Need advice for an espresso machine for espresso only, no milk

#1: Post by **swin** » November 9th, 2020, 4:46 am

I am using Gaggia Tebe and looking for a new espresso machine in the range $1500-2000.
I drink only 2-3 espresso per day. No milk.
I found that there are many good machines for both espresso and steaming.
But I never use the steaming.

#2: Post by **fiechtl5** » November 9th, 2020, 7:18 am

Do you already have a grinder? Cafelat Robot and the rest on a grinder if not.

November 9th, 2020, 10:04 am

Yes, I have a grinder but cheap one.
I am also looking for a new grinder.

#4: Post by **Jeff** » November 9th, 2020, 10:20 am

Is the grinder part of the $1500-2000, or would you be adding to that for the grinder? If a larger total, do you have an idea of your total budget for grinder and machine?

#5: Post by **Miketee** » November 16th, 2020, 6:46 pm

BDB and HG-One. Its a hair over budget but I am impressed!

December 20th, 2020, 8:38 am

I have increased my budget.
I choose either Bianca or Linea Mini.
I drink only espresso.
Kindly advise which one is better.

#7: Post by **Jeff** » December 20th, 2020, 9:21 am

Which grinder?

What coffees?

(Drinking Illy, both are going to be much more for appearance than function.)

What do you value in an espresso machine?

#8: Post by **mwebber** » December 20th, 2020, 3:54 pm

swin wrote:I have increased my budget.

You don't necessarily have to! The best advice I ever received was from James Hoffman himself, who told me that new gear should only ever be bought with a clear question in mind- "What problem does this solve that I cannot solve with my current gear?"

swin wrote: I choose either Bianca or Linea Mini.
I drink only espresso.
Kindly advise which one is better.

As a Linea Mini owner, it's the last machine in the world I would recommend for an espresso-only drinker! Most of what I drink are cappuccinos, and one of the biggest reasons I picked it was its fantastic steam power and ability to steam and pull a shot simultaneously, back-to-back. If you don't need the high output for entertaining- in other words, if you're the only coffee drinker at home, you should save your money.

If I were an espresso-only drinker, I would look at either a manual lever (Cafelat Robot, Streitman, Olympia Cremina in order of increasing budget), a spring lever (Bezzera Strega, Profitec 800, Londinium R24), or what is perhaps the ultimate profiling machine- a Decent. Spend the rest of your money on the best grinder you can afford- that's where the biggest improvements are found.

#9: Post by **fiechtl5** » December 20th, 2020, 5:59 pm

mwebber wrote:You don't necessarily have to! The best advice I ever received was from James Hoffman himself, who told me that new gear should only ever be bought with a clear question in mind- "What problem does this solve that I cannot solve with my current gear?"

As a Linea Mini owner, it's the last machine in the world I would recommend for an espresso-only drinker! Most of what I drink are cappuccinos, and one of the biggest reasons I picked it was its fantastic steam power and ability to steam and pull a shot simultaneously, back-to-back. If you don't need the high output for entertaining- in other words, if you're the only coffee drinker at home, you should save your money.

If I were an espresso-only drinker, I would look at either a manual lever (Cafelat Robot, Streitman, Olympia Cremina in order of increasing budget), a spring lever (Bezzera Strega, Profitec 800, Londinium R24), or what is perhaps the ultimate profiling machine- a Decent. Spend the rest of your money on the best grinder you can afford- that's where the biggest improvements are found.

I think this is spot on. Levers are my personal inclination and if I were to not drink milk it would be a streitman and a pressure profiling kit. Since I do like milk and entertaining when covid isn't around, I have a profitec pro 800 that certainly holds its own. If you want a pump machine, missing out on profiling machine for home use seems like a shame since you don't know you're preferred coffee yet either.

#10: Post by **jgood** » December 20th, 2020, 6:58 pm

If you want a simple E61 without steam than the Quick Mill Carola is a good option. I believe Chris Coffee is the only one who carries them. Basically 1/2 of an E61 double boiler machine -- the espresso half!