4 ms·

I've been wanting an Espresso machine recently but it seems like they're a lot more expensive than I hoped for a decent one. I was spoiled by the one my Italia

by naet 4y ago

I've been wanting an Espresso machine recently but it seems like they're a lot more expensive than I hoped for a decent one. I was spoiled by the one my Italian American parents had that was very nice but probably cost them a pretty penny to buy. It was a beautiful old metal machine with none of the digital bells and whistles that seem to plague the newer machines. Sometimes I use my moka pot which isn't the same but still produces very nice coffee when used right.

anon84873628 4y ago
FWIW I think the Flair brand offers the best price performance for entry level espresso. It takes more practice to get a consistent shot, but it can definitely make good coffee. There are now many good hand grinders that can do espresso grind for less than $200. Then you just need a kettle. The Wacoco products also make a solid shot, but they are even more inconvenient for home use.
- ben7799 4y ago
  I love the Flair. I've been using it around 2 years now just about every day. It's just right for home use where you're not making lots of espresso. It's simple, has basically nothing to break, wastes extremely little energy, takes up very little space on the counter, etc.. And once you get good at using it you can do lots of things that require very very expensive boiler machines to do and make very good espresso.
- bergie 4y ago
  I make coffee every morning with a Wacaco Nanopresso. It produces a pretty nice shot after you get the grind, tamping, etc dialed down. Sure, it is a bit of work to pump out the coffee, but it makes for a decent morning wake-up ritual.
binarymax 4y ago
We were given a Capresso 117.05 as a gift and it’s a really great entry level espresso machine for the price (which I just looked up). I was actually surprised how well it worked, even with a cheap palm grinder.
stouset 4y ago
Yeah, it's definitely not cheap to get into home espresso if you want any level of control and consistency to the process. I got a Bambino Plus, which I'm generally happy with. There are some flaws, but for "only" $500 it's a pretty competitive machine for my use-case. Unfortunately that's where the costs begin, not end. Generally "necessary" upgrades include a non-pressurized filter basket ($20), a bottomless portafilter so you can observe your pulls and make adjustments ($50), and a coffee distributor which will help significantly with consistent pulls on a consumer-grade machine ($50). You'll also need a scale ($50). And now you need an espresso-capable grinder. A lot of people use a Baratza Encore ($150), but the stepped grind-size adjustments can render it impossible to dial in correctly. For a continuous-adjustment grinder you're talking at least $500. There are very good hand grinders you could use instead for $100–$200, but grinding espresso shots by hand every time gets old fast. All in all with taxes, you're talking a minimum of around $750 for a bare-bones setup that will have a lot of frustration and difficultly with consistency to about $1,250 for a more recommended setup that will have you repeatedly pulling decent shots. Obviously I'm being a bit loose with the definition of "bare-bones", as plenty of people are happy with a Bambino ($350) and a cheap grinder ($50). But this is what I think would be the definition someone who prefers third-wave specialty coffee would use as a competitive alternative to going to their local coffee shop.
- fatnoah 4y ago
  FWIW, I have a fancier machine, but don't have any of that optional equipment. I have a decent and consistent burr grinder, but other than that my optional equipment is the tamper and a toothpick for distribution. This is mostly because the biggest variable I seem to deal with is bean quality and age, and the only way I've really been able to get consistent results is purely by feel based on how the beans look in the filter basket after grinding and a quick stir with the toothpick. The result is that I generally get the shot spot-on about 9/10 times. As for the 10th, an iffy shot can be turned into a decent latte. ;) In any case, I think all of the extra equipment definitely helps with consistency, but I think one can get good results with practice without all of the extras. At the very least, one could work their way up to that point.
  - 4y ago
lostlogin 4y ago
If you’re after beauty and limited electronics, the Faema e61 is still made (ignore the Jubilee, the Legend is the one I mean). Most parts are I interchangeable with the original. https://www.faema.com/int-en/product/E61-MONOFASE-ANNIVERSARIO/A1152GAI1999A/e61-legend-1gr-white-wood-50-60m-uldm https://www.faema.com/int-en/product/E61-MONOFASE-ANNIVERSAR... The pinnacle for good looks has to be the Faema Urania. https://www.home-barista.com/levers/1962-faema-urania-refurb-t73896.html https://www.home-barista.com/levers/1962-faema-urania-refurb... Both of those are very very expensive. At the other end of the scale, and making coffee that I’m not sure I could tell apart, is the cult classic, the Rancilio Silvia. You’ll pick a second hand one up quite cheap, and they are very good. Mine made approximately 15k coffees with one cheap service 10 years in. It’s still going well. https://www.ranciliogroup.com/rancilio/silvia/silvia/ https://www.ranciliogroup.com/rancilio/silvia/silvia/
- patrickdavey 4y ago
  The rancilio looks great. A different comment said it takes 4 minutes to switch from brewing to steaming? Is that correct? I quite like a flat white in the morning and 4 mins is quite a while ;)
  - lostlogin 4y ago
    I think it’s quicker than that, but I took a different approach. I steamed, switched to espresso then released the excess pressure into a jug. Then made coffee.

