Are you getting good use out of your espresso machine?

I haven't read every single reply but the vast majority say probably not.

My experience is basically the opposite of everyone here. I bought a refurbished gaggia classic for $275 in like 2012 or so. I use it daily. It's not hard to use, and in fact my 5 year old can pull a shot all by himself.

There is a comment that for the same prep home espresso won't be as good as commercial because the machine quality is lower.

I'm sorry but IMO this is 100% wrong.

As long as there's nothing wrong with your machine, water, or beans, there's no difference. The goal of an espresso machine is to supply 9 bars of pressure. The coffee doesn't care if the machine cost $400, $4000, or even $12,000.

The reason commercial machines are so expensive is really twofold. Mainly they are built to be able to pull shot after shot all day every day for decades. The second thing is that commercial machines are pretty much universally multi group dual boiler setups where you can steam and pull 3 shots at the same time. So not only do commercial machines require the highest quality stuff, but they need 3, 4 or more copies of everything.

But again the goal of the machine is to supply heated water at 9 bars of pressure. The results will be the same in any machine that can accomplish this goal, the cost difference basically boils down to how nice the machine is to use, and what extra features it has.

The grinder on the other hand makes a huge difference. But, you don't have to spend a ton to match cafe quality. A baratza encore will do the job but not well. Step up to the sette and you will be able to get close.

Lastly is the beans. Now this is an area that you will have to research, but I found a local roaster that mainly sells to local cafes and hotels, but is also is open to the public. His coffee is fresh and I really enjoy it.

The last thing is that tricky statement "for the same amount of prep."

Cafes pretty much do the very minimum. Press a button on the grinder, get a volumetric dose that should be within 1.5g or so, quickly tamp, pull a shot, and move on to the next customer. I've even started seeing mechanical automatic tampers being used.

You on the other hand will (likely) be weighing beans with sub gram accuracy, checking the machine temperature, carefully distributing the grounds, carefully tamping or maybe using a calibrated tamper... Etc.

You will be putting in more prep just simply because you have to. You don't have the equipment that cafes do that will make the process as easy as pushing 2-3 buttons. But that's okay. If you enjoy espresso you will enjoy the process and it'll become a hobby more than anything.

But that last part is the key. Are you willing or ready for espresso to become a new hobby? Yes? Buy a machine. No? Keep using aero press. Or do some else. Only you know what you want.

I got a Breville Barista Express a few months ago and I'm really happy with it, I use it at least once a day (always in the morning, sometimes in the afternoon or in the evening especially on the weekend). The process is not so time consuming once you get the hang of it, and it has become the most enjoyable part of my mornings

I have the Ascaso Uno PID for it’s through-flow heater. There is virtually no heat up time needed so you can get an espresso when you want. I was aiming for a machine that allows me to be lazy and short-sighted and the Uno delivers that for me. I use it at least once a day but of course you have to decide if the investment into machine and grinder of around 1,4-2k$ is worth it for you. It is for me but I treat it as a hobby. You definitely need some time to tune in the grind setting, temperature, pressure and bean. But once you have your settings you usually only need to change the grind setting for each bean. I would go with an automatic burr grinder for consistency and ease of use since you sometimes have to redo a shot.

I have an ok machine and regularly use it.

I know a guy who works in the industry supplying machines and another who is a commercial roster. Both say similar things.

A good grinder and fresh beans are far more important. They both say the aeropress is an excellent way to brew and better than most cheaper espresso machines.

My advice based on that would be. Keep using the aeropress but if you want an upgrade get a good burr grinder.

That's if your ultimate aim is making better coffee. If you just want to get better using a machine and have fun just pick one you like the look of and enjoy.

We started with an Aeropress, then got a mid range Delonghi all in one machine and never looked back. After 3.5 years or so we decided to upgrade to their newer all in one that does cold brew as well.

We make at least 6 cappuccinos every morning, and often a cold brew latte or two in the afternoons.

Before we decommissioned the old one we checked the system settings and it said it had brewed over 2800 coffees. We stopped buying coffee out in most places because often we would decide the machine at home made better coffee.

If you like coffee with milk, both cold and hot, we can definitely recommend the Delonghi Eletta Explore. The coffee is good, the new milk carafes are way easier to clean, and the machine works well with all types of coffee.

Even the wanky app that "adjusts the grind to the variety and roast of your beans" surprisingly seems to work - though the rest of the app is trash.

It really depends on your lifestyle. Most machines will need some heat up time and if you're not sure you won't be pulling another shot for the rest of the day, it'll sit there, consuming like 1000+ watt of power, at least when the heater is on.

I got myself VBM Domobar (HX) more than a decade ago, and still going strong. I don't regret it. It was especially useful during covid lockdown.

Again, it really depends on your lifestyle. It is higher maintenance than any filter brewer. Demands higher end grinder, although those are much more affordable these days.

I use a flair classic lever brewer, and it's the only thing i brew coffee with on a daily basis. I use a French press or pour over when I have guests.

