Getting a Great Home Espresso Machine Without Breaking the Bank
If you are a lover of fine coffee and espresso drinks, then you may have considered taking the plunge and buying a home espresso machine. Perhaps you’ve already tried one of the bargain stovetop or countertop units, and discovered that you can’t get the same level of quality in your cup as you’ve come to expect at the local coffee shop.
As is the case with many that coffee lovers who have come before, you’re probably now looking to trade up to a better quality machine. With that in mind, here are five great machines that all come in under five hundred dollars – combining quality with affordability.
1 – The Gaggia 14101 Classic Home Espresso Machine $375
The Gaggia 14101 comes with a seventy-two ounce removable water reservoir, a stainless-steel housing, brass portafilters, a group head for temperature stability, a seventeen and a half-bar pump, a high-voltage boiler, a hot-water dispenser, a milk frothing wand, both single-shot and double stainless-steel filter baskets, a tamper, and a measuring scoop.
Often besting machines that go for closer to a thousand dollars, this unit is definitely a steal at $375.
2 – The Philips Saeco RI9366/47 Via Venezia $375
The Philips Saeco Via Venezia is an excellent machine and also is bargain priced at just $375.
It comes with easy-to-read reading control lights that show you when the machine is ready to use, a patented filter holder that ensures greater extraction by pressurizing the brewing chamber, a pod adaptor and special filter basket that fits into the portafilter, a steam wand with a pannarello attachment, and a removable sixty-eight ounce water tank for easy cleaning and refilling.
3 – The Saeco Aroma $473
Edging closer to the $500 dollar mark, the Saeco Aroma makes café quality espresso for less than half the price of many machines of lesser quality.
It comes with a portafilter and basket – specially designed to need no tamping, a swivel-head frothing wand, a removable eighty-eight ounce water tank, a fifteen bare vibratory water pump, and a 950-watt quick recovery boiler.
4 – The Jura 13421 ENA4 Automatic Coffee and Espresso Center $499
The Jura 13421 ENA4 Automatic Coffee and Espresso Center countertop machine is the most expensive in the bunch, but it’s still worth every penny. The Jura comes with a stainless steel-lined thermoblock, and is capable of generating eighteen bars of pressure.
The machine also automatically grinds, tamps, brews, and cleans in less than sixty seconds. It comes with a conical steel burr grinder, a removable water tank, and a frother, as well.
5 – The Breville BES870XL Barista Express $480
The Breville BES870XL Barista Express comes with a pre-infuser that applies low water pressure at the start of the extraction, gently expanding the coffee grains for even extraction through the brewing process.
It has a 1600-watt thermocoil heating system, an integrated stainless steel water coil, an auto purge function that automatically adjusts water temperature, and a fifteen bar Italian pump.
You Don’t Have to Spend a Fortune on a Home Espresso Machine
If you’ve spent anytime at all looking into high-quality espresso machines, then you’ve probably also noticed that they can go for as much as eight or nine thousand dollars. But the truth is, you don’t really need to spend as much as you would for a good used car to make high quality espresso at home.
Compare the five machines on this list and take the plunge on a quality, affordable espresso maker for your home.