# Espresso Maker Suggestions



## BrianGSDTexoma (Jul 14, 2021)

I been on the search for an Espresso Maker.  I have a cheap $30 one.  Been noticing most the grounds are still dry after brewing.  Want to get a better one.  I was considering the Mr. Coffee One-Touch CoffeeHouse Espresso Maker and Cappuccino Machine until found out about the cleaning for the milk stuff.  Probably better to just buy a milk frother.  So much stuff out there and expensive.  Would to stay under $200.  Any recommendations?


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## zwiller (Jul 14, 2021)

Went down this road a few times and researched heavily before I pulled the trigger.  It can get real expensive to do properly.  I would take a look at some Nespresso machines for best bang.  The cliff notes to legit espresso are pressurized portafilter, good grinder, proper grind size, and tamp.  To really compete with a decent coffe shop I think you are around $500-600 on the low side.  Look at the Gaggia Baby and Baratz Vistuoso grinder.  I went with the Gaggia Classic and bought GOOD pre ground espresso made by Lavazza.  We found the frothing to be unneccesary and just heated the milk up in the microwave.  In espresso forums etc the grinder is well known to be more important than the espresso machine itself.  Slight changes in grind size make a large impact on your results.  Happy to expound if need be.  Hope this helps.


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## sandyut (Jul 14, 2021)

oh man...this can be an expensive path...  I was given a steam powered one from a friend who gave it up, then i wanted better so i upgraded, it eventually died, after that went to the Starbucks and bought one there (this was 20 years ago when they sold them - i dont remember the actual brand) it was about $400...but still a PITA.  finally just said F-it and went back to brewed coffee with no regrets.


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## Winterrider (Jul 14, 2021)

No sure if the cleanup would be favorite either.


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## BrianGSDTexoma (Jul 14, 2021)

sandyut said:


> oh man...this can be an expensive path...  I was given a steam powered one from a friend who gave it up, then i wanted better so i upgraded, it eventually died, after that went to the Starbucks and bought one there (this was 20 years ago when they sold them - i dont remember the actual brand) it was about $400...but still a PITA.  finally just said F-it and went back to brewed coffee with no regrets.


So just made some strong coffee.  Nuked a little cream and added some sugar then whip with my thing I use to make bullet coffee.  Added together and pretty darn good.


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## zwiller (Jul 14, 2021)

I will still use my French press when I am in the mood for something bolder.  Way better than Keurig. 

Forgot about this and there are some HUGE fans:


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## BGKYSmoker (Jul 14, 2021)

Nespresso is my next, my Ninja is struggling.

My regular coffee is perculator with Arbuckles perk grind


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## sandyut (Jul 14, 2021)

My wife came back from a trip one time - she drinks alot of Lattes when traveling and was like "we need an espresso machine" - thank god i killed that idea with this option - Milk Frother


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## BrianGSDTexoma (Jul 14, 2021)

sandyut said:


> My wife came back from a trip one time - she drinks alot of Lattes when traveling and was like "we need an espresso machine" - thank god i killed that idea with this option - Milk Frother


Was getting ready to order one.  I been spending to much time researching this.  Just need pick one and with it I guess.


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## bregent (Jul 14, 2021)

Our neighbor put a Gaggia Classic out on the curb. I took it home and fired it up and saw it leaked steam around the portafilter.  Bought a new gasket for it and it was good as new. Then started researching what it takes to make the perfect espresso in some of the forums - weighing the beans, getting a new grinder, measuring temp, pressure gauge for tamping (really?) etc.  Probably didn't *need *to do any of that, but I obsess over these types of things so...I sold it on Ebay and still drinking plain coffee from our Ninja machine :)
Our friends have a Nespresso and it makes a pretty fine cup of espresso and cappuccino too.


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## Norwester55 (Jul 14, 2021)

I've been using an Aeropress for years. I tried a French press but this is faster and IMO makes better coffee. It doen't get any simpler. Turn hot water kettle on, dump a scoop of fine ground beans in, add hot water, stir it for 20-30 seconds and press. Dump grounds and rinse. Add more hot water for regular or leave as is for espresso. Get a milk frother if you want lattes. I run a few scoops thru and cool it in the fridge  for iced coffees. All told with Aeropress, hot water kettle, and frother its right around $100.  Its probably cheaper on Amazon but I can't see Amazon links. 
https://aeropress.com/why-aeropress/


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## pc farmer (Jul 14, 2021)

Wow.  I am just happy with the k cups and black rifle coffee.


