(Part 2) Best semi-automatic espresso machines according to redditors

I'm not, like, an expert on machines like these. But it seems to me like your choice is a superautomatic (something like these) or a pod-based system like this Nespresso.

I can help you with this: http://www.amazon.com/Gaggia-16100-Evolution-Espresso-Cappuccino/dp/B0001KO9RY

Best decently priced entry level semi-automatic espresso machine to get

http://www.amazon.com/Capresso-560-01-Infinity-Grinder-Black/dp/B0000AR7SY/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1457504719&sr=8-3&keywords=capresso+infinity

Best entry level grinder

Get your beans from trader joe's (seriously cheap, but seriously good coffee, you'll find out that starbucks uses over-roasted beans)

I like mine with 2 oz espresso and 10 oz of foamed milk and half a tablespoon of sugar

I basically lived at starbucks for 3 years while studying 12 hours a day 5 days a week, this is the cheaper, tastier and faster version

You know, if you have the time to make them in the mornings, you should invest in an espresso machine with a milk steamer to make your morning mochas. You can get a nice automatic one that still makes espresso with excellent crema by Nespresso for $111 on amazon plus the cost of a milk steamer or frother and the pods. Or you can get something nicer that is more manual like this De'Longhi espresso machine with milk wand. In the long run, it's way cheaper to make these things yourself even if you are doing fancier espresso based drinks vs plain black coffee.

i have this and find it makes fantastic coffee. Took me a good few weeks to get the hang of things though. I have also included a link to the grinder I use too...

Of course you will be told to spend more etc and anything in this range is shit blah blah blah. However, I can assure you a great cup of coffee can be had with this equipment.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/DeLonghi-Scultura-ECZ351BG-Traditional-Espresso/dp/B00C2353FU/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1526743717&sr=8-4&keywords=delonghi+coffee+makers

https://www.amazon.co.uk/DeLonghi-KG79-Professional-Burr-Grinder/dp/B002OHDBQC/ref=sr_1_1?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1526743776&sr=1-1&keywords=delonghi+grinder

Caveat: I'm an espresso noob, but think I'm sufficiently well informed to address this.

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Your OXO conical burr grinder is at the low and cheap end of espresso-capable grinder, so it will likely become the first upgrade. I don't know if the one in the Barista Express is better, but upgrading it will only be possible by upgrading the whole expensive device. There are other grinder-related arguments against machines with built-in grinders.

The New Classic Gaggia (Pro), one of which I recently purchased for $418 after discount from Whole Latte Love, comes with a plastic tamper which you should not use. I bought an Apexstone leveler for $18 which sits on a $10 mat and does close to a perfect job [See caveat]. It's one of the best entry level machines because it does the basics very well - pushing sufficiently hot water [See caveat] through coffee in a proper filter basket (i.e. not the pressurised filter) in a proper 58mm plated brass portafilter. It also comes with a proper steam wand which can be used shortly after a press of one of the three buttons which operate the machine, which is normal for a single boiler machine.

Most of the modifications discussed relate to the not-New/pro Classic (which does not preclude modifying the New/Pro Classic).

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Before buying I was also watching the price of the Breville BES840CBXL for a long time since it's competitively priced and looks much nicer, matching my the Smart Grinder Pro, however others' experience with the product and both my and others' experience with the manufacturer recommend the Gaggia. Note that the cheaper Breville grinder - the Dose Control Pro - is the better choice between the two for just espresso.

If you want true Espresso the first one you list isn't gonna do it.

I think one of the cheapest useable option is the Gaggia Classic. You can get it with a hand grinder and are all set to go. This one is pretty good.

Want to spend more? The Rancilio Silvia is beloved by many, from beginners to advanced. Here it is with a matching electrical grinder.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of those devices, because my kitchen is way to small for more than an AeroPress but I have friends who own this stuff and they make great coffee.

i found this andbhve seen similar things. any thoughts? Mr. Coffee Café Steam Automatic Espresso and Cappuccino Machine, Silver/Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074L83872/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_kMQADbSKWYHFQ

I don't know about the pixie but the essenza mini has two designs that I am aware of.

The more rounded one: https://www.amazon.com/Nespresso-Essenza-Machine-DeLonghi-Black/dp/B06ZYSM2GR

And the more squared one: https://www.amazon.com/Nespresso-Essenza-Original-Espresso-Breville/dp/B073ZGWN12/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1549196079&sr=8-3&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=essenza+mini&dpPl=1&dpID=31JZMgHsMKL&ref=plSrch

Edit: formatted the text a bit

I have this one and it works really well! We order syrups from Monin and splurge for the pumps.

https://www.amazon.com/Espresso-Machine-Cappuccino-Barista-Steamer/dp/B01LWUI6B8/

I've never heard of the Rocket espresso machine. Tell me about it. Love to hear about new products. :-)

(I have a DeLonghi EC155.)

