This espresso machine was surprisingly unintuitive, even after reading the whole manual first. Locking the espresso handle into place is a two handed job-the machine isnt heavy enough to not slide/tip when I try it with one hand. I have to brace the force with my other hand at the top of the opposite side of the machine to get it into place. At least I know it is securely in place!I feel like this is a very beginner's machine as far as knowledge for making lattes goes. You don't need experience working at a coffee shop to make drinks with this. The milk function -even on "manual"- isn't really manually frothing the milk like they would at a coffee shop, so those without experience won't have a problem or need to learn how to do that. It adds steam to the milk somewhere internally and heats it up super efficiently. I don't find it hard to clean, but I clean it after _every_ drink. I turn the top part over & run water back up the part you put in your cup (as well as wiping that down as much as I can), until it bubbles out the intake side. It's a little difficult to reattach the milk compartment, but it is easy to take everything apart to clean.All that said, as someone who has worked at coffee shops for 8+years in the past, I wish I did have a truly manual steam function because I find half the bubbles it outputs too large and then they pop and I'm left with a flat looking drink rather than the fine creamy froth I can get when manual frothing. This machine does not put out froth like you would get at a coffee shop. But it is a big step up from heating milk in a pan and using one of those immersion "frothers" imo. Way faster and less messy. It takes only a minute or so for the machine to warm up and be ready to make a drink. This espresso machine makes my non-ex-barista husband VERY happy.At first I struggled with making shots with this, but after a few uses the timing got better and it pulls the proper length shot. Aaaahmazing! So good! I've found the two shots to have better timing than a single shot overall. It's hard to get espresso grind right and there's so many variables, but this machine seems to simplify it so you can't really screw up if you're getting your coffee ground at the grocery store or in a coffee shop on the "espresso" setting.Make sure you have enough extra water in the tank for both pressure for the steaming and for putting out a decent shot. I've found if I let it get lower than a couple inches in the reservoir, things don't come out as nicely. They should really have a minimum water line so we don't have to stumble along while figuring that out when we are new to the machine.I ended up taking a star off because it took me quite a bit to figure out how to really learn how to work with the machine and I was pretty disappointed at first. Somehow some of the chrome look coating on the espresso basket handle wore off on the *third* use, so I'm a little worried about the durability. But otherwise this machine is a great basic substitute for buying espresso drinks at a coffeehouse and if you are new to making your own drinks -it still has a little learning curve, but not in a necessary to have barista knowledge kind of way. Nice basic intro machine.