Best Espresso Machines in 2024

★★★★★ Best Entry-level Home Espresso Machine. I absolutely love this machine. With as many lattes as I drink, this will easily pay for itself within a year, inclouding the cost of beans, milk and cleaning products.Notes: Make sure to keep up with all the regular maintenance. Ever day after I've made my coffee, I wipe the steam wand, purge it, then wipe again. Make sure to get into all the crevices around the tip and you'll never need to use the pin to clean out the tip. Once I've done that and poured my steamed milk, I purge the showerhead by pulling one shot into the empty mug (no filters). This keeps the showerhead clean of coffee debris and keeps the coffee tasting pure.REMEMBER TO CHANGE YOUR WATER FILTERS. The filters should be changed every 60 uses or 2 months, whichever comes first. This wolill reduce how often you need to descale the machine, prolong it's useful life and provide better tasting coffees. You will still need to descale the machine every so often. The manual included is very helpful for keeping up with the maintenance (as well as pulling shots, making drinks and other useful tips) and you can also find instructions on their website should you misplace the manual. Gold tone makes pretty inexpensive replacement filters specific to this machine and they're available here on Amazon. I use them and am pretty happy with the results.Do not let the water run out. Ever. This could cause serious damage to the machine. If you forget once or twice, you'll probably be just fine but check the water reservoir at least 1-2 times per week.Clean the machine parts at least once a week. You may need to empty and rinse the drip tray 1-2 times a week (depending on frequency of use) but take it out and hand wash at least once a week. This is a good time to wash the tools and tool bin as well. Also, dont forget to take the coffee filters out of the portafilter and wash those as well. Over time, residue can build up underneath there. Also, the spouts in the portafiler twist off so you can clean them better. Clean out your parts, get in those crevices regularly and you'll be just fine.Don't forget to clean the hopper and grinder. You should clean it out every time you switch to a new bean or at least every few pounds of coffee. The instructions in the manual are pretty easy and straight forward. I also use a clean, dry towel to wipe any remaining coffee and oils from both the grinder parts and the hopper. Do not wash in warm water as you could risk it not drying well and rusting or not being lubricated enough and over heating. Just use the included brush and clean, dry paper towels. You could also vacuum out residual coffee from the grinder to assist in cleaning, but I don't usually need to.Also, remember that the stainless exterior is stainless plating. This means it can wear over time and not look as nice. The best way to handle this is to wipe it down with a damp cloth (once daily then more detailed once a week) and follow it up by drying it with a clean towel. This will prolong the exterior appearance. Also during your weekly cleaning, be sure to look under where the coffee and steam come out and clean around there. Milk, coffee and residue steam can splatter and build up so be sure to clean it as well.The weekly cleaning sound intensive but really takes maybe 5 minutes.Common issues: Keep in mind certain o-rings will need to be replaced over time. This is noted by Breville in the manual and on the website. There are two main places where you need to replace these: around the tip of the portafilter (where the spouts connect) and where the portafilter connects to pull shots.Another common issue is that the machine will make a loud "buzzing" sound and/or leak water out of the bottom of the machine. This is a common issue and, when it does occur, usually happens around 6 months to a year. This generally occurs due to a broken solenoid valve. If your product is still under warranty, take a video and contact their customer service. Maybe suggest it's a solenoid valve and they are usually very good about fixing or replacing the machines and parts. If it is no longer under warranty and they will not resolve the issue (because sometimes they still will after the warranty period), there are many repair services that can fix this. If you are especially handy and brave enough to fix it yourself, you can usually find the replacement parts fairly cheaply online (not just the valve, but really ANY part that may need to be replaced). Again, if it's still under warranty do not go this route, as it will void any existing warranty. Also, if you don't know what you're doing, you could do more damage than good.All-in-all, this is an amazing machine for this price point. There is a reason this machine is so popular and highly rated. There's a lot of customization available to you and it is a very good quality machine. I would not suggest any product below this machine and price point for your first machine as you'll likely be very disappointed in the results. Eventually you may want to upgrade to a more robust multi-thousand dollar machine, but this is great for the majority of consumers and is super user friendly. Use higher quality beans directly from the roasters and learn how to use the machine and make drinks and you'll be very happy with it. The quality is truly amazing for such a low cost espresso machine.Side note: Whole Latte Love on YouTube is a great resource for additional reviews, tips and tricks and maintenance for this machine (and many more). It's also a great resource on how to pull shots, steam milk, pick types of milk and make many different types of drinks when you're just starting out or want to up your coffee game.

★★★★★ BUY THIS MACHINE, YOU WILL NOT BE SORRY. I rarely write online reviews of products I buy, but I am so impressed by this machine I must share with people who are contemplating this purchase.BOTTOM LINE:This is an extremely good value for the price, and I would HIGHLY recommend this machine to anyone regardless of their experience level with making espresso-based beverages. Read on for more detail...BACKGROUND:I am very careful when buying products in this kind of price range, and thus do a lot of research before buying. This is especially true with something you can't truly "try before you buy". I read over 100 of the reviews on this product, and although there are some complaints the major theme is very positive. I have been using the Breville daily now for almost two months and feel I understand it's pro's and con's very well.As a coffee person, my focus is on espresso, Americano, and lattes. I was never a drip-coffee person, but I have been a hardcore Starbucks latte guy for 6 years. I have talked at length to baristas over the years to get a more technical understanding of what makes great coffee, and previously owned a fully automatic machine from Saeco (about a $600 machine). When it came time to buy a new machine, I felt that I was ready to make the jump to a semi-automatic machine.Lastly, I come from a technology background (e.g. Apple employee) and feel that I am a good judge of design, manufacturing, user interface, etc.DESIGN:This is an extremely well designed product. Every little detail, from the exterior & interior packaging to the controls on the front of the machine, is very thoughtfully done, well executed, and serves its intended purpose. From the beginning you see that it is a high quality product, and Breville spent money where it matters. The materials are visually appealing as well as sturdily built, with the kind of craftsmanship and heft you would expect from a much higher priced machine. Nice touches like having the tamper store in a magnetized hole in the top of the machine, having the top surface of the machine stay warm from the boiler to keep your portafilter and coffee cup warm, and creating a hidden accessories tray in the base of the machine are signs of top notch designers. Overall, the product is relatively compact and will fit into any size kitchen situation. Lastly, the user instructions are extremely well done and very helpful - READ THEM.PERFORMANCE:The espresso produced is extremely consistent, and only changes as your beans age (although a pretty small difference). The water boiler heats up very quickly and you will be drawing a shot less than 2 minutes after hitting the power button (part of this time is grinding the beans). The controls are easy to use, and the movable items such as the portafilter and steamer wand are holding up well and I have zero concern about long term reliability. The steamer wand, compared to my previous Saeco, seems to create much richer milk foam, which is important for lattes and cappuccinos. There are a number of "complaints" from people on these reviews about how difficult it is to get good espresso, but I can tell you my very first shot was good and has been ever since. I think these people are creating the wrong impression, as this machine is incredibly easy to use. However, it's critically important that you read the instruction manuals FIRST to help ensure you get it right. The grind level is the only thing you really need to set, and that will be personal preference to some extent but for my beans it seems best at 4. The other thing you control is how hard to tamp the grounds in the portafilter, and I will tell you that if you give it a good strong press (I use two hands on a hard flat surface), it will be just fine. Don't overthink this machine!BEANS:I strongly suggest you find a local shop that roasts their beans on-site so you can have truly fresh beans. You want espresso whole beans, and they need to be 100% Arabic and NOT the "oily" kind. Otherwise, you will gum up your grinder.CLEANING:Terrific design makes this a breeze to clean. The water and grounds catch tray just lifts out in one piece, and you can take everything to the sink without making a mess. A quick rinse and you are ready to put it back. One thing that cannot be avoided is that some of the coffee grinds will spill out of the portafilter during the grinding process, and may even fall off the coffee maker and onto the counter (or floor). I shake the portafilter mildly while its grinding to even out the grounds to minimize the mess, but even that doesn't eliminate it completely. The other mess creator is tamping the grounds and levelling off the dose size, this will cause grounds to be spilled. Up to you how to contain this, although I just turn the dosing blade upside down and use it to scrape the grounds off my counter and into a bowl I use to catch the grounds when I level the dose. Overall it is quite minor and requires less than 5 minutes of clean-up a day.

