I bought this exact one as a Christmas present for my mother back in 2013 and it broke within minutes of use. It felt shoddily built with very flimsy plastic parts. Thankfully Amazon has a great return policy so it was no big deal. I should add that I have a rough touch and it's always possible that that particular unit was defective.

Something else for people to consider: a moka pot will actually make stronger coffee than an espresso machine, so many people might actually prefer a moka pot.