Anniversary and wife wants espresso/latte machine

[berettafan]

Wife kicked ass for my 50th and got me track laps in a Ferrari and Lambo so with our anniversary AND her 50th coming up she has asked for an espresso machine that froths milk well.

Here's what i think we're after-

-Short warm up time (OR a dead reliable solution that turns it on 1/2hr before she's up in the am for work)
-User serviceable.
-Good at steaming milk (approx half of her drinks will be milky concoctions)
-Adjustable to get the perfect flavor but not a science project on weekday mornings when she's rushing to get to work.

I'm happy to spend what it takes up to maybe $2k. She's not an espresso nerd but i want her to have the ability to tweak her brews to exactly what she wants. She never asks for anything and i really want to treat her right with this.

The Breville dual boiler looks pretty great however it is apparently not serviceable/rebuildable and i think for that kinda $$ we should stick with something that can be made to last decades, not just 3 or 4 years then into the dumpster.

Spending time on the whole latte love site and looking at everything from the Gaggia Pro to Profitec Pro 300 or 500.

So what's the answer here guys?

[wilnj]

I’m not a fancy coffee drinker but as I understand it the science project is really on the initial setup to dial in the grind.

You’ll find more information than you probably want on the Reddit sub r/espresso.

[Zeke]

Pay shipping and you can have my Keurig.

[stevej37]

I use a Mr. Coffee.

This thread should draw Tabs.

[jyl]

Depends on if she just wants to push a button and have a latte, or if she wants a more engaged process.

If the former, there are "superautomatics" (put in beans and milk, machine does the grinding, tamping, shot, frothing, pouring, empyting - kind of like when we used to put $0.25 into the slot and get a paper cup of "coffee"). Pros are obvious, cons are when they go wrong, not very fixable - more of a disposable luxury gadget.

If the latter, there are "semi-automatics" machines that have a grinder built in and various degrees of plastic/electronics, and old-school "manual" machines that are all manual, brass/steel, require separate grinder.

I am more familiar with the manual machines. I leave mine "on" 24/7, you could also use a timer timer with enough current capacity. Takes me about 3 minutes to make my wife's morning latte; takes her zero minutes as its on her nightstand when she wakes up. Warning: you may be tempted to surprise your wife with a latte in bed, but that risks becoming a lifetime obligation, my wife has been known to shake me awake with "go make my latte, I want to get up".

Dual boiler is much better than single boiler (ideal temp for brewing is lower than ideal temp for steaming). PID temp controller is nice (precise temp control). Rotary pump is better than vibratory pump (but requires a larger machine).

The Profitec Pro 300 you mentioned looks very nice indeed. Clive Coffee has a photo of the internals which suggests it doesn't have too much plastic and looks pretty easy to strip and repair should you need to. https://clivecoffee.com/products/profitec-pro-300-dual-boiler-espresso-machine/ Parts seem available. https://clivecoffee.com/collections/parts-and-repair?filter.p.tag=Pro+300&page=3&sort_by=best-selling

Without doing a ton of research, I'd feel okay going for that one.

You'll need a grinder - more important than the espresso machine actually. Has to be an espresso grinder, a standard coffee grinder won't grind fine enough. Avoid the Baratza grinders, plasticky and loud. The Eurekas look ok. The Opus at $195 is worth a try. https://clivecoffee.com/collections/grinders?sort_by=best-selling&filter.p.tag=Type_Espresso&filter.v.price.gte=&filter.v.price.lte=

Then you'll need a tamper and milk jug, which are cheap.

I have a two group 240v commercial Elektra and a few commercial grinders (Mazzer Major as the main one, Mazzer Super Jolly and Elektra/Macap for decaf and spare). The Elektra was curb-picked and rebuilt, the grinders picked up here and there (total spent $250 on all three, one from an espresso repairman getting out of the business, two from a coffee shop going out of business). So I am obviously biased toward the old-school stuff.

