Restaurant-grade espresso machine for a low-budget home?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So it really depends on what you want. There are machines called super automatic espresso machines that will grind the beans and make a variety of espresso-based drinks (many also have milk dispensers so they can froth milk for you and make cappuccinos, macchiatos, etc.). The machines give you a consistent decent coffee without too much waiting around and there's nothing you need to do except supply the beans and water, press a button, and clean the machine once in a while. The thing is, in some ways a super automatic is basically a glorified Nespresso machine. You use whole beans instead of pods and it seems more like a real espresso machine, but I'm not sure the espresso is necessarily that much different/better. (The Nespresso will be a *lot* cheaper to buy, but the pods will be more expensive than coffee beans).

On the other hand, there are semi-automatic espresso machines where you can really learn to pull your own espresso. These can be cheaper than a super automatic (although you probably also need to buy a nice grinder to go with it, which might cost almost as much as the espresso machine) but it's a whole skill/art to learn to produce a really good quality espresso. So if you are willing to wait up to 20 minutes for the boiler to heat up, and you are into learning how to get the water pressure/temp just right, you can make a better espresso than a super automatic--but if you aren't then you can easily make a worse one.

Seattle Coffee Gear has a ton of videos, reviews and shopping options on their website that might be helpful, and you can even call them up and they are very nice about offering advice (and good prices too). I'd say the price range for a semi-automatic or a super automatic runs from about $500-2000 (and a grinder might be another few hundred).

You sound like you really know your stuff. Do you have a machine? Which one?

I have a superautomatic (saeco exprelia) and I love it but I recognize it’s a bit of an extravagance (even with a 25% discount when we bought it) so I was trying to be even handed. Definitely worth understanding what you are getting into either way.

[Anonymous]

My laziness knows no bounds and having to separately grind, tamp, wash individual parts, etc. discourages me from using a machine, so I recently invested in a superautomatic. After a lot of research, I chose the Philips 3200 with LatteGo. Definitely not the fanciest one on the market (I paid about $800 for mine), but what sets it apart from other similar ones is the ease of cleaning (basically, just rinse the milk container off after using - no tubes or small parts to worry about), and rinse off the internal brew group once a week. You press one button and it makes espresso, lattes, cappuccinos, americanos, regular coffee...huge fan so far, although I've only had it a short while.

[Anonymous]

I went with the Breville Bambino Plus (got it on sale and then with an extra 20% of from Bed Bath & Beyond around Black Friday) along with a Baratza burr grinder. I’ve had it for over a year and have been very pleased. I got it because of this recommendation: https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-espresso-machine-grinder-and-accessories-for-beginners/

[Anonymous]

We have a Jura from Costco, it's been going strong for 7 years. The one we bought was higher than your price range but they do have cheaper options

[Anonymous]

Lots of great advice and videos on WholeLatteLove. We have bought two Gaggia machines from them in the past 12 years. The first, more entry-level, was the Gaggia Brera which was a workhorse for about a decade. Then we upgraded to the Academia when it was on supersale about a year ago. But there are other good options around your price point, perhaps like the Prestige:
https://www.wholelattelove.com/collections/all-espresso-machines?_=pf&pf_v_brand=Gaggia

If you go semi-automatic or super-automatic, you want to have really good beans that are not oily. Oily beans (like Starbucks) will gum up your grinder. We've had good local success with Swing's Roasters and RiseUp coffee. Now we order from a friend's small roasting operation in Philly and the beans are perfect: https://www.triangleroasters.com/shop/symmetry-espresso-blend

[Anonymous]

I typed the wrong one! We bought the Anima which is similar to the Prestige: https://www.wholelattelove.com/collections/all-espresso-machines/products/gaggia-anima-prestige-super-automatic-espresso-machine. Now that we're home, we crank 6-8 shots out of it a day either in straight espressos or for a morning latte. Lots of good ways to vary then program your grind and froth to get just what you want.

[Anonymous]

https://www.wholelattelove.com/collections/all-espresso-machines/products/gaggia-anima-prestige-super-automatic-espresso-machine

[Anonymous]

We have a Gaggia that we got from Whole Latta Love. Call them. A human will pick up the phone and ask you some questions and help you pick out the best machine for your coffee needs.

[Anonymous]

De'Longhi! They have a bunch of countertop options that are very good quality for the price, both automatic and manual.

For anyone considering Nespresso...don't. The pods are expensive and wasteful for what you get. I gave away my Nespresso machine and switched to Cafe Bustelo (espresso instant coffee). It's actually quite good and makes mornings so much faster if you're not going to do a brew from scratch.

[Anonymous]

Second Jura. I love mine and you can get a lower end machine without the milk features for about $800.

[Anonymous]

$800 is not low-budget.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:$800 is not low-budget.

Yeah you're right, I corrected myself after the initial post.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I typed the wrong one! We bought the Anima which is similar to the Prestige: https://www.wholelattelove.com/collections/all-espresso-machines/products/gaggia-anima-prestige-super-automatic-espresso-machine. Now that we're home, we crank 6-8 shots out of it a day either in straight espressos or for a morning latte. Lots of good ways to vary then program your grind and froth to get just what you want.

Thanks, I'll check out this website!

[Anonymous]

Hope this helps!

[Anonymous]

Keep us posted on what you get!