Should I buy an espresso maker?

Question

I’m wondering if I should buy an espresso maker. I am spending incredible amounts on my almost-daily mochas, but I wonder if I’d actually use the espresso maker if I got it. It’s possible that the reason I love my mochas so much is that someone else is making them for me. Would they taste the same if I made them myself?

Any of you who have an espresso maker—do you actually use it? Is it as good as your fave espresso stand? Is it worth the money?

Answer

that's not an easy question to answer. A lot depends on what your standards are and how much you are willing to invest in terms of money and time and energy. I'm sorry, but those moka pots do not make espresso. they don't produce the pressure necessary to make the extraction. Those sub $200 machines dont make espresso either, they make dark coffee. 
To really make true espresso, with crema and the goodness you've come to appreciate, you're going to have to ratchet up your budget at least to $350-$400, but more likely more if you're serious about it. I have a Rancilio Silvia, and you're talking about $500 easy. And if you go this route, you're going to have to sink money into a real burr grinder, not one of those whirly blade bean chewers. A good grinder, you're in the $250-$300 range easy. So you're getting up there in money. Also, it will take you some time to use it properly. Silvia in particular is pretty finicky about fresh bean, roasted within the past week, and the proper grind. You're in the research phase now, go to whole latte love or home barista to learn more.

Answer

If all you're doing is making mochas, halfway decent espresso will probably do the trick. You can accomplish this with a mid-grade grinder and espresso maker, but the question is whether you will. In my experience there are only two types of home baristas who actually use their machines--fanatics and superautomatic owners. Most everybody else leaves their machine on the shelf.

Fanatics roast their own beans, measure out coffee using a scale that's accurate to 0.1 grams, practice tamping their portafilters on the bathroom scale to see how consistently they can apply pressure, fantasize about buying a Mazzer Mini grinder, and talk wistfully about the "God shot" they pulled two years ago Thanksgiving. Coffee for them is a lifestyle, not a beverage. Visit www.coffeegeek.com to see them in their native habitat. "Mocha" is not in their vocabulary.

The other end of the spectrum is occupied by the superautomatic crowd. These machines make consistently decent--but never great--espresso. You push a button and the machine grinds the beans, dumps them into the brew group, tamps, shoots pressurized water through, and ejects the spent puck into a dump box. Espresso in 30 seconds with no coffee grounds on the counter, no portafilters to clean up, and no risk of premature superheated discharge from a still-pressurized machine.

Unfortunately neither great quality nor great convenience comes without a signfiicant price. Think in terms of your annual mocha budget. And speaking of mochas, be sure to get a model with two boilers: one to brew coffee (190F) and another to steam milk (220F). Trust me, you don't want to wait while a single boiler heats up or cools down.

I've been using a Saeco superautomatic for about 8 years now. Dump the beans in the hopper, fill the reservoir with filtered water, and push the button. It only hurt until the credit card bill got paid off.

Answer

Some how I get the impression that you are really not into espresso but like the mochas you get in the stores. Guess what? Most of the coffee shops with their 5 digit $ machines don't make good espresso either. There is a lot of technical skill in making good espresso. Milk and sugar can hide a multitude of sins so they get by with their poor quality espresso. The least you can spend on a home espresso combo of machine and grinder would be about $600 to get something that is capable of making good quality espresso if YOU are up to task. 

So what can you use to make decent mochas that may resemble what you get in the coffee shops. 
Since many of the coffee/espresso bars in this country start with lousy espresso you can start with good strong coffee made in a moka pot http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moka_pot or a new press method that uses total immersion is the Aeropress http://www.aerobie.com Note this doesn't make espresso but you can get some great strong full flavored coffee that will go well with the milk, sugar and foam. The next step is how to get milk to foam. You can use a something like a small stick blender called an Aerolatte http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/602-1214058-7371811?ASIN=B000BI8EC2&AFID=Froogle&LNM=B000BI8EC2|Aerolatte_Milk_Frother&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=B000BI8EC2&ref=tgt_adv_XSG10001 or this press pot type of frother http://www.surlatable.com/product/id/124163.do or just whip milk and sugar in a blender. If you are doing iced mochas this is the best way. If you want to froth and heat milk a Capresso frother like this http://www.abt.com/product/14764.html?source=froogle would work or even that cheap espresso machine at Target will work to froth milk but it will not make true espresso.

