Over the past few years I’ve gotten a small handheld blade grinder, an Aeropress, a French Press, and started roasting my own beans.
The problem is that while some changes stick (like the grinder and the bean roasting), some changes just take up space (I usually use my Mr. Coffee over the Aeropress or French Press).
With that in mind, I’m looking for an espresso maker that is low budget, since I may not use it that often; but is still nice enough that I’m not going to hate espresso making because the machine is bad (ie: low pressure, low heat, leaks, etc).
Most espresso makers I’ve seen are a few hundred to a thousand USD; but since I’m worried I may end up almost never using it (or just using it to froth hot chocolate), I’m looking for one that’s around 100 USD or less.
While I expect you all have loftier targets for your espresso machines than that, I am hopeful if you don’t have any specific recommendations you can tell me what signs to look for that an espresso machine is of decent quality.
Honestly, you won’t find any electric espresso machine at that 100$ price point that’s capable of producing decent espresso, and they’re usually a pain to use. They are plastic, disposable and cobbled together with the absolute cheapest parts as possible. Heating is bad, pressure is all over the place and build quality is inexistant.
Your best bet at that price point for real espresso would probably be a (used) Flair or Cafelat Robot. Of course these come with their own workflow and caveats and they are hard to master, but short of spending at least 5 times your budget on a well maintained, second-hand mid-range Gaggia or Lelit or equivalent, you won’t find anything remotely as capable at producing real espresso.