Need help with buying a coffee espresso maker

buzz88

buzz88

Forerunner
So, a total coffee noob here. Want to buy an espresso maker for wife. I've tried to google this stuff and it looked too overwhelming, like even home coffee makers could run into tens of thousands and there are too many variations in tech too. I was looking at a budget of 10K but seeing such expensive machines, I'm willing to extend it to 25K if you guys assure me that it'd be worth it. Please point to any online resources too if you think it would help with my search. Thanks and cheers!
 
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***There is lot more to coffee than expensive coffee maker***
If this is for home esspresso, do not waste money on a coffee maker. Investing in espresso machines that cost 25k or so is meant for those who die for that absolute perfect cup of espresso. It is for those who look at making coffee as a form of art. You would also need that perfect coffee bean to get that perfect espresso shot. For normal espresso, you just have to find the right bean that matches her taste, the right roasting.

I have tried every possible coffee making and in the end, for home espresso, the best coffee makers in the world are :
  • Moka Pot.
  • French Press.
  • Aeropress.
With these three, you can customize how your coffee should be. These come in variety of designs. Find the right one and this is all you need.
 
desiibond said:
***There is lot more to coffee than expensive coffee maker***
If this is for home esspresso, do not waste money on a coffee maker. Investing in espresso machines that cost 25k or so is meant for those who die for that absolute perfect cup of espresso. It is for those who look at making coffee as a form of art. You would also need that perfect coffee bean to get that perfect espresso shot. For normal espresso, you just have to find the right bean that matches her taste, the right roasting.

I have tried every possible coffee making and in the end, for home espresso, the best coffee makers in the world are :
  • Moka Pot.
  • French Press.
  • Aeropress.
With these three, you can customize how your coffee should be. These come in variety of designs. Find the right one and this is all you need.
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Thanks. You've given me a starting point to read on, at least. Any suggestions for beans?
 
buzz88 said:
So, a total coffee noob here. Want to buy an espresso maker for wife. I've tried to google this stuff and it looked too overwhelming, like even home coffee makers could run into tens of thousands and there are too many variations in tech too. I was looking at a budget of 10K but seeing such expensive machines, I'm willing to extend it to 25K if you guys assure me that it'd be worth it. Please point to any online resources too if you think it would help with my search. Thanks and cheers!
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i presume you want to replicate the coffee from coffee chains like starbucks at home.. and you are not a coffee snob?
If that’s the case, just get a decent pump espresso machine with an aerator wand ..
These will cost between 10-20K depending on the make (DeLonghi should be about 20, local makes like Tecnora about 10-12 and chinese imports from the likes of Morphy about 14-15)

As for the bean, don’t get too caught up in beans and grinding up front - thats something you can always try later
you should look for a pre-ground medium roast that has 90%+ arabica AA or AAA to start with. Lavazza Qualita Rossa is an excellent starting point.

If you like the results, and have high usage, you can switch later to Lavazza Il Mattino (this is almost the same as qualita rossa with some minor differences but costs quite less as its made by Lavazza India while qualita rossa is an Import from Lavazza Italy)
 
Delonghis are pretty good, but if you're in INdia, you'll need to buy a transformer for 110>240v
If in India, you can get a Tecnora Espresso machine. They have good support, the machine should last a year without issues. Just remember to give it a good vinegar clean every 2-3 months to remove limescale, and you should be good.


If you make 3-4 cups of coffee a day, you'll recover the 10K in 6 months.
I have one, and I also bought a separate stainless steel frother to froth milk for cappuccinos.

Never ending story once you get into the rabbit hole, but for a basic machine, it's a good price.
Get some beans and grind them to a sand sort of texture, and you're set for the most amazing espressos.
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buzz88 said:
Thanks. You've given me a starting point to read on, at least. Any suggestions for beans?
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Go to blue tokai and get sampler pack. Get mix of light medium and dark roasts. You can select 3 to 6 sampler packs I believe. I liked dhak blend recently.

If you want premium moka pot, check this:


I purchased my moka pot about half a decade ago at Barista (their own brand) for 3k and it still just works. There is nothing in moka pot thta can break and these things last a generation and beyond if used carefully.

When you order sampler pack, select grind according to the coffee maker.
 
Any thoughts on this bean to cup model?

Delonghi ECAM22.110.SB Magnifica S

Apart from the eye watering price it seems easier to use than the manual models that require you to become a home barrista :)

I also wonder whether the beans we get here are good enough for such a machine?
 
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Looks like the stuff of dreams! We export a lot of the good stuff, mostly robusta.

I've been trying to stay away from coffee connoisseurism all these years but it feels like 2024 is the year where I give in, or build a gaming rig.
 
rsaeon said:
I've been trying to stay away from coffee connoisseurism all these years but it feels like 2024 is the year where I give in, or build a gaming rig.
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It's quite detailed just the sort thing to geek out on


BullettuPaandi said:
and end up saying to myself "maybe ignorance is bliss", while sipping coffee from my trusty South Indian filter.
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I've always found this to hit the spot. If that's what you grew up with it will always be the best.

Aka the 'pour over' method. It's got its quirks.
 
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since last time, I upgraded my setup.
bought Lelit Anna with bottomless porta filter, Breville Smart Grinder Pro and buy good coffee beans online and I must have recovered the money already many months ago... Honestly I dont like coffee from any shops anymore except for the few coffees I had in colombia when I was on a trip.

I would suggest https://www.breville.com/us/en/products/espresso/bes870.html?sku=BES870XL for starters, espressos are totally worth it if you like drinking cappuccinos.

Oh, btw, I also have a pour over setup.
 
And the price keeps increasing. They don't have the 870 here.

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That's a good machine. The problem is it's totally sealed and proprietary so if anything breaks you can't do anything.

Wonder if that's correct. The Magnifica S also uses these security torx screws with a stud in the centre but I saw a video where a flat tip screwdriver was enough to unscrew them.
 
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Did you see any reviews where people try to dial in the grind to get the best quality?That's what James tried four times with that generic model and then gave up.

I don't find anyone doing that in India. All we get is product description with very little on the product consumed at the end. I'm looking for brand or name of bean company with so and so settings which can only be had with trial and error.

If the last review was hilarious the one below is unbelievable how clueless reviewers can be :wideyed:


Just shows how little understanding people have of these machines, the process etc
 
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blr_p said:
That's a good machine. The problem is it's totally sealed and proprietary so if anything breaks you can't do anything.

Wonder if that's correct. The Magnifica S also uses these security torx screws with a stud in the centre but I saw a video where a flat tip screwdriver was enough to unscrew them.
Click to expand...
Looks like the YT guy was wrong. Completely.

All it took was a humble Phillips screwdriver to open the unit.


Granted this is a north American variant but I doubt the UK unit would be different. :bored:
 
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