The Capresso Ultima 121 is officially described as a semi-automatic machine. What makes it not fully automatic? It doesn't have a built-in grinder, so you must have a small burr grinder to grind your beans and then feed the machine with ground coffee.
Ultima has no programmable buttons (like automatic or super automatic units. Ultima is not your usual espresso maker, and is hard to classify in the typical categories, but one thing that you can say about it is that it produces a decent shot of espresso. There are better machines (some cost well over 2,000) which are capable of extracting a better shot because among other things their brewing temperatures are higher. But for a price of 299.00 Ultima is a a great workhorse of a machine. It simplifies the job of making espresso, and especially if you are cappuccino or latte drinker, the quality difference between a shot of espresso extracted on a high-end, expensive machine vs. Ultima makes practically no difference in taste.
The Capresso Ultima is not designed like a classic espresso machine. The main feature is the lever on the top of the machine that is the foundation of its great functionality. Just fill the coffee grind to your liking (7 to 15 grams) into the machine, turn and pull the coffee lever down, and switch on the pump. Within seconds, any size espresso or up to 12 oz. of coffee is prepared. Then pull up and turn lever to prepare the next round of espresso. At the same time, the used coffee grounds are automatically discarded into an internal container. The double coffee spout adjusts to accommodate different size cups. You may want to compare the Ultima (
http://www.all4coffee.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2&products_id=142 ) to features our newest home espresso machine Capresso Café (
http://www.all4coffee.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2&products_id=145) and then decide.