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## Displaced Texan (Jul 14, 2021)

My dad has this one or a very similar one. Makes very good espresso. 15 bars is a good pressure number. My Bialetti brews at 1.5 bars and makes good espresso.


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## bregent (Jul 14, 2021)

Norwester55 said:


> I've been using an Aeropress for years



Never heard of that system - looks great. We have a hot water pot we keep at 185F so would be a breeze to use.


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## zwiller (Jul 15, 2021)

Oh yeah. Espresso is higher maintenance. Small holes and parts that can get clogged from scale and the screen will get funked up from oils from the beans. Expect to descale and clean semi frequent if you go this route. That said, if you dial your setup in and grind fresh you will be rewarded with cafe level or better stuff. There were times like holidays when we made stuff for friends and family and they were blown away. I often shook my head in disbelief how good it was and I am brutally picky. Last little tidbit that I found was that many espresso nuts do not use “espresso roast” beans. I fell in love with a vienna roast from local café. When I finally pull the trigger on a Nespresso I will update the thread and give it a serious review. I already know the pods are a critical choice.


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## BrianGSDTexoma (Jul 15, 2021)

zwiller said:


> Oh yeah. Espresso is higher maintenance. Small holes and parts that can get clogged from scale and the screen will get funked up from oils from the beans. Expect to descale and clean semi frequent if you go this route. That said, if you dial your setup in and grind fresh you will be rewarded with cafe level or better stuff. There were times like holidays when we made stuff for friends and family and they were blown away. I often shook my head in disbelief how good it was and I am brutally picky. Last little tidbit that I found was that many espresso nuts do not use “espresso roast” beans. I fell in love with a vienna roast from local café. When I finally pull the trigger on a Nespresso I will update the thread and give it a serious review. I already know the pods are a critical choice.


Think I spent another hour this morning looking.  I don't really want to go the pod route but maybe should re-think it.


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## BrianGSDTexoma (Jul 15, 2021)

Norwester55 said:


> I've been using an Aeropress for years. I tried a French press but this is faster and IMO makes better coffee. It doen't get any simpler. Turn hot water kettle on, dump a scoop of fine ground beans in, add hot water, stir it for 20-30 seconds and press. Dump grounds and rinse. Add more hot water for regular or leave as is for espresso. Get a milk frother if you want lattes. I run a few scoops thru and cool it in the fridge  for iced coffees. All told with Aeropress, hot water kettle, and frother its right around $100.  Its probably cheaper on Amazon but I can't see Amazon links.
> https://aeropress.com/why-aeropress/


So I think you talked me into this.  Thanks to everyone for the help.


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## bregent (Jul 15, 2021)

BrianGSDTexoma said:


> So I think you talked me into this.



 I ordered one last night - arriving today :)


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## zwiller (Jul 15, 2021)

The way I see espresso is high risk : high reward.  I already gave you my hack: buying pregound espresso so that makes it fairly forgiving but you take a hit in quality.  The question is preground in the Gaggia vs Nespresso.  Might be a close battle.  There are some pretty good cheaper pre ground coffees that worked well for me and best place to buy is Amazon in quantity packs.  Cafe Bustelo was tasty and REALLY cheap but our go to is below.  As I said though, if went to the cafe and had beans ground it was much better than preground.  I typically did this day before around holidays and special occasions.  Not sure if this matters, but your house will definitely take on a cafe smell after routinely brewing and people would remark on it.  I did a little digging and found a post in an espresso forum that really resonates my take:

"here's the scoop, as I see it:

Nespresso makes a pretty good drink, very reliably, time after time, with very little effort. And for all practical purposes, the little capsules never go stale.

