Best Espresso Machine??

[7sins]

Recently starting drinking more lattes and would like to start making them at home, albeit will admit I have limited knowledge here. Would like a recommendation for a high quality espresso machine and coffee beans you prefer that are more readily available. Evidently, as you can see I don't have much experience here and thank you in advance for any feedback. Any tricks on utilizing the machine or advice on making them would be great too!

Budget-wise I would like to stay less than $750 unless something is worth the additional money but I presume like most things, there is a point of diminishing returns.

[Hard_Six]

For machines under $1,000, this might be worth a read: https://www.wholelattelove.com/blogs...nes-under-1000

Also check out what Breville has to offer. The Breville Dual Boiler has lots of positive reviews but it's about double your desired budget. They have lower priced products too though.

For coffee, there are so many good ones out there. Clive Coffee has a good selection you can shop from. I personally have been on a BG Coffee kick lately. Caffe Lusso also has some nice stuff.

As far as tips go... Buy a good grinder! Doesn't matter how expensive your machine is, if the grinder sucks, the espresso will too. Good beans, a good grinder, and good water will make all the difference in the cup.

Cheers

[mmutte]

We have Terra Kaffe and love it. Works great

[White Collar Boy]

If in your position, I would get:

1) a Breville Dual Boiler (cheap, with stable, programmable temperature and enough steam pressure to get nicely textured milk at the same time your shot is pouring—note that unless you buy a dual boiler or a heat exchange machine, you would have to do your milk first and then your shot... I mean, if you want to avoid automatic machines and learn how to extract beautiful coffee)

2) the best domestic grinder you can afford, as this is a key difference maker. I bought a Niche Zero grinder ($1300 Australian dollars), and it has been worth it

3) a water filter jug and spare cartridges to replace every month, to prevent limescale build up

4) some cheap digital scales, so you know how much coffee to put into your basket, and you can also measure your shots.

If this sounds like too much work, then maybe look at automatic machines. As you said you want to make lattes, perhaps mentioning home filter coffee is irrelevant (like V60 pourover, Aeropress, or Moccamaster). But they are simple and very, very tasty, albeit not brewing methods designed for adding milk.

Have fun!

[uscmatt99]

I’d advise spending some time on the Home Barista forum. It’s like TRF for espresso and coffee geeks. Buy once cry once. I got my machine and grinder after a lot of looking around and I’m happy with it years later with just a bit of annual maintenance.

[beshannon]

Probably would not satisfy purists but I am very happy with Nespresso

I have two machines and they are great, convenient and the coffee is very good IMHO

[Latrodectus]

Originally Posted by beshannon

Probably would not satisfy purists but I am very happy with Nespresso

I have two machines and they are great, convenient and the coffee is very good IMHO

I second that...and you can use heavy cream or all the other ingredients that makes coffee better!

[joli160]

I just bought a Jura D6, works perfect for me and great coffee.
Simple, fast, low noise, cleaning a brew unit is not needed, should have bought it earlier.

My previous Siemens EQ6 died without reason. That one I bought for the nice display, in hindsight not very smart.

[droptopman]

Do some research. Seattle Coffee Gear has good reviews and is a good site to buy products. I had a JURA and once it died I replaced with a Saeco. Saeco was much less cost wise and performs as well. I do not do fancy drinks, just espresso so the JURA was overkill for me but at the time was highly rated.

[FLGatorM5]

First, decide if you want to have something that does everything for you, or you want to have some involvement with a semi-automatic machine.

If it’s the latter, then I think you have more research ahead of you. But just know your budget will need to be for the machine AND grinder... and you will probably need to be >$200 on the grinder IMO.

I love my budget set up but would NOT recommend it for you (based on you wanting to do alot of milk work). I would also say that my grinder is the bare minimum... and if it wasn’t a gift, I would have gone into the $350 ish range for a Rancillio, etc.

$200 Saeco Poemia modded with a naked portafilter
$200 Breville Dose Control

Just my 2 drops from a newb espresso guy.

[It's Hedley]

I have and love the Breville Barista Express. It runs about $600, but is worth every penny. I have had mine for 5+ years and it continues to make perfect espresso. It has the grinder and steamer wand all in one unit. Really one of my better home appliance purchases in my lifetime.

Whatever you decide, enjoy!

[Patton250]

Jura. Second place is a distant second place. of course not everyone wants the best but you did ask.