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ETA: Whoa! This Rocket on amazon is $2,700!

Don't do that. Buy a Cunill Tranquilo and Gaggia Evoluzion:

http://sovranastore.com/esgrin.html
http://www.amazon.com/Gaggia-16100-Evolution-Espresso-Cappuccino/dp/B0001KO9RY/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1453819303&sr=8-7&keywords=gaggia+expresso+maker

It's far superior, and if something breaks, you're not out both machines. THe Cunill will absolutely obliterate the Breville built in grinder, for many years, it's a full commercial grinder with whopping huge burs and motor, and the Gaggia has the same internals as their $500 machines (minus a 3 way solenoid).

Seattle Coffee Gear are just an operation aimed at shifting lots of machines. I wouldn't necessarily trust their advice (or at least I wouldn't rely on it wholly given that their main aim is to get you to buy, not necessarily buy the right thing). The grinder is not really espresso suitable, and to suggest it "matches" the machine it is embedded in is slightly disingenuous of them.

$600 is not a bad budget for setting yourself up. Buying used would get you a very decent set up for that money (check my recent post history for a link to a long ramble on how to do that). But if you are buying new, I'd look seriously at my grinder first (its the most important bit of your set up) and aim for something like this as a grinder - the Lelit P53 is a really decent entry level espresso grinder and currently exceptionally priced http://www.1st-line.com/store/pc/Lelit-PL53-Fred-Espresso-Coffee-Grinder-doserless-stepless-12p1979.htm An alternative might be the Baratza Preciso, which sells as a refurb on the Baratza site for around $249 when they have stock in. Baratza have a reputation for excellent customer service, so you can buy refurb from them with a lot of confidence.

That would leave $350-370 for a machine, which would get you this http://www.amazon.com/Gaggia-14101-Classic-Espresso-Stainless/dp/B0001KOA4Q/ and leave you some spare change for some coffee beans. Or you could buy the original Classic model for a few $$ more which some coffee geeks seem to rate slightly more than the 2015 model - there are some here http://www.amazon.com/GAGGIA-CLASSIC-ESPRESSO-COFFEE-MACHINE/dp/B0000C72XS

The Classic is a...classic. Its a massively known and understood machine, with a huge user community able to advise and help on its quirks and foibles. Its capable of being hacked and modded to improve its performance, and even unpacked is a pretty decent bit of kit to start out and learn on.

Having said ALL of that, if what you want to do is to make caramel lattes, espresso quality and upgradeability may not be your primary concern, as milk and sugar mask espresso pretty well, which may mean that - in fact the Barista Express is indeed the best option out there for you :-)

Started looking around the web for other Citiz&Milk units and came up with these oldies, known as the "large base" model. This is from Krups, probably, and is about five years old. The cool thing about these, aside from the large, stable footprint, single side-mounted mains switch, and the huge drip tray is the hidden compartment for the whisks for the Aeroccino.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002NGNHBS/ref=pe_747040_235324010_em_1p_10_ti

And this is the same unit probably manufactured by Delonghi (you can see the difference in the spouts):

https://www.amazon.com/Nespresso-Espresso-Aeroccino-Frother-Reusable/dp/B00WY9W49A/ref=sr_1_20?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1492899123&sr=1-20&keywords=Nespresso+Citiz%26Milk

BTW: Interested in which mfr makes your machine (imported to the States? Bloomingdales.com and search for Nespresso. They show Breville and Delonghi in the names of each unit. Generally, Delonghi units have a Zoji or elephant trunk spout and Brevilles have the flattened disk spout. Except for Lattissima units from Delonghi which all have the disk-shaped spout. go figure.

FWIW, it's this guy. Before, I mainly used my 9-cup moka pot. I'll probably use them together.

The most commonly recommended entry level machines here are Gaggia Classic and Breville Infuser. Both are within the high end of your budget. Both machines come with both pressurized and non-pressurized baskets.

I think you will get better results with these machines than by modding a machine that was intended for use with pressurized baskets only.

Don't forget to budget for an espresso-capable grinder.

