A couple years ago when I moved to Brooklyn I wanted to get my first espresso machine. I was tired of Starbucks (which is convenient with 4 locations all within one block of my job), and all the great coffee shops near me opened too late for me to get a morning espresso drink and still make it to work in time. I stalked these forums for a while and read a lot of the information that's out there and eventually settled on a Rancilio Silvia/Baratza Preciso combo.

I'm going to be moving again around the end of my lease (around 8 months from now) and I think I want to get myself a new espresso machine. When I first bought the Rancilio Silvia I was only making lattes for myself in the morning. Now I find that whenever I have guests over, they want espresso. One person asks for a cappuccino then I've got a group of 4 or 5 people that all want something. It turns into a process so I definitely want a machine that is capable of pulling shots and steaming at the same time.

I'm trying to spend under $2,000 and possibly upgrading the grinder if there's money left in the budget for something better (still not sure if I want to or not, the Preciso has been very good so far.) I've been looking around a little and the Quick Mill Andreja Premium looks like a good model but I'm wondering if there's anything out there with a lower price point and the same or better quality? Should I go straight for a double boiler or is a heat exchange model the most I'd need? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Here are two used machines to consider for great prices for sale on CoffeeGeek:

Vibiemme Junior HX - $950 pick up only in NJ

Expobar dual boiler - $1150 + shipping

La Spaziale Vivaldi II - $1450 + shipping These are so nice to look at, especially if you can plumb in and show off the back of the machine!

Buying used gives you plenty of room to upgrade your grinder--either buy a Vario (and try to keep the preciso for brew if you can afford it) or something else that is dedicated for espresso.

Good luck with your search!

Forgot to add, if you want to go new route, use the search function on the site as your question has been asked a bazillion times.

Thanks a lot for the suggestions. I wanted to get some ideas of what's out there, the searches get a little overwhelming with information. After some more research into those models and other double boiler machines I think I'm going to go with a new Expobar Brewtus. I really like the Vario grinder as well and even though it goes over my budget a little to get them new I think I'm going to pick one up. Plus, maybe by the time I'm ready to make this purchase someone will have the Brewtus IV for sale used.

beer&mathematics wrote:Forgot to add, if you want to go new route, use the search function on the site as your question has been asked a bazillion times.

+1, housekeeping complete

If your top end is 5 drinks, PV lusso is a very attractive choice. It can actually handle far more than that. In your budget you can actually walk away with a two group and an upgraded grinder. As of late it gets little airplay since there's only one US distributer, 1st line, and they had enough trouble shipping them they stopped doing it. For what its worth mine was shipped from Italy in a cardboard box that was nearly shredded when it arrived, so they're reasonably sturdy. 1st line is in New Jersey, not an impossible road trip from NYC. With $2000, you could get a lusso and have a budget for a vario, or secondhand super jolly. I have both, and use both. Lately I've been on the vario since I need new burrs, and it's working fine. With the 45 mm platform, it's also handy to get a dosing funnel from OE so you're not grinding in bursts and settling the pile.

I think the Brewtus is a great choice.

That said, I'm surprised that the Breville Double Boiler isn't recommended as frequently when questions like this come up. I'm considering replacing my Expobar Office Lever (an HX) at home with a Breville DB after we got one at work. I just don't think there is a machine that makes it as easy to provide excellent espresso and milk drinks, easily, at that price. Yes, it is not likely to last as long as something like a GS3, but at about 1/5 the price, I wouldn't expect it to.

Pretty much any decent HX or DB machine will do what you want. Basically, you want to be able to steam more milk quickly I assume since the Silvia should have no problem pumping out 5+ espressos in a reasonable amount of time - a chore any HX or DB should be able to handle reasonably well. The larger the boiler in an HX (and the steam boiler in a DB) the more steaming power it will have as long as it has a heating element matched well to the boiler size.