I've been serious about coffee and espresso for 15 years and have had many different espresso machines, starting with a Starbucks Barista, then moving on to a Expobar Office Leva E61, a La Pavoni Pro, Cafelat Robot, and many other vintage lever machines. I've been lusting after a a commercial grade spring lever for many years but could never bring myself to swallow the cost of such a machine--until now.
The Kitchen Barista had the best price by far however it is a new outfit and didn't have many reviews. I was very concerned that it could be a bit of a scam. After a few back and forth emails to try to validate their legitimacy, I took the plunge and was very happy to receive the machine.
The machine itself is great and meets all my expectations and I hope to continue to use it for decades to come. It is solidly built and the PID function is great. I leave it on all day and have it connected to a wattmeter and have found that it doesn't consume much energy at all, so I guess the insulated boiler helps in that regard. No overheating issues that I have previously heard of. Just walk up at any time and it's at the correct temperature. Steam pressure is perfect for steaming milk for a 5-6oz latte.
Fantastic machine that I can highly recommend for the coffee nerd who enjoys the tactile process of pulling shots.