Espresso Machine Recommendations Please

[LJSquishy]

I have a budget of about $600-$700 for a new espresso machine. Ideally, that budget would also include a $100-$200 grinder but I'm more concerned about the espresso machine right now (yes, I know a quality grinder is more important).

Here is the important info:
-We are coming from a crappy Mr. Coffee ECMP50 that we were actually mild to moderately happy with to start with for the price. We wanted to see if we would actually make our own drinks, which we do. It is now over 2 years old and the frothing wand tip recently stripped and although I bought a replacement wand, it's really not a repairable machine. We're ready to upgrade anyway.

-We don't make espresso every day. Maybe 3 times per week for two of us, so approximately 6 beverages per week on average.

-We aren't purists and enjoy lattes 90% of the time. My husband also drinks Americanos. On weekends we make our lattes together so as long as we can either steam two pitchers of milk back to back and then pull two double shots back to backor make one latte start to finish, then do another, it will be enough "power".



Okay, so I really wanted a Jura super-automatic (Ena 3 or 4) because of the type of beverages we make (which don't require amazing shots to be yummy). Our concern is that since everything is rolled up into one machine, that we're sacrificing quality for convenience. If something breaks on a super-auto, the entire machine is out of business (until it gets repaired) whereas with a semi-auto, the machine is separate from the grinder (and you can control your shots better). So...I think we're going to stick with a semi-automatic.

I'm specifically looking at these:

-Rancilio Silvia
-Gaggia Baby Twin, or Baby, or Classic

The Silvia is way more expensive but can probably grow with us long-term if we ever want to improve our espresso skills. But, I know it needs a quality grinder in order to make it work...and I'm not sure it's in the budget for this machine plus a $200 grinder...maybe a $100 grinder but I don't know if that is good enough to please the Silvia. It's definitely not in the budget for a PID which I've heard is good to install because this machine isn't very temp stable.

The Gaggia Baby Twin is appealing because it has a dedicated thermoblock for just the steam wand, so it would suit our milk frothing needs well, especially when making drinks simultaneously. I know a $100-$200 grinder will work well for this machine. My concerns are that it maybe won't last 7 years or more. The Classic is another option, just a little more bare-bones.

I'm not sure if anyone here has an opinion, but I thought I'd ask anyway while I'm researching!

 

[SGMCO]

Sounds interesting, I'm interested in what others recommend. I don't have an expresso machine but my husband bought me a professional Tassimo coffee brewer that makes espresso. I love it.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

We have had a DeLonghi ESAM3300 Magnifica Super-Automatic Espresso/Coffee Machine (has a grinder) for three years. It makes excellent espressos, lattes, etc, and is super easy to use and to clean. I bought in on Amazon when they were offering a $100 rebate, and the price was lower then, so the total after the rebate was about $550. I saw this same model for sale at Costco around Christmas last year.

Ours did break while still under warranty. DeLonghi sent us a box and a prepaid label to send it in for repair. It did take a month to get back, but has worked fine since then. I would buy this model again.

 

[wiigirl]

x2 for a DeLonghi....not sure of our model but its been perfect for over 3 years now.

 

[IleneF]

Best espresso and lattes EVER....Aeropress..yes it's manual but simple and awesome results. @$30 you have lots left for a great frother!

 

[LJSquishy]

Well, my husband and I finally made a decision last night after reading reviews & watching videos together on all of the different options.

We decided to go with a workhorse of a machine, the Rancilio Silvia V3. At $650 it isn't cheap but it will certainly last for years and years and can grow with us if we desire to learn more about espresso. It is one of the few machines that actually has a brass boiler which was pretty important to us, and it has commercial grade parts inside. Also, we decided against machines with fancy buttons (Gaggia Baby Twin) because of all of the electrical issues they tend to have. The Silvia is a basic machine that we should be able to fix ourselves with instruction.

I am still deciding on a grinder, but have budgeted $200-$300 for that. It's really hard to spend that much money up front, but I know we will have the machine/grinder for years.

 

[JoiseyMom]

Well, my husband and I finally made a decision last night after reading reviews & watching videos together on all of the different options.

We decided to go with a workhorse of a machine, the Rancilio Silvia V3. At $650 it isn't cheap but it will certainly last for years and years and can grow with us if we desire to learn more about espresso. It is one of the few machines that actually has a brass boiler which was pretty important to us, and it has commercial grade parts inside. Also, we decided against machines with fancy buttons (Gaggia Baby Twin) because of all of the electrical issues they tend to have. The Silvia is a basic machine that we should be able to fix ourselves with instruction.

I am still deciding on a grinder, but have budgeted $200-$300 for that. It's really hard to spend that much money up front, but I know we will have the machine/grinder for years.

Go to http://www.1st-line.com/store/pc/home.asp . They have an 800 number to call and are very very informed and an excellent company. They will advise you on what you need and what machine is best. They have good warranties also. Ask for Diane she knows all her machines.

Good choice, the Silivia is an excellent machine.

 

[4shinystars]

Have a Delonghi magnifica that i bought in 2008 for a super deal of $300 (retailed for $1200- I worked for Starbucks and got it on clearance plus my discount) I used it at least 1-2 times a day for 5 years and it just died last month. $60/yr plus cost of beans for great cappuccinos, lattes and americanos-just can't beat it. It was the best machine, and I'm going to buy a new infuser ($60) to see if that'll fix it.
I am a coffee snob, and am using a french press right now to tide me over.

 

[LJSquishy]

Go to http://www.1st-line.com/store/pc/home.asp . They have an 800 number to call and are very very informed and an excellent company. They will advise you on what you need and what machine is best. They have good warranties also. Ask for Diane she knows all her machines.

Good choice, the Silivia is an excellent machine.

Thanks! I'm taking a look at that website now. They have a grinder I'm not familiar with so I will do a little research on it (Ascaso I-Steel grinder). The other grinders I'm considering are Baratza Virtuoso Preciso, Gaggia MDF, and the Rocky (though the Rocky seems to have quite the negative following now).