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

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!!

I had not had any plans to buy a pod based coffee maker again. I have a major brand that starts with a K and was never very happy with it. I prefer strong coffee and I always found the coffee from this machine to be weak and not pleasing to my taste.This machine popped up in my Black Friday deals and it had a sizable discount so I was a bit intrigued. The product description really went out of their way to tout the robust coffee flavor and brewing method.When I asked about the flavor strength the vendor again went out of their way to stress their brewing method and pods which they assured me gave good strong flavor.The reviews were uniformly very positive. Given Amazon's liberal return policy I thought I would give it a try.Set up was a bit quirky. The instructions provided did not cover all the pieces to the machine and I was left trying to figure out how several of the pieces fit together. Specifically the empty pod collection container. I had no idea what it was and where it fit until I saw a completely unrelated diagram that gave me a clue of where it fit. In case you are wondering what I mean - there is a large hollow gray piece that is meant to fit behind the coffee output nozzles.There was also another smaller grey piece that was not detailed in the main instruction page and was referenced on a small separate piece of paper I am almost missed as it was stuck in the bottom of the box. So make sure you look for that.As for the main instructions it felt like they were designed to be language free and only use pictures so that they did not need to have a bunch of different versions. To sum all of this up - the instructions need a separate comprehensive section that details ALL of the pieces and how to properly install them. I also think that the usage instructions might need to be revisited and consider adding some writing in addition to the pictures. (No need to try and be like ikea with their 'it will take you all day to figure it out instructions'.)Once I got everything put together and running I was impressed with how quickly it got up to temp and ready to brew.Very very pleased with the taste of the coffee. Even the medium strength pods brewed a reasonably robust cup. The strong version was excellent. It also makes a very nice Crema (froth layer) on the top of the cup. I have yet to try the espresso pod, saving them for when I run out of the others as a treat for myself.A nice little touch is the aforementioned used pod receptacle - when you lift the top to put in a new pod it automatically ejects the used pod into the receptacle. Nice usability design.So overall as a coffee maker I think it is fantastic. Minor downside is that because it is so easy to brew a quick cup I might end up drinking too much coffee.Update after one week:(Important) - as mentioned above, used pods are ejected down into the grey container. You need to pay attention how quickly the container fills up because it is easy to lift lever and have it try and force a pod into it and possibly getting stuck. (totally did not happen to me….)I think the water reservoir should be larger. I am getting about 3 cups of coffee before I have to fill it up again. Personally I think it should be large enough to hold 5 cups of water. Thankfully it’s right next to the sink so refilling it’s not really a problem. I just think it will be more convenient with a larger reservoir.Oh BTW - Make sure you grab the coupon that gives you a bunch of free pods. I almost missed that.(Funny side note: I saw the Vine reviews and I am a Vine reviewer, and unfortunately this had not popped up on my available to get list. -We don't all get the same list of products available for review. So I ended up paying for it.)

After continual issues with alternate brand beginning with K, we decided to look at alternates. I love espeesso, and have had a machine in the past, but hated the work involved with it, so this espresso machine, using pods, and the great reviews (and price!) caught my eye. My justification for purchase was the high price of certain coffee chains that our family uses way to often, this machine would easily pay for itself in the first month, and then every month going forward. Plus the convenience of being able to make it anytime without having to leave the house.It’s a looker! I love the sleek black design, it blends well with most kitchen decor. As others have stated the heat-up time is very quick, with no noise whatsoever. The loading process is different…lifting the handle to load a pod, the loading chamber first rotates down (to dump previous pod), then back to up position for loading. Although very cool, I wonder how long long that will last. I would almost prefer to remove the old pod manually than have all those extra movements in there. My only other minor gripe, is the lid to the water bin, with the oval shape, it falls in easily if not seated correctly.The espresso itself is fantastic! A bit noisy as most espresso machines are, but that was expected. We have only had a week, but have ran it several times, and all uses have been consistent and wonderful (yes there crema!). I do not know if we will be using the aluminum pod return program that they have, but I thought it was good that the company was taking the initiative to recycle them, for now we are keeping the used pods in case we decide to send them back.Overall, we love it so far. The coffee is great, we have several varieties to try and looking forward to them all 👍