Reddit mentions of Gaggia 14101 Classic Semi-Automatic Espresso Maker. Pannarello Wand for Latte and Cappuccino Frothing. Brews for Both Single and Double Shots.

Gaggia Classic - $400 - One of the classic and best cheap espresso machines. Consider trying to find a refurbished or used unit to save money.

You might pair this with:

Baratza Preciso Eletric Grinder - $300 - A reasonable-quality grinder which loosely matches the Classic in budget.

You need a grinder as well, the grinder is more important than your machine. The closest acceptable set-up for your budget IMO would be a Baratza Preciso and a Gaggia Classic (a fantastic machine once you get a Silvia steam wand which is not hard to install at all).

The Silvia is a great machine but it isn't worth almost twice what the Gaggia costs, unless you have lots of money laying around, in which case you should probably still get the Gaggia and just get a nicer grinder.

My third batch of cold brew. 2:1 dil coffee:water. 450g of SF Bay French Roast with 3.78L Crystal Geyser.

Recently switched from the office coffees. Keurig to the self operating Gagia espresso machine using Cafe Umbria beans. I'm pretty pleased with what I can make at home.

I was able to get a Gaggia Classic as an Amazon Warehouse Deal for like $250. Right now there's one for $270. Mine was completely unused.

Even a barebones setup that will be frustrating to use is something like this:

https://www.amazon.com/Gaggia-14101-Semi-Automatic-Pannarello-Cappuccino/dp/B0001KOA4Q - Gaggia Classic ($400)

https://www.amazon.com/Baratza-Sette-Conical-Coffee-Grinder/dp/B01G82WVZ0 - Sette 270 ($379)

Not exactly your $600 window, but not insanely far off.

While it's a decent first machine... the Gaggia Classic, IMO, is frustrating to use...but can make a good espresso shot here and there, but will, in general, not be able to make shots back to back or steam at the same time as making a shot (and honestly not even for a minute or so after very well) and the steam tip is not great...and the portafilter that comes with it is frustrating.

You can do some modifications to the Gaggia Classic to make it better - the ones that come to mind are the Silvia V1 steam wand, a bottomless pressureless portafilter, and a PID to reduce the temperature surfing. These all require more money, time, and skill on your part to mod your machine into something that is significantly better than the out of the box experience.

There's really no way around it that good espresso requires funding. Your local (good) coffee shop probably has a $1500-2750 grinder (or two) and a $9000-18000 espresso machine.... along with all the water filtration and miscellaneous hardware that goes with it.

Depends on your budget. A few that I've seen /r/Coffee recommend are:

Saeco Aroma

Gaggia Classic

Crossland CC1

But keep in mind that the Grinder is more important than the machine. A solid coffee grinder that can offer a consistent find grind will cost you at least 300 bucks.

Also, you should look into tamping, understanding PIDs, and knowing about different portafilters and what they are capable of.

Espresso is the last thing I'm planning to touch because of the sheer effort and spectacularly high price requirements for a college student such as myself.

WLL sells the older model Classic.

I'm not sure if all US models (i.e. from Amazon) are like this or not, but some of the Classic experts here should be able to enlighten you.

Keurig is still a step up from your usual drip coffee sludge. The problem here is that the market of homebrewers is a lot smaller than coffee drinkers and the cost barrier is a lot higher. A starting out coffee drinker is probably willing to spend a hundred bucks to get a better cup of coffee, then maybe move on to something better later on. This thing requires an investment comparable to what you would for a high end all grain system and a keggerator. How many new brewers are going to be willing to do that when they might do two beers and then give up?

My take is that this thing would only be worth having if I built it myself. Then it's more in the vein of an automated HERMS system, which is something I could see doing some day.

I think the bog standard espreso machine falls between:
The Gaggia Classic $387 and the Rancilio Silvia $629
You already have a great grinder. you could save up a bit for a plumed semi-commercial E61 machine $1500-$2000+

I bought a $500 espresso machine and it sits unused in a closet. What we're saying is that good home espresso machines are very expensive.

Now, if you want espresso like coffee, you might try a Vietnamese Coffee Maker.

You can try an aeropress, which I don't particularly care for, but makes small, strong coffees.

Now, I've heard good things about the mypressi, but haven't had a chance to try one. This is probably the cheapest decent espresso shot puller you can find.

For a true espresso machine, /r/coffee recommends the Baby Gaggia. I haven't tried this one, either.

Gaggia Classic might be what you're looking for. Baratza encore can work for espresso grinds, but if you can you may want to go for the higher up models in Baratza's line.