[Alan A]

don't waste time. get a breville.

i have this one.

https://www.amazon.com/Breville-Barista-Pro-Automatic-Integrated/dp/B08133HX34/ref=sr_1_1?crid=5VX8BIDWDBLX&keywords=breville%2Bbarista%2Bpro&qid=1694451503&s=home-garden&sprefix=breville%2Bbaris%2Cgarden%2C84&sr=1-1&th=1


if you want full auto spend the $ and get a jura.

DO NOT GO CHEAP.

[berettafan]

Thanks all. Alan the Breville dual boiler is on the list for sure. Seems to have a lot of nice features just a bit worried about long life.

Jyl with the dual boiler is that the main thing that makes milk drinks easy/quick to create? On grinders that Opus is considerably cheaper than the other choices...might have to go with it.

[Superman]

Jyl's question is a very good one. We are very happy with this:

https://www.breville.com/us/en/products/nespresso/bec430.html

It takes pods like a Keurig, but unlike the Keurig the Pixie is an espresso machine. It forces steam through the pod at 275 psi. We ask it to make the larger output (Lungo) which is only 1.35 oz, then we add a little cream or half & half. Easy peezy and delicious. Lots of different pod flavors available. Ours takes the "original" Nespresso pods. We like the ones made by Illy, in France. Pop in a pod and press the button.

The full "espresso machine" option is surely great, but not as fast and easy.

[Paul_Heery]

If you are looking for a good machine, Costco has this one on sale for the next 5 days. My daughter has one of these and I thought it was overkill at first. But, it makes a damn good coffee, expresso, latte at the push of a button.

https://www.costco.com/jura-s8-automatic-coffee-machine%2c-piano-black.product.100664000.html

[908/930]

I picked up a Profitec last year and very happy with it, build quality and function is excellent. As jyi mentioned a proper grinder that can control a fine grind is really important for espresso. I picked up a DF64P and espresso grinding problem solved.

[zakthor]

Breville: I had 3 weeks with a used breville oracle. It made fine coffee and steam was good. But... the thing was satanic - would start blasting steam from inside after being 'powered off' for 45 minutes. Big long internet discussions about troubleshooting these machines, the broken plastic clips, etc, etc. Luckily under warranty they fixed it and I sold it on. Learned my lesson there. Breville won't sell parts - enough said. I will say all of breville's instruction videos are EXCELLENT and apply to all espresso machines. Watch them to learn how to do it and what to prioritize.

We've had a dual boiler pid expobar brewtus 2 for 14 years or so. Its fantastic. We needed a second machine for cabin and so I've been shopping for the past year or so.

The ultimate machine will be a dual boiler with pid. I think the most solid option today is the [edit: I incorrectly said 700 when I meant 600] vibe-pumped profitech 600. I almost bought one but just couldn't stomach the price. Instead I bought and fixed a broken expobar brewtus 4. Once you have a sensible machine you're set for the rest of your life with small fixes every few years. The machines are very simple inside once you stop being blinded by the mess of tubes and wires and instead learn what they do.

Without good temp and brew pressure control you're really at the mercy of the machine and your coffee will suffer. Buy once - cry once.

This last week I spruced up both machines: a new steam safety valve was $22, cafelat silicon group seal for 'new' machine was $7 (the stock rubber ones turn to charcoal), and I replaced the reverse pressure release gasket in 'new' machine out of my baggie of o-rings. Whats great about these machines is you can use any old generic e61 part. Pstats are $35, vibe pumps on amazon for $25, power switch 3 pack on amazon for $6.

What is neat about espresso machines is that above a certain 'level' the coffee stops improving. I'll put my brewtus head to head against any other machine: slayer, gs3, es1, it doesn't matter because past a certain level you're just buying looks and tactile feel.

Grinders:
Like jyl says: don't underestimate the grinder. Sadly you're looking at similar $ for a good grinder as for a good machine.

i've upgraded grinders many times. Many toy grinders that broke. Then I started buying used commercial grinders: a super jolly, then a robur. Those old mazzer grinders are a great value on the used market. Super jolly are $150-$300 on the used market. I'd start there.

