NBR: Espresso maker recs??

indomesticbliss

Anyone have an espresso maker they are in love with? I'm looking to get one for DH for Christmas, ideally under $300....(a standard espresso machine, not a keurig...)

rschaffer

We have a Breville 800ESXL.  It was a Christmas gift to ourselves 2 years ago, and it still looks and performs like new.  The espresso is always very hot, its easy to keep clean, and looks nice on the counter.  It is 15 bar, which I would get a minimum of 12 bar- otherwise the crema won't be noticeable and you'll just want to go back to Starbucks.  The steamer wand could be more powerful is my only complaint, but I'm pretty impatient, so it probably wouldn't bother most people.  Breville has excellent customer service too.

We got ours on a daily deal through ebay for 299, and I have seen them on woot.com for around that much.  I did look on amazon shopping and it says $500 currently.  I would just wait until you find a sale- you've got some time. 

CountingUp

we have this one: https://www.breville.ca/beverages/espresso/cafe-roma-espresso-machine.html It works as well as my old, more expensive Krups one did.

The reviews on this machine are mixed but we've happy.

Mye

I have this one, we use it everyday 

https://www.breville.ca/beverages/espresso/die-cast-espresso-machine.html 

 It does a really nice espresso, but it had to be replaced twice already in the last yr, thankfully BB&B just keeps taking them back 

 

DiademChi

I know you said under $300, but from our experience, everything under that in price range will break down within 1-2 years.  (They seriously begin to rot on the inside, because even German brands use parts made in China and other junk)  I don't even drink the stuff, but my husband is quite addicted.  He has at least one a day at home and multiple at work.  I also enjoy using our machine to steam milk for chai lattes, hot chocolate, etc.

We really love our Jura Ena 4 from Capresso.  It's Swiss-made, has a very long warranty (I think 10 years or so).  It has the option to grind your beans for you, or to accept pre-ground espresso from a different slot.  You can also customize the strength.  It also has the separate steam powered steaming wand with different settings for your milk.  It really was a great investment for us at about $700.

In general, look for something entirely made, manufactured, and assembled in Switzerland or Italy. 

We've impressed lots of guests, family, and friends with our homemade espresso.