is it portable. Can it be put in a rucksack, so if you walk past a coffee shop and think, I fancy a coffee, so instead of popping in, you whip out the machine and make yourself a coffee.

I "invested" in a bean to cup and probably made over 1500 cups of coffee now. With fresh beans it's a few pence a cup...

This should come with a warning. It WILL make you a coffee snob. You won't be able to drink your gold blend.

I bough this before xmas, same deal
Its a great machine
I used to have the £1000 version before it broke (italian!) but this one is smaller, quieter and less parts to go wrong. I also didnt use the milk compartment on the old machine anyway

Still wish the water catch tray was easier to clean, i tend to catch the water with a cup instead.

Those who say its a lot of money for 'just coffee' clearly dont understand the difference in quality - its no pod based drink maker, its no instant, sweet hot chocolate multi machine - its a Burr grinding, bean crushing coffee shop style machine that youd happily pay £1.50 a go for

I have a nespresso, a manual espresso and this machine now. This machine gets used all day long, one button press, no fuss, great coffee (real coffee), the others are in the loft and bedroom in case of emergancies

Snobs may argue its not a true espresso machine as this requires manual intervention, however, it is.. and it creates the SAME coffee every time you ask fo ir - no variables, no "oh crud what did I do wrong" nor the dreaded "can i have another one" when the family is round.
You can change the length of the drink, v.short, short,normal, long extra long
you can change the strength, v weak, weak, normal, strong very strong
You can adjust the temperature
You can use filtered water via its filter option or dont its up to you.
You can adjust the grind on the burr grinder

It will give you the variables you want and you can program them to how you like it (custom) - so you can see the variables are there with the benefit it will do the same thing time after time!

If youve got some expensive kit already i still recommend these, as ive had really bad coffee from really expensive kit, you get it wrong a lot more than get it right unless you have training this does it 90% as well as a shot youve mastered but consistently.

It just works - for that, i shoved it int he basket when going to buy a TV... i still havent regretted the £300 credit card balance.

much cheaper in the long run than a nespresso / tassimo etc
+ a much better coffee

Still an awful lot of money for something that only makes a cup of coffee, but I can appreciate it's a good price, having been looking for machines of late.

As I'm drinking my 2nd cappuccino of the day (2600) I have to say it will be a good investment! Heat.

much cheaper in the long run than a nespresso / tassimo etc
+ a much better coffee

is it portable. Can it be put in a rucksack, so if you walk past a coffee shop and think, I fancy a coffee, so instead of popping in, you whip out the machine and make yourself a coffee.

The best idea here is to buy the Starbucks beans from the supermarket which have a voucher for a free tall latte

Good response!

I "invested" in a bean to cup and probably made over 1500 cups of coffee now. With fresh beans it's a few pence a cup...

This should come with a warning. It WILL make you a coffee snob. You won't be able to drink your gold blend.