You _can_ get a better drink out of a Gaggia Classic, but most people (not most people _here_, I hasten to add, just 'most people') _won't_. Because to make a better drink than Nespresso, you basically have to become a real barista. You have to become something of a coffee nutter, like us. You have to buy fresh beans on a regular basis. You have to grind them yourself. You have to get good at little skills like dosing, leveling and tamping, and you have to do all of these things consistently, not just once in a while when you feel like making extra special effort.

If you are _not_ a coffee nutter, willing (nay, eager) to do all those things, fairly obsessively, in order to get your coffee just-so, then the Gaggia will, in general, produce less-tasty results than the Nespresso (and can easily produce downright-bad drinks). And the Gaggia will _always_ be more effort to use and clean up than the Nespresso.

If you simply want pretty decent drinks and not a new hobby, I'd suggest the Nespresso.

If you do see yourself being or becoming at least something of a coffee hobbyist, then the Gaggia will serve you well. But buying it will be only the beginning of your journey."


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## BrianGSDTexoma (Jul 15, 2021)

zwiller said:


> Nespresso makes a pretty good drink, very reliably, time after time, with very little effort. And for all practical purposes, the little capsules never go stale.


Which model would you recommend?


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## zwiller (Jul 15, 2021)

I forgot all that I read but seems like the Virtuo was the one to get.   For me, I REALLY tight on counter space and only way to get this on mine is the tiny Essenza Mini and have in my Amazon cart and would actually pull the trigger but out of stock.


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## BrianGSDTexoma (Jul 15, 2021)

bregent said:


> I ordered one last night - arriving today :)


I went ahead and ordered one.  Also got a milk frother.  May get a kettle.


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## bregent (Jul 15, 2021)

BrianGSDTexoma said:


> I went ahead and one. Also got a milk frother. May get a kettle.



Yeah, I figured it's inexpensive enough to try, and looks like it's great for camping and traveling. 

My wife drinks a lot of hot water, so I got her this a few months ago so she doesn't need to use our very noisy microwave:  Probably overkill$ for you, but it works well for her, and my son makes tea with it. I figure it will work well for the Aeropress.


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## old sarge (Jul 15, 2021)

A tad old but this machine is rated pretty good at chowhound:




__





						Chowhound
					

Chowhound



					www.chowhound.com


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## Norwester55 (Jul 16, 2021)

BrianGSDTexoma said:


> So I think you talked me into this.  Thanks to everyone for the help.





bregent said:


> I ordered one last night - arriving today :)


You'll like it. Simple and *fast! *
I've been using the same one for 5-6 years daily and  it works just as well as it did when I got it. The only thing that can go wrong with it
is the gasket wearing out and I've had a spare sitting in the junk drawer for years. I use the inverted method because it does seem like the 
coffee tastes better. I don't weigh the coffee (just use a full scoop) or wet the filter because I pretty much just want my coffeee NOW! I just
add the coffee, fill the tube with water, stir for 20-30 seconds, flip over and press.
https://samplecoffee.com.au/brewguides/inverted-aeropress


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## forktender (Jul 16, 2021)

They are fast , cheap and easy, just how I like them.


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## BrianGSDTexoma (Jul 16, 2021)

forktender said:


> They are fast , cheap and easy, just how I like them.



That is what I started with but kept burning myself on it.


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## zwiller (Jul 16, 2021)

I watched the video and would say that is about equal the amount of "work" to do espresso.  That thing lots like PITA to clean too.  I did not clean my machine after every use but around every other month but we didn't use the frother.  We basically made cafe americanos.  I forgot but there is a pod system for the Gaggia too.  Might bust mine out this weekend after all the talk here.


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## Displaced Texan (Jul 16, 2021)

zwiller said:


> I watched the video and would say that is about equal the amount of "work" to do espresso.  That thing lots like PITA to clean too.  I did not clean my machine after every use but around every other month but we didn't use the frother.  We basically made cafe americanos.  I forgot but there is a pod system for the Gaggia too.  Might bust mine out this weekend after all the talk here.


I have a Bialetti. This guy is really over thinking this and making it way too labor intensive. True, don't tamp the grounds. It's not that difficult.


