After having a series of espresso makers, including La Pavoni Europiccola, Briel Lido, Solis, and Gaggia Espresso Deluxe, with limited success and always a mess, I finally threw in the towel after enjoying the espresso that was produced by a Nespresso machine while visiting a relative abroad. With the other machines I had, it was always a matter of having fresh beans, grinding them just before using, having to vary the grind due to humidity and other factors, then tamping and hoping that the temperature and pressure were just right. Rarely did I get a decent crema and no more frequently did I pull a shot of espresso that was worth anywhere near the bother. The Nespresso machine does everything right and not much wrong. Yes, I suppose some would squawk about the fact that you are limited to coffee provided in capsules by Nespresso, but the choice is broad (and getting broader) and the coffee is always fresh, ground perfectly, and ready to go. What's more, the crema is excellent and the cappuccino/latte capability is just fine. Cleanup is a nonevent. At its full retail price of $400-$500, the D290 is fairly costly, but since refurbs with six-month warranties from Nespresso are available at half that price, the detail becomes much more interesting. Why anyone would bother with any other machine is beyond me. Nespresso is the way to go. Period.
2 of 2 found this helpful
Dec 11, 2005
Nikon D70: Still growing it. A great camera.
I've used Nikons for more than 30 years and use this one more than all the others combined. Yes, it's hefty and yes, the lenses cost quite I bit. I know. I now have the kit lens 18-70 plus the 12-24, 80-400, and 105 macro. Maybe 6.1 megapixels doesn't sound like a lot, but the sensor in this camera is many times the size of the sensors found in most point and shoots so there's a big difference in pixel quality. I've enlarged a number of images to 13 x 19 and they've been great, printed on a Canon 9900. The only image quality issue I can come up might be when cropping and then enlarging. Since I generally crop in the viewfinder, that's rarely been a problem for me. My only gripe? Not enough to use the camera. It starts right up and does whatever it's told to do. ISO starting at 200 is fine. Why would anyone need to set it lower? Just make sure to have a spare battery handy in case you forget to turn the camera off. The D50 is a reasonable alternative, especially considering its lower price. Not as rugged as the upper end Nikons, but unless you're planning to drag it through the mud that shouldn't matter.
7 of 7 found this helpful
Jun 17, 2010
Garmin nuvi 275T refurb: outstanding value; a few flaws
Very good GPS. Has both U.S. and European maps plus FM traffic. A bit small, but generally big enough for viewing. Since the traffic receiver is in the power line, you have to have that hanging, which is a bit sloppy. Wish they would keep it in the unit itself and just run off the battery. Would be great with that. Still quite good as is. FM traffic is better than what I had with the $2,000 built-in unit. Doesn't always pick the best routes. No big deal. Especially good value as a refurb at this price.