★★★★★ Muy práctica, excelente extracción de Espresso. Si no tienes experiencia te va a costar trabajo calibrarla. Sin embargo hay tutoriales en YouTube y toma en cuenta la programación del tiempo de extracción.

★★★★★ Between myself and husband we'd spend hundreds at Starbucks every couple months and I'd have a decaf long shot Americano with steamed heavy cream and sometimes even an extra long shot. Super picky about having amazing coffee. Once you go through the learning curve which, with the advice also below, from another amazing customer review, you should get it down in about a couple days total. Once you have it down this coffee flavour and smoothness surpasses the best coffees I've had at Starbucks. Freshly ground coffee is the ultimate winner and it surpasses pre-ground easily so spend the extra moula and get the grinder! Your mouth will thank you 🙂 The machine is amazing and beautiful and easy to operate once you read the instructions and look on you tube as to how to steam cream or milk exactly. You won't regret this coffee, I was using the same beans (Starbucks Espresso Decaf) pre-ground on a routine coffee maker and when put through this machine the flavour is so rich and smooth and it just lingers all over the inside of your mouth all over your tastebuds. Crazy. My mom is European and has had her share of coffees and espressos and I brought her a cup and she said it was the best coffee she's tasted, even better than the few she'd tried at Starbucks. Enjoy!Here's the review below I also used and I purchased those additions he mentioned all at once and it was super helpful and it made the experience so much smoother!1. I am a guy, who knew nothing about espresso machines before this. I am very mechanically inclined and don't usually read instructions. This was different - this machine is NOT self-explanatory and you NEED to read the instructions (which are well written, and even include a troubleshooting section). Don't get frustrated with this machine until/unless you have read (all) the instructions.2. This is not a 'stand-alone' purchase ... this machine costs around $500 (give or take), you need to invest another $100 right from the start (preferably at the same time) to get the most out of it, enjoy it to the fullest, and not get unreasonably frustrated by making your own lattes and mochas.3. The other things you REALLY should order at the same time (and all are available on Amazon) are:a. ($29) 100-pack disposable 20oz. cups with lids and sleeves (sold by Yes!fresh). Trust me, you want to get these. It's only $0.29 per cup and are far more convenient that trying to clean out a million dirty coffee cups from your car/office each week. These are worth twice what they cost in the long run. And when your friends are over, you need not 'loan' them a nice coffee cup to go (which you may never see again) - just give them a paper cup to take with them.b. ($5-15 for 25 oz. / $20-30 for 64 oz.) Torani syrups and sauces, AND the pump tops that go with them (always sold separately). IF you drink the same thing on a regular basis (like I do) such as a white chocolate peppermint mocha, buy the 64 oz. white chocolate sauce and not the smaller 25 oz. bottle.c. ($14) Amazon Basics Cotton Washcloth - 24 pack - grey (the grey matches the espresso machine, but the color doesn't matter). Again, trust me, you want a nicely folded stack of these sitting next to the machine - you will use 1 each time you make espresso, and then it will be dirty and needs to be washed. At my house (3 people using the machine) we bought two 24-packs because we make so much coffee - two 24-packs is not too many for our house (I'm thinking about buying a third pack).d. ($10 for pair of single shot size, $15 for pair of double shot size) Set of double-walled espresso shot glasses. Do NOT buy the rounded ones (ie: Cutehom espresso coffee cups) because they will not pour very well and drip all over the place (down the side) each time - very frustrating. Buy the JoyJolt Javaah Double Walled Espresso Glasses instead - you'll be glad you did in the long run. And, if you're planning to make mostly double-shot lattes/mochas, buy a set of Dragon Glassware 6 oz Espresso Cups (also double-walled) so that you don't have to keep fidgeting with the single shot cups to keep them in the right spot under the coffee dispenser. It's important to buy double-walled glasses for two reasons. First, it keeps the espresso hot while you're steaming your milk, second, it keeps you from burning your fingers when pouring the espresso into your coffee cup.e. ($15) Breville BCB100 Barista-Style Coffee Knock Box. Again, TRUST me, you want this right next to your machine - the coffee grounds will start piling up quickly and you don't want your portafilter anywhere near a garbage can. This thing is a must.4. Space requirements: This machine (and all that you want to go with it) will take some counter space - allow AT LEAST 34-inches of counter width to accommodate - slightly more is even better. You will from my picture, this is a 34-inch setup, and there is no room to spare.5. Making espresso. After you read the instructions, here are some tips that they don't include to help avoid frustration:a. When the beans are grinding, lightly knock on the top of the hopper lid (just like knocking on a door) so that the beans keep feeding down to the grinder (sometimes they get hung up - a light knock each time keeps this from happening). Do NOT overfill the portafilter (after tamping) or it will jam coffee grounds into the water outlet and could possibly damage the portafilter or locking guide. After the grounds are tamped down in the filter cup, the silver part of the tamper should be just hidden beneath the rim of the portafilter (the machine includes a tool you can use if you accidentally overfill the filter cup, but after a short while, you'll figure out how much to grind each time and the tool will not be necessary).b. You ALWAYS want to watch the pressure gauge when making espresso. It NEEDS to be in the dark grey area of the pressure gauge (and ideally in/near the middle of the grey area) during the brew cycle, otherwise you are not making good espresso - rather, you are making either watered down espresso (not enough pressure) or not enough espresso which is too rich (too much pressure). There are two key things that affect pressure: the fineness at which the coffee is ground (which is adjustable) and the volume of grounds in the portafilter (also adjustable). Although there is a one or two shot size setting, I have found it best to do two, 1-shot grinds, tamping down the grounds in-between each single-shot grind. I have the grind (volume) setting on the 4th click setting, and I have the grind (fineness) setting on either 2 or 3 (play around and see what gives you the best results). IF the pressure is too low, then either your coffee is ground too coarsely, or your have not tamped it down tight enough, or the filter is not filled with enough coffee grounds, or a combination of any/all of these things. IF the pressure is too high, then either your coffee is ground too finely, or you have tamped down the grounds too hard (tightly), or a combination of the two.c. IF using two, single-shot espresso glasses to collect a double-shot brew, keep an eye on them during the brew cycle and make sure they are centered under the espresso being dispensed (this can be avoided by using a double-shot size collection cup).d. IF making a mocha or other syrup/sauce drink, pre-mix the espresso and syrup in the glass and stir thoroughly before adding the steamed milk.e. Steaming milk is 1/2-art, and 1/2-science (seriously), and it does not come naturally. If you've never worked at a coffee shop and been trained to steam milk, do yourself a favor and watch a few good (short) YouTube videos on the proper way to steam milk. You will THANK yourself for taking 5-10 minutes on You Tube and learning the proper way to steam milk (and things to avoid). Understanding the steaming process will allow you to control the amount of foam on top and not make big mess.f. Before you steam your milk, VENT the steam wand to remove the residual water from the boiler line (you don't want a few teaspoons of water in your milk). Vent the line, then turn the steam off ... wait 5 full seconds ... then insert the steam wand into the milk, then turn the steam back on. Hold the handle with your left hand, and place your right hand underneath the stainless steel milk steaming cup, when the cup is too hot for your right hand to touch (I mean really to hot to hold), keep the steam wand in and start counting along with the pump (which sounds like a metronome in the background ... dit ... dit ... dit ... dit ...). For a semi-hot latte/mocha keep the steam wand in the milk for 30 double-dits (don't start counting until after you can non longer touch the bottom with your right hand ... "and-one, and two, and three" and so on until you get to 30 (the equivalent of 60 single dits). For hot (but still drinkable) count to 40 double-dits, and for very-hot, 50 double-dits. Anything above 60 and you risk burning the milk (which will ruin the flavor and you will need to toss it out and start over). When finished, turn the steam off, and remove the steam wand from the milk about 3-5 seconds before it finishes blowing steam (to avoid having milk sucked back up into the steam line).g. After you steam your milk, VENT the steam wand again to remove any milk that inadvertently got sucked up into the steam wand line and prevent any from making its way into the boiler. IF milk makes its way back into the boiler unit (because you failed to vent the line after use) you will DESTROY the boiler (permanently), in that, the milk cannot be cleaned out, will burn during the next use, and every cup of milk you steam in the future will have a burnt-milk smell/flavor - yuck! DO yourself a favor and vent the steam line religiously after each use - and make sure others who use your machine know that they can ruin it if they don't do so also! (there goes $500!)h. The bottom tray is easy to remove, empty and clean (comes apart in 3 pieces). You should empty this every 2-4 days of use because it fills up despite you not pouring liquid into it - reason is, each time you finish using the steam wand or hot water dispenser, the machine auto-vents out the line from the boiler into the bottom tray (sneaky little devil) ... so even though you don't realize it, it's filling up a little with each use. (Fun fact - the hot water dispenser can be used for instant hot water to make tea!).