Answer

Me think you don't need a machine.

One day, you will run out of coffee beans or milk or something else and just go to your usual place and get coffee and the next morning, you will still forget it, and the morning after, you will find that what you missed was the fact that you liked having someone making it for you, and you liked being around other people having the same "thing".

I don't have an espresso machine, first, I would only make some on the week-end, and probably not every week-end either because I like going to a good coffee place and order one latte (caffee italia in Montreal) and just be happy about it and be around other people.

Answer

I second the moka pot (some call it a stovetop espresso maker). If you are adding milk to your drinks you may not be able to tell the difference between a moka pot and a high end espresso machine. I can't tell the difference even when drinking straight espresso except for the crema. I use mine almost every day. Ikea has a $20 6-cup (6 single shots of espresso) and they have a little battery powered wand for $1.99 that makes great foam (both hot and cold milk). Moka is great for ice coffee too.

I tried 2 of those cheap espresso machines and they never worked right for me, were a pain to clean and eventually broke. The moka pot works the same way every time and is very easy to clean (just rinse and let dry on the counter).

However, beware of the chinese knock-offs. I am sure some of them work fine, but I got a $10 one at tjmax that did not work right. You can't go wrong with bialetti and my ikea has worked well so far.

Answer

If you just want to see if making espresso at home drives you nuts or not, you can usually get cheap steam espresso machines free or cheap from friends/family/coworkers or thrift stores. I asked around at work and had one in my kitchen a week later for free. It's one of those things a lot of people think they want it and then never use it. Then you can decide whether spending more on a "real" machine would be worth it.

Answer

I use mine on weekends or to make coffee after dinner when I have people over.

Don't go for the super-cheap ones at Target. Real espresso machines have a pump, and if yours doesn't have one it will be difficult to use *and* make crappy coffee. It looks like Starbucks has a $200 model that would be exactly what you want: http://www.starbucksstore.com/products/shprodde.asp?SKU=602940

You probably want to get a burr grinder as well, although chocolate hides many sins. If you have your beans ground at the shop you buy them, that might be good enough. You absolutely should go to a Starbucks that makes mochas you like and make an appointment to have them show you how to use the machine. Whether or not you steamed the milk correctly is the main thing you notice in a mocha.

Of course, there are other places you can go than Starbucks, but even having no idea where you live, I know there's one near you; and the style of machine they sell is I think exactly what you want.

Answer

I recently bought a Nespresso machine and love it. Yes, it has its major limitation that you must use Nespresso coffee pods, but Nestles has been in the coffee business for years, and their coffee is quite good. You must order the pods from Nespresso, but they have this down to a science...its easy to do, and the coffee arrives in two days. Using the machine is simple, cleanup is essentially non-existent, and the espresso uniformly very good with an excellent crema on top. Now...I use it primarily for making espresso. I occasionally make a cappucino, foaming the milk with the Aerocino gadget that came with my machine. It works perfectly and produces excellent foam in about one minute. I have never made a mocha, but I assume you would have to make hot chocolate separately, and add the espresso to it...which would be a pain. This would defeat the incredible simplicity of the Nespresso system. But if all you want is espresso, or a taller coffee (a lungo), or an occasional cappucino, I would highly recommend the Nespresso machines. (I have the rather basic Essenza Automatic which works perfectly. Check out: www.nespresso.com

Answer

There has been some pretty good advice already said here... I would like to add and reiterate some things. Definitely consider how often you will use your machine. My advice is either don't buy a machine, or be prepared to drop some bucks and spend some time learning how to create a proper extraction. Coffeegeek and Home Barista provide a WEALTH of knowledge about the subject. Also recognize that the grinder is more important than your machine! You can have a cheap $50 burr grinder and $7500 machine and your shots will taste awful. However you can invest $200-$400 on a grinder and $200 on a machine and you can get shots just as good as MOST coffee shops if not better. I started off on a Krups machine and a whirly blade grinder, upgraded to a Gaggia espresso for $200 and a Rocky Rancilio grinder for $260 (I know its hard to swallow spending more on the grinder!) Soon after I ended up getting a USED Mazzer super jolly for $275 off craigslist. This is what I would recommend if you want to take the plunge. Mazzer Super Jollys are tanks and will last a lifetime, they are probably the most commonly used espresso grinder in the commercial setting, and for good reason. Finally I upgraded to an Alex by Izzo machine. I pull 2-5 double shots each day. I hope to upgrade my machine and grinder again someday! Good luck, and I hope this helped!

