Looking for espresso/coffee machine for moms birthday. Help? - Page 2

by **quar** on Wed Jun 11, 2008 11:17 am

I'm going to have to second Dan's pointer toward the Nespresso system. For somebody who just wants an espresso and doesn't want to have to worry about beans, grinders, etc, these machines do an acceptable job. Far better than canned preground or pods.

Mike

by **gabriel** on Wed Jun 11, 2008 12:42 pm

I will third that opinion.
I had a Nespresso machine for few years and was very happy with it
It makes a much better espresso than any steam-toy you can get

Just keep in mind that the capsules are not cheap, I think they are going now for $0.55 each
The machine can be bought for less than $200 (you can use the 20% off coupons for LNT)

The best thing about the Nespresso system that they are so easy to use.

/gabi

by **Freezebyte** on Wed Jun 11, 2008 2:52 pm

Hmmm, good ideas and suggestions, but I dunno if shes going to be into being limited by capsules and what not for those Nespresso machines. I guess I didn't figure that you guys are the hard edge connoisseurs of coffee and espresso while most of us are just fine with the average output. Hell, the expressos and what not done at Starbucks are good enough in my book and I don't drink such things often. I think im just gonna go order a DeLonghi BCO130T at Amazon as it seems to be a pretty good reviewed product for a fair price and easy to use vs the Krups automatic one. Thanks for the input.

by **quar** on Wed Jun 11, 2008 3:03 pm

I wouldn't consider the output of that DeLonghi with preground coffee as average. It'll be very poor. Starbucks isn't average, it's just poor.

That DeLonghi is just a bad choice. If your mom doesn't want to be bothered with doing things right (not that the Nespresso was right, mind you), get her a decent drip machine and a moka pot and be done with it. I'd suggest a Technivorm for drip and a moka pot of your choice. Don't think that the Technivorm is coffee snob conceit, either. My 77 year old dad who spent most of his life drinking whatever was around, actually asked me to help him find one. He has been amazed by the difference.

Mike

by **sweaner** on Wed Jun 11, 2008 3:11 pm

Mike, keep in mind that most people do not drink coffee that is anywhere near as high quality/fresh as everyone here. Yet they seem to enjoy it just the same.

My wife drinks Instant Sanka. :shock:

She likes it, and that is really all that matters. I suspect the OP's mom will be happy with the machine selected. I can't even imagine my mom using an espresso machine.

by HB on Wed Jun 11, 2008 3:11 pm

Freezebyte wrote:I think im just gonna go order a DeLonghi BCO130T at Amazon as it seems to be a pretty good reviewed product for a fair price and easy to use vs the Krups automatic one.

That's a dressed-up steam toy. If your mom will be happy with such a setup, you could save almost $100 and get the Mr. Coffee ECM21 for less than $60. It also has lots of "positive" reviews like the one below.

(My review of such a contraption: "Even for free, it's an awful machine for the price!" :roll:

)

S. Ellison wrote:Awesome Machine for the Price!
If you are looking to try your hand at Espresso making and want to save money and space, then this is your baby!

We previously had the entry level Mr Coffee Espresso maker and ran it to death. We had it about 2 1/2years and it was used just about everyday. If you figure the cost of your average Cap, Esp or Latte drink we more than got our money's worth. We made the small additional investment of a thermometer and frothing cup just to make the job easier. Never having made anything more than regular coffee, this is a great machine to learn on.

Anyway, we finally killed it, and decided to replace it and our previous coffee maker with this combo machine which takes up less space

by **RapidCoffee** on Wed Jun 11, 2008 3:16 pm

Although H-B may not be the best site for your question, you've received some good advice nonetheless. Let me offer one more recommendation to ignore

: avoid DeLonghi coffee brewers. If you're absolutely determined to get your mom a dual coffee-"espresso" brewer, choose one of the Krups or Mr. Coffee models instead. Based on my admittedly limited experience with DeLonghi products, even their drip brewers don't come close to producing correct brew temps.

EDIT: Apologies for the cross posting. Great minds etc.

by **Spresso_Bean** on Wed Jun 11, 2008 3:19 pm

There are refurbished KitchenAid Pro Line espresso machines this week at the KitchenAid site for a little over $200 shipped, and those supposedly have Gaggia internals. They can also use pods if necessary, so that could be another option with KitchenAid having great support. These were originally quite expensive compared to the current prices.

http://www.shopkitchenaid.com/product_detail.asp?HDR=outlet&T1=KTA+RKPES100NP&.

by **quar** on Wed Jun 11, 2008 3:25 pm

I loved to look at my KA Pro-Line...Just hated to use it. It is a Gaggia on the inside (some on the outside too, PF, etc.), but it wasn't reliable at all. I only used my for about 7 months and had to have the whole machine replaced twice. While a beautiful machine with decent quality internals, it suffered from some poor design choices. My steam and hot water buttons kept slipping inside the machine. Seems that the bit that held them against the front of the machine was prone to slipping.

$200 is a great price, when they sold for $899 new. I'd just be afraid the buttons weren't fixed yet. I ended up selling mine for more than I paid for it (I got a very good deal through Amex Wishlist that x-mas) and moved on to the Anita.

Mike

by **Spresso_Bean** on Wed Jun 11, 2008 3:31 pm

I was just thinking the KitchenAid might be better than a Delonghi or something similar.


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