Hello everyone.
Let me first preface this to say I know little about Espresso except what I have learned from reading around this site. Crazy enough. I Don't even drink Coffee (yet...it will grow on me likely..but all I know of it is Grandmas folger pot of burnt mess and Starbucks shops).

My GF loves Espresso based drinks, such as Lattes and Mochas. She only knows of Starbucks at this time and I wish to turn here away from the Dark..err Burnt side.

Limited budget that has come down to 2 options at the moment.
The Crossland CC1 is an amazing "entry" level machine that I really like the look of and the great feedback from members on this forum. It would consume the whole budget at this time. Meaning I would have no grinder and would have to buy pre-ground. I have to say that though many people will stop here and say NO.. Grinder is the most important. But I know until I can get her wanting to try some new stuff she will be buying Starbucks Espresso anyways likely.


The other option is a DeLonghi ECAM22110SB Super Automatic.
I have a 20% off online coupon (BedBathBeyond) and there is a $100 MIR.
I haven't done a ton of research on this model honestly, but It's the only one in my price range that has the
rebate available.


If there is another recommendable Machine in the $750 or less range on BedBathandBeyonds website, I'd be grateful for any recommendations.



Thanks so much.

Pre-ground will never taste as good as freshly ground when you're brewing coffee, and for espresso it becomes very difficult to even get "real" espresso from pre-ground - it will end up much more like strong coffee than espresso. The same is true, although for a different reason, for super-autos - they usually end up making small shots of strong coffee instead of espresso.

The CC1 has gotten lots of great reviews, but if you pair it up with pre-ground coffee you're not really going to be able to appreciate what the machine's doing. All the good stuff it's got only makes a difference with fresh coffee. Think about the espresso as being limited by the weakest link in the chain, a great machine won't make up for a terrible grinder, or terrible coffee.

But good espresso is definitely possible with a $750 budget. If it was me, I'd go one of two different ways:

1. Buy a Baratza Vario grinder ($450ish without a deal), and no machine, but get a french press, or aero-press or nice pour-over, ect. and then a few pounds of good coffee after xmas. Nothing will change a person's mind about starbucks coffee faster than freshly ground from a good roaster. Plus once you've got a good grinder, you'll find some excuse to buy a decent machine in a few months to a year, and by that time you'll have tried out some great coffee, and that will even make it easier to learn how to make good espresso.

2. Buy a cheaper machine. I'm thinking something like a Gaggia Classic (about $350) which is a great machine for the money, and holds it's value well if you want to sell it and upgrade next year. Not as fancy as the CC1, but I would choose a Gaggia + fresh coffee over just about any machine and pre-ground. If you can find a deal on a package you might be able to get a Classic + Vario for around $750, or just a little bit more. Or, you could get a grinder like a PL53, Nemox Lux or Vario Preciso (I haven't heard as much about the Preciso) and still be plenty under budget, so you can get things like a steaming pitcher, cheap tamper and lots of good coffee. I started off with a setup noticeably crappier than this, and it took a little learning, but I was able to get consistently good espresso, a long with some exceptional shots sometimes.

Edit: just saw that BB&B has a number of Gaggia's for sale online, including the Classic. I believe the Gaggia Baby is basically the same machine, but with a plastic shell, and is about $100 on BB&B.

Either way the weak link in the chain will probably be the person making the coffee, at least for the first couple days/weeks. But with a little experience you'll be making espresso better than you can get in most cafes, and if you want to upgrade the machine or grinder in a couple months or couple years you'll be moving up from a solid base.

Has she expressed interest in an espresso machine? Just want to supply a word of warning, because I have seen it many times before, that people will give up on espresso quickly if they were not really invested in the first place. Good results take time and practice because it is a learning process and that can be frustrating if what you really want is a caramel mocha macchiato. I don't want to scare you off, but just make sure your investment will be put to good use because it can be an expensive mistake.

If her experience is mostly Starbucks style sugary espresso drinks I think you should take her out for coffee. Maybe someone can recommend a cafe in your area serving great espresso. Sample a straight espresso and a cappuccino to help you learn what you're shooting for with your home equipment.

For equipment I think a Baratza Vario or Preciso and a Gaggia is a great place to start on a budget. If you watch the Baratza web site they sometimes sell refurbished grinders at a nice discount (I could not find them right now though). In a year or so if either of you have really taken to the hobby then the CC1 (or beyond) would make a great upgrade and you'd still be good with the Baratza grinder.

You could do the pre-ground route until you save up for a grinder. That's your choice. It's not what I'd recommend, but it certainly won't be worse than Starbucks once you figure it out.

Or--and this is what I'd suggest--you could buy a Porlex hand grinder. It'll do just fine as an entry-level grinder until you can save up for something you like better. You can still do the pre-ground thing for when you're in a rush, but you can also buy a nice bag of coffee sometime and use the Porlex. Once you figure out how to use the Porlex with some good coffee, give her a taste and see what she thinks.

You can get a very nice hand grinder that will produce a very nice grind for under $75 dollars new. I would strongly push you toward spending a little on a nice hand grinder versus using pre-ground coffee. The minimal added effort every morning will pay off big time! I am not the one to ask about which hand grinder is the best, but there are hordes of people throughout the forums that love them.

You can get a very nice hand grinder that will produce a very nice grind for under $75 dollars new. I would strongly push you toward spending a little on a nice hand grinder versus using pre-ground coffee. The minimal added effort every morning will pay off big time!

Very good advice.

The hand grinder is something I'm aware of but I guess I was wrong on prices..saw some last night for close to $60...I can maybe swing that extra bit.

As far as some of the other questions asked. Yes she does want an espresso machine, she does occasionly drink straight esspresso but it's not the norm. THough I could see her doing it more often with the machine after learning....or I will..haha

I think I've made up my mind.. just got to the funds together. Thanks everyone.

Well call it good or bad... but... well...I talked too much tonight but I wanted to be sure..
and sadly the deal is off and I guess she will be sticking to the coffee houses.
She simply doesn't have the time to make or experiment with making espresso at this time.
But I did talk about the unit and show it to her and explain her some of the details and features and why they are important from what I have learned on here and around. She is in favor and wants to learn..
but now just isn't the time unfortunately.

Guess it was better to ask and be denied than let it sit on the shelf and waste away sadly.

Thanks everyone...It might not be too much longer until this changes and I buy this unit or something else.
But for now...Its a no go.

That is too bad, but it sounds like you have the bug now so maybe there will be an espresso machine in your future

Remember, you're not only buying for yourself. Hand grinders have their charms, but they're not for everyone... especially girlfriends.

If the budget figure is self imposed and not entirely a matter of what you can actually afford, I suggest stretching it to a CC1 and Baratza Preciso. Preciso is pretty much the minimum (in powered grinders) in terms of fine control, and consistency for consistently decent espresso.

If the budget can't be stretched, and it's a matter of buying what you can afford now and upgrading later, go with the Gaggia plus Preciso for now.

Your girlfriend might find it touching that you were considerate enough to make her hand grind every time she wants to pull a shot. Or not.

BDL