Thoughts on a cheap espresso machine?

[Tirvine]

I just realized I posted this in the wrong thread, and its too late to delete, I'm sorry.

If the powers that be could either move it to "coffee are you drinking" or just delete? Thank you, and again, sorry.

I would go to eBay and look for a used well known brand like Gaggia, not one like this that appears to have a pressurized portafilter. It is the nature of espresso makers that they have parts that need replacing now and then, especially seals. Gaggia parts ought to be easy to find. Be prepared to spend as much as possible on a good espresso grinder. I am sure lots of folks here can provide tons more useful information.

 

[Tirvine]

Anyone looking for espresso on a budget first needs to say what their preferred drink is. Cafe con latte or cappuccino lovers might be fine with La Llave or Cafe Bustelo made in a Bialetti and mixed with microwaved milk frothed with an Aerolatte. If they want espresso or even a macchiato, budget solutions will often disappoint. First get a high quality espresso grinder like Mazzer, Macap, or a high end Baratza. Just because a machine has an espresso or very fine setting on its dial does NOT mean it grinds fine enough and evenly enough for espresso. With high quality beans ground well, the cheapest little machine with a portafilter that is not pressurized can deliver a very fine shot. With more to spend I personally think lever machines can deliver world class espresso. A La Pavoni will probably be the lowest cost but the hardest to master. I have a 1960s Elektra Micro Casa a Leva. It is spring loaded and easy peasy. They are a ton of fun to learn. Levers are also usually less expensive than high end semiautomatics with E61 groupheads. Coffeegeek is a good website resource.

 

[bonjing]

Thanks for all the replies, guys.

Unfortunately, the "weekends on a budget" idea is set in stone for now - I'm not spending $300 to $600 for a home espresso machine. The one I listed was about $125 and features 20 Bar pressure; the Breville Infuser above is more elegant, but costs $600 (way out of range) and has just 15 Bar (though I realized that's not the only measure of success).

I have a few (conical) hand-grinders and usually make a Turkish-style cup at the office or a pour-over cup at home. I also used to work at a couple of independent espresso-centric coffee joints through the '90s, so while the tech has changed, I'm pretty familiar with that specific rabbit hole, and I really don't want to get that deep.

Maybe my best choice for now is to get a milk frother and pair that with some faux espresso and be done with it. I can look for a decent home machine when I retire and have the time for a daily cap (or two) at home.

Cheers, all.

If you’re looking to take advantage of that 20bar I think you’re going to be exploding baskets, just a guess. For the budget, if you have a kettle, scale and grinder already I might be looking at a flair espresso maker:

Flair Espresso Maker | Manual Espresso Machines

The Flair Espresso Maker is a series of five manual espresso makers that produces professional quality espresso at home..

flairespresso.com

A lot more steps but they seem to be worth the coin. I have no experience with them, although I do have the flair 58 in my basement awaiting to be used.

 

[Tirvine]

Thanks for all the replies, guys.

Unfortunately, the "weekends on a budget" idea is set in stone for now - I'm not spending $300 to $600 for a home espresso machine. The one I listed was about $125 and features 20 Bar pressure; the Breville Infuser above is more elegant, but costs $600 (way out of range) and has just 15 Bar (though I realized that's not the only measure of success).

I have a few (conical) hand-grinders and usually make a Turkish-style cup at the office or a pour-over cup at home. I also used to work at a couple of independent espresso-centric coffee joints through the '90s, so while the tech has changed, I'm pretty familiar with that specific rabbit hole, and I really don't want to get that deep.

Maybe my best choice for now is to get a milk frother and pair that with some faux espresso and be done with it. I can look for a decent home machine when I retire and have the time for a daily cap (or two) at home.

Cheers, all.

If you like cappuccinos the Bialetti and Aerolatte is a great route. Bialettis do not need special grinds or tamping. A scoop of Bustelo or La Llave is great. If you ultimately go espresso you ought to be able to find good Gaggias on eBay priced at or under $125. Happy coffee drinking!

