Please recommend your small, under $200 espresso machine

[Anonymous]

DH have a tiny kitchen but want to get a little espresso machine (think Nespresso with the single-use “cups”). Please recommend your smallish, under $200 espresso machine - thank you!

[Anonymous]

We have this from Nespresso in our small kitchen, we love it, it’s gets a lot of use.

https://www.nespresso.com/us/en/order/machines/original/essenza-mini-c30-intense-grey

[Anonymous]

I don't think you can get a decent quality espresso machine at that price point. Just because something is marketed as an espresso machine doesn't mean that it's actually an espresso machine. The Gaggia Classic for $400 is a great machine.

[Anonymous]

You've answered your own request by mentioning Nespresso. That's likely your best, if not your only, option in that price range which uses prepackaged capsules. The expense of capsules can add up over time, however, even if the machine itself isn't too costly.

Many espresso fans will recommend a manual machine, but good ones are more costly. Semi-automatic and fully automatic machines which make many kinds of coffee beverages are much more expensive and take up more space.

An inexpensive possibility might be an Aeropress. Popular for making coffee, it can approximate espresso, too, e.g. https://www.acouplecooks.com/aeropress-espresso/ and

https://www.javapresse.com/blogs/aeropress/aeropress-espresso-recipe

[Anonymous]

NP here - I’ve been considering getting a moka pot. Has anybody used one? Any thoughts- pro or con?

[Anonymous]

The really good ones are big. I just came to encourage you to find these secondhand - they are usually easy to find on craigslist, Facebook marketplace, neighborhood listserves. You can get a much better quality one by not paying retail since people lose interest in this kind of thing. We liked our Delonghi one, and then updated to a much bigger, better one but didn't pay retail for either.