The appliance looks compact, sleek, and modern, with stylish LED lighting. The quality makes a solid impression and fits well in a modern kitchen. It is a shame, however, that essential accessories such as the cleaning brushes are not immediately visible in the packaging.
The manual is only available digitally via a QR code. While the online videos are helpful, a paper manual would have been more convenient, especially for a machine with so many adjustment options.
It takes time and experimentation to find the right settings for grind, pressure, and intensity. This can be overwhelming for beginners, especially compared to a fully automatic coffee machine that is ready to use immediately. Only after everything is properly adjusted does the machine become truly easy to use and produce delicious coffee.
Once the settings are correct, the machine delivers excellent coffee with a noticeable improvement in taste compared to a fully automatic espresso machine. Manually frothing milk is easy, but requires practice and is less suitable for those looking for speed and convenience.
On the plus side, cleaning is surprisingly easy for a semi-automatic machine. All in all, the WMF Espresso Pro is primarily suited to users willing to invest time in learning and adjusting. Those who aren't willing to do so will likely find the complexity a drawback rather than an advantage.