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## schlotz (Jul 17, 2021)

Good pick with the Nespresso.  Been using one and the frother for 7 years. Straight forward, easy and consistent.  For the milk I've settled in on using Simply Truth Organic 2%.  Seems that milk can be a variable in making froth.  And BTW, the wire whisk in the frother I modified by cutting out 2/3's of the wire so the amount of froth it created works perfectly for the type of latté I prefer.


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## Displaced Texan (Jul 17, 2021)

I used to fly a private jet that had a Nespresso machine in it. Worked very well.


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## BrianGSDTexoma (Jul 24, 2021)

Slowly figuring out how to use this Aeropress  to make my cuban coffee.  I almost just bought a machine but decide need to give this a chance.  I like the fact that can make a little bigger cup.  I only make 2 or 3 a week.  I just put the small wand in frother and think lI ike it better.  To much foam with big one.  Still working on temp and coffee amount but once I get it figured out I think this will do.


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## bill1 (Jul 24, 2021)

Good choice on the Nespresso.  It's the distinct character of espresso but a notch above with the way it puts crema (not milk froth) on top. 
I have _*this old Braun*_ from decades ago and it's still going strong...although there's no way I'd pay $200 for a used one to replace it if it fails.  (BTW many coffee maker failures are just the temp switches and can be easily repaired.)  I like grinding my own beans for the old fashioned espresso machines but the Nespresso really is worth getting addicted to someone else's packaging.  And trust me, the foil Nespresso pouches keep the coffee surprisingly fresh.  Nothing like the dreaded plastic K-cups!

ADDENDUM:   Well now, This looks interesting:


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## jdixon (Mar 9, 2022)

I’m looking for a recommendation for a coffee machine that may or may not exist. My wife is a heavy coffee drinker, 2-3 cups a day. She’s homebrews two-thirds of the coffee she drinks and buys either Starbucks or Dunkin (with a shot of espresso) ice coffee the other third of the time.

*We currently have a ninja coffee machine that probably cost $150 and has been a true workhorse for the last 2-to 3 years. My wife would like a machine that makes both espresso and regular coffee. She doesn’t have the time or interest to manually brew coffee **best coffee maker under $100 canada*.* She wants something that she can pour beans or grounds into, press a button, and come back in 5 minutes to a 12oz cup of coffee, shot of espresso, or both.*

Is there anything out there that does this?


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## idahopz (Mar 10, 2022)

About two decades ago I purchased a Saeco fully automated espresso machine at Costco for about$1000. It was really expensive, especially for back then, but it has made excellent coffee ever since, with no down time nor repairs (I'm probably going to kick myself for having said that). 

It is a pleasure to use - every 4-5 days put in beans and water, then empty out the dregs every once in a while. The coffee is perfect and exhibits excellent crema that the wife loves.

I figure on the conservative side, if I went to a coffee shop on the way to work and spent $3/coffee for the wife and I per day I would have spent nearly $44,000 dollars since then for the 20 years worth of coffee. The coffee is definitely as good or better than we get at the shops so I guess it is worth it to keep the wife happy. Like they say, happy wife, happy life. Not too bad an investment for $1k.


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## IMAVGAN (Mar 11, 2022)

jdixon said:


> I’m looking for a recommendation for a coffee machine that may or may not exist. My wife is a heavy coffee drinker, 2-3 cups a day. She’s homebrews two-thirds of the coffee she drinks and buys either Starbucks or Dunkin (with a shot of espresso) ice coffee the other third of the time.
> 
> *We currently have a ninja coffee machine that probably cost $150 and has been a true workhorse for the last 2-to 3 years. My wife would like a machine that makes both espresso and regular coffee. She doesn’t have the time or interest to manually brew coffee **best coffee maker under $100 canada*.* She wants something that she can pour beans or grounds into, press a button, and come back in 5 minutes to a 12oz cup of coffee, shot of espresso, or both.*
> 
> Is there anything out there that does this?




jdixon,

Hot brewed & cold brew are two different animals. I mention cold brew because I personally feel that ice coffees are much better with a cold brew especially if you drink them without all the sugar & syrups to hide the sour & bitterness.

