#espressomachines — Public Fediverse posts

The MiiCoffee Apex, V2. Improvements include

- easily adjustable OPV valve
- improvements to preinfusion modes
- slight improvements to controller interface / UI
- better tuned PID.

Still missing: hot water function.

Here it is, alongside the DF54 grinder, as well as a Lelit Victoria.

cc @espresso @coffee

#espressomachines #miicoffee #espresso #coffee #coffeegeek

New up on CoffeeGeek this afternoon: an Introduction to an overlooked entry point prosumer espresso machine: the Lelit Victoria. Find out why this could be best in the sub $1,000 price point. It certainly has the features!

(nb, link may be down thanks. to MastoDDos, for about 5 min after posting).

cc @espresso @coffee

#espresso #espressomachines #lelit #lelitvictoria

https://coffeegeek.com/blog/new-products/lelit-victoria-an-overlooked-prosumer-espresso-machine/

After my post about the #Breville Dual Boiler not being on sale in the US... I got a private message pointing out it IS ON SALE in Canada, for $1899 CAD, which is actually cheaper than the current US price ($1599USD, which is $2,185 CAD).

So if you are looking for the Dual Boiler, and happen to be in #Canada, the deal is on at one of the lowest prices in some time. the Dual Boiler almost never goes on sale.

#espresso #espressomachines #dualboiler

https://amzn.to/3y6eUi7

A reminder - just over a week left on the big sale Breville currently has on all their Barista line of espresso machines, and the Bambino Plus, with all at 20% off. It ends May 13.

I wrote up the sale, and which machines have the best features for the kind of espresso (and milk based drinks) you want in the home.

cc @espresso

#espresso #breville #espressomachines

https://coffeegeek.com/blog/deals/brevilles-biggest-sale-on-espresso-machines/

Right now is one of the best times ever to buy a Breville espresso machine, as the entire Barista lineup, and the Bambino Plus, are all 20% off, factory authorized. Here's what's available, and thoughts on each machine.

cc @espresso

#breville #espresso #espressomachines

https://coffeegeek.com/blog/deals/brevilles-biggest-sale-on-espresso-machines/

Yesterday, we posted about Lelit’s first ever 20% off sale that is going to May 13. Lelit was acquired by Breville a few years ago, but the full transition took some time, eventually becoming complete last fall, and the last big change was Breville taking over US distribution of the brand from the previous sole importer. That was completed at the start of this year. 

What we didn’t mention is that many (but sadly, not all) Breville espresso machines are also enjoying a full 20% off sale right now, through May 13, 2024. This sale extends to every machine in the Barista lineup of espresso machines and the Bambino Plus, which we have labelled as one of the “Best Espresso Machines” ever. 

Sadly, they did not extend this sale to the Dual Boiler or the Infuser, two excellent machines that we love here at CoffeeGeek. Indeed, the Breville Dual Boiler is such a special and capable machine, that it is our core comparison and testing machine for all espresso machine reviews we conduct.

And the Infuser… the Barista Express without a built in grinder. Such a fantastic machine: if it were on at 20% off, it would be the highlight of our article today. But it is not.

Unlike our Lelit post yesterday, the links below do go to our Amazon affiliate link, so if you purchase via these links, you help our website out and help us to continue producing content. But there’s other good reasons for using these links. Amazon has a fantastic return policy that doesn’t cost you anything to ship a product back if you are unhappy with it, during the first few weeks. They will even pick it up at your door in most metro US areas. 

Second, all Breville machines sold officially via Amazon are fully covered by Breville’s warranty and service, so if you have a problem with the machine down the road, you get the exact same service as you would if you bought from an espresso machine vendor online, or your local supermarket. So there’s good peace of mind there.

With that said, what’s up on offer, and what is the best deals? Let’s get into it.

The Breville Bambino Plus – $400

We love the Bambino Plus machine. Instant on, instant steam, automatic frothing, proper microfoam? Even a low water sensor for the water reservoir (many sub $750 machines don’t even have this feature). 3 way solenoid valve. Rock steady 200F temperatures at the grouphead. Tiny footprint. A gazillion colours available.

