Penniless Novice Seeks Machine Advice!

Sinfonia

Hi all,

Long-time drinker, first-time buyer


I started shopping around online for a coffee machine, tbh I was surprised how expensive they can be..!

My budget is verrrry small, and I'd probably rather spend more money on getting good coffee rather than spending a lot on the machine itself (I would've thought that to be the most important thing, but maybe I'm wrong).

Anyway, I saw this on the Arnotts site: Delonghi-BC0261
Seeing as the regular price is €140, I figured it must be decent enough, and as it's currently half price, I can afford the €70..

I wouldn't really get any use out of the filter coffee bit, just the espresso.
With anything else I've been interested in buying (outside the coffee world), I've generally found that if the product does more than the one thing, each thing will suffer (i.e. in this case, the quality of the espresso part of the machine will suffer because the machine is not solely dedicated to espresso production).

3 Questions then:

1) Does anyone have experience with this particular machine?
2) If this one is no good can anyone recommend a decent machine for under €100? (If that's even possible!)
3) Anyone have any other general advice on the matter?

alastair

1. Nope - sorry
2. Not really - unless you get lucky with a second-hand Gaggia Classic or Silvia on eBay or elsewhere.
3. If you've got €100 to play with I'd suggest you forget about an espresso machine for the time being - you'd really need to spend that sort of money on a decent grinder (forget blade grinders) - because you'll be putting junk into whatever machine you get otherwise. Starter level quality espresso-capable grinder here.

Best plan for you - spend the money on a second-hand burr grinder and an aeropress and then save up for a better grinder and/or a espresso machine (assume you need at least €300 for the machine - or you're buying something that isn't up to the job). An aeropress won't produce real espresso - but it'll be in the ballpark - and really do justice to good beans.

nevelator

I'm in the same situation as the OP.
From the reading I have done I was thinking off going down the route of a decent grinder and a moka pot for the time being. Is the aeropress a better option than the moka pot?

alastair

nevelator wrote: »

I'm in the same situation as the OP.
From the reading I have done I was thinking off going down the route of a decent grinder and a moka pot for the time being. Is the aeropress a better option than the moka pot?

It wouldn't cost much to buy both and see which one you prefer
Either - with most money spent on the grinder, would be a better choice than a cheap espresso machine and a blade grinder (or buying pre-ground coffee).

adrian522

There are plenty of cheap options once you've got your grinder, Moka, French Press, Aeropress, Chemex...

Once you've got a decent grinder and fresh beans all of the above are capable of making great coffee ...

easychair

Sinfonia wrote: »

Hi all,

Long-time drinker, first-time buyer


I started shopping around online for a coffee machine, tbh I was surprised how expensive they can be..!

My budget is verrrry small, and I'd probably rather spend more money on getting good coffee rather than spending a lot on the machine itself (I would've thought that to be the most important thing, but maybe I'm wrong).

Anyway, I saw this on the Arnotts site: Delonghi-BC0261
Seeing as the regular price is €140, I figured it must be decent enough, and as it's currently half price, I can afford the €70..

I wouldn't really get any use out of the filter coffee bit, just the espresso.
With anything else I've been interested in buying (outside the coffee world), I've generally found that if the product does more than the one thing, each thing will suffer (i.e. in this case, the quality of the espresso part of the machine will suffer because the machine is not solely dedicated to espresso production).

3 Questions then:

1) Does anyone have experience with this particular machine?
2) If this one is no good can anyone recommend a decent machine for under €100? (If that's even possible!)
3) Anyone have any other general advice on the matter?

I've had a similar DeLonghi machine for 9 years and it's a great coffee maker. The espresso side is so simple that there is very little which can go wrong, and mine is now 9 years old and I've never had a problem.

Firstly, if you are making espresso, the water is not pumped through the coffee, but forced through due to water pressure. that makes sure you get a hot cup of espresso, as many of the machines which pump the coffee through turn out luke warm coffee.

I prefer my DeLonghi to more expensive machines which use very expensive pods, as it means I can buy coffee anywhere and am not committed to buying expensive (and eco unfriendly) pods.

Sinfonia

Thanks all for the advice!

I ended up buying a second-hand Gaggia Evolution, which is perfect for me, I used to live with someone who had one actually, so I already know how to get the best results out of it etc.

Maybe further down the line when I have money and if I'm more of a connoisseur I'll get an upgrade!

Regular Latte

adrian522 wrote: »

There are plenty of cheap options once you've got your grinder, Moka, French Press, Aeropress, Chemex...

Once you've got a decent grinder and fresh beans all of the above are capable of making great coffee ...

I'd recommend an Aeropress to anyone wanting a quick and cheap brewing method. What are they, like, 20 quid?? Plus it can sit on the shelf with your mugs. Available online and certainly in a few shops in Dublin.

They work remarkably well with fresh roasted & ground coffee.