Answer

Thank you all for the info....I'll probably start small and see how it goes.

Answer

If you are spending "incredible amounts", then I say to go get one... I think you'd enjoy it. Plus, you will probably find that the drinks you make are much better than your espresso stand.

But so far as "starting small", be careful you don't get into a penny wise/pound foolish approach. I cheaped out on my first grinder - it didn't work and I ended up selling it at a loss to get the grinder I should have gotten to start with.

Answer

Yeah if you look through the coffee geek and home-barista forums there is a lot of heartache that goes into skimping on equipment resulting in upgraditis or people saying forget it! If you buy cheap stuff you are likely to be frustrated and unsatisfied with your results. Be warned though that there IS a degree of technique that goes into pulling shots. Just because you have a La Marzocco Linea and a Mazzer Kony doesnt mean you will be getting good shots. Also, another important factor is your beans! You MUST, and I cannot emphasize this enough, use fresh beans. Fresh = no older than 2 weeks. This is certainly not an absolute. Different beans from different origins with different roast profiles can peak in flavor in as little as 2-3 days after roasted and even up to 2 weeks! But as a rule of thumb when starting out, id stay with beans roasted within the last couple days, and use them all up before the week or two expires. If you don't use them all id suggest buying less beans next time.
Another option to get your feet wet, is buying a decent grinder and an aeropress or quality fresh press. These both can produce great results without the price tag of an espresso machine. (Just make sure you use fresh beans!!)

Answer

I posted earlier about my having recently purchased and liking my Nespresso machine. I've now had it a month, and I love it...the coffee is very good with a terrific crema, the convenience is unbeatable, the machine is attractive. The only drawback is that you are locked into using Nespresso coffee, and that is a significant drawback. Nevertheless, I am really happy with the machine, and the companion Aerocino, to steam milk.

Answer

I received a Behmor 1600 Coffee roaster for Christmas last year and have had fairly mixed results. Seems to be hit or miss. It's taking me quite a while to get into the swing of things. I must say though my BEST roast ever was done in a Whirly Pop Popcorn Popper and Monkey Blend Green Beans from Sweet Marias. Made the best, smoothest, most chocolaty, cappuccino ive ever had. 
I agree with the poster who suggests NOT starting out roasting. You first must learn what a proper roast should taste like, and perfect pulling those shots before you start roasting. 

Does the nespresso machine only take pods?

Answer

We've had a Briel Estoril espresso maker for about ten years now, and we've been pretty happy with it. We use it almost every day. I think it originally cost around $150, and we once had it serviced after about 5-6 years for around $70. It doesn't have a slick chrome body or fancy copper and brass accents or a brass rooster on top--so all the money goes into the pump, which produces 15 bar pressure, and makes a consistently good crema with most coffees we've used--

http://www.briel.pt/en/produtos_gama_classic_estoril_es33ge_chld.html

Ignore the built-in tamper and get a decent tamper.

The downside of espresso machines in this price range is that the same heating element is used for producing steam and for boiling water, so if you want steamed milk and coffee, you've got to wait for the temperature to adjust between them. Fancier machines have separate heating elements, so you can make all kinds of different coffee and milk drinks quickly without waiting, but we're usually just making a couple of cappucinos or café au lait or espressos in the morning, and maybe another later in the day, or at most a few of them after dinner for guests. It's handy to have a spare filter or two for making several espressos round robin style, when you need to.

We use a Kitchen Aid KCG200 burr grinder. It grinds nicely, but occasionally needs more disassembly than it should to clean, and the tradeoff for the convenience of not having the coffee go into a container that is fixed to the grinder (there is just a spout), is the inconvenience of having to clean up stray coffee grounds, but there are other decent grinders.