★★★★★ Es una excelente cafetera semi profesional para hogar, cambia totalmente el sabor del cafe, trae molino y queda perfecto para la misma cafetera. El cafe expesso lo deja con sabor cremoso y dulce realza los sabores del cafe. Creía que no era cierto pero si cambia el sabor dependiendo la cafetera y forma de extracción. Vale mucho la compra. Aquí en Amazon la adquiri en una super promoción del buen fin.

★★★★★ I've had this almost two years now, so I figured it was time for a proper review.If you don't want to read my in depth review but just my quick opinion and are in the market for a semi-automatic espresso maker (with grinder!), you can't beat this machine for the money it costs (especially here compared to a department store). It comes with a satisfactory grinder (anything better itself will cost you hundreds of dollars on its own), and an easy to use (and learn) espresso maker which makes good espresso, latte's, etc. (assuming you don't use garbage beans of course). Its been nearly two years and I've yet to have a problem and still works just as good as it did the day I got it.I'll start with the cons, because there aren't many and they are very minor, picky issues.The grinder: I find the size setting to be slightly misleading. I'd assume you could use the full range of grind sizes, but anything less than a 4 you'll have trouble pulling a shot with the proper pressure. Over time I've found I've needed to reduce the grind size more and more, but that could be to poor (lack of) regular cleaning habits because I'm lazy.The pressure gauge. There's an "espresso range" on it which you may think anywhere in that is OK. Its not. To get a good pull you'll need to make sure it starts around at least "12:30" and ideally about "1:00" if you treat it like a clock (pointing straight up would be 12:00). Once you get a feel for the grind and how much tamp pressure to use, you'll be able to do this with regular ease after a couple weeks of use (assuming you mainly stick with one type of espresso).The port-a-filter. Its not standard sized so it may be hard to replace. No big deal. Those interested in this probably have more "professional" machines anyways and aren't in the market for this.Now onto the good things:If you've never used a steam wand before, this is probably a good machine for you. Enthusiasts may say its not good or powerful enough, but its great to learn on. Its not a "double boiler" machine where you can froth milk and do the espresso at the same time, but for starter home use its great. Those double boiler machines start at 2-3 times the price of this. If you only make lattes for yourself a couple times a day (like me), its perfect. Because its doesn't use a boiler, its a little slower. That actually makes it EASIER to make perfect milk for the novice (also like me!). By the time I'm done making a latte, I've probably spent about 3 minutes. That's about 6 minutes out of my day which is quicker than waiting forever at st*rb*cks for something worse.The grinder: Its built in. Enough said. Clean it out once in a while and you'll be fine.Making espresso: You can adjust the temperature within 4 degrees of 200f (the factory setting). Adjust according to your taste and beans you are using (I'm not an expert, there's a ton and probably too much info out there on the subject). I keep mine at 202 as it brings out slightly better flavor for the standard bean I use. If you're using relatively fresh coffee beans, you shouldn't have much trouble pulling a decent shot.Maintenance/cleaning: its easy to use the cleaning cycle. Don't buy the cleaning tabs or descaling solutions. Buy Cafiza tabs as they will cost you a fraction of what the Breville ones cost for regular cleaning. Dezcal can be bought for descaling also with the same cost difference. The drip tray is dishwasher safe (top shelf). I put mine in about every two weeks. In between that, I give it a good rinse when the tray is full to get rid of any grime that may have built up.If I get 2 more years out of this, I'll be extremely happy. I've already gotten back my return on investment.

★★★★★ En general es un equipo bastante disfrutable después de la curva de aprendizaje que he de decir que no es sencilla para principiantes (ninguna máquina decente de espresso lo es).Al ser una maquina de "Termoblock" (de temperatura ajustable) equipada con PID, la temperatura del grupo permanecerá estable electrónicamente, por lo tanto no será necesario hacer "flush" antes de hacer un espresso como en las maquinas equipadas con caldera; el inconveniente de no tener caldera es que no es posible hacer una extracción y cremar leche a la vez, pero al ser un equipo destinado para hogar eso no debe representar problema.La calidad de espresso que entrega el equipo es SOBRESALIENTE si está correctamente calibrada, dando tazas muy equilibradas. Hablando de calibración, el punto débil de este equipo es precisamente el molino, que a pesar de tener muchísimos ajustes es "de pasos", es decir, se tiene que ir de nivel de molido 1 al 2 sucesivamente sin poder usar niveles intermedios lo que al final hace que algunas tazas no queden perfectas pero infinitamente mejor que de cualquier cafetería de cadena.Siguiendo con el tema de la calibración, deben tener en cuenta que el equipo se debe calibrar EN CADA USO (molido y/o tiempo de extracción) a menos que la temperatura y la humedad se mantengan constantes por días (lo cual es imposible). He observado algunos "reviews" que se quejan que la máquina o el manómetro no funcionan correctamente, el error es ¡DEBIDO A LA CALIBRACIÓN!, no es problema de la máquina. Cada que se cambia el grano, incluso la misma bolsa pasados días se debe re-calibrar.Si quieren facilitar o casi omitir el proceso de calibración, pueden usar las canastillas presurizadas de doble pared que vienen incluidas con la máquina a expensas de la calidad final de la taza.El mantenimiento es extremadamente sencillo pero se debe tomar muy en cuenta y considerar los gastos asociados: Personalmente hago unos cuantos back-flushes cada fin de semana para mantener el grupo limpio y ya que el molino NO ES "sin retención" lo aspiro cada cambio de bolsa para extraer restos de granos y molienda vieja. También eventualmente el LED de Clean/Descale se mantendrá encendido o parpadeará y se deberá proceder a limpiar la ducha con una pastilla (incluida) o descalcificar el sistema con el polvo descalcificador (incluido). Otra cosa a tomar en cuenta es que se debe cambiar el filtro de resina cada 3 meses, pero al usar agua embotellada que es mucho menos dura que la del grifo puedes espaciar el cambio.

