Go to the Article: Espresso Machines, Grinders & Scales
No mention of baratza grinders? The consensus I have seen both on coffee geek and elsewhere on forums has been that the baratza vario is probably the best "bang for buck" grinder out there.
what do you think of this one? http://www.amazon.com/Breville-BES860XL-Barista-Express-Espresso/dp/B002S51RQG/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1412125932&sr=1-1&keywords=sage+coffe its got some great reviews everywhere(i think its by heston blumenthal) and its got a built in grinder
I need a better scale. I might go for one of these, because it's hard to find a decent one here in Brasil.
Is there any other less expensive Espresso machine that I could buy?
@patrik I have the BES870xl and I love it. They just came out with one that is a dual boiler but I settled for this one. Having the grinder built in is great.. And I bought it from bed bath and beyond because they have a terrific return policy. Great machine.
I have to agree about the Baratza.
Curious why it did not make the cut-?
In a totally different direction you can check out a used Olympia Cremina single lever manual espresso machine. You can pick one up on ebay for $1,000. Swiss made, built like a tank. Totally manual so there is nothing to break, excellent used market.
The Baratza is great. There are many good pieces of equipment that sadly didn't make our list.
I have the Breville Dual Boiler and love it. Good consistency, customizable settings. Great machine.
it's great grinder,but some times I find mine not fine enough for espresso,and I have to increase the dose to get the right flow.
Sadly.... yes.
Cimbali is one of the best and the most popular italian brands for professional machines. I hope you can find it in US.
Lelit PL041, which is usually listed around $350-400. It is the PL41TEM, just without the PID. In my opinion, for someone who is just starting out in espresso, there is no need to worry about adjusting the brew temp. That is just one too many variables to consider.
hi
can i use a milk frother to produce the milk?
How was Baratza not even mentioned? I guess it must have something to do with the business side of things...
This article has a couple of broken links to "http://www.chefsteps.com/classes/espresso#/espresso-geekery"
Always keep in mind: it's two in one, that means if one is broken / needs service, they are both gone.
I have a Pavoni. Do you have any additional thoughts about the best way to use it to achieve the results you are getting from the machines you are working with?
I'm using an OE Pharos http://www.oehandgrinders.com/OE-Pharos-Manual-Coffee-Grinder_p_15.html 68 mm conical burrs for under $250.
You can get a Gaggia Classic on ebay for ~$150. the LeLit PL041 and Rancilio Silvia are nicer machines, but they are still in the same performance range. I'm doing home espresso on a grad student budget. My graduation gift to myself will probably be a dual boiler or heat exchanger machine. I'm thinking about installing a PID on my machine (~$100 in parts). It'll be nice if I manage to get some practical use out of that electrical engineering degree...
Great stuff and great course - thanks so much!! Your rec for the Lelit PL41TEM is right on the money and I strongly agree. I got mine when they first became available, and it's been absolutely wonderful. Because the boiler's so small, the heating element is relatively large - so it's amazingly fast for a single boiler machine, and the PID helps keep the temps stable. I do look forward to getting a more serious machine someday (please don't tell it that!), but I feel no lack at all with this one.
Kyle, I think the PID is a very valuable device for the newbie - especially in a machine with a small boiler. Not only does it let you know where you are tempwise, but it also maintains temp within a narrower range because of the precision of the sensor and feedback loop. Without it, I'd be steaming much too soon after flipping the switch, and I'd be pulling the shot too soon after steaming. With this machine, I settled on steaming first, then bringing the temp down fast by running water through the wand and watching the PID. When I pass 114 (C), I throw the switch to brew position. In the minute or less it takes to clean off the wand with the escaping steam and the hot water in the pitcher, brew temp has stabilized at 95 and I'm ready to throw the switch. I even learned to swirl the milk pitcher with one hand while cleaning the wand and starting the shot with the other.
The steam wand is fabulous, although I suspect it wouldn't keep up with demand beyond the few I make at a time for my wife and me plus occasional guests. I'm getting the hang of it - here's a relatively early one in my "career". I get so excited when I make a really good one that I forget to take a picture before I savor it with all my senses.
First of all: great course, lots of fun following the videos and reading the information.
What I don't get a 100% is why you vote for the Rocket Espresso Cellini Classic as this machine does not fulfill any of the previously mentioned criteria in this article. I see that this needs to be a compromise to meet a medium budget, but still...
Actually I am currently in the process of buying my first espresso machine and I stumbled over the Rocket R58 ($ 2,699) which meets every criteria you mentioned (except the optional one). Of course this is some more expensive than the Cellini Classic - but still somewhere in the middle between $ 600 and $ 6,000 ;-)
I am aiming for either this one or Bezzera Magica S (comparable to the Cellini Classic) or ECM Mechanika IV (somewhere in between Magica S and R58, either with vibration or rotary pump) which would both be less expensive than the R58.
Would love to hear your thoughts on this.
I'm learning that single boiler machines can be a PITA to use if you're interested in pulling consecutive shots and steaming milk for espresso drinks. Temp swings seem difficult to manage, especially w/o a PID. Would it be such a terrible idea to have two entry level single boiler machines (like the Lelit mentioned above)... 1 for brewing and 1 for steaming?
Hi, Chris -
See my post a little below. Unless you need to make 4 or more in rapid succession, a PL41TEM is not that much slower than a DB or HX machine. Because the boiler's so small relative to the heating element, it runs up to steam temp and down to brew temp very quickly. With the right work flow, you can move back and forth with little down time between shots. Once it's warmed up, flick the switch to steam. There's just enough time to grind, dose and tamp before it tops 130 and you're ready to foam.