It’s such a feature packed, tiny machine, it is one of two machines I declared to be the best espresso machines of all time for the home consumer.

Even at $500 list, it’s an excellent package. At $400, just that much more. I always like to think in a historical perspective, and $400 in today’s dollars is the equivalent of $250 in 2005. Back then, the $250 machines available to consumers were Krups and cheap Delonghi machines with no features, aluminum portafilters (that didn’t even have springs holding the filter baskets in place) and wildly unpredictable brewing temperatures. Today, $400 gets you a state of the art machine that will even steam the milk for you, automatically, to 3 different temperature levels and 3 levels of microfoam.

Breville Bambino Plus in Brushed Steel, at Amazon.

The Bambino Plus is also available in a variety of colours: Sea Salt White, Black Truffle, Damson Blue, Red Velvet Cake, and even more colours available on Breville’s website, including Olive Tapenade (!!)

The Barista Express – $560

The world’s top selling espresso machine, and with good reason. Make sure you check out our updated First Look on this all in one espresso machine. During this sale period, the price has dropped to $560, which is historically the lowest price this machine has ever been offered at. Right now, it is actually cheaper than the Breville Infuser, which is kind of nuts.

The Barista Express, at its heart, is a fantastic entry level “traditional” automatic espresso machine, meaning you manually microfoam the milk, you grind the coffee, tamp the coffee, load it up, and pull the shot. What’s key about the machine is all that it offers (some of which is missing from other sub $600 traditional machines). There’s a hot water tap. The steam performance is excellent. Transition time from brew to steam is very short. There’s six programmable brewing temperatures. Built in preinfusion. Manual shot mode, including some manual control over preinfusion. 

And the entire machine is put together exceptionally well. The grinder is essentially the Smart Grinder Pro built in (without the Smart Grinder Pro’s advanced UI). And because of the machine’s popularity, there are thousands of after-market, third party options and accessories available for it, from chopped portafilters, to dosing cups and custom levers for the steam/hot water switch.

Breville Barista Express in Brushed Steel, at Amazon.
Breville Barista Express in Black Sesame, at Amazon.

The Barista Touch Machine – $800

Of all the updates to the Barista line, this may be my favourite, because it’s an amalgamation of the Barista Express, the Bambino Plus, and the Oracle Touch line, to an extent. It also has two barely-known updates to it recently that make it an even better choice. During this sale period, it is $800, all in for a very advanced espresso machine.

The Touch features Breville’s instant on / instant steam system revolving around their thermojet heating system technology. This system has been recently updated to have more of Breville’s new MilQ software technology, for very advanced auto frothing and heating for milk and plant-based “milk” drinks. It also presents a lot more control and options for heating and frothing milk than the Bambino Plus does. 

The other recent update is the burrs used in the grinder: it now uses the Baratza / Etzinger M2 burr set, which is a very substantial improvement to grind quality. Unlike the Barista Express, the grinder and timer system in the Touch is very precise, allowing for better dosing control and options. 

And of course, there’s the touchscreen controls and the ability to build drinks automatically, akin to what the $2,500 Oracle Touch does. Quite a nice package. 

Breville Barista Touch in Brushed Steel, from Amazon.
Breville Barista Touch in Damsel Blue, from Amazon.
Other colours are available from Breville Direct.

The Breville Barista Pro – $680

This machine is an interesting, slightly outlier machine in Breville’s lineup. It’s only $120 more than the Barista Express, but offers a lot more inside and via the controls. You also give up something, which will be up to you to decide if the trade off is worth it. It normally retails for $850, but is on for $680 during this sale period.

In effect, this machine is the Barista Express with a) Breville’s instant on thermojet system, b) better, more powerful manual steaming system that is available right after brewing, c) Baratza’s M2 burrset, d) much better grinder timer and dosing system, e) better temperature controls, f) a shot timer, and g) low water sensors for the water reservoir. What do you give up? The Express’ pressure gauge, and because it’s Breville’s instant on thermojet system, you absolutely have to run blank shots to heat everything up. 

