Siliconslave's how to make espresso thread

So with Black Friday coming up and looking to move away from our Nespresso machine, thinking of getting a “proper” so to speak, espresso machine.

Now I’m a compete beginner with this and like the idea of it all, but it’s an absolute head spinner with where to start and what to go for.

Budget is between £200-300 and have been looking at the De’longhi Dedica manual pump or the Sage Bambino, but would then need a grinder and other gubbins and no idea where to begin with grind, weight etc. Or do I just stump some extra for an automatic bean to cup for ease, but is this just a small step up from the Nespresso?

What did you guys start with?
 
Matty8787 said:
I mean the review doesn't make it out to be a bad buy! I'm thinking of going with Delonghi or Sage though to be safe.
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yes - at that price point I'd prefer a refurb dedica (as Proc mentions too) and a sage smart grinder - some reductions


jpaul said:
predecessor duoplus was £200 pre-covid ... I'd probably stilll get a de-longhi dedica at (was) sub £100 as a very similar spec machine.
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Proc said:
So with Black Friday coming up and looking to move away from our Nespresso machine, thinking of getting a “proper” so to speak, espresso machine.

Now I’m a compete beginner with this and like the idea of it all, but it’s an absolute head spinner with where to start and what to go for.

Budget is between £200-300 and have been looking at the De’longhi Dedica manual pump or the Sage Bambino, but would then need a grinder and other gubbins and no idea where to begin with grind, weight etc. Or do I just stump some extra for an automatic bean to cup for ease, but is this just a small step up from the Nespresso?

What did you guys start with?
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Gaggia Classic, although back in 2008, these were £220 to £250 all day long.

Now, for the same spec, you need to get the Gaggia Classic Pro model which is £400 now.
 
Proc said:
So with Black Friday coming up and looking to move away from our Nespresso machine, thinking of getting a “proper” so to speak, espresso machine.

Now I’m a compete beginner with this and like the idea of it all, but it’s an absolute head spinner with where to start and what to go for.

Budget is between £200-300 and have been looking at the De’longhi Dedica manual pump or the Sage Bambino, but would then need a grinder and other gubbins and no idea where to begin with grind, weight etc. Or do I just stump some extra for an automatic bean to cup for ease, but is this just a small step up from the Nespresso?

What did you guys start with?
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Do you value your time more than good coffee? If so, stick to Nespresso. I'm not sure there's a more efficient alternative to pod machines.

Moving on to Bean to Cup - I had a De'Longhi Caffè Corso for a few years and it was OK. I was using supermarket beans and had no control over coffee dosing so I couldn't say the taste was better than a nespresso shot. The big plus here is time saving, although you spend a tiny bit more time (than with Nespresso machines) cleaning out the spent pucks and pouring in beans.

And then there are espresso machines. Mine is entry level but fantastic - Sage Barista Express. It takes so much more time to make a coffee. I make two coffees at a time. I haven't timed myself but I'd say casually it would take ten minutes to weigh 3 shots (we share the 3rd), distribute, tamp and pull them, and then steam milk. The quality of the coffee though is fantastic. We buy our beans freshly roasted from Rave so add that cost.

Here's a suggestion that doesn't require a machine as such, although a grinder for fresh beans would be good. You may wish to look into V60 pour over coffee. Search YouTube for "pour over" and either the name James Hoffmann or Lance Hedrick. Our morning coffees have typically been a black pour over. The milky drinks come later in the day.

Those are my initial comments. I bought my Barista Express for £477 in August last year and don't regret it one bit. Bear in mind that even if you can stretch your budget you will need to factor in the cost of scales, tamper and other accessories you may want (knock box, tamping mat, dosing cup, milk pitcher etc.)
 
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Cadder said:
Do you value your time more than good coffee? If so, stick to Nespresso. I'm not sure there's a more efficient alternative to pod machines.
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This is true. On occasion when I've got a new bag of coffee I curse having to dial it in again before I get my morning coffee. It's a surprising amount of faff to get a good espresso.

Agree with not writing off pour over. Without a doubt the best value route to excellent coffee is £10 for a V60 and some filters, and a reasonable grinder.

I use this one for my filter coffee, although any proper burr grinder will do a decent job for pour over.

bellabarista.co.uk

Eureka Mignon Filtro coffee grinder - Default Title - Bella Barista

The Eureka Mignon Filtro is a compact coffee grinder designed with drip style coffee and French Press in mind. The Mignon Filtro comes equipped with 50mm flat hardened steel burrs, manual grind control, and an attachable grounds container for easier bulk grinding.
bellabarista.co.uk bellabarista.co.uk
 
Matty8787 said:
Love me some James Hoffman, intelligent guy, funny and knows his onions.
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you want some Hames Joffman for the real scoop:


mid_gen said:
Agree with not writing off pour over. Without a doubt the best value route to excellent coffee is £10 for a V60 and some filters, and a reasonable grinder.
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I had a long, heartfelt (but lighthearted) argument with a good friend about the merits of espresso vs pour over - but the reality is value for money of dropping £200-300 a good grinder and £20 on v60 or the like will get you much better coffee than the same on an espresso machine - the fellow ode is a great (and great looking) alternative to the Eureka Filtro, albeit about £100 more.
 
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Wow a lot to think about, I'll keep my mind open to it as I've seen a lot of people say the coffee tastes that much better vs the Nespresso. But then like you say about factoring in time, accessories etc, will take a look at pour over as well.

With a 5 month old taking most of our time up at the min, quick coffee maybe the way to go for now :cry:
 
Proc said:
Wow a lot to think about, I'll keep my mind open to it as I've seen a lot of people say the coffee tastes that much better vs the Nespresso. But then like you say about factoring in time, accessories etc, will take a look at pour over as well.

With a 5 month old taking most of our time up at the min, quick coffee maybe the way to go for now :cry:
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Nespresso is fine, it's pretty consistent and very convenient. It's not real espresso though. Kinda like moka pots, they make a nice coffee, but again, it's not espresso.

There's really no substitute for a perfectly pulled espresso with freshly roasted single origin beans. There's whole extra dimensions to the aroma and flavour you just don't get with other brew methods.
 
Honestly I'd say the biggest divide is: Fresh ground or not.

Whether you go espresso, bean to cup, or pour over/moka/aeropress, the biggest step up in flavour is from having good beans and grinding before use.

On that basis you might consider a bean to cup as it allows some tinkering but once you've tweaked it, it is  reasonably push and go.
 
Hario Switch is where it's at. It is an idiot proof V60 basically. It does cost more but you don't really need a gooseneck kettle to control flow, just pour and wait....I actually do it twice to make the perfect amount.
 
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