Not anymore, due to my GAD and insomnia. Long story short, I was compensating how tired I was with how tense I would get from coffee. My psych told me to stop taking so much caffeine and it's helped a lot to curb my anxiety.

I miss it though. Used to brew a fresh cup in the morning, noon, and afternoon. Freshly ground every time. It legitimately ruined every espresso shop in town for me. Burnt, bitter, or underbrewed. Only good coffee shop in town is a turkish one.

Got a secondhand Delonghi Dedica because I had similar concerns over how much I'd use it. Previous owner installed an aftermarket steam wand, which has been a joy.

Overall, it comes and goes in waves for me. Some weeks I pull shots every afternoon, sometimes it sits unused for a month. I enjoy taking some time to step away from the home office and prep coffee, so espresso is nice for that. I'd probably use it even more if we were more of a milk drinking household. I like my steamed milk drinks, but we don't reliably keep milk in our fridge.

I'm also very lazy about dialing in shots. We like to buy a variety of beans for our morning French press, so the coffee available for espresso might vary week-to-week. I'm not willing to waste coffee dialing in on a 16oz bag of beans that'll be gone in a few days, so the quality of my espresso suffers. Do most people generally keep one kind of bean around specifically for their espresso?

I got a Isomac super giada 20 years ago and have used it at least 4-5 times daily since, it is my main source for espresso. A couple of years ago i got myself a La Pavoni Europiccola, mostly using it when having guests.

Short answer: multiple times every day.

Look at it as a hobby. You will sink as much money into as you want. I started with a cheap mister coffee espresso machine but now have a pretty nice E61 group head machine and jazzed up grinder and all the various coffee toys. It all brings me joy. The morning coffee ritual is what gets me out of bed.

From a cost perspective, if you are the kind of person who drinks 3 lattes from a cafe everyday, then even with the cost of a relatively nice machine and grinder will be paid for with the difference pretty quickly. If memory serves, you save about $4 per cup which adds up pretty quickly.

I've owned two second hand Rancilio Silvias and they are very well built, I've seen them used commercially and while this wouldn't be recommended they can take some abuse. I use it every day and it's perfect, the Aeropress lives in the van now.

I’ve got the manual Flair Pro, and I go through phases of using it, or going back to a moka pot. As it comes with a case, I can pack the gubbins away, leaving just the rather pleasing-looking frame, and I have a plan to make a little shelf with a drawer so that the whole affair can be tidied away quickly if I want. I’ve also taken it camping with me, and occasionally if I’m working somewhere remote, I’ve had excellent espresso on a job site far out in the woods.

It’s slightly more involved than an automatic machine, but if you’re only making one or two cups (I have two of the portafilter parts) it’s pretty quick and easy. I only have a hand grinder, so have to do that whether I’m using the Flair, a moka pot, or a cafetière.

The Flair allows so much adjustment that it can make some of the best coffee I’ve ever had, but it allows you to screw it’s right up too, and there’s a bigger learning curve than most machines. It’s definitely more of a hobby than just a part of a morning routine.

We have a Breville Oracle. Love it and it’s our “daily driver”. We rarely have guests, but in that case we just keep pumping out the cups.

The Americano function has completely removed the need in our house for any other coffee device.

I've had a BBE for almost 4 years, I use it daily. I can create nicer tasting espresso based drinks than Starbucks and Costa and basically any other local coffee shop.

The only people I've found locally that can do a better job are the ones who roast the beans I use - and I'd be surprised if they couldn't.

I got my machine about 2 years ago and I use it almost exclusively. I don’t think I’ve made coffee any other way in at least 6 months. I make espresso for myself and my wife about 3 times a week. I use a smart plug with my machine to turn it on and let it start heating up without having to go to the kitchen, and that has helped me use it more since I can start preheating it from anywhere.

I started with an Areopress about 15 years ago. Still have it and sometimes pull it out but it goes on every camping trip with us.

I drank a lot of pressed coffees for about 10 years till last year when I decided I wanted to go all in on a good Espresso machine so I pulled the trigger on a Lelit Bianca that we use daily and love it.

I am due to upgrade my grinder here soon. My Brevell is starting to not grind as good as it once did. Even after cleaning it and putting a new felt washer in it. It’s taken a lot of abuse over the last 7 years. I definitely got my moneys worth out of it

I initially bought a cheap espresso machine, since this was the only type of coffee I drank. I bought the Aeropress later on for camping, which prompted me to try much lighter roasts. I've since found that this is where my preference lies, and I've pretty much ditched the espresso machine as a result (though still useful when I have guests.)

For me it was a daily source of coffee, but I wouldn’t say it was a daily source of joy. I used mine for a couple few years before deciding it wasn’t for me.

It takes more effort than I realized to pull good shots. Dialing in grind settings requires multiple pulls and you end up either over caffeinated (me) or tossing out a lot of mediocre shots. And you have to do it whenever you try new beans. And even sometimes with a new batch of “the same” beans.

My advice would be to just understand that you’re taking on a hobby; not just a different brewing method.