I think it’s worth the $120 jump in price, especially considering transition time from brewing to steaming is nil. Not to mention conveniences like the low water sensor, the shot timers and more.

Breville Barista Pro in Brushed Steel from Amazon.

The Barista Pro is also available in many other colours, including Black Truffle, Damson Blue, and Red Velvet Cake. Even more colours are available at Breville Direct, including Royal Champagne.

The Breville Barista Express Impress – $720

A very unique machine and a new take on Breville’s Oracle auto tamping system, bringing intelligent auto dosing of your ground coffee down to a more reasonable price point. The Barista Express Impress is essentially the Barista Express, but with an entire auto-dosing and semi-auto tamping system to take the guesswork out of prepping your bed of coffee. It’s normally $900, but down to $720 during this sale.

Look, us espresso nerds love manually prepping the portafilter. The single dosing, applying WDT, measuring down to .1g, lovingly levelling, tamping with panache, and locking the portafilter into the espresso machine. The thing is, we’re like 10% of home espresso lovers. For the other 90%, this machine automates one of the more frustrating aspects people feel revolve around espresso, and it is actually fun to use, with the lever pull for tamping down, and the lightboard lighting up to show you if your dose is correct or not. 

Otherwise, this machines everything the Express is, from the advanced thermoblock system (that means the machine gets properly heated up, no need for blank shot flushes, but not Breville’s instant thermojet system), good steam ability, volumetric shots, preinfusion, and the nifty pressure gauge up front. All for $720 right now.

Breville Barista Express Impress, in Brushed Steel, from Amazon.

The Barista Express Impress is also available in Black Truffle, Damson Blue, and Black Sesame. More colours are available at Breville Direct, including the lovely Sea Salt White.

The Breville Barista Touch Impress – $1,200

We’re currently reviewing this machine and were impressed (heh) that, for $1600, you were essentially getting a $2,800 Oracle Touch machine for $1,200 less, with just a few minor sacrifices. Well, at the $1,200 sale price, this could be the ultimate “bean to cup” automated machine on the planet right now.

This is the latest tech from Breville. It was the first to feature their full MilQ system which not only does an excellent job steaming for every milk-based coffee drink you could imagine, but also has advanced algorithms for plant based “milks”. The grinder uses Baratza’s M2 burr set, and offers more control over the grind and dose than any other Barista machine. It uses Breville’s thermojet system, so everything is instant and quick. Quite literally the only thing you have to do in the morning is turn it on, swipe the screen, make your drink selection and follow the on screen directions. Move the portafilter from grinder area to grouphead. Place your cup and steam pitcher. The machine does the rest.

Make sure to check out our initial article on the Breville Barista Touch Impress. At $1,200, there is no other bean to cup machine that can output better tasting espresso drinks.

Breville Barista Touch Impress, in Brushed Steel, from Amazon.
Breville Barista Touch Impress, in Black Truffle, from Amazon.
Breville Barista Touch Impress, in Damsel Blue, from Amazon.

A reminder that these sale prices are only in effect until May 13, 2024. Some, including the Barista Touch Impress and Barista Express, are at their lowest all time prices right now. Most of the links above generate a small commission for CoffeeGeek via our Amazon affiliate program. We use 100% of our Amazon income to fund our small blogging team’s contributions to this website.

https://coffeegeek.com/blog/deals/brevilles-biggest-sale-on-espresso-machines/

#baristaExpress #Breville #deals #espressoDeals #espressoMachines

Right now seems like a really good time if you want to get a premier espresso machine. A machine filled with all the latest tech and parts. A machine that could easily serve for decades on your kitchen counter as long as you do regular maintenance and are religious about using good filtered water. 

That’s because for the first time ever, and part of Breville’s full push of a brand they recently bought and have completed the transfer of, Lelit espresso machines are on sale across the board, for 20% off their list price. But you need to hurry if you want one, because the sale ends on May 13, 2024.

