Hey, I really prefer it that way !
I think that you can still make some adjustments for the image to look even better.
- First, the chrome is too "diffuse" to my taste and should look more like a mirror.
- The material of the cups is still strange to me, looks like a carpaint shader ?
- The ambient occlusion is a lot less noticeable, which is a good thing as this kind of effect is really better when you don't "see" it, and though i think you can even reduce the distance as Hugo suggested in an earlier post.
- The main material of the machine could be slightly more shiny to me, and you could try using an HDRI as reflection map to "add details" in the material's reflection.
- You should add some geometry to disturb a bit the foam of the espresso in the cup, so that it doesn't look too flat.
- Last thing you could try to enhance the render is too blur a little bit the ground's reflection. It should add a little to the render time, but i'll look better overall.
Well that's all for now, but let me reiterate that the last picture is already really good !
It's just that we always want to see it "better" !
Cheers,
Laurent aka Tartiflette