My suggestion would be to get a good drip coffee maker for the hot brew & a Toddy for the cold brew. Cold brew will last 2 weeks in the refrigerator & is concentrated. Cold brew using a Toddy will have less acidity than hot brew that is chilled & will be less reliant on high quality of coffee so you can use less expensive coffee.


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## schlotz (Mar 11, 2022)

A slight twist maybe, but the new Nespresso machines I believe can do both.


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## BrianGSDTexoma (Mar 11, 2022)

Since I got my espresso maker really not used much.  Even a double to small cup for me.  Just give me a normal cup coffee.  At least I bout a fairly cheap one.  I do use that Aeropress sometimes.


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## idahopz (Mar 12, 2022)

A slight aside. In addition to our initial Saeco (read huge behemoth) purchase, we started with Nespresso over a decade ago because my wife fell for their advertisements. It worked fine for quite a few years, then gave out (likely user error). She had me purchase an updated model, but the problem I have is that the pods are expensive and you MUST purchase them directly through Nespresso (I have not found a local supplier)

For a while I was using both but my cheap nature won and I mostly used the Saeco for the sake of economics. However, I discovered that the Nespresso is perfect for RV-ing - small, light, and super easy to make coffee in the morning when on an RV trip. I can even count the number of pods I'll need for the trip. It is the perfect machine for that purpose.

I guess the bottom line is that each type of machine has it's place so it entirely depends on your personal needs.


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## schlotz (Mar 13, 2022)

BTW, you can get Starbucks Nespresso pods over on Amazon.


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## bill1 (Mar 14, 2022)

There are two Nespresso pods.  The original ones (the patent has now run out) is a smaller version of a K-cup but are a bit stouter for the high pressure involved in the espresso-style flavor.  The new ones are hemispherical, and actually spin as they're pressurized to give you more "crema" head on the coffee.  (Plus it allows you to make larger cups of coffee too.)   Those are only available from Nespresso and are about $1.50 each, even if you shop around and buy in bulk.


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## atomicsmoke (Mar 14, 2022)

You won't find a true espresso maker for 200$. Maybe a machine that makes strong coffee but not espresso.

I have a delongi superautomatic. About 1000$ in Canada. Expensive? Yes. Worth every penny. Has intregrated burr grinder, milk frotter (makes lattes without you). It is a rabbit hole. When the first one broke (after many years of use) and the service shop told me it would take 3 weeks to fix it i went straight to costco and bought another one. Thats not an indication of my finances but tells you how awesome and addictive a true espresso is (much like bbq)-you cant live 3 weeks without it. Another interesting point: no one in my family questioned the purchase of the 2nd machine (we always disagree on things to buy). Now i have a working spare and dont plan to sell it.

I got a few people hooked up once they taste it and left deep holes in their pockets. No one called me to complain.

As for coffee...find a source of whole bean coffee that roasts when you order. After 2 weeks roasted coffee loses a lot of flavour. I buy large batches and freeze it.


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## atomicsmoke (Mar 14, 2022)

Forgot to mention Breville Barista. Is a manual machine you will need to figure things out....but costs less. A friend swears by it and is having the time of his life experimenting.


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## jdixon (Aug 13, 2022)

IMAVGAN said:


> jdixon,
> 
> Hot brewed & cold brew are two different animals. I mention cold brew because I personally feel that ice coffees are much better with a cold brew especially if you drink them without all the sugar & syrups to hide the sour & bitterness.
> 
> My suggestion would be to get a good drip coffee maker for the hot brew & a Toddy for the cold brew. Cold brew will last 2 weeks in the refrigerator & is concentrated. Cold brew using a Toddy will have less acidity than hot brew that is chilled & will be less reliant on high quality of coffee so you can use less expensive coffee.


thank you so much for your suggestion.


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## Displaced Texan (Aug 14, 2022)

atomicsmoke said:


> You won't find a true espresso maker for 200$. Maybe a machine that makes strong coffee but not espresso.
> 
> I have a delongi superautomatic. About 1000$ in Canada. Expensive? Yes. Worth every penny. Has intregrated burr grinder, milk frotter (makes lattes without you). It is a rabbit hole. When the first one broke (after many years of use) and the service shop told me it would take 3 weeks to fix it i went straight to costco and bought another one. Thats not an indication of my finances but tells you how awesome and addictive a true espresso is (much like bbq)-you cant live 3 weeks without it. Another interesting point: no one in my family questioned the purchase of the 2nd machine (we always disagree on things to buy). Now i have a working spare and dont plan to sell it.
> 
> ...


