Poor Quality and durability We have had 3 versions of the Dream, including this latest PID model. So overall are a fan of these espresso machines, but disappointed as some parts, such as display, will break in year 2. Now in year 4 we have a burnt and melted electric wire which is a safety issue and not acceptable for a 1500$ machine. Ascaso is not willing to do anything because it's outside of warranty period.

This is my first espresso machine. It was a decision based on both form and function. Design wise the Dream is a work of art on the counter. For function, after a bit of trial and error I am now pulling great espresso every time. The only complaints I have is that the steaming wand is a bit constrictive and the purging time required is a bit longer than I’d like. These are nit-picks though as overall I’m extremely happy with this purchase.

Very complicated to program as instructions skip a couple of steps for the layman. After 5 days of going thru the menus over and over and spent several days watching You Tube I'm close but no cigars!

Excellent machine that definitely functions as described. Very easy to program and use. My son received it as a gift and says it is most assuredly coffee shop quality espresso.

We finally upgraded to an Ascaso Dream PID from a starter espresso machine. We looove this machine. Game changer! And it's beautifully designed. Great purchase!

As many others said. Great concept, but very poor built quality. Solenoid valve started acting up after about 6 months. Then the switches came loose. Then the display started loosing digits. About two years in, I just exchanged the solenoid valve and just want to get rid of this thing... bad investment.

+s - Sturdy construction. Pleasingly dispositive control switches. Makes good expresso (I think ... I like it compared to what my local shop makes but its my first home machine). -s - The single bioler design means pulling and frothing cant be done in close succession. Its not a drawback limited to this model or brand - its a compromise inherent to this pricepoint

Really great machine. This is my first espresso machine and has been a fantastic product. SCG's customer service was also great. The machine arrived with a cracked water container, but SCG sent me a new one the same day.

When my over a decade old entry level Breville espresso machine died, I decided to upgrade to the polished aluminum Ascaso Dream PID. Its a beautiful little machine that makes a great latte. The booklet that came with it was small and hard to read but their website has really good videos that explain the start up, programmability options, and functions of the machine. I've been having fun experimenting with the pre-infusion time, grind, tamp and brew time. Even when I've not gotten it perfect, it still makes a very good latte. I do brew first and then steam the milk because I don't want to mess around with purging it down to brew temp from steam temp. Overall, I'm extremely pleased with my purchase. It makes great coffee, has a small footprint, and looks gorgeous on my countertop.

Like a another reviewer wrote, the internal build quality is lacking. I?m 11 months in with 2-4 pulls a day with regular cleaning and now I have to send the machine in for servicing. Not the investment I was hoping for.It looks great and you can make great espresso, but I guess everything has a trade off and reliability is the trade off for the small form factor.

The machine makes HOT milk and terrific espresso. Still trying to figure out the right grind + pressure. Very happy with all attempts. Yellow has a matte finish, doesn't show fingermarks. It's a gorgeous design. Doesn't take up a lot of room on counter.Very pleased with it.

In real life it’s beautiful and solid. Makes great espresso! It’s a bit complicated to program, but SCG customer service was there to assist.

This is an expensive machine. And it makes pretty good espressos. However, over 15 months and ~500 shots, I’m shocked at how poorly this is made. I have had gaskets wear out in this short period of time and just now (what prompted this review) the steam handle broke off as I tried to tighten it and stop a leak. Even with regular maintenance I am also surprised with how clogged the shower screen gets. I had high hopes for this little machine. But I wish I would’ve gotten something else.

I've been using an entry level ($300) espresso machine for years. This machine makes a far superior product. By controlling 3 of the variables for you, it really lets you dial in your shots. PID keeps the temperature perfect, the timer takes care of the pull length, and the pressure gauge tells you if you're getting a good extraction. The cappuccinos I'm serving while we work in the office are blowing people away. I've had better luck with the pressurized portafilter, but I'm upgrading my grinder to get the most out of this machine. Worth the investment on both fronts for the flavor we're getting.

I'm so happy I got this (I have had it for maybe 2 weeks now but have used it heavily during that time). At first, I was worried that the price was not reflective of the quality but, now that I have it, I realize it provides all the things I wanted, as well as being in a really nice-looking shell. It feels sturdy and has all the bells and whistles. Nothing feels like it was added as an afterthought. I WOULD like a larger reservoir for water and waste-water but having them small might keep water from stagnating (if you're using purified water, you can get bacteria build up FAST, from my experience)!Would definitely buy this again.