by naet 4y ago

anon84873628 4y ago

FWIW I think the Flair brand offers the best price performance for entry level espresso. It takes more practice to get a consistent shot, but it can definitely make good coffee. There are now many good hand grinders that can do espresso grind for less than $200. Then you just need a kettle. The Wacoco products also make a solid shot, but they are even more inconvenient for home use.

ben7799 4y ago
I love the Flair. I've been using it around 2 years now just about every day. It's just right for home use where you're not making lots of espresso. It's simple, has basically nothing to break, wastes extremely little energy, takes up very little space on the counter, etc.. And once you get good at using it you can do lots of things that require very very expensive boiler machines to do and make very good espresso.
bergie 4y ago
I make coffee every morning with a Wacaco Nanopresso. It produces a pretty nice shot after you get the grind, tamping, etc dialed down. Sure, it is a bit of work to pump out the coffee, but it makes for a decent morning wake-up ritual.

binarymax 4y ago

We were given a Capresso 117.05 as a gift and it’s a really great entry level espresso machine for the price (which I just looked up). I was actually surprised how well it worked, even with a cheap palm grinder.

stouset 4y ago

Yeah, it's definitely not cheap to get into home espresso if you want any level of control and consistency to the process. I got a Bambino Plus, which I'm generally happy with. There are some flaws, but for "only" $500 it's a pretty competitive machine for my use-case. Unfortunately that's where the costs begin, not end. Generally "necessary" upgrades include a non-pressurized filter basket ($20), a bottomless portafilter so you can observe your pulls and make adjustments ($50), and a coffee distributor which will help significantly with consistent pulls on a consumer-grade machine ($50). You'll also need a scale ($50). And now you need an espresso-capable grinder. A lot of people use a Baratza Encore ($150), but the stepped grind-size adjustments can render it impossible to dial in correctly. For a continuous-adjustment grinder you're talking at least $500. There are very good hand grinders you could use instead for $100–$200, but grinding espresso shots by hand every time gets old fast. All in all with taxes, you're talking a minimum of around $750 for a bare-bones setup that will have a lot of frustration and difficultly with consistency to about $1,250 for a more recommended setup that will have you repeatedly pulling decent shots. Obviously I'm being a bit loose with the definition of "bare-bones", as plenty of people are happy with a Bambino ($350) and a cheap grinder ($50). But this is what I think would be the definition someone who prefers third-wave specialty coffee would use as a competitive alternative to going to their local coffee shop.

fatnoah 4y ago
FWIW, I have a fancier machine, but don't have any of that optional equipment. I have a decent and consistent burr grinder, but other than that my optional equipment is the tamper and a toothpick for distribution. This is mostly because the biggest variable I seem to deal with is bean quality and age, and the only way I've really been able to get consistent results is purely by feel based on how the beans look in the filter basket after grinding and a quick stir with the toothpick. The result is that I generally get the shot spot-on about 9/10 times. As for the 10th, an iffy shot can be turned into a decent latte. ;) In any case, I think all of the extra equipment definitely helps with consistency, but I think one can get good results with practice without all of the extras. At the very least, one could work their way up to that point.
- 4y ago

lostlogin 4y ago

If you’re after beauty and limited electronics, the Faema e61 is still made (ignore the Jubilee, the Legend is the one I mean). Most parts are I interchangeable with the original. https://www.faema.com/int-en/product/E61-MONOFASE-ANNIVERSARIO/A1152GAI1999A/e61-legend-1gr-white-wood-50-60m-uldm https://www.faema.com/int-en/product/E61-MONOFASE-ANNIVERSAR... The pinnacle for good looks has to be the Faema Urania. https://www.home-barista.com/levers/1962-faema-urania-refurb-t73896.html https://www.home-barista.com/levers/1962-faema-urania-refurb... Both of those are very very expensive. At the other end of the scale, and making coffee that I’m not sure I could tell apart, is the cult classic, the Rancilio Silvia. You’ll pick a second hand one up quite cheap, and they are very good. Mine made approximately 15k coffees with one cheap service 10 years in. It’s still going well. https://www.ranciliogroup.com/rancilio/silvia/silvia/ https://www.ranciliogroup.com/rancilio/silvia/silvia/

patrickdavey 4y ago
The rancilio looks great. A different comment said it takes 4 minutes to switch from brewing to steaming? Is that correct? I quite like a flat white in the morning and 4 mins is quite a while ;)
- lostlogin 4y ago
  I think it’s quicker than that, but I took a different approach. I steamed, switched to espresso then released the excess pressure into a jug. Then made coffee.