Choosing the Best Budget Espresso Coffee Machine
The best espresso coffee machine that money can buy will cost hundreds to thousands of dollars. For most of us, purchasing such an expensive espresso machine is a little bit unrealistic. Thankfully, there are many high quality espresso machines out there for affordable prices. Combined with a good grinder, you will be able to have very tasty espresso drinks in the comfort of your own home.
The best espresso coffee machine for the budget-conscious will be either completely manual or semi-automatic. If you are on a really tight budget, you can consider getting a Moka pot, which is a stove top pot that makes espresso very easily. Moka pots are very inexpensive but the espresso will certainly not taste as good as espresso made by an espresso machine.
A semi-automatic espresso machine is the best espresso coffee machine for a beginner. It will take you some practice to make a shot of espresso that tastes good because you will have to learn how to tamp espresso and pull a shot properly. If you want to make drinks with milk like cappuccinos, you will also have to learn how to steam milk well. With some practice, it is possible to make barista-quality drinks at home with a semi-automatic espresso machine.
Steam-driven espresso machines are very cheap and generally go for under $50 but they are not effective in making barista-quality espresso. If you want barista-quality espresso, the best espresso machine to get is pump-driven. Pump-driven espresso machines heat water in a sealed reservoir and then force it through ground coffee beans. Pump-driven espresso machines are bigger, heavier, harder to use, and more expensive than steam-driven espresso machines but the end result is beyond compare.
What You Need to Get Started
You should spend at least a few hundred dollars to get a decent espresso machine. It is possible to find steam espresso machines for under a hundred dollars but they are not very good quality. The espresso they make is bitter and not very tasty. A good budget espresso coffee machine runs at around $200.
To make great tasting espresso, it's also important to spend a good sum of money on a grinder. You must only use freshly roasted and ground coffee for making espresso. Otherwise the taste will be terrible. Espresso machines are very finicky. A good grinder should run you about the same price as a good espresso machine.
The best espresso coffee machines that are completely automated will also come with grinders built in. However, this option is not very budget-friendly because a decent super-automatic espresso machine can be quite costly.
In sum, the best cheap espresso machine will be semi-automatic. In time, you should heavily consider getting a good grinder. That will make the difference between a good shot and a bad shot of espresso. The machine is only a small part of making a good shot of espresso.
