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Just starting out espresso equipment with low budget

Postby monkeyswima on Tue Jul 19, 2011 9:55 pm

I am fairly new to the Coffee and Espresso world and was thinking about buying an espresso machine to tinker around with at my house and entertain friends. My budget is low, but I'm willing to save to buy quality machines. On my list are: Espresso Machine (manual or automatic), a decent grinder($100-$150), tamps, froth wand...etc.

Are there any brands that you would recommend for any of the equipment? Preferably the cheapest on the market but produce nice espresso.

Thank you!
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Postby hperry on Tue Jul 19, 2011 10:14 pm

At that price point if I did not care about milk drinks I probably would buy a Pharos hand grinder from Orphan Espresso ($250) and a MyPressi Twist ($150) for the Espresso. You won't do much entertaining with them, but they will provide quality espresso for you. There is nothing at that price range that meets your entertaining criteria.
Hal Perry
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Postby allon on Tue Jul 19, 2011 10:18 pm

If you're at all handy, I'd suggest watching CraigsList for any single group 120V commercial machines. Then you'll have your hands full cleaning it and fixing it up, but you'll be far better off than buying a cheap new consumer machine.

And the Pharos is an incredibly capable espresso grinder for an amazing price.
For drip it is a bit of a pain because the lighter roasts and coarser grind is physically more exhausting, but gives good results. For espresso, though, it shines.
LMWDP #331
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Postby HB on Tue Jul 19, 2011 10:37 pm

monkeyswima wrote:Are there any brands that you would recommend for any of the equipment? Preferably the cheapest on the market but produce nice espresso.

First, please read How to choose an espresso machine and grinder at the "right" price. Next, read Mark's How to Buy an Espresso Machine. These two articles will give you the basics you'll need to make a decision. Then try the site's search page. For example, search on "budget espresso machine" by topic title as suggested in forum search tips. You'll find several threads similar to yours by skimming the first 5-10 pages of the Buying Advice forum.
Dan Kehn
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