4 ms·

Not gonna lie, this sounds like way too much work. What I am mostly looking for is some sort of an easy access to a diluted coffee like the Americano, really.

Not gonna lie, this sounds like way too much work. What I am mostly looking for is some sort of an easy access to a diluted coffee like the Americano, really. I am OK with buying 1-2kg of beans because I am fairly sure that's going to last me 3-6 months. Cleaning the machine I've done in offices -- 3 minute job. But any more commitment just sounds tiring. I am not a coffee connoisseur by any stretch of the imagination. But light caffeine doses absolutely do help me in very measurable ways. I need easy access to that. Buying a coffee machine is not a big commitment obviously, I am just afraid I'll deem the experiment unsuccessful in a month and then I'll have a nice machine lying around doing nothing that I can't easily sell.

ses1984 6mo ago
You can get an over-the-cup pour over for ~$10-20, basic blade grinder for the same, and a pack of filters. That’s all you really need.
- ValentineC 6mo ago
  A cheap proper coffee hand grinder like a Timemore C2 would go so much further than a blade grinder that would shred the coffee beans up inconsistently. (Buy used for even better value. Hand grinders last forever.)
wafflemaker 6mo ago
https://www.appliancesdirect.co.uk/p/6760642/melitta-6760642-coffee-machine https://www.appliancesdirect.co.uk/p/6760642/melitta-6760642... This style, pour over machine that grinds itself, but uses all water you put in, so it's not fully automatic. It's automatic enough, but also very cheap. Maybe even ⅒ of a price of a fancy espresso machine. And you can add "too much" water (than the setting you set) to make lighter coffee.
benhurmarcel 6mo ago
In that case, if you stick to pre-ground coffee, just get an Oxo Rapid Brewer. It’s cheap, easy and fast to use and clean, and only requires a kettle. You’ll get decent coffee.
michaelhoney 6mo ago
If you are keen for a machine and you like it diluted, I recommend the Moccamaster. It’s a good-looking classic machine that you could definitely sell. For a similar coffee with more manual work, get a Chemex
dgacmu 6mo ago
I finally gave in and got a breville bambino plus and I have no regrets. It was $400 on sale, produces quite decent espresso, foams milk well, has been very reliable, and doesn't heat up the kitchen - I held off getting an espresso machine for years because the instant heat ones always seemed to suck. This one doesn't. I mostly drink Americanos and straight espressos, my wife drinks lattes, everybody is happy. But I have to agree with others: for my diluted espresso desires, I used (and still have) an Aeropress for years and it's simply fantastic. Low cost, almost zero maintenance, good results. Very similar output to an americano though lower on crema.
- pdimitar 6mo ago
  Nice. Does it have a special option for Americano? That's the main reason I'm leaning towards Delonghi Magnifica Start. It has a button for Americano. I tried moka pot coffee + diluting it with hot water. It's not the same. :(
  - dgacmu 6mo ago
    No, I just pre-fill a cup with hot water from the steam wand (it has a hot water mode) and then pull a double shot of espresso into it. (That's technically an Australian long black but I like it better - it leaves the crema on top.)

ses1984 6mo ago

You can get an over-the-cup pour over for ~$10-20, basic blade grinder for the same, and a pack of filters. That’s all you really need.

ValentineC 6mo ago
A cheap proper coffee hand grinder like a Timemore C2 would go so much further than a blade grinder that would shred the coffee beans up inconsistently. (Buy used for even better value. Hand grinders last forever.)

wafflemaker 6mo ago

https://www.appliancesdirect.co.uk/p/6760642/melitta-6760642-coffee-machine https://www.appliancesdirect.co.uk/p/6760642/melitta-6760642... This style, pour over machine that grinds itself, but uses all water you put in, so it's not fully automatic. It's automatic enough, but also very cheap. Maybe even ⅒ of a price of a fancy espresso machine. And you can add "too much" water (than the setting you set) to make lighter coffee.

benhurmarcel 6mo ago

In that case, if you stick to pre-ground coffee, just get an Oxo Rapid Brewer. It’s cheap, easy and fast to use and clean, and only requires a kettle. You’ll get decent coffee.

michaelhoney 6mo ago

If you are keen for a machine and you like it diluted, I recommend the Moccamaster. It’s a good-looking classic machine that you could definitely sell. For a similar coffee with more manual work, get a Chemex

dgacmu 6mo ago

I finally gave in and got a breville bambino plus and I have no regrets. It was $400 on sale, produces quite decent espresso, foams milk well, has been very reliable, and doesn't heat up the kitchen - I held off getting an espresso machine for years because the instant heat ones always seemed to suck. This one doesn't. I mostly drink Americanos and straight espressos, my wife drinks lattes, everybody is happy. But I have to agree with others: for my diluted espresso desires, I used (and still have) an Aeropress for years and it's simply fantastic. Low cost, almost zero maintenance, good results. Very similar output to an americano though lower on crema.

pdimitar 6mo ago
Nice. Does it have a special option for Americano? That's the main reason I'm leaning towards Delonghi Magnifica Start. It has a button for Americano. I tried moka pot coffee + diluting it with hot water. It's not the same. :(
- dgacmu 6mo ago
  No, I just pre-fill a cup with hot water from the steam wand (it has a hot water mode) and then pull a double shot of espresso into it. (That's technically an Australian long black but I like it better - it leaves the crema on top.)