L'OR Barista System Coffee and Espresso Machine Combo by Philips, Matte Black

The media could not be loaded. I purchased my L'OR Barista in Dec 2023 and a year later I couldn't be happier with it.In the past, I have gone through the full gamit of buying pod and home espresso machines hoping to find one that could come close to replicating my iced coffee drink that I would typically buy daily from one of our many local coffee stands. I'm in the Seattle area so those stands are pretty much everywhere and the cost adds up.I've tried the fancier espresso machines but they were a bit cumbersome, time consuming, messt and inconsistent for me personally. I really just wanted a machine that could give me tasty crema espresso shots without all the hardwork, guessing, and mess. At the time I found the L'OR last year, my monthly coffee expense was averaging around $195.00. (I'm ashamed, trust me).I didn't have high hopes for this machine, having been through so many other machine breakups but thought I'd give it a try being it was through Amazon and I wouldn't have to donate it to another friend if things didn't work out.I ordered the machine where, at the time, it had the option to buy the barista with a heavily discounted multi flavor/intensity espresso and coffee "kit" which, I did.When it arrived, I quickly set it up added water to the tank and made myself 2 shots of their lungo espresso. Fitst thing I noticed was the amount of crema. It was unlike anything I was able to get when pulling shots by hand with my other machines. Again, I don't claim to be a barista so my past shot failure attempts were likely due to my own competence but the ease and simplicity at which the L'OR was creating these nice shots was exactly what I had been searching for for years! After playing around with the different flavors, strengths and types, I found that the perfect espresso pod for my particular drink was the #10 estremo so I added it my auto ship and never looked back!The machine itself has never caused me any issues. It's a work horse. I use it daily and it's never let me down.Are there a few design flaws that I think they could improve on ? Sure.1. The water reservoir placement on the back might be more practical if it was on the side of the machine towards the front for those who keep their machine on the countertop but under cabinets. In order to fill the reservoir, you need overhead access to the back to fill it. You can fill it two ways. Either by lifting the tank straight up and off the machine or by removing the tanks lid to refill it while it's still attached. Either way, you'll need adequate space above the machine whenever you refill it if you don't want to slide the entire machine out from under lower cabinets everytime.2. The tanks reservoir lid itself can be a bit finicky. The lid sits flush inside the top of the tank without any handle to grasp onto when taking it off or putting it back on. This poor design makes it very easy to drop the lid directly into the tank when either pulling the lid off or putting it back on. I've contemplated super gluing something to the top of the lid itself so I can actually grip onto it to avoid dropping into the tank. It's happened to me an annoying amount of times and I'd seen others complain of this in their reviews as well.3. Design of the internal empty pod bin is sort of well...blegh, I guess? I have a couple gripes about it. It does fill up rather quickly and you won't realize you need to empty it until you go and pull up the lever to insert a new coffee pod and it "jams" which by design, the lever you lift up lowers and flips the pod basket upside down to empty the last used pod into the bin directly below it. However if the empties stack up too high, you'll pull up the lever and there won't be enough clearance below for the basket to drop and flip because it's crushing down onto the empty pods. On top of that, emptying out the bin can be quick but it's also a procedure. Basically you have to take off the removable tray base and then pull and slide the fixed tray towards you, which in turn pulls out the empty bin that sits on top of the internal drip tray. The empty bin can't be emptied on its own. The peek "hole" you see behind the nozzle is just that. It's to see how high your empty pods are. It's not there to pull the bin out when it's time to empty like many would assume. Once you have it pulled out you lift and empty out the old pods then you also will need to empty and clean the internal drip tray. Then you'll stack the tray and bin back up and slide it (all together) back into the unit where it lightly snaps into place. The internal empty bin design seems to be a bit overkill but I suppose since the drip tray is also hidden inside it's a way to make sure the old coffee and drip tray gets emptied and rinsed out regularly being that it's out of sight, outta mind.I would also like to reiterate that regardless of the "flaws" I noted above, I am still in love with this machine. What I believe to be flaws might be exactly what others like about it. For me, the importance of having a smaller machine that could consistently make me yummy shots of espresso by just a touch of a button was key. And my machine had fully paid for itself 6 weeks after I bought it.My normal drink is a 24oz iced, white chocolate, Americano topped with a splash of milk or cream (if I'm feeling fancy). Last year prior to buying the L'OR, I was paying $6.50 a day that includes a dollar tip.I use bulk Ghirardelli white chocolate powder, the

I have been wanting an espresso maker like this for a very long time, but since I am on a tight budget, I really could not justify the splurge -- not just for the cost of the machine itself, but for the cost of pods as well. Recently, an Amazon account credit, gift certificate and Amazon sale resulted in my being able to finally order the L'OR. It did not come with instructions, which maybe most people don't need, but as a neophyte espresso machine person, I would have appreciated some basic "how to's". I did watch a video on the L'OR website, which was helpful, as it included how to get the spigots off in order to clean the machine properly. Not having a basic instruction booklet is the only complaint I have about the machine. I am in LOVE with it!! I am currently enjoying the samples that came free with my order, and so far the Onyx is my favorite.I had researched both this machine and the Nespresso equivalent trying to decide which would be the best for me, and the deciding factor is that this L'OR can make both espressos and a regular size cup of coffee. You can make small, medium and large espressos as well as small, medium and large coffees. The large coffee is LARGE! I had put a regular size coffee cup under the spigots, then had to switch it out. I used a soup cup instead as it was what I could quickly reach, and that cup was filled. Obviously the more water you use, the weaker the brew is, but with the stronger intensity of coffees this is a great option to have.I registered my machine with L'OR and can order the pods directly from them or from Amazon. I have not yet tried to use the Nespresso pods that are supposed to fit this machine, primarily because the L'OR espresso and coffee options are plentiful. I will still use my regular old coffee maker to make pitchers of iced coffee when needed, but my L'OR is perfect for those mornings when you need a good cup of coffee quickly or need a shot of espresso to start your day -- or after dinner! I used the espresso pods on small to add to some espresso martinis I recently made for company, and the shots were perfect!This machine is very easy to use, very easy to clean and so far I have not had any trouble with the pods sticking as some reviewers have had. You do need to be sure to pull the top up all the way before the pods will pop out, so if you have the machine located in an area with a lot of "head" space above the machine, I can see pods getting stuck. There is nothing blocking the top of my machine, so I am able to open the top all the way.While the water tank is easy to take out and put back, since it is a the back of the machine and I am somewhat lazy, I just leave the tank attached and fill it using a small pitcher of filtered water (not required, I just prefer to use filtered water as it helps keep build up to a minimum).I am very happy with my L'OR and while I had a wait a while to get it, it was well worth the wait. Enjoying a nice cup of coffee has quickly become a part of my lazy Sunday morning routine, as well as a quick espresso treat here and there. I am learning how to make lattes, cappucinos and espressos, and how to "properly" froth milk -- which honestly, I don't care how the froth looks, as is just for me! :) If you have been on the fence about buying this machine, then do yourself a favor and go for it!!