Gemilai Owl Espresso Machine 15 Bar Professional Semi-Automatic Espresso Maker with Milk Frother Steam Wand 57oz Removable Water

I’ve been really enjoying this Gemilai Owl espresso machine. The first thing I noticed was how nice it looks. It has a clean, retro style and looks great on my counter. It also feels solid and well made. It heats up fast and makes great espresso with good flavor and crema. The pressure gauge is easy to read and helpful if you’re still learning. The steam wand is strong and works well for making lattes once you get the hang of it. There is a short break in period at the beginning, but after a few uses it runs smoothly. Overall it’s easy to use, easy to clean, and very consistent. I’m happy with this purchase and would recommend it to anyone looking for a good home espresso machine. Read more

I really like this coffee machine, but if you want to make a perfect cup, you’ll definitely need a good grinder to go with it. Pros: Super good-looking and very easy to use. The owl-style interface is super intuitive — the pressure, temperature, and time are all clearly shown on the screen. There aren’t many buttons either, so it’s basically just “power on → pick a mode → wait for your coffee.” The steam wand is powerful, and frothing milk is quick and easy. The foam is always nice and consistent. I’m not a latte art expert, but at least the results are steady every time — not like before when it was hit or miss. Cons: The brewing head has a pretty wide heated area, so if you accidentally touch it while it’s warming up, it can burn you. I recommend getting a heat-proof ring for safety — just keep in mind it’s an extra cost. Read more

I wanted the coffee machine to look nice and proportionate with my kitchen. After searching quite a few Espresso maker, I decided to go with Gemilai Owl. And it’s the perfect match! The style, the size, the quality. I was very surprised how well it works. The setup process was pretty simple and easy! I quickly learned how to use and started using it immediately. I have used it almost 2 months, and very happy with every single cup of joy. Its oversized brew head control the temperature excellent during the brewing cycle. It maintains a consistent heat throughout, which is crucial for extracting the best flavors from the coffee grounds. And I just LOVE the look of the side steam handle, is about as fancy as it gets. The most enjoyable part of making coffee is the steaming process! The steam wand is fast and surprisingly powerful for such a tiny machine！Upgraded steam wand quickly turns milk into silky smooth microfoam! And it is very easy to clean with removable parts. I am very happy with the results. Worth every dollar! Read more

The machine I ordered had a defective pump and touch screen. The technical support offered by Gemilai is through email only. Complete waste of time. It's hard to believe there is any sort of quality control when something like this gets shipped out. Read more

I’ve been using this espresso machine for a while and I’m really satisfied with it. The build feels solid and it looks great on my counter. The espresso comes out smooth with good crema once you get the settings right, and the steam wand works well for milk drinks. There’s a small learning curve at first, but it’s easy to get used to. Overall, a great machine for home use and a nice upgrade from a basic coffee maker! Read more

UPDATE: So after a week with it its going back. The warm up in the morning just takes far too long. And by the time it has warmed up it seems to switch back to ECO mode. The time to cool down after foaming is also an issue. I really wanted to like this machine as it seems to have a lot of features, but in the end there are just too many drawback IMO. Overall pretty happy with this. My Impresa C-5 is dying after about 12 years and I really did not want to spend 1000+ on a replacement. Yeah it pays for itself over time, but the super automatics just have too much that can go wrong with them and they don't make them all that well anymore. The coffee from a super automatic is decent but not great IMO. After looking at a bunch of options I decided to go with this as it had a 15-bar pump and some nice options for a $400 machine. The only issue I have with it is its very light which makes it hard to load the porta filter without touching the heating element. That is a bit of a drawback IMO. And the heating element gets really hot :( I'll try it for a few more days - in the end I may have to return it - its just too light. The frothing wand is very strong, but the time to heat up and cool off is a bit long IMO. One other thing - you will need to get a really good coffee grinder for this to work well. Even at its finest setting my current grinder will not hit 9 bars of pressure, so I am not getting a perfect shot of espresso. It's good but not as good as it can be. So plan to spend at least 100 to 200 on a grinder. Read more

Pros: Can make a really good espresso shot. Commercial sized portafilter gives access to all accessories. Looks great on the counter. Con: plastic panels may not hold their looks - time will tell. But it looks really nice when new. Single boiler means delays between brewing and steaming. Read more