I got a kafatek single dose grinder 3 years ago and the improvement is amazing. I would be surprised if I ever got another grinder.

Thing to keep in mind, good beans are $15-$20 per bag. 2 bags a week is $750-$1k per year. The gear is really the tip of the iceberg, beans is where all the money goes. It doesn't make financial sense to brew good beans with incompetent machines.

My advice:
making espresso is a learned skill. Lots of room for operator error. It'll be a few years of playing with roasters, grinding, temperature and tamp before you start to have an opinion about what is important, or even if espresso matters to you.

I think you should pay up and get a dual boiler pid machine. Alternative is bad shots because on a single boiler machine the steaming and brewing will be fighting over temperature. Stick with simple 'traditional' machines, not the fancy computer things like the breville or a superautomatic.

For grinder I recommend a thrashed ex-cafe superjolly and replace the burrs. Make sure you test it before buying and that its not full of poison or something. They're quiet, fast and built like tanks - convenient even if the grind itself isn't the greatest. The old mazzers are fully depreciated so you can sell it off for what you pay for it.

What you will someday get with a great grinder is perfect espresso shot after shot, all day every day, the random variation from shot to shot is removed.

[syncroid]

I will second on the Jura. We have the S8. It will do everything your wife would want.

[avensis]

I also have a Profitec and am very satisfied.

Tutuapp

[Norm K]

Originally Posted by syncroid

I will second on the Jura. We have the S8. It will do everything your wife would want.

Well, maybe not everything.

_

[flatbutt]

Originally Posted by Norm K

Well, maybe not everything.

_

ewwwww

[ErVikingo]

(granted you must buy pods) I have had my original Nespresso since 2004. I make 10 or so espressos per day. Not a hiccup with it. I use tap water and descale 3 times a year (just in case).

I don't the milk contraptions with a milk tank since they require time consuming cleaning. I don't use milk but my wife does and I have had 3 Nespresso frothers in the last 20 or so years. Easy to use and easy to clean.

[Shaun @ Tru6]

Originally Posted by Paul_Heery

If you are looking for a good machine, Costco has this one on sale for the next 5 days. My daughter has one of these and I thought it was overkill at first. But, it makes a damn good coffee, expresso, latte at the push of a button.

https://www.costco.com/jura-s8-automatic-coffee-machine%2c-piano-black.product.100664000.html

I was going to get a Jura E8 but bought the Ducati instead. Definitely the right decision but I still want a great espresso every afternoon.

[JavaBrewer]

I second the Breville suggestion. When our old Starbucks barista finally died I replaced it with a Breville Barista express and have zero issues with it for years now. Bought it at BB&B on a coupon for under $500.

The built in bean grinder is good enough and you can adjust the grind to accommodate for different bean types/styles. I like the grinder is a separate manual process from the brew/press cycle. If the grinder dies I can still make coffee. Over the years I have friends who went the full auto (super automatic) machine and they were always a problem with reliability.

My only complaint with the Breville is it uses a-lot of water. The drip tray is deep and the machine pump/heater appears to dump water there shutting down. The tray has a built in water level indicator so you can avoid an overflow. We make 3 double shot espresso each morning and it will fill the drip tray full every 8-10 days.

No regrets so far.

[Bill Douglas]

You need to ask her if she wants an appliance type coffee machine or a "at home barista" machine.

My machine is a Vibiemme Domobar Super https://www.espressocare.com/equipment/item/vibiemme-domobar-super-manual-stainless and I would have nade over 20,000 coffees with it - very pleased with it. It's much the same machine as a Rocket E61

[Cairo94507]

We have a Delonghi Magnifica and have used it for 20 years with no issues. Easy to use and clean. Believe me you want a machine that is easy to clean.
https://homeplusdeals.com/delonghi-esam3300-magnifica-super-automatic-espresso-coffee-machine-silver/?gclid=Cj0KCQjw9fqnBhDSARIsAHlcQYRcTwzEO0WnTQR_Id9 3rxzefcr4_AhoIgIlH0XE7JkJc9ThgBnaYB4aAtW7EALw_wcB