The cost of these machines is separate from the cost of a burr coffee grinder which starts at around $200and is needed to produce the fine, powdery, tightly packed grinds needed for proper espresso extraction. Because of the high costs of these prosumer setups, and the large variety and price points of machines and grinders in this category, we won’t be covering these here. If you are inclined to purchase a machine of this type, I suggest starting with specialist commerce sites such as Seattle Coffee Gear or Whole Latte Love.
Pros: Inexpensive, 2-year warranty
Cons: Plasticky build, fine coffee grind needed
Pros: Good performance at price point, solid portafilter design, good warranty
Cons: Practice needed tamping shots, find powder grind needed
Pros: Similar to the Delonghi Dedica, can pull some nice shots with practice.
Cons: This model is not current and stock may be low at retailers.
For a $200 upgrade, you can get a version of the machine with an integrated conical burr coffee grinder with 30 adjustable settings.
Pros: One of the least expensive home espresso machines able to produce a high-quality extraction with an integrated PID in the base model.
Cons: The base model doesn’t have a coffee grinder, which is really needed to produce a proper extraction. Some users have also noted that the portafilter can be difficult to access compared to other models.
Pros: Produces nice espresso drinks at a budget price.
Cons: Requires a separate grinder, and to get the most out of this machine, you’ll want to read the manual to learn how to prime the system properly and clean the frothing unit after each use.
Less-expensive consumer machines listed in this guide have improved at making espresso drinks and have become more reliable in recent years. However, they use smaller, nonstandardized group heads and portafilters than more prosumer-style machines, and in all of the cases listed above, you will need a separate grinder.