Is this the machine you are talking about?


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## jdixon (Sep 2, 2022)

IMAVGAN said:


> jdixon,
> 
> Hot brewed & cold brew are two different animals. I mention cold brew because I personally feel that ice coffees are much better with a cold brew especially if you drink them without all the sugar & syrups to hide the sour & bitterness.
> 
> My suggestion would be to get a good drip coffee maker for the hot brew & a Toddy for the cold brew. Cold brew will last 2 weeks in the refrigerator & is concentrated. Cold brew using a Toddy will have less acidity than hot brew that is chilled & will be less reliant on high quality of coffee so you can use less expensive coffee.


thank you so much for your suggestion


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## Buttah Butts (Sep 2, 2022)

The nepresso sucks. Go with a super automatic machine. I had the gaggia anima prestige for a while worked great and just upgraded to a Jura S8. Check out wholelattelove.com or James Hoffmann on YouTube.


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## pushok2018 (Sep 2, 2022)

zwiller said:


> Forgot about this and there are some HUGE fans:


Dito! I have Breville Barista Express Espresso Machine - stopped using it three years ago.... Also I have Nespresso Pixie - decent not expensive machine and I still use it occasionally. For last two years I use AeroPress Origianl Coffee and Espresso Maker and use Lavazza coffee beans. Love it.
​


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## jcam222 (Sep 2, 2022)

BrianGSDTexoma said:


> Think I spent another hour this morning looking.  I don't really want to go the pod route but maybe should re-think it.


I’ve had many machines for espresso with around a $600 Breville last. I don’t do espresso anymore as I got to a point where it was just to much for me. I will say that for the money and simplicity Nespresso with pods is delicious. The frothier they sell is fool proof too.


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## jcam222 (Sep 2, 2022)

Buttah Butts said:


> The nepresso sucks. Go with a super automatic machine. I had the gaggia anima prestige for a while worked great and just upgraded to a Jura S8. Check out wholelattelove.com or James Hoffmann on YouTube.


That’s a great machine if you are that into espresso and can afford it no doubt. That said he mentioned a budget of $200


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## jdixon (Oct 16, 2022)

atomicsmoke said:


> You won't find a true espresso maker for 200$. Maybe a machine that makes strong coffee but not espresso.
> 
> I have a delongi superautomatic. About 1000$ in Canada. Expensive? Yes. Worth every penny. Has intregrated burr grinder, milk frotter (makes lattes without you). It is a rabbit hole. When the first one broke (after many years of use) and the service shop told me it would take 3 weeks to fix it i went straight to costco and bought another one. Thats not an indication of my finances but tells you how awesome and addictive a true espresso is (much like bbq)-you cant live 3 weeks without it. Another interesting point: no one in my family questioned the purchase of the 2nd machine (we always disagree on things to buy). Now i have a working spare and dont plan to sell it.
> 
> ...


I want to buy a new espresso machine for my coffee shop. Can you suggest some good ones that are commercially promising? Is Hamilton Beach Espresso Maker a good one?


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## Displaced Texan (Oct 16, 2022)

jdixon said:


> I want to buy a new espresso machine for my coffee shop. Can you suggest some good ones that are commercially promising? Is Hamilton Beach Espresso Maker a good one?


Good luck, I hope you get an answer. I asked about what machine he used back in August and never heard back.


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## bill1 (Oct 22, 2022)

I've asked two different Starbucks "barristas" and if I recall correctly, they said theirs cost $35,000 each.  No, I'm not kidding.  So there's a huge price range when you get to commercial grade.


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## BrianGSDTexoma (Oct 22, 2022)

I had got one of those $100 ones.  Works decent.  Just not used in long time.  I like the Cuban espresso.  I may get it back out.  If you want a good one from I been told going to cost a lot.


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