I have the Tecnosystem Magic 108 for Espresso and use it daily, it's great. I'm using a hand grinder from Hario though, so it does take 7-8 min from start to finish, time I don't always have. Especially not for entertaining guests.

So as a second choice I also bought a DeLonghi Magnifica S that makes pretty decent Espresso, all things considered, once you've set the grind size and coffee volume accordingly (as best as can do with the 2 dials).

I use a flair lever machine and use it every day. It's quick, easy to clean, fine for several shots in a row, has no capacity for doing anything with milk

The longest part of it is boiling the kettle to fill it, three double shots is pretty quick if the grinder can grind quick enough, though I deputize one of the people I'm making coffee for to feed the grinder for the next shot

The best part of a lever machine is with a little practice you can pull any pressure or rate profile

Clean up is so much easier - tap out the portafilter, wipe it out, wipe off the bench occasionally for spilt drops and grounds, compared to the effort for cleaning an immersion machine

Fully automatic espresso machine. Pull a ristretto and a single shot every morning, takes a few seconds and I'm out the door. Pour over futzing and bigger cup of coffee is for the weekend when I have time. Kind of sounds like the opposite of what you were thinking, but this is my go to to make sure I always have a good espresso or coffee with a busy schedule. Oh, I completely love my Jura btw. Total joy. Also occasionally make a cappuccino, but just use a little separate milk foamer for that.

I think it matters more on which you prefer. If you prefer espressos, your likely to use the espresso maker more. James Hoffman specifically notes he prefers coffee over espresso so that not weird for him to drink coffee more

Could always go for a Bialetti, they're not expensive and built solid - built to last. I use mine every day and have for over a year now 🙌

Short answer: yes

Long answer: I own multiple brewing methods. Aeropress, French press, Turkish... and a Lelit Bianca. Nothing gets me as happy as a double espresso. Nothing beats the taste, the syrupy texture, the pure jolt of flavor in each sip. I bought an Aeropress for travel, and I ended up buying a Flair because I want the same espresso joy when not at home.

My Bianca is an absolute joy to use. I have completely internalized my workflow, making an espresso at home is so natural to me that it's by far the easiest method. But brewing with the Flair is painful. It's the least practical method of making coffee I know. And yet, I'm ready to go to such a length just to have delicious espresso when away.

As you can see, I kinda like coffee, but I love, live and breathe espresso.

So about ten years ago I had been using the aero press many times a day for my new wife and I. We got a grinder for it and it was great. I found a used gaggia classic that was being sold as is but looked brand new. It was like 100 USD or so. I grabbed it and found a wire had loosened up.

That was the start of my espresso journey. I have bought 4 or 5 of those, they never die bad enough that you can fix it, these were for friends and gifts all used and repaired by me so I could get good at it.

My wife and I were hooked...

Then back in 2016 I bought a dead 2 group commercial one. I had plans to build one but gave up. I suck at welding and small boilers are hard to find.

Then we wanted something nicer then the gaggia, for steaming milk so we found another 2 group commercial machine very very very used but working for about 700 USD got it in our kitchen and wow amazing. Plus being old you could replace anything on there with cheap bulk components you found online.

Sadly most people should not get 2 group machine. They are big. Like really big. 2ft by 3ft or larger and throw a lot of heat. Great in winter but not in summer. Because of these issues we sold that and found a nice single group one in that prosumer level.

For most of the past ten years I have made my wife 2 or more mochas and myself at a min 2 espresso drinks from mochas to Americanos.

If you like coffee go for it. Go inexpensive but do NOT get a steam powered machine make sure it has a pump to push the water. Some steam ones Im Sure work, but the pump means less chance of getting too hot water going through the beans.

Gaggia classics are great and resell value is good. They are hard to find that cheap anymore but they are all fixable and even the old gaggia coffee are great and upgradeable to match the more modern features. Just did one for our friend.

I have never found, for the same amount of prep, domestic machine espresso to be as good as commercial machine espresso. The difference between the machines, having worked with both, is just too massive.

At home I do pour over or Aeropress for cold coffees in the summer as they produce what I think is the best coffee for effort and price.

I’ll take the counter-argument, since I’m clearly not as “focused” on coffee as some here, but it really is an individual thing.

For me, no, it wasn’t worth it. The time, money, attention it would take me to get as good as a nice Cafe, is just not worth it to me. So I gave it up pretty quickly

I’ll even risk being burnt at the stake as a heretic here, but I do prioritize convenience

• every day, I spend money on exactly the coffee i want but it’s a pod in a machine where I just press a button. It’s better than fast food coffee, drip coffee, and even some coffeehouses.
• normal weekend, I have beans from my favorite roaster so I’ll probably use a French press or make cold brew. It’s better than most restaurants, especially chains
• event, I love a good espresso or cappuccino and will seek out a place that does a good job. The city I live near has a traditionally Italian section that has several places with truly amazing coffees

In my case as an individual, good coffee is worth spending more money on, but I highly value my time and convenience