★★★★★ All impressions are very positive. Tasty espresso, easy to use. My first impression of this machine is wow. Years ago I had a small krups pump machine, which is long defunct. I mostly drink filter coffee {Peet's Sumatra k-cups} or cold brewed "ass kicking" blend. I drink an average of four-six cups per day. When I wanted an espresso drink (iced plain espresso or iced Americano), or a cappuccino if I was in that mood, I'd stop and have one made.Every now and then I'd look at replacing the dead Krups but there were no machines that had a decent feature set and a reasonable cost. Besides, I could just get a coffee when I wanted one.But these days, I'm not going out. I started craving espresso, and finally decided to replace my old machine.This machine had some real advantages. One was the advertised width. Counter space was at a premium, this machine is narrow. Secondly, it takes the ESE pods. My wife is never going to tamp and measure a portafilter, but she will use a pod. A side benefit is that my 12 year old grandson can make himself an espresso with the ESE pods. {I got some decaf pods.}This machine is easy enough to use that he was making himself lattes after a single demonstration, using a pitcher I had from my old machine. He is a smart kid. I'm biased. But the pods are easy to use.I set my grinder (Oxo) to fine and put in my guess as to how much "Ass Kicking" coffee to use. It made a fluffy coffee which easily fit into the portafilter using the following procedure.Fill the scoop and level it. Put the coffee into the portafilter and lightly compress it. Repeat. Then put your thumbs onto the plate of the tamper and compress. I can easily grip enough to get a good tamp without stressing the plastic tamper.I disagree with people who claim that you can't fit the coffee into the holder. This is exactly the same volume as my old machine.Anyway, I hit the two shot button and it produced an espresso with reasonable crema. After trying the regular holder and the ESE holder, it is clear that the ESE pods are a compromise.This is a noisy machine in operation. The pump is noisy. The water heating device works great, but it is noisy, since it is basically a long tube that will cavitate. And, of course, steaming the milk is inherently noisy.The pump could be quieter. But it is no noisier than the steaming process.What I did notice was that the machine needs about three times the static width in actual use. The handle has to swing left to attach the filter to the machine, and your hand adds to the space needed. Extra space is needed on the right to use the steaming wand, and to clean the steaming wand, and to hit the power button. It is still a very narrow easy to use machine.The amount of force needed to attach and detach the coffee filter holder requires that you hold the machine in place.But this is a coffee maker, and the real question is, "How is the coffee?"There are so many things that go into that question...do you have a decent grinder? Are you using a good coffee? Is it roasted the way you like it?Finally, there are all different levels of equipment. My equipment is inexpensive, but not the cheapest. I have a style of coffee that I like, typically an Indonesian that does not have that bitter bite which is exhibited by typical central American washed coffee.My understanding is that the espresso brewing style was developed to allow the use of less expensive robusta beans. The fast temperature controlled extraction, combined with the dark roast tends to not extract bitter notes and to hide bad tastes.Applying the same method to higher quality beans should produce an exceptionally smooth brew.I decided to make a six shot iced espresso, three double pulls. I saw a decent amount of crema, and I was really happy with the iced espresso. I thought it tasted better than a drink that I would have bought at a place like Starbucks. I credit this to two things. One is that my coffee is better, and the other is that the brewer doesn't overextract.Good coffee, and a good brewing process will result in a good beverage. I used a coffee that I know I like and I got a beverage that I really liked. The brewer could have screwed up the coffee, but it didn't. This is the source of my wow!I had bought some ESE pods as well. The resulting beverage was not bad, but it was not as good as the stuff I made from the coffee that was more to my taste.Finally, I remember the coffee produced by my old Krups machine. The coffee produced by this machine is better.On to the other important aspect of these machines, their ability to steam milk. I have a 24 ounce steaming pitcher that I used to use, and the wand was barely long enough. I felt like I didn't have much control over the process. I think a 12 ounce pitcher might work better. (It does, or I can steam right into a duplo cap mug.)What I got was a good result for a latte, and perhaps less acceptable for a cappuccino. The thermometer I used reported a fast rise in temperature after the temperature went over 100F, while it took quite a while to get from refrigerator temperature to warm. The foam had many large bubbles mixed with the small ones. (Technique, in doing better.)The machine is really fast. It reports brewing temperature in seconds. I never felt like I was waiting for the machine.It reports steaming temperature almost as fast.All in all, I am really happy with this machine. I can't speak to the durability of the machine, but I hope that it will continue to produce beverages of this quality for a long time.And I am happy to be able to get an espresso at home again.After a month, I found that I had to descale the machine. A light comes on to let you know that the machine has decided it needs to be descaled. The process takes a while. You rinse the reservoir and add the solution, then fill it with water. Then you put it in descale mode and it runs the solution through the machine, slowly. You let most of the solution come out through the steaming wand, but you are supposed to turn off the wand and run some of the solution through the filter outlet (with the filter off). When the reservoir is almost empty, the machine stops, you dump the bowls, rinse the reservoir, fill it with tap water, and start the machine again. It runs the rinse water through much faster then the descale, again stopping when the water is almost gone. You can make coffee immediately.This procedure is long, but completely automatic, and need not be watched full time if you have a large enough bowl. You just need to toggle the steam outlet off and on every few minutes. The machine will still make coffee when it is in descaling needed mode.I was favorably impressed. I have descaled machines that were more automated and didn't work as well.I continue to like this machine.

★★★★★ Depending upon Price, either in the sweet spot or no-man’s land, best with a non-pressurized filter. 1 year update" 13Dec2019Descaled twice so far, easy process. Have had no problems with the machine solid construction and feel. Using a non-pressurized filter (see below) it makes an excellent cappuccino. Small footprint and looks nice and solid. Easy to use, clean and descale. Very happy and increasing to 5 stars from 4 starts6 month Update 7July2019:Have not any reliability problems, descaled once so far and it was an easy process. I have upgraded to the ec685 steam wand and it performs much better than 680 wand- longer reach and more velvety foam. Grate machine when used with non-pressurized filter.Depending upon Price, either in the sweet spot or no-man’s land, best with a non-pressurized filterSo what do I mean? There are essentially three options if you want your espresso in a minute (i.e. Thermoblock/Thermocoil)- in the low-to-mid $100’s is a Nespresso, in the $500 to $600 range is the Breville Barista Express or Infuser (darlings of the sub-$1000 category), in between is the Delonghi Dedica and Dedica Deluxe.A Nespresso is quick and easy but- requires a separate frother, has limited flexibility and very expensive capsules.Delonghi Dedica, can be almost as quick and easy when using the E.S.E pods (essentially a giant tea bag with coffee) at half the price of a nespresso capsule. You have the flexibility of using fresh ground coffee with the included pressurized filters and of course a built-in steam frother.Breville machines have the ability to pull professional shots with the included non-pressurized filters and include a pre-infusion stage (a pre-stage that infuses coffee grinds with low pressure hot water immediately before the extraction phase)- these are the 2 biggest features that enable a high quality espresso. There are also a few other features- thermocoil which is bit more robust than Dedica’s thermoblock and can improve heat consistency, a pressure gauge and PID (digital thermometer).How does the Dedica compare to the Brevilles? Well you can get a non-pressurized filter for $6, it’s not made by Delonghi but is the Mr. Coffee 4101 (or equivalent), and in addition even though Delonghi doesn’t advertise it, the Dedica also pre-infuses. If you have the Dedica this is what happens in the 5 second phase when the pump starts for a couple of seconds and then pauses for a few seconds before the pumps starts up again. Use of the non-pressurized filter is vital to improve the espresso significantly and generate a true crema. The Breville’s thermocoil is better but not vital, same with the pressure gauge which is cool but not vital. The PID is definitely a worthwhile feature. These three are worthwhile but at what cost.If you have to pay the $349 list price for the Dedica then the price difference for the Infuser is only $150, even less if you can find the Infuser discounted. At $150 or less, the added features of the Breville are worth the price. In addition, the $200 increase over a Nespresso might not make sense, thus the Dedica is in no-man’s land. If you can get a good discount on the Dedica to the point where it is more than $200 less than the Breville, then the added features of the Breville may not be justified. A discounted price for the Dedica is also a small enough difference compared to a Nespresso and may make more sense. Hence, a sizably discounted price put’s the Dedica in the sweet spot.The biggest problem with the Dedica is that the panarello frother wand can't make microfoam. The dedica Deluxe (EC685) has the added feature to vary the force of the steam pressure, this can enable you to make mircofoam.

★★★★★ Excelente máquina para hacer espresso. Fácil de usar y el espresso perfecto

★★★★★ I bought this unit to replace a Breville machine that had a plugged filter for which Breville would not supply a replacement part in Canada. I have used the De'Longhi EC680 Dedica for almost a month and I am really pleased with it. It is easy to program and customize. It makes great espresso with a nice crema. It foams milk really well creating a thick foam and makes a great cappuccino. It heats up quickly both for making espresso and steaming/foaming milk. We bought the chrome and black model as it was $100 cheaper and matched the stainless steel/black appliances we already have. It looks elegant on the counter. The unit is long and slim and takes up very little counter space. When I read the reviews they said that the power button sometimes fails. I have only used the power button once to turn on the machine as it turns off automatically and you can set the time to turn off, which is really great. I have only one complaint and that is the water tank is seated tightly and there is no handle to remove it, just a small space to put two fingers. This has resulted in me dropping it as I attempted to disengage it to refill it. Finally it has removable filters for cleaning (no more clogging!)

