Folks -
Hope everyone is well. Like many others, I'm a big fan of the morning coffee and have invested a lot of time and money over the years into curating my setup. I was never a huge latte guy, but the wife likes 'em and now I have to learn how to do it. I don't mind the occasional latte, and it's good to switch it up from the usual pourover.
I'm debating getting an espresso machine in the next couple of weeks when prices drop accordingly. Wanted to pique interest in seeing if anyone had any recommendations. As well-versed as I am with the pourover and drip coffee setups, I'm relatively amature when it comes to espresso and pulling shots.
Any other gear you'd recommend? There may be some things that I'm not thinking about. I'm currently rocking a triple-Fellow setup with their Stagg XF Pourover, the EKG Kettle, and the Ode Grinder. They're all around 2-3 years old now but are still doing great. If there are some smaller things that you all could think of, let me know.
Enjoy the morning brew! Thanks, all.
I am a big fan of espressos and cappucinos but was a newbie initially. I have the Breville Barista Express. You probably know multiple people that have it or recommend it. Its like the Toyota Camry of machines, simple, super easy to use, easy to clean, and will last a while.
Here is the items I have:
- Breville Barista Express ($600-$700)
- Buy a separate grinder ($100) - Yes the barista express has a built in grinder, but if you want the grind to be extremely fine, invest in a separate one
- Buy a WDT - Well worth it and will help in pulling a nice shot
- Tamper/Distributer - Will level the grind and also help pull a nice shot
- Portafilter dosing funnel - Often ignored but I love this more than anything. It prevents my grinds from going all over the place. This keeps my area so nice and clean.
I've been having a lot of fun making espressos/cappucinos. Its also a soothing exercise for me each morning.
Also one major piece of advice I can give you is to never buy ground coffee. Buy whole beans and if they are freshly roasted thats a bigger plus. Ground coffee doesnt give the same flavor profile and can be a little stale in taste.
Yep, I have a couple of friends who have that one and they all speak great things about it. The silver looks sharp and it appears relatively easy-to-use.
Will agree wholeheartedly on buying a separate grinder - I've always known the grinder is the most important part of any coffee setup and didn't cheap out on it. I think the Ode ran me $300 new and does wonders for the pourover. I've never bought coffee grounds in my life, you can definitely feel the flavor burst after it's tared/bloomed properly with a fresh grind.
Any specific recs for a tamper? Will definitely check out the filter and dosing funnel. Thanks for your reply, really appreciate it.
Crema makes a real good one
https://cremacoffeeproducts.com/products/53mm-tamper-distributor-combo?…
I'll second this. Breville is one of the easiest espresso machines to use. It doesn't sound like you are inclined to spend hours perfecting the craft (nor should you its an expensive rabbit hole) and for that reason the Breville seems perfect. It'll steam milk well, pull solid shots and the separate grinder will help you take it to the next level. I would add that you should pick up a bottomless portafilter. It allows you to see how well the shots are pulling and will help you understand why some shots aren't as good as others. Other machines that are slightly less user-friendly, but make better espresso at the price point, would be the Gaggia Classic, Rancilio Silvia, and the Flair 58 if you want to go full manual.
I second the Breville Barista - I use the built in grinder and tamper/distributer and absolutely LOVE the coffee.
You could also invest in flavour shots (like Torani Vanilla Syrup, etc.) for Vanilla Latte, Mocha Latte and others.
I have had a variety of espresso machines over the years, including an automatic grinder $1,200 Jura machine. I just have a simple $50 machine now that works fine. The automatic grinders work ok for a few years, but mine started breaking down and it was out of warranty and I just tossed it.
We have a Jura in our office, and I was fangirling over it for a while when we first got it. I'd love one, but I don't think I drink enough lattes and/or espresso to justify the price tag. I think it's up to $1750 or so now!
Yeah it was $1,200 in 2006 so was pretty expensive; I really liked it for a few years. It made great shots and gave great head.
I have the Calphalon espresso machine (it has a grinder built-in). It works well and pulls a nice shot. Also- the Breville express is on sale on Amazon right now.
https://www.amazon.com/CalphalonTemp-iQ-Espresso-Machine-Thermoblock-St…
My favorite combo is:
- 4 shots espresso
- Silk Dark Chocolate Almond Milk
On ice. It’s moneyyyy dude.
I'm trying to explore new kinds of milk, in the past, it was only whole for me. I'm not a fan of oat milk whatsoever, but my wife loves it so she's been pushing it on me. Almond milk isn't bad - I prefer whole, but I'll drink almond if needed. Will give your drink a try!
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