You’re looking to buy your first home espresso machine and grinder but don’t know where to start and who to trust. There is an overwhelming amount of info out there and home Baristas that have developed their own rituals based on their experiences and lack of experience, have worked out what works for them using the equipment they have. The question I have for you is:  Do you need to be executing a rath of techniques , such as; Weiss ( WDT) spritz the beans, use the OCD, calibrated tamper and the list goes on..? They aren’t right or wrong, but I see all too often beginners focusing on the 1% of excellency rather than the basics to achieve a good shot from which to improve upon. In coffee, there are fundamental techniques and approaches which every good Barista must learn and from there they will develop their own technique to coax the best from the bean utilising carefully selected equipment. If you only read this far my take away is this:  Understand how your equipment was designed to work and how to manipulate that particular machine to do what you need it to do. With that said, I will go over some important considerations in purchasing the best espresso machine and grinder for you.

The best espresso machine and grinder will ultimately come down to your budget. With that in mind, we need to figure out our requirements from the equipment. I will go over considerations to make in regards to grinders and espresso machines and with this knowledge your can re-evaluate the budget and strike a balance which best suites your needs for the best espresso machine and grinder.

The first place to start is with an espresso grinder. You’re going to want a grinder that is step-less (infinite adjustment), retains fewest grinds and has a decent size burr set (mid 60’s if possible). If your budget allows, I highly recommend a Mazzer Super Jolly or Mini E. They both have flat burrs which tend to have a tighter particle distribution variance, which highlights more of the chocolate/nutty profile, whereas, conical burrs tend to accentuate floral notes due to larger particle variance.

Side note – keep in mind, grinders are more consistent either set to single dosing or hopper full to half full. Once the hopper is near empty, the grind will need to be adjusted finer to make up for the difference in weight on the beans. Part of being a Barista is knowing how to precisely tune your grinder to your espresso machine to obtain the flavour profile you’re aiming for in a particular bean. As beans age and temps change, you may need to make fine adjustments. This is also the case if your dose changes. To keep things consistent, I recommend using brew ratios (e.g. 1:2 = 15 gr dry coffee to 30 gr liquid in the cup) and a scale to eliminate as many variables as you can to keep your final product as consistent as possible.

Once you have settled on a grinder, the next choice should be to look at your water quality and determine whether you need to be filtering your water or using bottled water. A good source of information is La Marzocco’s online water quality calculator. The easiest way to find out your water quality is to purchase La Marzocco’s water test kit or similar titration kit which you can then enter the numbers into La Marzocco’s calculator which will recommend the appropriate filtration. The number one problem espresso equipment owner’s run into in regions with hard water is build up due to excess minerals in the water or chlorine which is harmful to stainless steel boilers. In Vancouver, BC, where I am from, the water composition is fairly good with the exception of chlorine and a few pockets with hard water.

https://techcenter.lamarzocco.com/jsp/Template4/watercalculator.jsp

Now that we have decided on a grinder and whether we need to be filtering our water, lets get down to business and discuss a few good contenders for a home espresso machine! There are a few different types of espresso machines out there. No matter which type you decide on, I always recommend understanding the design and how it is was intended to be used and then get a feel for what it does and how to overcome its quirks by manipulating either the espresso machine or the grinder to get the desired outcome.

Firstly, you have the single boilers machines like the Starbucks’ Barista that many of you have probably come across. They’re actually a decent machine built by Saeco. This was in fact the first espresso machine that I worked on! These machines have a single boiler for both brewing and steaming. Temperature stability is via bi-metallic thermostat which has a large temperature deadband that is responsible for over heating but is manageable if you’re aware of it. The issue with this machine is that you have to perform one task or the other, ie. pull a shot or steam milk and wait while each system has established operating temperature range.

Second category of machines, heat exchanger (HX) espresso machines. This design uses one boiler to achieve two temperatures by running cool water through the main boiler via a tube to achieve near brew temperature once at the puck. This design is intended for constant use or if left at idle will over heat and requires a heating flush (temperature surfing) before pouring your next shot. Once you understand that if left at idle the water in the heat exchanger will become the same temperature as the steam boiler which is way too hot to brew a good shot of espresso, only then will you start brewing consistently delicious espresso.

Thirdly, we’ve arrived at the infamous double/multi-boiler machine. This design of machine holds a precise temperature on both steam and brew boiler water temps and can be adjusted easily via PID or interface that the machine uses. La Marzocco was first to introduce this design and make popular here in North America. Interesting to note, La Marzocco introduced the double boiler not necessarily as a superior design but rather to avoid paying expensive certification costs on large single boilers! I like to classify double boilers as a nice option for convenience but not necessary for great espresso. I will say that they often come with other nice features such as a rotary pump, user friendly interface, app control etc. I will further note that espresso isn’t so much as being ultra precise as it is about being in the right range and I mention this because some of the best espresso I’ve had has come from a lever espresso machine and they are nowhere near precise, quite the opposite actually.

The fourth type of machine is the Lever espresso machine. There are two types in this category: manual lever (without spring) and spring lever espresso machine. The manual lever espresso machine, not the best option for a beginner as I can attest to! Reason being is, you have to achieve the correct pressure via force and grind adjustment and when not being familiar with either as a beginner it makes for a steep learning curve. One excellent example of a manual lever espresso machine is the Olympia Express Cremina which was designed by an Italian guy in search of the best material to build his machines and decided on Switzerland to setup shop.

Second class of lever espresso machines are the spring lever machines. The spring provides a repeatable pressure profile. This in turn leads to a more consistent shot compared to the manual lever. A few notable machines in this category are the Bosco Sorrento, Bezzera Strega, Profitech 800 and Londinium R24.

At last, what you’ve all been hanging on to your seats for. My recommendations for your first home espresso machine based on budget.

Entry level – (single boiler)

• Starbucks Barista
• Rancilio Miss Silvia
• La Pavoni
• Profitec Go

Mid Range

• Rocket – Appartemento
• Rocket – Mozzafiato Timer Evoluzione R
• La Nuova Era Cuadra
• La Marzocco Linea Micra (dual boiler)
• Profitec 600 dual boiler

Good old school lever

• La Cimbali M20 Lever (spring)
• Faema President
• Nuova Simonelli Leva
• Bosco Sorrento

High End

• Kees van der Westen Speedster (my all time favourite!)
• La Marzocco Linea Mini
• La Marzocco GS/3
• Londinium R24
• Bezzera Strega
• Olympia Express Cremina (manual lever not ideal for beginners)

At the very minimum I recommend a HX machine with rotary pump if possible. There is nothing more annoying than a loud vibe pump early in the morning to get you in trouble with the Mrs!

Double boiler is nice but not necessary for making great espresso. Some of the best espresso shots I’ve had have been on a hand lever espresso machine and they’re anything but precise! Making espresso is about understanding the fundamentals of coffee and then using your tools to achieve YOUR desired outcome.