NB – none of the links below are affiliate links. This is not a paid product announcement. We make no income from this post. The post exists to inform our readers about a fantastic short term sale on great products.

Lelit Bianca V3

This 20% off sale includes the Best Espresso Machine (yes, very subjective), the Lelit Bianca V3 machine. 

In fact, because of this sale, the Bianca, brand new, and in black or white (or the original brushed steel) is a full $1,000 cheaper than it was just a year ago. $3,000 might seem like a lot to drop on an espresso machine, but what do you think about spending $2,399 on one of the best machines ever built for the home? ‘

To be frank, $2,400 for the Lelit Bianca V3–a machine that in many ways puts the $9,000 La Marzocco GS3 MP to shame–is an unbelievable bargain.

Everything about this machine is amazing, from the built in rotary pump and dual boilers, to how it manages 110V power more efficiently than almost any other machine in its class. The wealth of preinfusion, low flow, and manually controlled pressure options are staggering. The machine can even be plumbed in, and doing so opens up even more brewing options. 

This machine is available from two of our sponsors:

• Lelit Bianca V3 at 1st in Coffee
• Lelit Bianca V3 at Whole Latte Love

Entry Point Lelit Anna

If $2,400 is crazy to you, how does $559 sound? Because that’s how much the full PID equipped Lelit Anna is right now. We’re just starting our full review process on this machine (First Look expected in early summer); the build quality is excellent, and overall functionality leaves machines like the Rancilio Silvia in the dust.

The Anna has all the premium bells and whistles you’d want, including a 3 way solenoid valve, a pressure gauge, full PID controls up front, a stainless steel outer body, and top grade parts inside. The only slight knock is the portafilter is a 57mm version, which means 3rd party accessories are a bit more limited, compared to 58mm and 54mm equipped machines.

This machine is available from one of CoffeeGeek’s Sponsors:

• Lelit Anna at Whole Latte Love

The Premium Single Boiler Lelit Victoria

We are also in the process right now of reviewing the Lelit Victora, and at $1,000, it truly gives the Profitec GO, (also $1,000) a run for its money. But at the sale price of $799? It’s nearly a steal.

There’s a lot going on with the Victoria. 58mm portafilter with Lelit’s uber premium wrap around spout system. Full advanced PID controls and programmable preinfusion (something the Profitec doesn’t have). Fill and level sensors in the boiler so it never runs dry. The machine even has an auto-flush system to cool down the boiler after steaming milk so you can steam, then pull shots almost back to back. The Victoria even comes with a proper water filter system, something the Profitec GO does not.

In a lot of ways, this machine is the natural successor to the Rancilio Silvia… or what the Silvia should have become after 20 years on the market. 

This machine is available at two of CoffeeGeek’s sponsors:

• Lelit Victoria at 1st in Coffee
• Lelit Victoria at Whole Latte Love

Advanced E61 at an Entry Point Price: Lelit Mara X

If you want a very compact machine that punches entirely above its weight class, and want to get into the world of E61 groups (including the ability to modify them down the road to include a pressure profiling lever), a machine that’s well loved is the Lelit Mara X.

At $1,700, this E61 equipped, PID controlled machine based around a ginormous 1.8litre single boiler is absolutely state of the art, and well worth the price. During this sale, the Mara X is down to $1,359, which kind of boggles the mind. And that includes the premium painted white or black models, both of which feature premium wood accents.

We do not have one of these machines for review… yet (that’s planned for this fall). But I have worked on one. The first thing you note is just how “pro” every single thing about this tiny machine seems to say. Build quality is through the roof. Everything fits nicely together and looks polished and finished. Then you realise this machine has a lot of tech inside. There’s three settings for brew temperatures, a steam priority mode, and even if you have it brew priority mode, there’s a kick on super heater when you activate the steam function. The machine is also so quiet, I thought perhaps they had a rotary pump inside (it’s a vibration pump, but well insulated). 

