Espresso Machine Suggestions?

The best website and coffee machine seller is https://www.wholelattelove.com/

They have tons of hands on videos and reviews on almost everything the sell. Quick shipping and great customer service. Before they ship you a machine they actually take it out of the box and test before it is shipped.

I have purchased a ECM Synchronika from them as well as a Ceado E37SD grinder. $6K worth of Espresso making heaven!

Highly recommended.

 

I have a Mini Vivaldi II also. Fantastic machine.

 

I am familiar with them, IMO you can't beat Chris' Coffee Service. They basically invented my machine: https://www.chriscoffee.com

 

Hello, regarding the espresso machine, you can check the website: https://www.simonelliusa.com/

They have Oscar II and Musica V, excellent service and parts.

 

Hi John

1. Don't buy a pod machine
2. Don't buy a machine with an incorporated grinder
3. Buy something simple, efficient and easy to clean

I've had 3 Sunbeam EM7000 Cafe Series - best value, simplest to use, GREAT coffee and easy to maintain. Importantly, not expensive.

 

Nice! It’s been a work horse. I had an issue with the boiler, which I replaced myself about 3 years in. Other than that, it works like a champ.


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Pod machines obviously limit you from a coffee selection perspective, but if you go with one, nespresso all the way. I’m always amazed how good a nespresso shot is.

I agree. If the grinder breaks, now you are stuck with a half functional machine. However, I assume they are cost effective and easy to use.


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Regardless of your machine the espresso is only as good as the coffee you put in it.
I buy single origin whole beans and grind them myself. Give Coava coffee a look. they have always provided us with a really high quality product.
Coava has such unique coffees from around the world. Right now I'm enjoying a shot of Robinson Figuera, tasting notes are rich with vanilla and baker's chocolate and a white wine acidity.. Later perhaps a shot of Kilenso from Ethiopia.
Enjoy the ride ... https://www.coavacoffee.com/

 

We have a Nespresso (basic pod machine), the same that our relatives in Italy use. Nespresso has a good range of coffees for different strength and flavors. We also recently purchased a Klarstein that uses ground espresso coffee and has a built in frother, which replaced a great Krups machine that lasted 22 years! We feel the ease of use is important to us. These machines cost under $200 each. The sky's the limit with espresso machines, and certainly expensive ones can give you the ultimate coffee "experience". Pressure bars are important when discussing the expensive machines. Greater steam pressure helps deliver the best flavor and crema.

 

Also, as another poster said, the quality of the coffee is important! Use the best quality you can afford for the best flavor.

 

Wow there are some real coffee lovers here and I'll digress a moment with a story that I admit will not add anything to the OP's question. As it happens the next door neighbor to my office (that we share a wall with) is the La Marzocco importer for the area. In addition they have a roasting facility in their building. We are welcome over anytime to have the freshest coffee imaginable made by some of the nicest machines you will ever see. It's a real privilege and I'm told makes Starbucks seem like toilet water. As it happens I don't like nor do I drink coffee (I'm weird; I know) so its like being offered a Ferrari when you prefer to ride the bus. Oh well at least the others are in coffee heaven.

 

OK, I'll bite....what are some of the best coffees.....and no monkey poop recommendations....LOL

 

Some great advice here. It can be summarized to:

1) Get the best, freshest beans you can find. If you can find a local coffee roaster who will tell you the roast date, get some which are 3-12 days from roasting and go from there. That will be better than any brand name I could give you. If there are no local roasters near you, then you might need to find a mail order supplier, and I can't help you much-- I'm fortunate to have a bunch of local roasters near me.

2) Get the best burr grinder you can afford. The Rancilio Rocky is a great standard for home use, but I'm sure there are others.

3) Get a decent machine (but if it comes down to budget, spend the money on the grinder first!). You need a machine with a pump and which can get the water hot enough. The old Gaggias used to be my go-to suggestion, but they've gotten expensive now. Rancilio Silvia is a great, easy choice.

The problem with all inexpensive (relatively) machines is that you can't make espresso and steam at the same time, because they have one boiler and you need a higher temperature for steam, which in turn will make bad espresso. So you have to make espresso, then switch to steam mode and let it heat up before you can steam.

More expensive machines solve this with either a heat exchanger (the Vetrano, for instance), or two separate boilers running at different temperatures. Those machines are much easier to use, especially if you are making multiple drinks at once (for one or two drinks, it's not a big deal), but they are a big step up in cost.

Finally, I'm also a longtime customer of Chris Coffee. He sells quality products and provides excellent customer service.

 

FYI, I am a big fan of Ethos Roasters in bustling Lakeland, FL. Lisbeth knows her stuff, roasts to order, sells full pounds when most other roasters sell 12oz bags and she ships free over $35.

https://www.ethosroasters.com

Black Swan is my favorite blend from her but I am enjoying some single origins right now.

 

Coffee can be very personal choice. My approach is to buy beans from places that I like the coffee from. We have a Jura S8 which is not at the cheap end of the scale but has plenty of adjustments for grind size, volumes, etc.. After a little trial and error it is set up to not over extract from the beans, grind size is good etc, and it is readily repeatable. I also do a thorough clean regularly and the milk jug uses fresh milk and is always kept in the fridge. Milk frothier is cleaned straight after every use.