★★★★★ Si eres amante del cafe esta es una gran opcion para hacer bebidas de cafeteria en tu hogar.Buenos espressos aunque eso si, necesite muchos ensayos para encontrar la molienda adecuada para esta cafetera. El cremado de la leche bueno. Acabados elegantes. A tres meses de uso constante estoy muy satisfecho con la compraImportante: Si buscas una cafetera para negocio probablemente esta cafetera se quedaria corta.

★★★★★ Beautiful nice coffemachine! Quick start for hot wonderful espresso every time! Love it!

★★★★★ Great machine! I had read complaints about a lack of crema, but the images attached to this review show the results I had on the first pull with one tamp of standard Lavazza Rossa (red package).The water basin is detachable and easy to clean, it clicks into the base and is convenient in design. The boiler has good power and delivers hot water in less than a minute. The included portafilters are of good quality, but the included 50mm tamper/spoon is flimsy plastic and should be upgraded to obtain best results.The onboard menu system for setting water temperature, sleep mode timeout in minutes, etc. via three buttons is unintuitive and will require the manual to understand. Once set up, those three buttons are self-explanatory - one cup, two cups, steam.The package included a descaler and a water test strip to determine soft/hard water - both are nice touches. The manual showed a water filter but I didn't find one in the box.I've owned many coffee machines like this over the years, expensive ones and beaters too. All compared, this model has great looks and great value - all the features work well and I really like how compact it is on my kitchen counter. It will get lots of use. Thanks to DeLonghi and Amazon for offering this product for review. A+Update: The crema has been consistent with every pull, I've also tried using a different coffee (Pilao, a standard Brazilian coffee) and am getting good results.The one thing I am not liking is the hot water dispenser - it is a staged pump design and ticks the hot water out like a lawn sprinkler. Putting a cup under it makes the hot water splash out - to fix this, disconnect the frothing wand, remove the black plastic funnel, then reconnect the wand to the arm.

★★★★★ BEST ESPRESSO MACHINE FOR UNDER $1,000. From the espresso capital of the world, Milan, Italy, comes one of the best espresso machines available to consumers in the less than $1,000 category—the GAGGIA CLASSIC EVO PRO for $450.While this machine is listed as “entry level”, its commercial quality features go way beyond entry level. As with any espresso machine, there is a learning curve to this one as well. However, with no real automated functions, pulling a great shot and frothing milk are mostly a function of your experience and individual technique.What I love about this one:1. It looks good! The design and build quality are excellent.2. The 58mm commercial portafilter is industry standard.3. The commercial grade steam spout comes with a two-opening nozzle for a great vortex .4. Parts and accessories are readily available from the manufacturer and many after-market suppliers.5. No automated functions. You never have to second guess this machine.6. It does actually have one automated feature… it depressurizes the brew head after each shot. That’s a huge bonus.7. It’s easy to dial in a perfect espresso shot.8. It does not have a built-in coffee bean grinder. That gives you your choice of grinders and does not affect your machine if the grinder fails.9. The Gaggia may be the best machine for the money, bar none.A few reviews point out that the space between the bottom of the portafilter and the top of the drip tray is too short. There are two solutions for that: pull your shots into espresso cups or buy a shorter aftermarket drip tray.I upgraded to this from a true entry level machine—best decision ever.NEW INFO: Since the original posting, I swapped out the 12 Bar pressure spring for a 9 Bar. It's a simple 10-minute job that costs less than $10 and makes all the difference in the world—better brewing pressure, better shots. . .definitely a recommended change that makes a great machine even better.

★★★★★ The BEST Espresso Machine in the PRICE RANGE. I've been enjoying coffee for almost sixty years.I've worked as a barista in my early twenties. I know my way around coffee; particularly when selecting beans; the roast; how to get the best grind using the best grinder; how to achieve the best cup of coffee using almost every conceivable method and device.These days I am prefer a delicious, smooth-bodied, crema-rich cappuccino when I wake up. Unfortunately, health concerns have limited me to just one cup of coffee a day, so I make damn sure I enjoy the best tasting espresso or cappuccino every morning.Ordinarily, I would have been using my time-tested and still reliable 1968 La Pavoni espresso machine. This machine took me over a year to master and once I had it down, no other espresso machine even came close to pulling the finest tasting espresso or caps you could drink.But the La Pavoni is a bulky and intensively time-consuming machine to use; especially in the morning once you're out of bed and your brain still isn't operating at 100% until AFTER you've enjoyed your coffee.I needed to find and purchase an interim type of counter-type of espresso machine. Oh, I will still use my La Pavoni for that special occasion, because there still isn't, in my opinion, a machine that can produce a finer tasting espresso or cappuccino than the La Pavoni.After about a month of intensive research, which included reading and evaluating every review and recommendation I could find, the Gaggia Classic Pro is the model that kept coming up as the best in its price range EVERYWHERE.And then I started looking at the Youtube videos. Almost to a video, it was the Gaggia Classic Pro that was heralded as THE espresso machine to buy in its price range. And another surprise: the Gaggia Classic Pro had been receiving this endorsement going back decades.Another big plus: Gaggia is an Italian company that has the inside scoop on coffee...that's all they do. They make coffee machines.I decided to purchase the Gaggia Classic Pro...and man oh man was this ever the right choice.It did take a couple of tries, even from this seasoned user, to appreciate all the ins and outs of this machine. The machine is far more sophisticated than it looks.But can it produce a satisfying espresso or cappuccino? And can it steam or foam up milk like no one's business (providing you know what you're doing and you don't scald your milk...and especially if you have a talent making espresso art)?I only use bottled water so as not to build up sediment inside the machine. I like to keep my equipment cleaned, well maintained, and operational at all times. You need to understand how this machine is put together in order to master all of its secrets.My suggestion is: check out the HUGE volume of Gaggia Classic Pro Youtube videos online. They will teach you everything you need to know in order to get your Gaggia to produce the type of enjoyable espresso or cappuccino you like. But you do need to understand how the boiler and the rest of the components work together if you really want to achieve the finest results from the Gaggia Classic Pro.I have paired my Gaggia Classic Pro with the latest model of Baratza's burr grinders in order to affect the perfect grind of the whole beans I use. And, by the way, I grind only the amount of beans I need for that morning's coffee. The balance of my 1Lb once a month purchase of whole beans are kept in a sealed, but valved container in order to release the CO^2 that coffee beans give off.I set the burrs to the finest possible grind setting. I have found with the Gaggia Classic Pro, one of the secrets is to NOT tamp down the coffee to the point of a severe compression. Make sure the amount of coffee is evenly dispersed and then lightly tamp it down. Don't forget to run hot water through the group head in order to preheat it.I also recommend purchasing an inexpensive hand held timer. You'll need it. You'll understand why after viewing many of the Youtube videos featured about the Gaggia Classic Pro.When you're ready to make your cup, place a preheated cup under the group head and let 'er rip. When the light goes off, press the OFF button. Then follow the Youtube recommendations for using the steam wand, otherwise you will run out of pressure before you obtain the type of steamed or foamed milk you need.And make sure you clean off the steam wand IMMEDIATELY after use and then let a blast of steam go through the wand to unclog it on its inside. And always use bottled water. NEVER use tap water with a Gaggia Classic Pro.If you do, your machine will die an early death in a couple of years instead of lasting a couple of decades.I recommend the Gaggia Classic Pro with a full five star rating. It is, without any doubt, the finest espresso machine anyone can purchase in this price range. It offers superior workmanship made from superior components and materials; it is a remarkably well-engineered device; it is an attractive model to place on your kitchen counter; it is easy to clean and maintain; and it will produce for you the tastiest espressos and cappuccinos at home for you to enjoy.