 

[Lightcs1776]

Love the Aeropress, but it does not make anything close to espresso. I have a Gaggia Pro that is the lower price point that I have found makes good espresso. I have had cheaper but there is no comparison. The Beeville models have a good reputation. I know there was a model, BES870XL, that was mentioned earlier that has a good reputation and is around the same price as my Gaggia.

 

[steelwindmachine]

as just previously mentioned, the Aeropress and the Moka Pot do not brew espresso. They are espresso-like in that they use pressure to force water through the coffee. Beyond that, what sets espresso apart from other brew methods is that it uses a high pressure pump to generate 7-9 bar of pressure to move water through the coffee puck.

If you want a cheap espresso maker, get a Flair Neo for $149 and then save your money for a high quality burr grinder like the Baratza Encore ESP at a minimum. The more you spend on a grinder, the better control you'll have over dialing in your brew, less fines that can throw off the taste via over-extracting, and give you more consistency. I have a Baratza Vario+ with steel burrs, but would go back to the ceramics if I was brewing espresso. It's an amazing grinder for the money, excellent particle distribution and a lot of adjustment, but it is $650.

Loads of people want cheap espresso. The only way to get it "cheap" is to find a good roastery near you that brews espresso and pay them to make you a cup and hope they make it well. Otherwise, without a quality grinder and a brewer that can hit 7+ bar, you're just wasting your time and money. Can you find high quality espresso equipment cheap on the second hand market? Yes.

Also, watch some James Hoffman videos. He'll learn you. He's a World Barista winner and co-owner of a roastery in London.

Here's one where you can learn about machines and what he looks for in evaluating their performance and then you can go on a binge more:

 

[Galibier_Numero_Un]

I beg to differ about Aeropress.

About 15 years ago, I began a search for a replacement for a Starbucks branded Saeco Rio Vapore. Down the rabbit hole I went - looking at the next step up : $1K and up heat exchanger machines.

I decided to buy some time with an Aeropress, and developed a poor man's latte process. I haven't looked back. There's no way that I can brew a proper espresso shot, but several ounces of milk heated in a microwave (the sugar) hides a multitude of sins.

My brewing method simulates an espresso shot pull: grind two shots in my Rocky grinder, pour 2 ounces of 190F water, and start pressing at 23 seconds.

As with an expresso shot, it takes a bit of experimentation. I visited a buddy who has a $2,500 grinder and a plumbed machine. I prefer my latte to the ones he makes.

There's no accounting for taste ;-)

... Thom

 

[FoolishMortal]

as just previously mentioned, the Aeropress and the Moka Pot do not brew espresso. They are espresso-like in that they use pressure to force water through the coffee. Beyond that, what sets espresso apart from other brew methods is that it uses a high pressure pump to generate 7-9 bar of pressure to move water through the coffee puck.

If you want a cheap espresso maker, get a Flair Neo for $149 and then save your money for a high quality burr grinder like the Baratza Encore ESP at a minimum. The more you spend on a grinder, the better control you'll have over dialing in your brew, less fines that can throw off the taste via over-extracting, and give you more consistency. I have a Baratza Vario+ with steel burrs, but would go back to the ceramics if I was brewing espresso. It's an amazing grinder for the money, excellent particle distribution and a lot of adjustment, but it is $650.

Loads of people want cheap espresso. The only way to get it "cheap" is to find a good roastery near you that brews espresso and pay them to make you a cup and hope they make it well. Otherwise, without a quality grinder and a brewer that can hit 7+ bar, you're just wasting your time and money. Can you find high quality espresso equipment cheap on the second hand market? Yes.

Also, watch some James Hoffman videos. He'll learn you. He's a World Barista winner and co-owner of a roastery in London.

Here's one where you can learn about machines and what he looks for in evaluating their performance and then you can go on a binge more:

Thanks for reminding me about James Hoffman - he's a very entertaining watch. And I did stumble across this video, which is exactly what I needed.