I have this one, which I thought was a pretty decent machine... They didn't say anything in the original paperwork that mentioned needing a coarser grind, so I'm a little confused :( If a 15-bar espresso machine can't pull a cup of espresso, what's it good for? haha

Ne stavo giusto cercando una qualche mese fa come regalo per il compleanno di mio padre dato che la sua amata Baby Gaggia degli anni 70 ormai fatica sempre più a rimanere in vita, e l'opzione più valida di fronte alla quale mi ero trovato sembrava essere una Lelit (https://www.amazon.it/gp/product/B004QXG132/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=3370&creative=24114&creativeASIN=B004QXG132&linkCode=as2&tag=macchinadelca-21) che - almeno al momento - risulta essere anche questa sui circa 400€. Personalmente cercavo una ri-edizione della sua amata Baby Gaggia, ma non sono riuscito a trovare nulla nonostante mia sorella giurasse di averne vista una in un qualche MediaWorld nei paraggi :/

Well, since you asked... might be worth considering looking at a Nespresso (something like https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06ZZ3MLL1/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_zdaZAb6A0X93M)

They are not as full on as a “real” espresso machine, but are also much less expensive. It gives you the option of making lattes, americanos, or just straight espresso. The capsules are also fully recyclable (aluminum) which I like better than the trash generated by k cups.

A regular drip maker would be a good option as well, if you want to start with the basics. I am not sure I would want to be futzing around with something a bit more finicky like a pour over while already low on sleep!

But they can be two different machines or one. I realize now that that sounded dumb, but those machines exist. They have hand pump espresso machines without a frother attached. like the first espresso machine ever made the most traditional kind didn't have a frother attached.

Edit: Flair Signature Espresso Maker (Bundle, Chrome) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07B2J4D9L/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_vzCBCb6SVYHN9

An example

Hi,

Are you referring to the One-Touch machine? Linked below:

https://www.amazon.com/Mr-Coffee-One-Touch-CoffeeHouse-Cappuccino/dp/B07CJ3CYF7/ref=sr_1_8?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1543416172&sr=1-8&keywords=cappucino+maker&refinements=p_72%3A1248915011

If so, I must admit, the most attractive thing about this in my opinion is the automatic milk frothing. I have seen some of the critical reviews noting that the biggest flaw is that the frother doesn't really froth the milk until about a minute in, so most of what you get is steamed milk. I think I am ok with sacrificing that for the convenience though. I'm not super picky with my cappuccino's yet (probably because I'm still a novice, haha), I am good with Wawa quality cappuccino's, for example (it's like 7-Eleven, if you don't live in the northeast), so I'm thinking this will fit the bill for now at least. That said, if you know of another machine that automates the frothing process for a similar or even higher price I am more than happy to check it out (just not 10x the price since it's already $260) ;-)

Regarding the coffee upset: I should be more specific in saying that my family consists of my wife, a 2 year old and myself, and the 2 year old doesn't drink coffee. We both have sensitive stomachs, but mine in particular has been a problem for the better part of two decades (I'm 34). Diagnosed Acid Reflux, IBS and Functional Dyspepsia. Some things just torque it up good, and coffee, especially on an empty stomach, even decaf, is usually public enemy number one. But what do you do when you love your enemy, lol? My answer to that is 1) Only drink coffee with food in stomach, 2) No caffeine, 3) Low acid dark roast beans. I have best results with Simpatico, but even they will torque me if I am drinking on an empty stomach. https://simpaticocoffee.com/collections/all/products/simpatico-low-acid-decaf-coffee?variant=14920982406 My absolute favorite is Whole Foods Allegro Italian Roast in my french press, but that's usually a death wish for my GI system.

Thanks very much for your comments on the espresso brewing method. They are helpful. Sounds like the low acid beans will work just fine, and for nights when I am really torqued up but want a cup of joe, I'll give the roobios a try. Apparently there is a whole roobios company dedicated to specialty drinks like cappuccinos, lattes, etc, so that gives me hope that it won't be god awful :-P

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Not OP, but I’m a huge espresso addict and would recommend this model or something similar from the same brand. https://www.amazon.com/DeLonghi-ECP3220W-Espresso-Advanced-Cappuccino/dp/B07FY6LX37/ref=mp_s_a_1_9?keywords=delonghi%2Bespresso%2Bmachine&qid=1573175216&sprefix=delongh&sr=8-9&th=1&psc=1

Is it this one? Gaggia RI9380/46 Classic Pro Espresso Machine, Solid, Brushed Stainless Steel https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B07RQ3NL76/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_Na9KDb0MRMS2K

Couldn't find a regular classic, just the pro which is ~600CAD. there's nothing even in the 400 mark? With the grinder it'll take me to 800 which is way more than I want to spend! With that I could get ~270 single machiatos in coffee shops.

Wish there was a taste tester so we could see which one meets our needs!