This machine is available from two of CoffeeGeek’s sponsors:

• Lelit Mara X (in white with wood accents) from Whole Latte Love
• Lelit Mara X (in polished steel) from 1st in Coffee

Other Choices in the Lelit Line

Of course, there are other machines in the Lelit line to consider, from the Kate (a Victoria with a built in grinder), to the Elizabeth machines. Both are also 20% off at every official vendor in the US of Lelit products. 

Lelit also makes grinders; in fact, we’ll be getting one to review later this year. They have the budget friendly Fred Grinder (just $207 during this sale), and the advanced William Grinder (that’s the one we’re reviewing, it is $480 during the sale period). Both also have the 20% discount applied.

Every authorised vendor of Lelit products in the USA is offering these discounts, so you can pick and choose where you want to buy them. We ask you to consider one of CoffeeGeek’s sponsors if you are in the market for one of these machines.

• Lelit Products at Whole Latte Love
• Lelit Products at 1st in Coffee

Without their support, our website would not exist. If you do buy from one of them, please let them know where you heard about them. The links above are not affiliate links. We make absolutely no income from this post or the links.

https://coffeegeek.com/blog/lelit-espresso-machines-at-their-lowest-prices-ever/

#deals #espressoDeals #espressoMachines #lelit #lelitBianca

I don't think I posted this here.

Back in 2011, the most prolific antique espresso machine collector in the world, Enrico Maltoni, took me on a tour of an amazing Espresso Machine museum at Cagliari Coffee Roasters, in Modena (suburb of Bologna), Italy.

Here's my photos from that visit.

#vintage #vintageespresso #antiques #espressomachines #espresso cc @espresso

https://www.flickr.com/photos/coffeegeek/albums/72157626389425601/

What goes into choosing the world's best espresso machine for home use? Is it purely what a machine can produce in the cup? It's feature set? It's reputation? Or does a lot more go into the choice. We think so.

The Best Espresso Machine in the World: a Feature Opinion Article.

#espresso #coffee #espressomachines

cc @espresso

https://coffeegeek.com/opinions/state-of-coffee/the-best-espresso-machine/

Natia Simmons walks through the differences in espresso machine technologies in her latest blog post on CoffeeGeek

#espressomachines #espresso

cc @espresso

https://coffeegeek.com/blog/technology/manual-vs-automatic-vs-super-auto/

There is one machine I am CHOMPING AT THE BIT to include on our Best Budget Espresso Machines for 2024 list. Problem is, it's not available yet in N. America (though that will change soon).

Its the new 2024 version of the venerable Gaggia Espresso! Gaggia completely overhauled this machine - it's now a PID controlled thermoblock design - and it should be $250 or less in the USA when it arrives.

cc @espresso #espressomachines #espresso
Check out Coffee Kev's take:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPaMJBw8oQI

Got this out the door yesterday - our first Feature Guide (many more are planned for this year! Incl. the Espresso Compendium, Milk Guide, Grinder Basics, and several buying guides). The Feature Guides section is a new part of the CoffeeGeek website!

First up: Our Best Budget Espresso Machines for 2024, featuring eight choices, all machines tested and used by CG Staff. All machines any owner would be happy with!

cc @espresso #espresso #espressomachines

https://www.coffeegeek.com/guides/best-budget-espresso-machines-for-2024/

It's here. The first in our Feature Guides section on CoffeeGeek.

The Best Budget Espresso Machines for 2024. Eight selections, all based on testing, reviews, and ownership by CoffeeGeek staff.

Check it out!

cc @espresso #espresso #espressomachines

https://www.coffeegeek.com/guides/best-budget-espresso-machines-for-2024/

I honestly don't know of any other PID controlled, 9BAR OPV valve managed, volumetric espresso machine on the market under $300, except for the Breville Bambino (and the Duo Temp if you find it on deep sale price).

I do know of PLENTY of pump driven machines under $300 - some as little as $150. But they are generally super crap, with horrible portafilters, aluminum boilers, wide-band temperatures, anemic steam, and very prone to breaking down.

#espresso #espressomachines.