I have been fortunate enough to be using this machine for the last two weeks. We replaced our older La Marzocco Linea with a new 3 group White Eagle and I couldn't be happier with its performance. First of all, it is a beautiful machine with its exposed portafilter heads and a sleek chrome finish. I opted for the raised groups in case our barista team wanted to use taller cups and it provides a little more workspace as well. Let me start with the SIS (soft infusion system). After you tamp your espresso and lock in the portafilter, there is a quick gravity pulled shot of hot water that flows into the espresso. After that, it hits it with a full 9 bars of pressure. This really is a great feature as it will compensate for a less than perfect tamp and the espresso comes out evenly on every shot. It also leaves you with a perfect espresso puck every time. This machine has a digital display where you can adjust different settings including a shot timer for each group. You can set the amount of water you want for a volumetric dose and there are 4 options per group head. Because this machine has a heat exchanger, the temperature is tied to the steam pressure. I have found that the machine produces exactly 200 degrees of hot water for espresso and from the hot water spout, and it very consistent. It can be adjusted as well, but just not from the digital screen - It's a manual setting inside the machine. The next great feature is the very powerful steam boiler. This thing seriously cranks and we steam better milk and much faster than we did on our older Linea. Last but not least, the espresso is delightful and very consistent. We get a little more crema than before so we fine-tuned our recipe and ended up at 1:2.5 brew ratio. They also make this machine in the T3 version which gives you complete temperature control on each individual group head and it has multiple boilers. That would definitely be needed if you run more than one espresso or blend per day. We run the same espresso from open to close, so we didn't need this extra feature. If you are looking for an espresso machine that is fast, efficient, and reliable, look no further than the VA 358. We noticed an improvement in our quality right away. It will go as fast as you can move and it will keep up with a very high volume cafe. -Van