Is over $500 espresso machine worth it to have?

Assuming you are grinding your own beans then I'd say yes, it's worth it compared to going to the coffee shop all the time. I've heard good things about the Breville 920 as a high end entry level machine.

If you're talking about espresso like the really good cafes (not Starbucks, but places like Stumptown, Vivace, Intelligentsia, Vita, Blue Bottle, etc), then it takes a good machine and, more importantly, a good grinder. The grinder is in fact more important than the machine. Together, it would be hard to get good enough equipment for less than $1,500. Then you need to have some commitment to learning how to pull good shots, which isn't automatic just because you have good equipment. And of course you'll want to make sure you keep good, fresh beans on hand. If you're not kind of geeked out by the whole process, then it's probably not worth bothering.If you're looking for "passable" but not spectacular, then maybe take a look at one of those Nespresso machines with the pods. My mom has one and it's idiot-proof and drinkable. It's not even close to the kinds of places I mentioned above, but to me it's probably better than anything you'd get at a Starbucks or its ilk.

Snobfest wrote:

To all the espresso lovers out there, would it be worth it to fork over a good amount for an espresso machine at home or should I just continue to go buy at coffee stores? I mean even if I get an expensive one, it's still cheaper in the long run but I may still go out and get an espresso with buddies during work. So I'm not really looking to save money really. Just want to enjoy espresso or Cubano.

I just ordered stovetop espresso maker to start off with. I don't think I'll be too geeked out about learning the art of making a good espresso shot so I'll see how this works as it was cheap.

I've only had good espressos from good places in Seattle so I'm not sure how Starbucks shot taste like.

lol no - adderral && provigil are far superior

Yes, it is well worth it.

Although I love my espresso machine, I'd say proper grammar more worth it to have.

Unrelated but just had some Stumptown this morning. So good.

I have one of these http://www.saeco.us/automatic-espresso-machine/espresso-machine/Odea/RI9753_47 not as good as a real espresso (frankly I even like Coffee Bean better) but as good or better than starbucks. Totally worth it if you have 600 to spend on it imo.

Just another decent runr guy wrote:

Unrelated but just had some Stumptown this morning. So good.

the one here in LA is so out of the way (for me at least), but I think I'll try it out next time I'm downtown.

Double Shot wrote:

Assuming you are grinding your own beans then I'd say yes, it's worth it compared to going to the coffee shop all the time. I've heard good things about the Breville 920 as a high end entry level machine.

Worth it, for me.

I have this machine as well as a mid-level grinder (had it for about a year now) and I've finally learned to pull great shots consistently. I might get a better grinder because it's all about 1) the beans and 2) the grind. Would never go back to drip coffee at home. I took the plunge after a trip to Europe. After that I just couldn't stomach the muddy water we have here.

I bought a Delonghi superautomatic machine for $650 - normally $1200 - on Amazon. If you are patient and look around you can eventually find a good deal. I love it. Best coffee and espresso I've ever had. Worth every penny.

How food is stovetop espresso maker? Did I just waste money on this? When I go to "real" coffee shops here in Seattle, depending on the barista, it's a crapshoot so I wonder if stovetop maker will be "good enough".

By "stovetop" do you mean a Moka Pot? That makes a decent strong coffee, but it's not espresso. Espresso is made via forcing water through the coffee under high pressure (generally, at least 9-10 bars), and no stovetop device that I'm aware of is anywhere close to that. Also, sorry, but no super automatic machine makes great espresso. "Good enough" (for some) and easy, but not stumptown or vivace quality. If they did, even the great cafés would use them to take out the barista factor (as you said, sometimes even a good place sometimes has a weak barista). Starbucks went to super automatics a long time ago from high end La Marzocco machines for this reason, but super automatic just means consistently ok, not consistently amazing. Those machines won't adjust temp or grind for the particular beans, the humidity, etc.

For what it's worth, the cheapest set up that can give you great coffee is an aeropress or French press with a decent grinder (doesn't need to be as good as for espresso). With good beans, you can make great "espresso" (not really espresso - see above) with an aeropress and a baratza burr grinder for $150-175 for both. That's what I'd recommend as a starting point, unless you really want crema, then get one of the cheaper super autos if "good enough" is, well, good enough.

I've had a couple of Saeco superautomatics in the past. I didn't have the most expensive ones but the last one I had I bought a demo model for about 750. When you get into those fancier models sometimes it's just a better frother or have features you don't need.

When that baby is tuned in right then it's very good, pretty much hard to find better espresso. Perfect color and texture and nice crema. When it wasn't tuned in perfect or needed cleaning then the shots weren't as good but still good enough. You can spend all the money in the world on a machine but if you don't find the beans you like and they aren't ground correctly then you won't get the results you want.

I would have considered myself a coffee snob, I've tried every contraption on earth for making coffee and espresso and money was no object. I am now getting by on Starbucks Via French Roast or Tribute and it's just fine and life is so much easier.

Dang it looks like I wasted money with the stovetop or mika pot. I'll probably just return it then. I think I'll just continue to buy at the store now until in ready to plunge to buy a really nice one.

I'm not interested in making strong coffee as that'll just give me headache. Espresso to me is very clean feeling that I like.

If I want to make great quality espresso, do you recommend I get quality semi automatic machine and high quality grinder and practice?

Yes, definitely. I looked at prices on a few sites, and I think it will take $1,000 for an entry-level machine and grinder that will allow you to pull great shots, but really more like $1,500 to have a set where your bad shots can't be blamed entirely on the machine. :-)The entry level machine is something like a Rancilio Silvia or a Lelit with PID (helps with temperature control), and a grinder like the Rancilio Rocky.Next price up would be something like one of the Breville double boilers.I went with the Rancilio machine and grinder more than 15 years ago and have long since traded up, in part because one of the benefits of a better machine and grinder is that they tend to be more consistent (better temperature consistency, etc), so I have to fuss around less. But you can definitely pull really good shots with those machines, But as I said before, there's still a learning curve and you won't get great shots all the time from the first day. It's not rocket science, but it does take some practice. That's why I was saying you have to think of it as a bit of a hobby. But I don't want to overstate it either: once you get the hang of it, it's not that big of deal. You just need to get over that initial challenge.Sites I looked at are http://www.seattlecoffeegear.com, http://www.chriscoffee.com, http://www.1st-line.com, and http://www.espressoparts.com. Over the years, I've bought from the latter three and had good experiences. I've never heard of seattlecoffeegear, but if you're local in Seattle then it can be helpful to have tech support nearby since machines do occasionally have issues.Good luck

Snobfest wrote:

If I want to make great quality espresso, do you recommend I get quality semi automatic machine and high quality grinder and practice?

I love good coffee but it shouldn't be a freaking hobby unless thats what you want as your hobby. Do you know how much time and effort you're going to spend looking for the perfect shot of espresso? In about 6 months you'll have it down to where most of your shots are good...maybe. Unless you're REALLY passionate about it you're wasting your time and money.

seriously... wrote:

I love good coffee but it shouldn't be a freaking hobby unless thats what you want as your hobby. Do you know how much time and effort you're going to spend looking for the perfect shot of espresso? In about 6 months you'll have it down to where most of your shots are good...maybe. Unless you're REALLY passionate about it you're wasting your time and money.

I hear AJAcosta has an affordable coffee pulling program set up and it's specifically designed for coffee drinking runners.