Our favorite coffee is Malulani Estate from the island of Moloka'i--

http://coffeesofhawaii.com/catalog/product/3

If you decide to go with a simple stovetop caffetiere, try Lavazza Crema e Gusto, which makes an okay crema with the stovetop pots.

Answer

From what I have heard the Silvia is about to take have another price jump. I would recommend starting out with a Gaggia espresso. You can often find these on Craigslist and/or ebay for under $100. This is a fabulous starting machine. Once you are comfortable with this, you can save your pennies and upgrade, and enjoy the luxuries of a heat exchange or double boiler machine. The price difference between the Gaggia espresso and a Rancilio Silvia is pretty significant, however I don't think that extra money is justified when comparing results. The Silvia is also a bit more difficult to work with and far more finicky from what I have heard. Whatever you do just make sure you're not skimping on the grinder. A quality built hand grinder like a zassenhaus is a consideration. Although it is a bit of a workout grinding your beans, results are comparable to much higher end grinders in the 300-800 dollar range.

Answer

i got a ridiculously expensive super automatic as a gift. i adore it. would never had paid that much myself, but im so happy i have it

Answer

I have heard the same thing Chuckl, the only difference between the lower end gaggias vs the higher end gaggias is the outer shell and a 3 way solenoid valve. (This releases pressure after the shot has been stopped). So if you are thinking in terms of shot quality results should be the same. Aesthetics and convenience however the higher end Gaggias have a slight edge. I have also heard that those Starbucks barista machines made by saeco are comparable to the gaggia once you get rid of the pressurized portafilter. I see those things popping up on craigslist fairly often.

Answer

Buy a Vietnamese coffee maker for $3 at an Asian market -

http://www.ineedcoffee.com/04/vietnamese/

Answer

yes.

I have a stove top Moka espresso maker (4 cup espresso with milk for drinking temperature) and prefer my coffee to shops.

Something that you may want to consider is the calories found in a mocha. yikes.

Answer

I have a Nespresso D290 given to me as a gift. I used to have a cheapo Braun electric. I don't like the Nespresso because it uses proprietary pods , which cost a fortune( 50 cents per pod and use 2 x cup ) if you drink a lot of cappuccino or espresso. I also prefer to use different brands of coffee, not just Nespresso. The whole ordering coffee online experience was just plain annoying. I am selling mine .

I find that the cheap Braun makes a very good espresso/ cappuccino when used with good quality coffee.

DLA

Answer

So if you honestly want to figure this out, and try to kick the expensive mocha habit, probably don't listen to most of the commenters/purists below. A espresso machine is too much of an investment for something you're not sure about, and a bialetti is a lot of work to use in the mornings, as you seem like the type of person who doesn't want to think too much about their coffee.

Just make a really strong batch of cold brew. It's really easy, plenty of good recipes exist online. Add it to some nice creamy, preferably organic chocolate milk in the mornings, over ice, to taste. It's really good and comparavle to some of the best mochas I've ever gotten. See if it works. If you figure out that you just like he convenience, then no harm, no foul.

Topics

Locations

Your post has been published!

Should I buy an espresso maker?

More from Chowhound

Guides

The Ultimate Spring Produce Guide: What's in Season & How to Use It

Recipe Round-Ups

Quick and Easy Instant Pot Breakfast Recipes for Less Morning Stress

Guides

How to Care for Enameled Cast Iron So It Lasts a Lifetime

Home

The Best Tool to Clean a Wood Cutting Board Is Probably in Your Compost Bin

Trending Discussions

Chowhound Recipes That You are Saving

A Final Goodbye for Chowhound

Favorite Chowhound Memories

NY Times: Chowhound Closes After 25 Years of Food Obsession, Wisdom and Debate

January–April 2022 Baking COTM: DESSERT PERSON by Claire Saffitz

Quick Links

Latest Discussions

Cookbook of the Month

Dish of the Month

Weekly Menu Planning

Get fresh food news delivered to your inbox

12 Irish Foods to Celebrate St. Patrick's Day That Aren’t Corned Beef and Cabbage

Chowhound

Policies

Community

Editorial

Content