[-dustin]

Gaggia Classic. It's the benchmark for entry level espresso machines and has an incredible amount of support. You will be limited, however, if you make drinks for multiple people. If you're handy, buy a used one. I paid $150 for mine because the boiler was cracked. Replaced it myself for $50. Good as new. If you're really wanting milk drinks, consider a Rancilio Silvia. The older Silvia steam wand can be installed onto a Gaggia Classic for a really solid compromise.

You'll want to get a decent grinder, as well. And at that price point, a grinder + new machine will go over your budget a little bit. Baratza Various go for $450 - $500, I believe.

My equipment purchases went like this:

used Gaggia classic
ok grinder

nicer grinder (Baratza Vario, huge improvement)

really fancy machine (Clive Lucca M58)

fancy grinder (Eureka Atom)

For beans - www.drinktrade.com

[7sins]

THANK YOU everyone for the wonderful responses, time and help. Do you guys think it is worth the extra time/effort/money to get the machine/grinder opposed to a high end Nespresso? One that has an extra stem to froth the milk. I guess the downside is not having a wide array of different beans to use but only the cups they provide, not sure how much variety is there.

Something like this made by Breville for Nespresso? I would say I am more a man of efficiency and a path of least resistance opposed to taking 20-30 minutes to make the espresso, which is time I don't have.

[Old Expat Beast]

Nespresso and Milk Frother here. And a Moka Pot for those times when I need a major, old school caffeine hit.

[-dustin]

Different strokes for different folks. I’d never choose a Nespresso over a grinder + machine...in the same sense that I wouldn’t choose a high-end G-Shock over a Hamilton. Other folks might be the other way around.

Regarding efficiency - I ended up getting a Wemo outlet and have my machine to turn on 30mins before I get up. Starting the clock as soon as I grab my beans, I’ll measure, grind, weigh, tamp, pull, and clean in 4mins.

[Pw92676]

I am a coffee guy; I drink and enjoy espresso but not as often so I didn’t want a machine solely focused on espresso. For espresso and lattes: I agree that nespresso is quite the bang for the buck. Quick, easy, and pretty reliable. We tried a Jura and to be honest I didn’t find it to be much better than nespresso, and it took up more counter space at nearly 10x the price so we ended up sending it back.

[lig]

Originally Posted by It's Hedley

I have and love the Breville Barista Express. It runs about $600, but is worth every penny. I have had mine for 5+ years and it continues to make perfect espresso. It has the grinder and steamer wand all in one unit. Really one of my better home appliance purchases in my lifetime.

Whatever you decide, enjoy!

X2. Quite literally some of the best money I have ever spent. Two of my best pals have Jura fully automatic setups that ran about $2K to $2.5k and they are really nice. Push button easy. That said they were impressed with the final product coming from the Breville.

If you’re ok with spending much less but grinding your own beans and manually tamping then the Barista Express imo is the sweet spot. The built in conical burr grinder is adjustable as I’ve found different beans require different coarseness settings.

Pulling very satisfying shots with lovely crema and have been able to replicate my wife’s favorite- hemp milk cappuccino.

It does double duty for quick hot water for tea, mixing up nectar for the hummingbird feeders, saline making - all kinds of stuff.

The one downside is if you have to make a bunch of drinks it is time consuming.

Totally love it.

[GB-man]

Take a look at the Miele CM5300. It’s about 1500 but it does all the work, makes great drinks and is the easiest super automatic to clean and maintain.

You’ll love it. We have had ours for 2 years and it’s been flawless. Trust me it’s worth the extra coin if you aren’t going to get into the whole barista scene.

Check out Seattle coffee gear they sell it and have nice reviews.

I like stumptown hairbender for beans. They will ship direct to you as often as you need. We get orders every other week.

(If you get a super auto avoid oily or flavored beans as they will ruin it)

[White Collar Boy]

Regarding Nespresso vs coffee freshly ground and extracted through a semi-automatic machine, it’s no contest for me—I cannot stand Nespresso/pods. Nice coffee is one of the best things I love and value, so why compromise. But it is subjective, and to each their own.

For your budget and starter level, the Breville Barista Express would be a decent choice.

Please note that it doesn’t take 30 minutes to make coffee on a semi-automatic machine. Between weighing and grinding the beans, then pulling the shot and steaming the milk while the shot pours, it takes not much over a minute, once you get used to it and have your workflow down pat. And it takes only a few minutes for the machine to heat up first thing in the morning. Nice and easy, really.

[mic6]

Gaggia classic
Ascaso i2
Fresh beans of your choice
All set

We are in a Rolex forum and people recommend Nespresso?