★★★★☆ The media could not be loaded.  Muito bonita e tem um corpo bem sólido e que passa segurança. Ela aquece rápido e tem uma boa capacidade de água. Aquece bem as xícaras mas não cabem muitas.A parte entre porta filtro e xícara é pequena, e ruim de usar uma balança, mas tem opções de bandeja menores por aí. Essa máquina vaporiza muito bem e rapidamente.De ruim mesmo são os acessórios, é broxante ver uma máquina desse valor entregando um tamper tão vagabundo, e apenas um porta filtro.A tomada é mais grossa, vai precisar de uma tomada 20A

★★★★★ The media could not be loaded.  Escribo esta opinión después de más de año y medio de tenerla, es una máquina estupenda y de gran calidad, por el precio que se paga por ella. Se paga con creces , en un principio la comencé a usar tal cual te viene de fábrica , si ese va ser tu caso te recomiendo ampliamente que comiences con la canastilla presurizada , si ven en la fotografía mi primer molino es un Smeg que si bien es lindo no es funcional para un molido para expresó por lo que fue muy frustrante para mí ,por lo que tuve que ceder y usar la canastilla presurizada, si ya ves que es lo tuyo el expresó, se paciente por la curva de aprendizaje de esta linda máquina, el molido del café es la base para tener éxito en tus bebidas, pero si no tienes un alto presupuesto para un molino te recomiendo el otro que se ve en la foto es un Turín o sd40 , que en tostados medios logra excelentes molidos para esta máquina , otra cosa que puedes modificar y ayuda mucho en tus extracciones es cambiar el resorte a 9 bar , también lo compré en Amazon a un precio muy accesible y es muy sencillo hacer el cambio, claro que lo hice hasta que pasó la garantía, más por precaución que por que se sienta endeble la maquina , créeme es pequeña pero sólida , eso si al ser una máquina y no un electrodoméstico vas a necesitar tenerla encendida como mínimo entre 15 y 20 minutos para que obtengas buenos shots , les muestro un video de esta lindura ya con los 9 bares y un porta filtro desnudo , para mi es todo un espectáculo, 😉

★★★★★ I have a entry level burr grinder, and I was concerned I'd have to upgrade. The very first shot I pulled was leagues better than my Roma that this is replacing.I love having a standard full size portafilter, to me this is reason enough to choose the Gaggia over a Beeville of equal value.I also like how serviceable the machine is, it's easy to access the internals and spares are readily available. I feel like if anything goes wrong YouTube can help me repair it.Only dissatisfaction is the clearance between the portafilter and drain grate. You can't even fit a standard shot glass under there. I'll be upgrading to a naked portafilter in time. For now I'll enjoy pulling shots into a short coffee cup.Highly recommend, but you have to have something like a Baratza Encore grinder as the bare minimum. Anyone making bad coffee with this needs to look at their grinder and technique first. It's not a plug and play thing, requires some skill and a quality grinder, but you can do it!

★★★★★ I almost never write reviews, but felt it was necessary for this product. I was looking to replace my Starbucks Barista, which I've owned and loved for at least 15 years now. I did a lot of online research to find the closest machine to this one, as I've always been happy with the coffee, and the simplicity of the machine. I found an even better one with the Gaggia. Although it was more expensive, it has so far been worth every penny. Not only is the machine simple and compact, but it makes even better coffee than I thought possible. The crema is thick and rich, and the frothing wand is quiet, and makes the most beautiful foam. I LOVE this machine and highly recommend it to anyone who wants simplicity, and great coffee.

★★★★★ Excelente cafetera, con capacidad suficiente para un pequeño grupo en casa, la caldera queda lista en cuestión de un par de minutos, si tienes experiencia con cafeteras, este es el siguiente nivel. Cuidado con el molido de tu café o no lo sacarás el máximo provecho a tu extracto. El café que logras con esta cafetera es tan bueno como lo sea la calidad de tu molido y tu selección: lo demás la cafetera se encarga de regalarte un café con una crema impecable y temperatura correcta. El portafiltro universal es el elemento que de inmediato destaca en la cafetera, marcando la diferencia entre lo que es una cafetera para casa y una cafetera para casa de un amante del café. La solidez y simpleza del diseño también la hacen destacar, la limpieza es sencilla y el tanque de agua se llena convenientemente por la parte superior. El espumador para capuchino funciona de manera correcta y simplemente lo único que carece esta máquina es un buen compactador, pero con estas características: merece que compres uno para complementarla, igual un buen molino, para ese café fresco y recién molido que hará el deleite de quien aprecia un buen espresso.

★★★★★ Great taste, easy to use. Here are my tips (after 4 years of use). **** UPDATE AFTER 4 YEARS OF USE****Well it's May 2020 now, and I purchased this machine back in 2016. It has now been through 2 apartment moves, and STILL works like a dream... but recently it developed an inconsistent leak. I've woken up twice now to it having leaked on the countertop overnight. Not too much, and it hasn't done it every night. But still enough to be worried I'll someday have to replace it. For $100 or so dollars though, and especially after being used almost every single day for 4 years, this machine has STILL been one of the best and most reliable things I have ever purchased in my life.I still have to get my coffee beans ground at 1 notch more corse than espresso, however I've had a trusty coffee/spice grinder that gets a perfect grind every time (and its also cheap and over 8 years old).I'm pretty sure my last move (across 3 states) was the reason it has now started to leak, and I'm sad that I will one day have to part with it... but I'm writing this review because I truly just can't recommend this product enough. I have not been paid or given anything to write this or any reviews, I just want the amazon world to know it's a great machine for the price.Happy coffee making, espresso drinkers out there!______________________________________________________________I never write reviews for anything I purchase on Amazon (yet I read reviews for everything I purchase), and I'm so glad I chose this machine when looking for a new espresso maker. Personally, I am really hands on with my coffee in the mornings. I am not a "push a button and go" kinda girl, so if you are looking for that, maybe look elsewhere? This machine can be a bit finicky at times.It's so easy to use, and relatively mess free. It is a bit loud, but that doesn't bother me. It works like a breeze, and produces consistently great pours with beautiful crema markings. The milk frother works wonderfully with any type of milk (I only use almond or coconut milk). Being a barista years back I learned some milks are really hard to get a nice velvety foam, and this machine does just that with almond milk! It's not latte art quality, but juuuuust close enough that it could be.Here's my advice after owning this machine for a few months now...1. Start off with some Illy ground espresso in the can (like a previous reviewer had mentioned) so that you can have good tasting espresso while you get used to how your machine works. Tamp your espresso lightly!! Don't cram it in there or it will ruin the flow!2. Once you get used to how the Illy grounds work with your machine, then you can move on to local coffee shop beans. The reason being that the coffee grounds have more oils in them and are ground a bit more fine so it doesn't come out in a flow, but more of a drip. I typically put my cup right where the drip comes out, and it flows evenly for a perfect crema. Ask your barista for their particular choice in espresso beans when you go to your local roaster. I prefer Peet's Coffee or Philz Coffee's Aromatic Arabic, but make sure you ask them to grind 1 step more coarse then the typical espresso grind to make it a little easier on yourself..3. Always wipe your machine after use. I know I can be busy at times and forget to take out the tamp and empty the used espresso out, but try to always wipe the milk frother after use, and wipe down your machine. It comes apart easily so you can really get in there. At least 3 days I do a full rinse of the machine. I know I should do it after every single use, but I have had no problems thus far.4. Last but not least, make sure you get a ***small*** milk pitcher and tamp (I bought mine from the seller New Star Foodservice since it was priced right and well made). I know you get a 2 in 1 scoop and tamp with this machine, but look for something slightly heavy and stainless steel.

