Ok, I have made lattes daily for 5 years in my Atomic, decided to purchase The Little Guy this year after knowing about Ottos for the last 3 years. Atomics are not cheap so the price of this machine didn't concern me much. Like Atomics, one has to get the feel of the machine in order to push out a superb coffee. And as any coffee freak would know, there are many variable factors that lead to a good coffee. I did laugh at some of the criticisms here on this site, as it certainly appears that a few of these people 'don't get it' ;o)

So 4 ...Read more

I’ve always used a stove-top but I knew that this burned my coffee. Enter ‘The Little Guy’ and the Coffee Ritual! A wonderful piece of design and engineering. If you don’t love your coffee then this device is not for you.
If you’re prepared to concentrate and even to meditate on the experience then you’re going to take drinking coffee to a new level… your palate will improve and you’ll even start thinking about Fair Trade Agreements and where your coffee comes from.
It took me about 10 attempts to get the whole thing right but after that, ...Read more

Great coffee for 10 weeks, then no steam. Emailed Little Guy, the response was implied that it was our fault. We received a really bullying email. We purchased the machine in good faith, big mistake. The cost of postage if you live outside of Sydney is expensive, it weighs 8kgs, and the Little Guy don't want to pay even when it's under warranty, Myer reluctantly paid. The machine is made in China. When you send the Little Guy back for a warranty repair our experience was they take no responsibility it's your fault. It's your word agains...Read more

Bought the Little Guy as a stove top machine. I live on a boat and use gas. It is NOT a stove top machine and requires an expensive cooktop - thereby making it a complicated electric machine. The induction cooktop won't work on a generator - so only useful in a total domestic application. Its biggest selling point is now lost. It has plastic hoses (heat proof silicone) inside and gas stovetop use may cause these to fail. Rarely froths milk properly. Very limited application. Can't make repeat coffee if you have friends. Only makes two latte's -...Read more

The coffee tastes great, my office corridor is filled with coffee aroma. However, I would have given 4-5 stars if not for mixed results and got a few 'heart thumping' 'scares'. When I used room temperature water, it gave me a shock ie. just midway in the 3rd minute of extraction, it started pushing out so much steam and roaring away without pushing out a reasonable amount of crema. I switched it off and started letting out steam through the frother with my heart thumping! On other occasions, I used warm (not boiled water), and it seemed to give...Read more

The coffee tastes very good.
It is a bit fiddly to use, yet easy to clean.
The continual dripping of the coffee after brewing is messy. We just put a kitchen towel underneath to soak it up, because when we used a cup/holder, it spoilt the beautiful smell of freshly brewed coffee by burning the little bit of coffee drips, which does not smell good.
I have tried and tried to froth milk, even though I can froth milk with a cafe grade machine, I gave up with the Little Guy. It simply does not have enough pressure to swirl the milk into a thick f...Read more

It took some time to get the hang of this machine but now I can consistently make a great coffee, better than most cafes. I love how it looks, it is a piece of functional art that lives on our stove top. I love how compact it is. I have had to learn quite a lot about coffee making, it definitely demands your attention, it is not for those who prefer lcd screens and buttons and set-and-forget approaches to coffee. But I have found it immensely rewarding, and I love actually making my coffee, not asking a machine to do it for me. The main dr...Read more

I bought The Little Guy after thoroughly researching machines and 2 years later I still say its the BEST purchase I've ever made. Making coffee is an art-form, not a push button job, and you will love the ritual that comes with the Little Guy (and think about what those coffee capsules are doing to our landfill). I also want to buy the coffee I want, not be forced to drink the manufacturer's coffee.
This machine is so responsive to the way you use it, looks damn fine on your kitchen counter, wont break like those other machines with heaps of ...Read more

I wish more products were like this - it makes a brilliant coffee and is beautifully made. The customer service is superb in answering questions, and there's a loyal community out there providing tips on how to best use it.

I'd describe the flavour of coffee as, say 80% espresso / 20% stovetop. I like the slight difference from coffee shop espresso and can honestly say I'd often rather make my coffee at home than go out.

In terms of value it'll beat any other home espresso machine at the price and then some. Factor in that it'll still be...Read more

I have had my Otto for 3 years - and it's still as crazy as it was on day one. I, however, am now expert at making perfect coffee. If you get a grind that is fractionally too coarse - you will lose your perfect coffee unless you correct with tamping. Don't leave the basket in the group handle too long or it will stick and can only be removed by soaking in boiling soapy water - a few times. Tamp too heavily - you will have syrupy, nasty coffee. Not enough - watery coffee - no steam pressure.

So it's crazy - and it's the best domestic machine ...Read more

I've made about 8500 coffees on mine (bought as an Otto).

I use it religiously- at least twice a day and it has asked me to learn a lot about coffee.

I now only drink short blacks, and generally use beans roasted lightly for filter brews.

Try it. Yum!

Once over cooked the machine (a couple of hours over gas) and had it fixed within a few hours of calling Craig and Doug.
...Read more