Hello Forums. I am new to espresso machines, and I only know that good espresso machine usually cost about $1,000. However I don't want to spend that much money on espresso machine because I am a student and obviously i cannot afford that much money. I looked up many espresso machines and review about them and I found couple that I was interested in. Here is the couple list of what I found

La Pavoni Lever Espresso machine
Bezzera's Espresso machine (Magica, Strega, etc)
Breville's espresso machine (XL870, Dual Boiler, etc)

I know that they all costs like thousand bucks but I am really into these machines. I don't think Im gonna get those above unless they are selling in cheaper price though. Is there an espresso machine that has good price with cheap price? Sorry for the newbie question, but I really don't know about espresso machines. Thank you for reading this thread!

How to choose an espresso machine and grinder at the "right" price includes an introductory video:
The entry level setup discussed in the video above is the Gaggia New Baby (currently on sale for $229 at Whole Latte Love) and Baratza Preciso ($299). Add in a tamper, pitcher, scale, and you're probably spending a little over $600. Is that within your budget?

Thank you for the video! I agree with the guy in the video saying that if you get the low price espresso machine, you are more likely to give up because it is hard to produce a good result with it. I was also frustrated with making Latte or Cappuccino because it seriously takes an hour to make one cup with the method and equipment I use. Also, like the guy on the right, I usually make only one or two cups in a day for myself, and sometimes 4-5 cups if my friends also want to drink.
So for budget, I was kind of hoping around $100 for an espresso machine (not including tamper or pitcher). Is there some place selling espresso machines in lower price than its original price? I am fine with used machines, but do you recommend used one?

I would avoid the Baby and go for the Gaggia Classic, wholelattelove usually has them on sale or refurbed under 300 on eBay (the refurb used to be higher on their site, you'll have to check). That and a Preciso is the bare minimum for decent coffee.

You also have used, search your area on Craigslist or check the Gaggia group forum online, they can usually be found used pretty easily and being up north you should have an better chance.

Edit - if your budget is & 100 bucks, sorry that won't get anything. You could grab a cheap Delonghi and mod it (unless you want the use the pressurized basket which sucks for taste) but then you'd still be gimped by the machine and still have to pony up for a capable grinder and fresh beans.

Your best bet, fresh beans, Hario Skerton or Slim hand grinder and Aeropress for your budget.

A gravity fed lever usually runs cheaper from ebay.it. Factor in a bit of cla and a seal kit and you're at about the price of a new Gaggie, but you'll have a fun, consistent machine instead of a bottom rung disposable.

Grinders are cheapest secondhand. Faema grinders such as the more ungainly fp or mpn models are usually quite cheap, at elast here in the netherlands.

Still, you'll put more money in beans through your machine than your machine price. If you can't afford the machine, you probably can't afford the beans either, or you just need to save up more for your machine

Haha I must second that last piece of advice! Fresh beans, a decent hand grinder and an Aeropress is likely going to get you ahead of many sub 1000 espresso & grinder setups. Get a small scale, thermometer and kaffeologie filter or able disc and you're still sub 100 bucks, with better coffee than any canteen or most restaurants. Heck, I live half the month off the Aeropress because I'm always away, leaving a 3000 bucks setup at home, but not missing out on good flavors
Just make sure to note what dosage, temperature, steep time, water/coffee ratio, grind setting etc. you use, within a couple of tries you'll be blasted away by what a nicely balanced full bodied cup you can produce with this simple piece. Leave the frustrating cheap espresso machines alone, enjoy perfect coffee for a couple of years until you've saved up (and read up enough on HB) for your dream espresso machine and titan grinder. Unless you're really up for an expensive and frustrating upgrade path, which almost everyone seems to do anyway. There's nothing I or anybody else can do to stop you Welcome & enjoy the ride!

An espresso machine by itself is useless. You will also need a good quality grinder. I doubt you can acquire both for under $100, although it is always possible that you will find something spectacularly cheap on craigslist. A better route, as others have indicated, would be to focus on improving your brewing. As an alternative to what others have suggested, you might be able to find a used baratza encore and a Clever Coffee Dripper within your budget; the two together can make excellent coffee with minimal fuss.

[creative nickname] wrote:A better route, as others have indicated, would be to focus on improving your brewing.

I, too, think this is excellent advice. Someone who admittedly knows nothing about espresso machines and has no more than $100 to spend is not really ready to embark on purchasing espresso equipment. Follow one of the other paths suggested here, expand your coffee skills, and develop your preferences. When you have more experience, more money, and more certainty with what you are trying to accomplish - it will be time to have the discussion again.

Thank all of you guys for reply! So I have never own espresso machines, and the way that I make latte or cappuccino is really similar (not 100% sure) to the way of using Aeropress. I use Bialetti Moka pot for coffee, milk frothing for bellman stovetop steamer, and grinder for hario mini mill. And this makes very good cup of latte or cappuccino(I think ) But the problem is that this actually takes at least 30 min to make one cup, though usually it takes an hour including cleaning up. But I think I'll stick with my method because it sounds like the similar to what you guys suggested me to do. Thank you guys for helping!

OctagonCoffee wrote:But the problem is that this actually takes at least 30 min to make one cup, though usually it takes an hour including cleaning up.

The time involved in preparation, warm up time for the espresso machine boiler, and clean-up after an espresso session certainly involves no less time - perhaps more. If you enjoy the results you produce with your current method, then that is a good thing.