I put the PF on the warming tray rather than risk exposing the puck to excessive heat while steaming. Immediately drop the switch to hot water after foaming and run hot water through the wand (I leave an insulated mug under it) until the PID drops past 115 or so (which takes no more than 10 to 15 seconds). Dock the PF and clean the wand tip with the hot water in the mug while the temp stabilizes at 95 (another few seconds) and pull your shot. I can make 3 or 4 caps in only a few minutes this way, and running the water through it to cool the boiler keeps it full so there's no danger of element damage. I don't think you'd save much time over a single PL41TEM, and you run the risk of damaging the boiler in the one you use only for steam, if you don't refill it as above.
Of course, if you make 4 or more in a row at least a few times per week, you're probably going to wear out the machine rapidly - it's not designed for that kind of duty cycle. As much as I love my Lelit, I look forward to having "more" machine in the future - but it's an excellent choice for a few daily drinks at home (and more for occasional guests). I can't recommend it highly enough - there's no single boiler machine I'd rather have.
Otis, your response is much appreciated!
I doubt if I will ever have counterspace for a full blown espresso machine, but I do have one of those stovetop espresso coffee making pots. The kind where you fill the bottom with water, put the grounds in the little filter funnel, screw the top and bottom together and heat it until the coffee fills the top of the pot.
Does anybody have any advice on the proper care and feeding of stovetop espresso pots?
America's Test Kitchen did a segment on Moka pots. It's in season 13, so if you're not a member, you'll need to agree to a 14-day trial to see the video. If I recall correctly: Fill the bottom up to the bottom of the relief valve. Fill the coffee basket to the top, and tamp down. (This part is not in the suggested method provided by the Moka pot manufacturers, but the ATK gang found that it gave better results.) Make sure the flame, if you're using a gas stove, doesn't extend outside the base of the moka pot. From personal experience: Apply some food-safe grease to the gasket from time to time.
I have a Breville espresso machine (the 920 that goes for $499 on Amazon) and it's wonderful. I also have the Breville digital burr grinder, which is the best one I've owned. I owned the Capresso mentioned here years ago and in my opinion it doesn't hold a candle to the Breville, which is built like a tank.
I used to think I wanted a double boiler but with my favorite drink (dry cappuccino) I usually wait 1-2 minutes for the foam to settle before pulling the espresso shot, so there's not so much need for pulling and frothing simultaneously.
I see a lot of discussion for the home level, does anyone have any recommendations for the cafe level?
I have a Mokita Professional from more than 10 years but I'm not sure if it's a good espresso machine!! anybody knows more on this machine or how to use it properly? I no longer have the owner manual! Thanks!
Can you guys recommend a new starter espresso machine for apartments, the Lelit PL41TEM isn't really available any more
Although I agree that going with a lower price point at the beginning never hurts, especially if you aren't sure whether espresso making is for you, but you will grow out of that machine a lot quicker. Granted when you do you will have paid less and therefore have some extra money socked away already for the next big expense. However, just so people understand, PID are not only used to change the brew temperature. A PID will make more espresso machine have a more constant temperature. This is an extremely important point to note since it is an extremely important part of brewing your espresso. The alternative is temperature surfing, but I will not go into much more detail than that. I just wanted to make sure that novices that don't know much about espresso yet don't make their buying decision just based solely off of price.
I am sure you have purchased a machine by now, but I thought I would still write a quick note to anyone who might still be reading these comments. The criteria that are mentioned in the article are only met in higher end prosumer machines or even commercial level machines. I could write a long essay here, but I will try and keep it short.
The new Cellini and Giotto both have a PID, but since they are HX (heat exchanger) machines the PID is just replacing presnsostat, so this causes debate as to whether it is even worth it in a HX machine. And when you just up from a HX machine to a double boiler the price also increases quite a bit. The one exception I can think of is a La Spaziale S1 either the Mini Vivaldi II or Dream probably the most reasonably priced DB machines on the market.
Rotary pumps are more commonly found in machines that are plumbable, although it is possible to use a vibratory pump on a plumbed-in machine, it is more common to use rotary pumps.
In short, to meet the criteria they set forth in this article one would have to jump up to that higher price point of $2000. Adding extras like a PID, rotary pump, etc. adds cost and therefore obviously raising the price the consumer has to pay. The higher end espresso machines will just bring you greater consistency, and once you reach a certain point for most home baristas you will be buying the machine just to please yourself. In the commercial setting is where consistency is much more important because of the volume they produce in a short time, things like recovery time become imperative.
I haven't owned a Lelit, but one thing to learn how to do is temperature surf. There is plenty of literature and videos online about it if you just search the term. This will help with consistency as well as speed. Those who have a single boiler machine and really get into espresso (especially if they make milk based drinks) tend to upgrade. I myself am in that camp, the only reason why I bought a single boiler to begin with was because I didn't have enough money to spring for an HX or DB machine at the time, and I was offered a killer deal on a used machine that I could not turn down.
Just a note to those looking for a great grinder - I have an Orphan Espresso Lido3, and it is just plain awesome! It's pricey, and it's manual - but I get really good espresso and french press grinds outta this thing.
So... sounds like burner topping Moka isn't going to cut it? It's from an Italian street market, so it's got mad street cred.