To be honest you can't buy anything that makes real espresso for anywhere near that price. This is the cheapest machine I could recommend buying that is labeled as an espresso machine. I would look into an Aeropress, It makes a very strong espresso like coffee, as it uses some pressure. It's honestly your best option around that price. You can go the moka pot route which blabberingparrot mentioned; however, these are a little more difficult to use and require a stove. Another good option at the price point, but not espresso, is a Chemex, amazing way to make strong black coffee. French press as well.

Seattle Coffee Gear are just an operation aimed at shifting lots of machines. I wouldn't necessarily trust their advice (or at least I wouldn't rely on it wholly given that their main aim is to get you to buy, not necessarily buy the right thing). The grinder is not really espresso suitable, and to suggest it "matches" the machine it is embedded in is slightly disingenuous of them.

$600 is not a bad budget for setting yourself up. Buying used would get you a very decent set up for that money (check my recent post history for a link to a long ramble on how to do that). But if you are buying new, I'd look seriously at my grinder first (its the most important bit of your set up) and aim for something like this as a grinder - the Lelit P53 is a really decent entry level espresso grinder and currently exceptionally priced http://www.1st-line.com/store/pc/Lelit-PL53-Fred-Espresso-Coffee-Grinder-doserless-stepless-12p1979.htm An alternative might be the Baratza Preciso, which sells as a refurb on the Baratza site for around $249 when they have stock in. Baratza have a reputation for excellent customer service, so you can buy refurb from them with a lot of confidence.

That would leave $350-370 for a machine, which would get you this http://www.amazon.com/Gaggia-14101-Classic-Espresso-Stainless/dp/B0001KOA4Q/ and leave you some spare change for some coffee beans. Or you could buy the original Classic model for a few $$ more which some coffee geeks seem to rate slightly more than the 2015 model - there are some here http://www.amazon.com/GAGGIA-CLASSIC-ESPRESSO-COFFEE-MACHINE/dp/B0000C72XS

The Classic is a...classic. Its a massively known and understood machine, with a huge user community able to advise and help on its quirks and foibles. Its capable of being hacked and modded to improve its performance, and even unpacked is a pretty decent bit of kit to start out and learn on.

Having said ALL of that, if what you want to do is to make caramel lattes, espresso quality and upgradeability may not be your primary concern, as milk and sugar mask espresso pretty well, which may mean that - in fact the Barista Express is indeed the best option out there for you :-)

I have been lurking around this sub for months researching my first espresso machine. The gist of what I found is:

• super automatics don’t produce quality espresso and are not worth the hassle (too much work to clean and maintain)
  
  
• Gaggia classic is the entry level in espresso machines. Anything below that won’t give you decent espresso no matter what.
  
  https://www.amazon.com/Gaggia-14101-Semi-Automatic-Pannarello-Cappuccino/dp/B0001KOA4Q/
  
  
  
• you need a good grinder (with burrs not blades) and good beans (fresh roast and fresh ground).
  
  Welcome to the rabbit hole of espresso drinks :)
  
  Edit for formatting and adding link to Gaggia Classic.

In the "bargain, at least when compared to Silvia, category" I like the gaggia classic, which I've owned and modified. Also, the Le'lit PL 041, which I've never owned but would consider if I were shopping for such a machine.

I had a Gaggia Classic imported via US Amazon last year. I’ve been using it as is (no electrical converter) twice a day for over a year now. Love it! I upgraded the factory steam wand to the Rancilio Silvia by watching YouTube tutorials. Also, if you check my post history, I asked a similar question in r/coffee last year.


Here’s a link:

Gaggia 14101 Classic Semi-Automatic Espresso Maker. Pannarello Wand for Latte and Cappuccino Frothing. Brews for Both Single and Double Shots. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0001KOA4Q/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_JN1sDb1AW1EJH

https://www.amazon.com/Gaggia-Semi-Automatic-Pannarello-Cappuccino-Frothing/dp/B0001KOA4Q

Is this what you're referring to? Wouldnt I need a coffee grinder as well then?

Double boiler. Nice.

I got this, which I guess is more than $200 like I thought (Christmas gift). Still, it looks cozy and brews well.

Do you know if there has been a change in the build quality of the Gaggia 14101 Classic? I was planning on getting it but I'll have to reevaluate my options if it turns out the quality is not what it used to be.

I don't know where you live, but in the US the "good" version is still on the market. As others have said, apparently Whole Latte Love sells it and so does Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0001KOA4Q/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1).

