Welcome Ash...... [smiley=thumbsup.gif]
They are actually more common than you might first realise as they are also sold under several different "badges", e.g. Quaha, Imat and a couple of others that I cant remember off the top of my head. They are an excellent machine mate and very close in performance to the Silvia at a fraction of the cost. I owned and used an Imat Mokita for a number of years, eventually fitted a PID Controller to it and a couple of other minor mods and in my opinion, produced some of the best coffee Ive ever tasted anywhere.
If these machines could be said to have a fault, it is their use of a short-ish Steam Wand that has a Pannarello(Froth Enhancer) fitted; theyre not the only ones to do this of course, many other (well known) manufacturers also do so. Its by no means a death knell though. Quite a few owners have ditched the Pannarello and extended the Wand to a length similar to that of a Silvia and then never looked back. You can still produce great microfoam with the original Wand minus the Pannarello but can be quite difficult to do in larger pitchers, due to the shortness without the Pannarello. I never found it to be a big hassle really, just acquired a number of pitcher sizes to suit the quantity of milk being textured and it was then dead easy.
Anyway, highly recommend these machines as an entry level into the world of espresso, you wont be sorry. Certainly a much better proposition than a Sunbeam of any description and will last you a lifetime with the application of basic maintenance. Hope this is helpful, all the best....

Mal.

Leave a comment: