Espresso Maker Suggestions

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I forgot all that I read but seems like the Virtuo was the one to get. For me, I REALLY tight on counter space and only way to get this on mine is the tiny Essenza Mini and have in my Amazon cart and would actually pull the trigger but out of stock.
 
I went ahead and one. Also got a milk frother. May get a kettle.

Yeah, I figured it's inexpensive enough to try, and looks like it's great for camping and traveling.

My wife drinks a lot of hot water, so I got her this a few months ago so she doesn't need to use our very noisy microwave: Probably overkill$ for you, but it works well for her, and my son makes tea with it. I figure it will work well for the Aeropress.
 
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So I think you talked me into this. Thanks to everyone for the help.
I ordered one last night - arriving today :)
You'll like it. Simple and fast!
I've been using the same one for 5-6 years daily and it works just as well as it did when I got it. The only thing that can go wrong with it
is the gasket wearing out and I've had a spare sitting in the junk drawer for years. I use the inverted method because it does seem like the
coffee tastes better. I don't weigh the coffee (just use a full scoop) or wet the filter because I pretty much just want my coffeee NOW! I just
add the coffee, fill the tube with water, stir for 20-30 seconds, flip over and press.
https://samplecoffee.com.au/brewguides/inverted-aeropress
 
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I watched the video and would say that is about equal the amount of "work" to do espresso. That thing lots like PITA to clean too. I did not clean my machine after every use but around every other month but we didn't use the frother. We basically made cafe americanos. I forgot but there is a pod system for the Gaggia too. Might bust mine out this weekend after all the talk here.
 
I watched the video and would say that is about equal the amount of "work" to do espresso. That thing lots like PITA to clean too. I did not clean my machine after every use but around every other month but we didn't use the frother. We basically made cafe americanos. I forgot but there is a pod system for the Gaggia too. Might bust mine out this weekend after all the talk here.
I have a Bialetti. This guy is really over thinking this and making it way too labor intensive. True, don't tamp the grounds. It's not that difficult.
 
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Good pick with the Nespresso. Been using one and the frother for 7 years. Straight forward, easy and consistent. For the milk I've settled in on using Simply Truth Organic 2%. Seems that milk can be a variable in making froth. And BTW, the wire whisk in the frother I modified by cutting out 2/3's of the wire so the amount of froth it created works perfectly for the type of latté I prefer.
 
Slowly figuring out how to use this Aeropress to make my cuban coffee. I almost just bought a machine but decide need to give this a chance. I like the fact that can make a little bigger cup. I only make 2 or 3 a week. I just put the small wand in frother and think lI ike it better. To much foam with big one. Still working on temp and coffee amount but once I get it figured out I think this will do.
 
Good choice on the Nespresso. It's the distinct character of espresso but a notch above with the way it puts crema (not milk froth) on top.
I have this old Braun from decades ago and it's still going strong...although there's no way I'd pay $200 for a used one to replace it if it fails. (BTW many coffee maker failures are just the temp switches and can be easily repaired.) I like grinding my own beans for the old fashioned espresso machines but the Nespresso really is worth getting addicted to someone else's packaging. And trust me, the foil Nespresso pouches keep the coffee surprisingly fresh. Nothing like the dreaded plastic K-cups!

ADDENDUM: Well now, This looks interesting:
 
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About two decades ago I purchased a Saeco fully automated espresso machine at Costco for about$1000. It was really expensive, especially for back then, but it has made excellent coffee ever since, with no down time nor repairs (I'm probably going to kick myself for having said that).

It is a pleasure to use - every 4-5 days put in beans and water, then empty out the dregs every once in a while. The coffee is perfect and exhibits excellent crema that the wife loves.

I figure on the conservative side, if I went to a coffee shop on the way to work and spent $3/coffee for the wife and I per day I would have spent nearly $44,000 dollars since then for the 20 years worth of coffee. The coffee is definitely as good or better than we get at the shops so I guess it is worth it to keep the wife happy. Like they say, happy wife, happy life. Not too bad an investment for $1k.
 
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I’m looking for a recommendation for a coffee machine that may or may not exist. My wife is a heavy coffee drinker, 2-3 cups a day. She’s homebrews two-thirds of the coffee she drinks and buys either Starbucks or Dunkin (with a shot of espresso) ice coffee the other third of the time.

We currently have a ninja coffee machine that probably cost $150 and has been a true workhorse for the last 2-to 3 years. My wife would like a machine that makes both espresso and regular coffee. She doesn’t have the time or interest to manually brew coffee best coffee maker under $100 canada. She wants something that she can pour beans or grounds into, press a button, and come back in 5 minutes to a 12oz cup of coffee, shot of espresso, or both.

Is there anything out there that does this?


jdixon,

Hot brewed & cold brew are two different animals. I mention cold brew because I personally feel that ice coffees are much better with a cold brew especially if you drink them without all the sugar & syrups to hide the sour & bitterness.

My suggestion would be to get a good drip coffee maker for the hot brew & a Toddy for the cold brew. Cold brew will last 2 weeks in the refrigerator & is concentrated. Cold brew using a Toddy will have less acidity than hot brew that is chilled & will be less reliant on high quality of coffee so you can use less expensive coffee.
 
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Since I got my espresso maker really not used much. Even a double to small cup for me. Just give me a normal cup coffee. At least I bout a fairly cheap one. I do use that Aeropress sometimes.
 
A slight aside. In addition to our initial Saeco (read huge behemoth) purchase, we started with Nespresso over a decade ago because my wife fell for their advertisements. It worked fine for quite a few years, then gave out (likely user error). She had me purchase an updated model, but the problem I have is that the pods are expensive and you MUST purchase them directly through Nespresso (I have not found a local supplier)

For a while I was using both but my cheap nature won and I mostly used the Saeco for the sake of economics. However, I discovered that the Nespresso is perfect for RV-ing - small, light, and super easy to make coffee in the morning when on an RV trip. I can even count the number of pods I'll need for the trip. It is the perfect machine for that purpose.

I guess the bottom line is that each type of machine has it's place so it entirely depends on your personal needs.
 
There are two Nespresso pods. The original ones (the patent has now run out) is a smaller version of a K-cup but are a bit stouter for the high pressure involved in the espresso-style flavor. The new ones are hemispherical, and actually spin as they're pressurized to give you more "crema" head on the coffee. (Plus it allows you to make larger cups of coffee too.) Those are only available from Nespresso and are about $1.50 each, even if you shop around and buy in bulk.
 
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