Nespresso capsules- Large water reservoir- Manual brew is convenient (push the button brewing starts, push the manual button again to stop)- Fairly quiet- Heats up fastCons:- None so far other than I can't find an on/off switch. I did eventually read the owners manual that refers to an on/off switch, but I can't find one anywhere on the machine. It goes into sleep mode after eight minutes.I bought this for my employees to use and so far, they love it. If it breaks, I'll break down and buy a Nespresso, but I felt for $52 it was worth trying. I also went to Nespresso's site for more capsules since they have the best reputation.Update: I tried the Nespresso Kazaar capsules and in my opinion, the Nespresso tastes much, much better than Lavica Amabile. I imagine that will be the case for all of the Nespresso capsules. As other people have stated, they cost a little more, but they are worth it. The Nespresso capsule produced a larger shot too. I'm not sure why that is, but there's no question that the shot was larger when the cycle finished. I think I will use the manual button from now on. With manual the machine keeps pouring until you hit the button a second time giving you complete control of the "pull".Update 21 Jan 16: We use the Lavica a lot. We've gone through a couple hundred capsules with no negative issues. I'm happy with my purchase. I did buy a nespresso 50 capsule drawer that sits under the machine, and it's very helpful. The machine is great as far as I'm concerned.Update 19 Mar 16: Sometimes things are too good to be true. I guess the Lavica machine is one of them. These machines are made up of moving parts and are prone to break down. Everything seemed OK until it started brewing and cycling by itself causing it to flood. Now the power light stays on all the time meaning the boiler is probably on as well. The slide on top that used to activate the machine doesn't seem to do anything. Additionally, I've noticed it brews a very short cycle, even on the lungo button. Something may be clogged, but there's no way for the user to service it. I had to unplug it since I can't trust it. I don't need a flood, shock, or fire hazard (which this is).Several weeks ago I called the company to ask why my machine doesn't have a manual on/off switch. The representative said my model was an updated version and they decided to eliminate the power switch. Who does that?Lastly, I can see this unit is no longer available for purchase from Amazon. I guess that says a lot. It was fun while it lasted, but I'll probably have to cough up the money for a real Nespresso machine (with an extended warranty). This machine isn't worth repairing.

The lavica Brewer is a very versatile brewer. Over the years I have tried many different coffee brewers drip, French press, percolate, Vietnamese, and aeropress all produce good coffee. However since getting the aeropress I have transitioned to drinking espresso most of the time. While the aeropress makes a decent shot its lacking in crema. Moka pots have the same issue. So first I tried the staresso which made a good shot but had structural issues that caused me to return it. After that I decided to go with the lavica. The lavica makes a very nice shot with good crema. The pods that come with it a decent but Nesesspreso pods are better. However the Nesesspreso pods can get expensive and I prefer fresh coffee so I purchased some refillable pods. The trick is getting the right pods for what you want. If you want espresso you really need a pod that uses a foil lid the really do just produce a better shot with more crema. You also need the right grind which is slightly larger the espresso grind. I grind my beans at about a half a click of espresso which makes all the difference. If you want to make tea with the lavica which I have found myself doing a lot the refillable pods with lids that have a filter work great. I use twining loose gound tea to fill my pods. I have really found that with this machine I have gotten in the habit of espresso in the morning and tea at night.

Made in China, the unit failed after 29 days & 27 uses. I can't say it made good expresso, either. Amazon refunded not only the unit, but the shipping cost as well. Great Service, Thank you.

I suppose I'm a little late to the gate since it's not on Amazon anymore, but felt it needed a review anyway. I love this machine. I have a Lattissima Plus, and an Inissia in addition to this machine. The only one I've ever had trouble with was the $400 Lattissima Plus. Went through 3 before having 1 that has hung in there. This machine on the other hand gets daily use in my office at work and is a champ. I've had it for about a year and it's still chugging along. My favorite part outside of it automatically dumping the capsule and not filling up it's spent capsule tray with excess water (something both of the other machines do A LOT), is that is brews hotter and I find I can use lighter intensity Nespresso capsules and get a better flavor. It's also extremely simple to keep clean unlike every Keurig machine I've ever seen. Just press the manual start/stop button after brewing and let it run until the water flows clear (2 or 3 seconds) and press again. If I can't get another one I will be sad when this one finally bites the dust. The extra trips to the sink at work emptying the capsule tray to keep an actual Nespresso or DeLongi machine from flooding all over my office is not something I look forward to.

Defective, not dispensing coffee.

I bought this machine when my nespresso machine broke and I could not fix it. I have been using it for a week. It does brew a hotter cup of coffee. The machine came with a sample pack of the lavica coffee. This machine is less fussy then the U was. One word of warning if you do not put the water tank back on correctly it will leak. I just don't take it off, I use a measuring cup with spout to refill the water tank. I did the same with the nespresso to preserve the gasket.

It's a lot bigger than pictured and also the fit of the drain cup holder isn't good along with the capsule holder it's hard to put together and for these reasons I returned for credit.

This is a perfect addition for our small business. This is purely utilized for personal use so the price and reviews are what made us buy this. The performance and ease of use is what is going to make us purchase another. It's great to have a nice cup of espresso (or joe because there are multi settings for that) at any time with out the whole huge process of making a full/half pot and then most of that goes to waste.