Espresso Machines

My Dad’s birthday is in December, so he usually gets shafted on birthday gifts. He also never really wants anything significant for his birthday or Christmas. This year, I paid back a fraction of what he had given me by getting him an espresso machine. He has been drinking coffee for years, and as a black coffee drinker, I thought an espresso shot might be an upgrade for him.

I also frequently visit Slickdeals and noticed that Breville: the Barista Touch was on sale for $750. It seemed extremely expensive, but based on my vast research, it is an acceptable machine if you ignore the snobs. I liked the touch interface for my 73-year-old father as well.

I started watching some videos to prepare to help him use it when we visited him for Christmas. I was not surprised to see the machine hadn’t been used yet, as I’m sure he was too intimidated by it. I made a few drinks and a serviceable latte, and I thought I could drink this. When we returned home, my friend revealed they had bought the same machine and made an even better drink. I knew that this was worth trying myself.

The Rabbit Hole

I quickly found out that I was only dipping my toe in the espresso world’s ocean. The espresso community has people who look down on the machine I bought my Dad.

They say that you need a better grinder than these all-in-one machines.
They say the way that Breville heats water (thermablock) is not as optimal as a single or double boiler machine.
They say you can’t get the milk steamed correctly with such a weak system.

I became an espresso enthusiast after only having 4 cups. I was disgusted with myself for even thinking of owning such a terrible machine that helps make the company over a billion dollars a year.

My head is swirling, trying to understand my options and what a realistic budget should be.

The Options

There are a number of machines and recommendations available, but ultimately, these are the main starting point options.

All-In-One ($650): Breville: the Barista Express Impress ($650 on sale)
Entry Level Thermablock & Grinder ($830): Breville: the Bambino Plus ($500) & MiiCoffee df54 ($230)
Entry Level Single Boiler & Grinder ($830): Gaggia Classic Evo Pro ($500) & MiiCoffee df54 ($230)
Mid Level Single Boiler & Grinder ($1450): Profitec GO ($1050) & MiiCoffee df64 ($400)

The number of people saying they upgraded from their Breville machines moved me past the first two options. I don’t know if these will last me more than five years, and since I plan on making milk drinks, an improved steaming system also felt necessary.

The Gaggia Classic, or GCP as it is commonly known, is the standard entry-level machine. It also looks like crap, in my opinion. Now, that isn’t a reason to not buy it. It is a machine with much respect and a large community of support. People commonly mod the machine to improve it. But I heard people saying that for the mods’ cost, they could have gotten a Profitec GO.

The Decision

I jumped into a hobby in the deep end in a classic Tom move. I looked at a $2000 Profitec Move (double boiler) and a $700 Niche Zero, but that convinced me that spending $1500 on a pair of appliances was ok.

I went with a yellow Profitec GO ($1140, extra $80 for the yellow)