I got an email from espressoparts.co.uk this morning - they now sell the everpure claris as well, for those from the UK that are interested in getting one.

Just a note on the ESO system as I have now had plenty of experience installing for both commercial & home users.

The ESO system is expensive and it takes up a fair amount of space - this is because it is made for commercial use. The filter has sediment, carbon & softening elements with a partial bypass of the softening stage so that the water has the desired 7 grains or less of hardness. The unit is not designed to work in areas where water is very soft or very hard. IE if you have 7 grains in your tap water the filter will deliver water that is too soft for ideal espresso use. Alternately if you have extremely hard water - say over 17 or 18 grains - your water will be a bit hard & short life span of filters.

In my area we have some water departments with extremely hard water... I have installed the ESO on local systems with +/- 16 grains & the ESO had below 7 grain output. The recommended life at 16 grains is 500 gallons. I carry a digital gallon meter to keep track of the use ($30).

I also stock a $118 complete system that has a carbon & potassium combination (standard 10" housing with Pantek filter). These will prevent damage and deliver a fair tasting water.

In conclusion, the ESO system is expensive but effective... and delivers great tasting water designed for great tasting espresso.