Recommend me an espresso machine (max £200)

Recommend me an espresso machine (max £200)

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Discussion

Parsnip

3,122 posts

187 months

Wednesday 12th September 2012
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Nespresso works out at 20-30p a cup (less if you buy a big bulk random selection) - not the end of the world really - 1 cup in the morning before work and maybe 1 after?

You are definatley paying for the convenience - the parents had a Baby Gaggia for years and while the coffee it made was good (no better than a Nespresso mind...) - the cleanup and faff was just too much, they swapped it for a Nespresso Pixie after using mine.

It may cost a bit more per cup, but it is a case of "ooh, I fancy a coffee" and in two minutes you are sat back down with a cup, rather than "ohh I fancy a coffee" *wait for machine to heat up* *remember that you didn't clean it last time* *spill coffee grinds everywhere* *start machine* *don't bother cleaning machine* *sit down and drink coffee 3 hours later*

Bean to cup is another story, but tbh, Nespresso is good enough for me, and the Pixie is tiny, so fits on the counter without looking like I am trying to start my own Starbucks.


cqueen

2,620 posts

219 months

Wednesday 12th September 2012
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That bean to cup is a good shout actually. Put some good quality beans in there and you'll have much better coffee and cheaper in the long run thumbup

Turn7

23,500 posts

220 months

Wednesday 12th September 2012
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Paddy_N_Murphy said:
Use mine every morning biggrin
Damn you and your bean to cup fervour!

You created a huge and as yet ,unfulfilled, want when you mentioned your machine in the last machine thread....



Deva Link

26,934 posts

244 months

Wednesday 12th September 2012
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Paddy_N_Murphy said:
From this thread


Paddy_N_Murphy said:
judas said:
We have a machine: beans in hopper, water in reservoir, press button, instant freshly-ground coffee cloud9

Picked it up on holiday in Germany several years ago for about £200. Still haven't seen any other beans-to-cup machines over here for under £500.
Almost this ^^^^



But at £259
tongue out

Great Coffee - everyday........
Doh- just seen the £200 limit...... but hey £400 to £269 is a BARGAIN. right?
My missus has been going on about getting one of those since seeing one at a friend's house. I just wonder whether we'd use it much in reality. I see they go on eBay (expalined as shop returns etc) for around £160 and was wondering if that was worth a punt..

Costco had a very nice one with auto-cappuccino thingy but it was £500.

CraigVmax

12,248 posts

281 months

Wednesday 12th September 2012
quotequote all
curveball but these are brilliant (and ive had all the fancy schmancy ones before)

http://www.espressocrazy.com/machines/for_new_iper...

Deva Link

26,934 posts

244 months

Wednesday 12th September 2012
quotequote all
Paddy_N_Murphy said:
Good enough for me. And almost Zero faffing.
....
Thanks for that.

It's our 32nd anniversary next week and we usually buy something (generally that we don't need rolleyes ) for the house and my missus has been telling me that 32nd = coffee. I just looked it up and apparently it's vehicles. yikes So perhaps I better get the coffee maker before she realises!

eastsider

1,101 posts

222 months

Wednesday 12th September 2012
quotequote all
Paddy_N_Murphy said:
Doh- just seen the £200 limit...... but hey £400 to £269 is a BARGAIN. right?


Edited by Paddy_N_Murphy on Wednesday 12th September 08:46
I have one of these DeLonghi bean to cup things and in my view its great. 95% quality of manual espresso making, but consistent, and it takes 30 seconds from starting up to drinking. I got it for £269 from Amazon.

It takes a little time to set up to get the most from it but once you've done that is great. Pre-ground coffee into a gaggia classic will be ok but its the pre-ground bit that causes the problems. For good quality you need to grind, then brew.

NDA

21,488 posts

224 months

Wednesday 12th September 2012
quotequote all
Parsnip said:
Nespresso works out at 20-30p a cup (less if you buy a big bulk random selection) - not the end of the world really - 1 cup in the morning before work and maybe 1 after?

You are definatley paying for the convenience - the parents had a Baby Gaggia for years and while the coffee it made was good (no better than a Nespresso mind...) - the cleanup and faff was just too much, they swapped it for a Nespresso Pixie after using mine.

It may cost a bit more per cup, but it is a case of "ooh, I fancy a coffee" and in two minutes you are sat back down with a cup, rather than "ohh I fancy a coffee" *wait for machine to heat up* *remember that you didn't clean it last time* *spill coffee grinds everywhere* *start machine* *don't bother cleaning machine* *sit down and drink coffee 3 hours later*

Bean to cup is another story, but tbh, Nespresso is good enough for me, and the Pixie is tiny, so fits on the counter without looking like I am trying to start my own Starbucks.
I haven't timed how long to make a coffee with the Gaggia, but I'd say 4-5 minutes with zero mess. Pence per cup (although that's not a priority), a vast range of coffee available and, I think, a more authentic taste than a pod.