My Oscar v1 developed a cracked boiler after a few years, so I decided to switch to the Dream. So far I'm impressed. The Oscar required you to open the steam valve while heating up, and close it once steam came out (something I only discovered it after months by reading the manual carefully BTW, which probably contributed to the boiler eventually cracking). The Ascaso gets up to temperature very quickly. Operation is intuitive. The pressure gauge and the timer provide instant feedback, which is great. The machine itself is slick and the metal construction feels better than plastic. It's also smaller.A few minor nitpicks:-you have to move the overflow pipe out of the way every time you clean up the (smallish) drip tray.-there's no bottomless portafilter yet, and the one from my Oscar doesn't fit (it's a couple mm too thick! bummer).-because it's all metal, my cups jiggle and clink when I pull a shot :)-because it's small, there's not much room under the drip, you have to use short shot glasses.-the manual can be a bit confusing.I haven't gotten into the PID setup yet, but there's a lot of nice features. I was able to get good shots straight out of the box and easily. Recommended!

Good machine. Worked as advertised . Makes good expresso.

At first I was a bit skeptical about this new Ascaso machine; at this price point you could buy some other machines with PID that have a robust pedigree and a long track record in the coffee industry. At one point this machine was made available by SCG in an open box sale, so I decided to give it a try. Well worth every single penny, and would definitely buy a newer version at full price if it ever came to that. At first there is a bit of a learning curve to using this machine, that probably one of the downsides for older customers that might be a little technologically challenged. Nonetheless, after reading the manual and getting acquainted by the Dream PID I can truly say that its a very pleasant and straightforward experience. All the features on it truly rivals the Rancilio Silvia PID (mod) which lies about in the same category in terms of price and has a long history of being a staple transition machine between an entry level semi-auto and a lower-end prosumer machine. What did I like? PID is accurate and very easy to set. After running 10 shots on a couple of different days the temperature is always truly within one degree of the PID reading. Pre-infusion works well, and allows you to set the time of pre-infusion. Steam flow is very powerful, and the steam arm hinge is as close to perfect as i've ever seen in a machine. The pressure gauge was compared to an external pressure gauge and reading is accurate; its also easy to adjust as compared to some other machines. Lastly, its an aesthetically pleasing machine, it looks great on any countertop, its footprint is on the smaller side and its a conversation piece for any kitchen. All this translates to making top notch espresso for the amateur to low budget prosumer categories. What I would change? The portafilter is hard to slide into place once you have your coffee in and you're ready to pull a shot, especially with the double shot basket (I use a basket from my previous machine which fits into the portafilter and makes it easier to slide into place); its not gonna affect your shot, and its not something that gonna consume time at all, but it could be hard for an older person or someone with muscle problems or a pain condition to put it into place... You should consider this when buying, as you should cater your own needs when picking a machine. Also, with the spout being so large, it can be hard to use larger mugs with this machine, wider vs taller cups are the way to go with this machine. Ascaso should also consider making a bottomless portafilter available for consumers. Other than that, if you can surpass the slight learning curve, you're good to go! Great machine, would buy again, definitely recommend. Wanted to give 4.5 stars but I just rounded up (its closer to five than it is to four in my opinion).

Overall I like this machine and would purchase it again. Fit and finish is great, steam very functional, espresso spot on, cleaning good, drip tray is easy to empty without spilling and water basket can be filled without removing (we have a pull down facet that reaches, so that's excellent). The pressure gauge seems very useful, espresso is indeed better when in the right range (easier than weighing etc to know if amount, grind, and tamping pressure were right). Can't say that I have other things consistent enough yet to experiment with different PID temps. Included portafilters and tamp are high quality. I'm coming from an old Francis Francis X5 so YMMV.Only thing I don't like is that the timed shot feature seems inconsistent. You set it by holding the middle switch up (or down) through a whole shot, then a flick towards that direction should get you a repeat of that time. But sometimes it just doesn't stop and sometimes it stops early. Or maybe something I'm doing is messing it up. Either way it's frustrating and I can't trust it. A good improvement would be to show the time it is set for on the screen (count down instead of count up?) or to set the timer using the buttons near the screen.