★★★★★ For the Price? Probably one of the best in the market. I am a college student who works as a barista and absolutely loves coffee and espresso. When I first saw this machine at Target, it immediately caught my eye. If you are in a tough financial situation like many college students are, or if you are looking for a beginner machine that won't cost an arm and a leg, this would definitely be the one. Although this doesn't have a barometer, for the price point you can't really complain, especially since it has a pretty good steam wand. First, I'll get the leaking issue out of the way. The original unit I received did have the same issue many other reviewer's did in that it was just leaking a ton of water on my counter. Once I did a return and exchanged it for a same unit though, I noticed the issue was gone. I'm not sure what kind of quality control issues Delonghi is having, but I hope they get it fixed as soon as possible. Next, I'll get the cons out of the way. Since this doesn't have a barometer, you have to kinda just put your trust in the machine and simply taste and experiment as you go until you find the proper grind consistency for a good, layered, shot. Once you find it though, you'll be happy you did, as shown in the photo above. Second, since this is a manual machine, you'll have to either use a scale(another reason to buy one) or some other form of measurement to measure your shots for consistency. There is a 2 pack of espresso-measuring shot glasses on amazon that sells for only $12 that I would highly recommend for this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08NWGC82N/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_QWM2KQN1W5HKTG4977CG The scoop/tamper this thing comes with is garbage. I hate to say it but since it is plastic and has a weird lip-type thing near the base, it is difficult and actually somewhat painful to hold it in such a way that you can comfortably tamp your espresso. Also, lets be honest. If you are brewing espresso, it's kinda common knowledge that the best results are gonna be from measuring your beans by weight. Not volume. Just get a kitchen scale if you don't have one already. My kitchen scale is easily one of my most useful kitchen tools, and if you use it properly, it'll probably be the same for you too. The portafilter is a pain in the butt to put on. IDK how Delonghi designed this thing, but in my experience, this portafilter always requires the strength of Hercules to put on straight, even when it's empty. IDK how this got overlooked, but because of that, even with all my force, I usually end up with the portafilter at a slight angle before I brew. Final issue: The steam wand. The steam wand is very powerful and is amazing at steaming milk, however the issue I had with it is the control. The steam wand will do 2 things: shoot out steam for steaming milk, or simply shoot out hot water for americanos. Differentiating it between these 2 actions is definitely not an easy task at first, and it is definitely more confusing than it needs to be IMO. If you are having trouble with it, here's how it works. Turn the dial in front of the machine all the way left to steam milk (wait for ON light to turn on), if the dial is in the ON position, the wand will do a weird thing were it keeps going back and forth between steam and hot water, and then finally turn the dial all the way right for hot water. Once your dial is in the proper position, turn the dial on the side of the machine all the way down to activate the steam wand. Design team definitely could've made the steam wand easier to use.If you are considering this machine, I would highly recommend it. If this is your first espresso machine, keep in mind there are a few extra items you'll need if you wanna use this thing to it's fullest potential.Kitchen scale. If you don't already have one for other kitchen applications, brewing good espresso is gonna come from consistency above all else. Measuring your beans by weight is already a massive step towards upping your espresso game. You should also be measuring your final product by weight, but you can also measure your shots with the glasses I posted above.Tamper. You can find the Delonghi one on Amazon for about $20, and once I bought this, I immediately noticed a HUGE difference in the quality of my shots. Since you are supposed to tamp your espresso with approximately 30 lbs of pressure, the only way to comfortably and accurately do this is with an actual tamper. The tamper Delonghi sells on amazon is the perfect size for this and fits like it was designed by NASA or something. Grinder. Obviously brewing fresh is going to be a huge improvement to any coffee game in general. Don't cheap out on your grinder. If you want to be as cheap as possible, you can go for a manual burr grinder and just grind your beans by hand. This will also be best for keeping the noise level down. I don't personally have too much experience with manual grinders, but just look for ones with many good reviews (see if you can find reviews of verified professionals) that mention espresso and grind consistency. If you do have the extra cash, I recommend an electric burr grinder. Never use blade grinders, as they provide no way to give consistent grinds. Probably the cheapest electric burr grinder you'll be able to find that gives good espresso is the OXO one. I believe it sells for approximately $110. This is the grinder I personally use and while there are better ones on the market, you won't be able to find any at the same price point.Steaming pitcher. Believe it or not, you will need one of these if you want to do things properly. You can find some pretty cheap ones on amazon at around $10. You'll want a steaming pitcher for 2 reasons. 1, for easier and more accurate milk measuring as well as pouring your milk for latte art if that interests you. 2, and the more important reason is this: Milk burns at 170F and breaks at 158F. Because of this, you need to be able to quickly gauge your milk's temperature so that you know when to stop steaming. Using a glass measuring cup may look ideal, but it will take so long for the heat to transfer to the outside of the cup that you may have already broke or burnt your milk by the time the outside of the cup feels hot. This is why steaming pitchers are so thin and are metal. Faster heat transfer means more accurate gauging of temp so you know when to stop steaming your milk.While it will take you some practice, with the proper tools and technique, this is in my opinion, probably one of the best espresso machines to start with or for anybody if you are confined by size or price.

★★★★★ Easy to clean. Makes great espresso/americano/latte. Great value. Just as good as the pricey Smeg espresso maker at work, which was more than $1000. In fact, I prefer this De'Longhi ECP3630 because it's a simple dial, no digital functionality, no need to reset anything, just turn the dial, done.

★★★★★ The media could not be loaded.  Buena maquina para iniciar en los espressos. Viene con casi lo necesario, faltaria buscar un contenedor para espumar leche.Es casi manual asi que debes poner atencion al llenado de tu taza o tazas. El proceso es realmente simple, pero una persona sin practica o entendimiento no la podra usar correctamente.Al poner la manija del cafe se necesita tener fuerza y firmeza para colocarla, la maquina no ayuda ya que no esta aderida a la superficie, unas ventozas pudieran ayudar.La base para las tazas o receptor de residuos liquidos, se sale o quita facilmente asi que si no se tiene cuidado al agarrarla de ese lugar puede causar un accidente.La parte de arriba se calienta (calienta tazas) pero no al grado de quemarte.Las instrucciones son claras y entendibles, se recomienda leerlas primero antes de si quiera conectar la maquina.Existen videos en internet explicando paso a paso el uso de la maquina y pueden ayudar bastante a personas inexpertas y asi evitar un accidente, en especial usando el espumador.El mantenimiento se ve relativamente facil.No la recomiendo para alguien con tiempo limitado ya que no es automatica, pero creando una rutina o entendiendo el funcionamiento de esta, si vale la pena por el sabor de un buen cafe.Recomendada personalmente.

★★★★★ Love this machine. It makes cappuccino, espresso and many more. All taste great and so easy to use! I would buy another of these for cottage

★★★★★ Lo quense espera de un equipo De'Longhi, es sencilla de usar (leyendo las instrucciones) hace buen café, llevamos un mes usandola diario y no hemos tenido ningún inconveniente

★★★☆☆ 電源電圧は100Vでも何とか使えました。取扱説明書はECP3220Jをダウンロードして読んでいます。

★★★★★ RIP Mr. Coffee. 1,689 days old. We'll miss you. Wife makes a cup a day for the last six months. No issues so far. She runs the cleaning cycle every time she uses the frother. We have not run any cleaning solutions through the water, and we have not noticed any decrease in performance.The frother bugs me a bit when I make hot chocolate, but if I stir the milk in my cup as it's being poured, it seems to cut down on the frothiness of it.*UPDATE*Running strong for over a year now! I should probably clean it sometime... Haven't noticed any decrease in performance yet due to not cleaning.*ANOTHER UPDATE*We ordered this on December 5, 2015. Today is September 27, 2017. Why the update? The frother stopped working on latte mode!I first cracked open the milk dispenser top to see if there was a clog. Turns out, it's super simple in there, and not much to clean. I paged through the manual, and there's a section in there about cleaning. Hey, wouldn't you know, Mr. Coffee says to run vinegar through the thing once every forty-eighty cups to delime it! My wife has been pretty regular in her coffee habit, minus missing a few days, plus making a few cups for guests, so I would estimate we're about 660 cups in so far! Just a little bit over the eighty cups they recommend a cleaning at for those of us with hard water.Anyway, I (sorta) followed the deliming instructions, ran a half gallon of vinegar through it using both the espresso and cleaning cycles, and the latte setting on the frother works again.And for those of you who are wary... this thing works great! My wife isn't a coffee snob, but this machine is helping her to become one. She's (mostly) sworn off that overpriced star place's coffee, as she's come to find it's very bitter, unless there's a pound of sugar in it, then it's too sweet. While the Mr. Coffee Cafe Barista doesn't have all sorts of fancy features as you may see in more expensive models, this bad boy reliably delivers what it promises, and can save you tons of money! Just think... We've spent maybe $100 on espresso pre-ground coffee, $300 on cocoa (it's good cocoa) & syrups. Compare that with the, at very least, $4/cup, and we're looking at $540 for 660 cups with the Mr. Coffee, compared to $2,640+ for coffee from that star place. Pretty good deal!*FINAL UPDATE - RIP MR.COFFEE*We orderes this on December 5, 2015. It finally stopped making espresso on July 19, 2020. That's 1,689 days of coffee. We didn't make coffee every day, so let's say one cup every three days. Over the years we've ordered 39 1lb bags of fancy imported Italian espresso ground coffee, at about $7/lb, spent maybe $100 on flavorings/cocoa, let's guess $300 on milk/creamer (though probably way less), and add $10 on vinegar for cleanings. That puts us up around $700 for ingredients, plus the cost of the unit (let's say $200, but it's less).So! If we say an espresso is brewed every three days, that's 563 uses (mostly double shots). If we assume the average bucks coffees are $4, that would be $2,252 spent at the bucks for burned coffee loaded with sugar. Compare that with with the $883 on making coffee at home. Divide that by the 563 cups we made, and that's $1.57 per drink! That's a savings of $2.43 per drink!So if you're wary about spending so much money on buying this thing, or just can't afford such a large purchase in one go, I would urge you to save up for this purchase. It's easy to use, mostly automatic, not too much of a pain to clean (buy some little pipe cleaners! Makes life easier), and saves you a ton of money compared to buying coffee from a barista. Granted it's not as convenient, but would you rather make your espresso a day in advance so it has a chance to chill in the fridge before you make your 64oz gut buster iced mocha, or would your prefer spending an extra $3 ever work day to spend ten minutes in the drive through?