As always, there are entrenched positions.... Mine included. smile

SimonMaidenhead

2,579 posts

202 months

Thursday 13th September 2012
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Cheapest one I could find was this, http://www.comet.co.uk/p/Coffee-Makers/buy-RUSSELL...
anyone had any experience of them?
Have a Miele built in bean to cup machine at home, but looking for a cheap machine for the office.

VX Foxy

3,962 posts

242 months

Thursday 13th September 2012
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SimonMaidenhead said:
Cheapest one I could find was this, http://www.comet.co.uk/p/Coffee-Makers/buy-RUSSELL...
anyone had any experience of them?
Have a Miele built in bean to cup machine at home, but looking for a cheap machine for the office.
Filter coffee...meh.

ringerz

Original Poster:

139 posts

225 months

Friday 14th September 2012
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Wow!

Cheers for you assorted opinions and reviewsļ

Have to say, initially I really wasn¡¦t keen on the idea of ¡§pods / capsules¡¨, however I am a lazy so and so - particularly in the morning so even a couple of minutes shaved off my morning routine is very welcome!

Like the look of the Gagia, although I think on balance it¡¦s going to be a nespresso one of some sort.

Will report back with a review once purchased!



Incorrigible

13,668 posts

260 months

Friday 14th September 2012
quotequote all
Nesspressso however you spell it are awful I would go with a regular espresso machine

OTOH, I have a friend who saw me getting my ground coffee out of a packet and told me that the only way to do it was roast and grind your own beans immediately before brewing.

So in short, it depends on how much of a coffee snob you are.

If you can, taste them back to back

FWIW I drink white coffee normally, and rather than use the steam milk heater (which does require cleaning and de-scaling regularly) I stick half a cup of milk in the Microwave. In the minute this takes to do bang out the old grounds quick rinse of the coffee holder, fill up with fresh coffee (from the freezer as I find it'll keep for a good fortnight that way) and ready to go before the bing

hairyben

8,516 posts

182 months

Tuesday 25th September 2012
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We use a cusinart espresso thingy that was £160 IIRC... Don't know what all the fuss about time is you can make a cup in less than a couple of mins, unless you want the frothy milk thats a few mins more faffery.

Put spoonfull of coffee in pod. put pod on machine and mug under. machine has already heated (sub 1 min) so press putton, 10 sec later rinse pod under tap.

O/H mumbles on about a bean to cup but the ones I've used, every other time you use them you need to refill/empty some component of the thing anyway, so they're not really quicker or less hassle (unless like some of my well heeled customers you have a person who attends to the machine once a day!)

Plus with the more basic machine you can vary the coffee more, grind some when you have the time and inclination, used ready grinded when in a hurry, or it takes prepack pods too.

CraigVmax

12,248 posts

281 months

Tuesday 25th September 2012
quotequote all
ringerz said:
Wow!

Cheers for you assorted opinions and reviewsļ

Have to say, initially I really wasn¡¦t keen on the idea of ¡§pods / capsules¡¨, however I am a lazy so and so - particularly in the morning so even a couple of minutes shaved off my morning routine is very welcome!

Like the look of the Gagia, although I think on balance it¡¦s going to be a nespresso one of some sort.

Will report back with a review once purchased!

go and try the francis francis, I promise you wont look back

VX Foxy

3,962 posts

242 months

Wednesday 26th September 2012
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Incorrigible said:
Nesspressso however you spell it are awful
No they're not.

cqueen

2,620 posts

219 months

Monday 8th October 2012
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AnotherClarkey

3,589 posts

188 months

Friday 12th October 2012
quotequote all
Another vote for the Nespresso Pixie - good coffee and ridiculously quick. No clean-up afterwards either.

We got one and then had the Italian in-laws over to stay. Now every household in the Italian side of the family has a Nespresso machine, which must count for something (my Mum and Dad still contend there is nothing wrong with instant). Sure, you might get a better espresso in an Italian bar but not by much and not within a minute of turning the machine on when you get up. The cost seems quite reasonable considering the convenience and lack of waste.

VX Foxy

3,962 posts

242 months

Friday 12th October 2012
quotequote all
CraigVmax said:
go and try the francis francis, I promise you wont look back
I bought one of these...it's crap frown After steaming milk you need to wait 10 minutes before you can make any more coffee...grrr

G600

1,479 posts

186 months

Friday 12th October 2012
quotequote all
VX Foxy said:
I bought one of these...it's crap frown After steaming milk you need to wait 10 minutes before you can make any more coffee...grrr
That's because (I'm assuming) it has a single boiler and you have to wait for it to call from steam temperature to coffee temperature.

CraigVmax

12,248 posts

281 months

Friday 12th October 2012
quotequote all
VX Foxy said:
CraigVmax said:
go and try the francis francis, I promise you wont look back
I bought one of these...it's crap frown After steaming milk you need to wait 10 minutes before you can make any more coffee...grrr
who dont you make the coffees then steam the milk?