 

[steelwindmachine]

@FoolishMortal - while I especially enjoy James' entertainment, it's his evaluation and criteria of equipment that I find most valuable. I'm also a Type A personality, so while I find some of his aesthetic knocks petty, I do recognize that many of them would likely me drive me nuts too!

Personally, if I was going to purchase an espresso machine with water heating it'd either be an old La Pavoni lever or a Gaggia Classic. They're both robust, classic machines that can be modded to varying degrees, but are simplistic enough in design to not over-cost or complicate squeezing out a good cup. Thankfully I'm good on the grinder front with my Baratza Vario+ with sets of ceramic and steel burrs No need for a Weber Workshops' unit.

 

[REV579]

I would go to eBay and look for a used well known brand like Gaggia, not one like this that appears to have a pressurized portafilter. It is the nature of espresso makers that they have parts that need replacing now and then, especially seals. Gaggia parts ought to be easy to find. Be prepared to spend as much as possible on a good espresso grinder. I am sure lots of folks here can provide tons more useful information.

The Gaggia Classic is a good route. It’ll cost a little extra, but first, you want 9 bars of pressure, not more. Secondly, it’s more metal than plastic, can be worked on if need and won’t be disposable. It also uses “standard” parts and technique, which will stay with you.

As far as a grinder, I ended up with a Breville Smart Grinder and after some experimentation, found the sweet spot for a very basic espresso bean, LaVazza Gran Crema. The setting can be seen in one of the pics, although I also lowered the inner burr setting by 1, to 4.

The Gaggia Classic is not fully automatic, so a measure amount of espresso, 18g and a drip/brew time of 20-35 seconds, should yield 36g of espresso.

There is technique required to achieve what you want(30# of tamped pressure in the portafilter, even grind dispersement, dialing the bean/grind, etc.). If you don’t have interests in this, look for an automatic machine. They have a “k-cup” option out there too, just don’t expect amazing Crema or the sweet espresso of Italy. It might be an option, but that won’t be cheap.
I’ve not used an aeropress or other good options other than a krups machine that I bought before 2000.

 

[Tirvine]

The Gaggia Classic is a good route. It’ll cost a little extra, but first, you want 9 bars of pressure, not more. Secondly, it’s more metal than plastic, can be worked on if need and won’t be disposable. It also uses “standard” parts and technique, which will stay with you.

As far as a grinder, I ended up with a Breville Smart Grinder and after some experimentation, found the sweet spot for a very basic espresso bean, LaVazza Gran Crema. The setting can be seen in one of the pics, although I also lowered the inner burr setting by 1, to 4.

The Gaggia Classic is not fully automatic, so a measure amount of espresso, 18g and a drip/brew time of 20-35 seconds, should yield 36g of espresso.

There is technique required to achieve what you want(30# of tamped pressure in the portafilter, even grind dispersement, dialing the bean/grind, etc.). If you don’t have interests in this, look for an automatic machine. They have a “k-cup” option out there too, just don’t expect amazing Crema or the sweet espresso of Italy. It might be an option, but that won’t be cheap.
I’ve not used an aeropress or other good options other than a krups machine that I bought before 2000.

It sounds as if you have cleared the launching pad and begun your espresso journey. For a very long time your attention needs to be on the beans, the quality of the grind, and your technique. On the subject of technique, temperature is of critical importance. Too hot, bitter. Too cool, sour. Perfect, perfect. That is the God shot you seek that will bring out every nuance in the beans and need no augmentation. It is rare. There is a reason many French and Italians use a little sugar. You need to learn how to preheat, flush, etc. to hit that perfect temperature. Your machine will support you well. As for the 30# tamp, I just use arm strength. After tamping I spin the tamper to polish the top. Your objective is for the pressurized water to go everywhere, not channel into a few places. It is worthwhile to let your pucks dry and then pick them apart to see what happened.Then back in the knock box for composting. Ciao bella!