[padi56]

Originally Posted by beshannon

Probably would not satisfy purists but I am very happy with Nespresso

I have two machines and they are great, convenient and the coffee is very good IMHO

Have to agree not worth spending a fortune on anything more.

[mic6]

Originally Posted by padi56

Have to agree not worth spending a fortune on anything more.

It's like saying, not worth spending a fortune on anything more than a citizen, maybe worse than that

[Tully314]

Originally Posted by It's Hedley

I have and love the Breville Barista Express. It runs about $600, but is worth every penny. I have had mine for 5+ years and it continues to make perfect espresso. It has the grinder and steamer wand all in one unit. Really one of my better home appliance purchases in my lifetime.

Whatever you decide, enjoy!

For your $750 budget, I second the Barista Express. It’s the best value for the money and a reliable workhorse with a built in burr grinder. I would suggest opting for the stainless version since the paint does chip around the base after a few years of regular use. If you have a separate budget for a grinder, then I would consider increasing your budget to $1000 and giving the ECM Casa V a really close look.

[albertf]

Everything depends on your own personal preference.

Nespresso and super automatics are the most convenient. Super Automatics at a higher price point. I'd try out some nespresso pods to see if you enjoy the taste/flavor since it sounds like it would fit your budget/time requirements.

A Breville type matchine will have a slight learning curve since there's quite a few variables that go into making a decent espresso. Personally, I think going through the learning process is worth it. It takes me about 5-7 minutes to make a drink for me and the gf in the morning (with clean-up). It's part of my morning routine now and I enjoy the process.

You need to gauge whether or not you'd stick with a morning routine like that or it just becomes another unnecessary appliance that takes up space in your kitchen.

[VincentM]

For most people, spending a fortune on a Rolex is pure nonsense. But here on TRF, we can understand why someone would spend that much money on a simple watch. It goes way further than the primary intention of a watch to tell time.

I have to tell you that in the world of coffee, you can make wonderful discoveries and « travel » around the world.

But sorry to tell you that, you will have to spend more than you thought. Does it worth it? Without hesitation I answer yes. For less than what a DJ cost, you will enter a whole new world of discoveries. A pure pleasure for a lifetime.

And to answer your question, the best espresso machine is no contest Decent Espresso.

https://decentespresso.com


And you will need an excellent grinder. Get the best, KafaTek Monolith.

https://www.kafatek.com



And just forget Nespresso...




Envoyé de mon iPhone en utilisant Tapatalk

[George Burdell]

We've got a Breville Barista Express and love it. Makes exceptional joe.

https://www.breville.com/us/en/produ...so/bes870.html

[lig]

I’m on my 2nd Americano this morning. ;) Forgot that time was a factor for the OP. Just for fun I timed the process. 90% of the time we drink Americanos or espresso. It gets slow when frothing so keep that in mind.

Breville Barista Express - turned it on, ground the beans. Tamped, waited for the unit to get to pressure and 202* , pulled the shot and added a little water. 1 minute 46 seconds.

Add a little time to clean or fix another drink and it’s still pretty quick. The wild card is the frothing. That also adds another layer of cleaning.

I rarely say “never” but I would never go back to Nespresso.

[droptopman]

Originally Posted by VincentM

For most people, spending a fortune on a Rolex is pure nonsense. But here on TRF, we can understand why someone would spend that much money on a simple watch. It goes way further than the primary intention of a watch to tell time.

I have to tell you that in the world of coffee, you can make wonderful discoveries and « travel » around the world.

But sorry to tell you that, you will have to spend more than you thought. Does it worth it? Without hesitation I answer yes. For less than what a DJ cost, you will enter a whole new world of discoveries. A pure pleasure for a lifetime.

And to answer your question, the best espresso machine is no contest Decent Espresso.

https://decentespresso.com


And you will need an excellent grinder. Get the best, KafaTek Monolith.

https://www.kafatek.com



And just forget Nespresso...




Envoyé de mon iPhone en utilisant Tapatalk

That is an awesome machine.

[Kyle3130]

Originally Posted by 7sins

THANK YOU everyone for the wonderful responses, time and help. Do you guys think it is worth the extra time/effort/money to get the machine/grinder opposed to a high end Nespresso? One that has an extra stem to froth the milk. I guess the downside is not having a wide array of different beans to use but only the cups they provide, not sure how much variety is there.

Something like this made by Breville for Nespresso? I would say I am more a man of efficiency and a path of least resistance opposed to taking 20-30 minutes to make the espresso, which is time I don't have.

YES! I own this machine and LOVE it!
I use Starbucks blonde Nespresso pods and I can make the same latte for $0.80 instead of $5.