★★★★★ Great little machine that's good for a year of daily use (see durability update at end). The fact that you're reading this review means that you're looking for an espresso machine (yeah, I know - duh). The fact that you're looking for an espresso machine means that you probably want either the convenience of making fun little coffee drinks at home, and/or you want to save money because you've been spending a significant portion of your disposable income on similar concoctions at the overpriced coffee house down the street. To which concern I can most assuredly relate - we have the misfortune to live half a block from what is arguably the best coffee shop in Seattle, and I don't even want to think how much of the owner's retirement fund has come out of my pocket. Good thing he's a friend.So anyway, here you are on Amazon, trying to filter - ha ha, please note clever pun - through the endless product choices, which range from cheapo plastic crap to espresso machines so expensive and complicated that you wonder if you'll need a degree in engineering to operate them. Your head is getting ready to explode as you read about things like burr grinders, with some Amazonians subtly implying that if you don't use one of these for your home-roasted gourmet coffee beans - the ones you import weekly on a private jet from an exclusive estate in the Ethiopian Highlands - then your intellect must compare unfavorably with that of certain lower primates. And then there are the reviews that provide detailed instructions regarding this or that machine's temperamental foibles and intolerance of idiots, advising you sternly that if you don't do X, Y and Z in a very particular order, accompanied by ritual chanting and animal sacrifice, your $2000 espresso machine will never perform in the optimal way.Or so it sure seems sometimes.So here's the key question: WHY do you want an espresso machine? Do you truly want to become an espresso master, the envy and talk of all your Yuppie friends ("Wow, Bob has a Lockheed-Martin X-320 Parisian-Bistro-Espresso Cafe Super-System with built-in burr grinder and rocket launch module, and he sure knows how to use it!") Or do you just want a machine that costs (way) under a thousand bucks that'll make a tasty latté or cappuccino in the morning, and in so doing save you from supporting your local coffee shop owner's boat payments?If it's the latter, then I humbly recommend this fine little machine. It's easy to set up, and if one uses decent ground espresso (for the record, I use Lavazza) it makes excellent coffee drinks with a minimum of fuss. You don't need to fiddle with frothing yourself - just hit the right buttons and it will turn out coffee that will have you saying "Mmm, that's good!" before you proceed with your day. Unless, of course, you're a coffee snob who wouldn't dream of using anything smacking of "automatic" that doesn't involve multiple complex steps, a $300 grinder, manual frothing, a degree in engineering and animal sacrifices. But then if you're that person you're probably not looking at this machine.Put the machine through a clean cycle regularly, and DO delime it at least once in a while. It's a tedious procedure but not doing so may affect performance (we had some issues a few months in and deliming fixed them).Do follow the setup instructions carefully, especially with regard to priming the machine the first time. And don't do what I did, which is to wonder why nothing was happening - specifically, why no water was coming out - and then finally notice the sticker on the back of the water tank that said "Remove plastic plug before use".Duh.UPDATE, SEPTEMBER 2021: we have now owned several of these machines over a period of 8 years, so I can tell you with confidence about their durability. Bottom line: they're good for about a year of daily use. Eventually, the frother stops working well. Despite deliming, it will have a harder time getting up to pressure and producing froth. Eventually it ceases to be functional. Since there's a one-year warranty, you might want to trigger that before the year is up - we did that with a previous machine and Mr Coffee's customer service was terrific - they immediately sent us a new machine for free. So, basically, you get two years of use out of one purchase.Key point: despite the durability issue, this machine has saved us a ton of money and I'd still highly recommend it (and will likely buy another when our current one dies next year).P.S. As some others have noted, the reservoir sometimes leaks water; we had this on one unit. My stupid but effective solution to this was to insert a strip of thin cardboard (part of the flap of a small cardboard box works) between the machine and the reservoir (i.e. behind the reservoir). Apparently this "pushes" the reservoir back enough to set it right, and it fixed the issue.

★★★★★ This Is Perfect For My Needs. I really like this machine. I realize that this is an "older" version, but it's just perfect for my needs. I have never made espressos at home before, and the Mr. Coffee Cafe Barista has made it easy and fun. Here are a few quick points I want to make about it:1) For its capabilities, it is on the relatively cheaper side of espresso machines.2) I really love the frother. In addition to capaccinos and espressos, I have been using the frother to add some love to hot chocolate and black teas. It's really awesome. I keep the milk container in the fridge after use.3) For some reason if you just want frothed milk, it always lets a few drops of water out from the espresso filter. So unless you want a little bit of espresso in your non-coffee drink, you need to take the filter away. (This happens because I tend to make the kids tea or hot chocolate with frothed milk after I make espresso)4) Cleaning it is relatively easy.5) The water container holds a lot of water, but there is no indicator that I know of to tell you if it is empty. So you only know because no espresso comes out. It's on the back so you can check, but you have to go to the effort of looking...no big deal.All in all this is a great machine that I thoroughly enjoy.

★★★★★ La amo 🫶🏻

★★★★★ I really like mr. Coffee barista espresso maker. The milk frother is so powerful, useful and easy to use. The blender also has a good power and makes a good creamy coffee. I think it's the best option in its price range.

★★★★★ Initially, when buying this espresso maker on amazon it seemed almost too good to be true, however, I made the purchase anyway, AFTER making the purchase I read the reviews and to be honest I was pretty nervous to receive the machine after reading many of the negative reviews. I've had this machine for nearly a month now and I've gotta say, its totally exceeded my expectations. Not only does this machine give you the option to make yourself a single or double espresso with the touch of a button, it also makes fantastic cappuccinos and lattes SO EASILY (even with plant based milks)!! as well as this my other concern was that my mugs of choice would not fit in the machine as my boyfriend has a (more expensive) breville that only allows for very short mugs or espresso cups. This machine has such an adaptable design in terms of allowing for any size of mug, you can remove the bottom compartment to fit in a larger container (this works perfectly for when im making iced coffee in a mason jar) and it even has a hidden compartment you can pull out to make the base taller for smaller cups like an espresso cup! To be fair Ive only had this machine for one month so I cant speak to the long term durability of it, but i have not had a single issue with it and if anything ive been extremely pleased with its performance, capabilities, and compact design (especially considering the very affordable price!) I definitely recommend this machine to people looking for a great machine for a smaller sized kitchen and also for beginners as it is so easy to use!

★★★★★ Fácil de utilizar, bastante práctica, materiales plásticos, pero ha funcionado sin ningún problema. Recomendado para casa o uso personal en trabajo.

★★★★★ 使いやすい