I literally just got mine from Amazon 3 days ago and it is the RI9303 (model 14101). It has the aluminum boiler, 3-way solenoid, and over pressure valve (I opened it up to be sure). The "bad" version is the RI9403... which from everything I have read, is only sold in Europe.

As a comparison, here is the RI9403 (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Gaggia-New-Classic-Brushed-Chrome/dp/B00SBLMICS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1421526213&sr=8-1&keywords=RI9403). Notice on the RI9403 the different control buttons, the plastic portafilter spouts, and the lack of the solenoid drain tube on the left side that you can clearly see on the US version (RI9303).

Idk, this looks more like a kcup dispenser https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0001KOA4Q/ref=psdc_14163731_t1_B00004S9G8

This says “i make espresso” https://m.bedbathandbeyond.com/m/product/breville-reg-infuser-espresso-machine/3244992

Cool! Burr grinder is just as important as the machine in terms of espresso making. If you are going for small form and good value, check out the Saeco Aroma and the Gaggia Classic. I recently went through the entry level machine research phase and the overwhelming consensus was that these are the two best value entry-level machines. I ended up going with the Gaggia Classic (I found it used for $270 shipped) and am super happy with it. It doesn't take up a ton of counter space. It seems that the Saeco Aroma is significantly more compact though, if you look at the dimensions.

Good luck and congrats on the wedding!

The general consensus here seems to be to aim for a Gaggia machine as the absolute minimum. Preferably a Gaggia Classic (~$388).

I've heard people recommend the lower priced Gaggia New Baby (~$300) to try out espresso and to help decide whether "to get a real espresso machine".

A step up from that, the recommendation seems to be the Crossland CC1, but that's in the $600+ range.

To save some money, you might do better finding a used machine or see if they're on sale at different sites.

If you want to go cheaper than that, people have recommended the MyPressi ($170), but I have not seen that in stock anywhere recently. There's some buzz regarding the MiniPresso (Preorder at $39), but that won't be out until 2015. So there won't be any reviews regarding it for a while.

As for grinder, if you're looking for cheap, you might have to make do with a hand grinder, either Hario Skerton (~$35) or Mini (~$26) or Porlex (~$43). The cheapest acceptable electric grinder seems to be the Baratza Preciso at $300.

This is the information I've gathered anyway. I don't have any personal experience with an espresso machine, but I hope this helps. If you decide to go with something, post your experience and help some people out.

Personally, I'm thinking of saving up for the CC1 and Vario (~$1000) combo...

https://www.amazon.ca/Gaggia-14101-Classic-Brushed-Stainless/dp/B0001KOA4Q

The one on CL for $600 was only 3 months old. With tax, a new one will be $720.

A espresso machine.

I do love kitchen tools, but I'm currently spending money on nothing that I can't absolutely live without now that I graduated and have to start paying off student loans. I currently have a french press and a moka pot for my coffee needs, but I can't froth milk or pull a strong shot for cappuccino and espresso.

I've survived so far without one, although now that I am going to start working pretty much around the clock, I'm not sure if making proper coffee is going to happen very often.

Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds

For a fancy latte, I calculated I save an average of $752/year within the first two years: $577 in the first year and $927 in the second year (because the coffee machine would be part of the costs in the first year but not the second).

We own a Gaggia Classic which we got on sale for $350. We buy a bag of espresso from Wegmans for each week ($7), a gallon of milk ($3) and vanilla syrup (1/4 bottle = $2). So that comes out to $974 for the machine and supplies each week for the first year. After the machine is bought, it's only $624 for a year of supplies.

A tall vanilla latte from Starbucks is about $4.25. To have one every day (like I do my homemade latte) for a year, it's $1,551.25 dollars.

First year = $1551.25 - $974 = $577.25 savings
Second year = $1551.25 - $624 = $927.25 = savings
Two year average = $752.25/year

i have found just today this one: http://www.amazon.com/Gaggia-14101-Classic-Espresso-Stainless/dp/B0001KOA4Q/

on paper it looks good and is quite cheap at 230 euros

> if you want something close to an espresso with crema.

It's not going to make you an espresso, but it'll be darn close for pretty much the cheapest price. I do plan on getting something like a Gaggia Classic some time in the near future. But for starters, the Brikka is definitely better than the traditional drip coffee.

This one has been long in my order list, read every review and so many YouTube videos about it. Looks to be a fairly good espresso machine. With a frother as well. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0001KOA4Q/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1474816260&sr=8-1&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=gaggia+classic+espresso+machine&dpPl=1&dpID=41GEJM8TPSL&ref=plSrch

Minimum machine grinder dream setup machine grinder