The £299 Aldi Espresso Machine - How Bad Could It Be?

I'm not going to link to the machine, because I think that encourages the wrong sort of thing.
Coffee Giveaway has finished.
Patreon: / jameshoffmann
Edited by Michael Losada
Music:
"Phone Home" by Watermark High
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Links:
My Books:
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Limited Edition Merch: www.tenshundredsthousands.com
Instagram: / jimseven
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geni.us/neewersl60
geni.us/neewerslider

[@canakn8685]

James: Our 17 grams yielded 74 grams of liquid. Me: Wow, that's pretty good. James: So of course we are not drinking that one! Me: OF COURSE WE ARE NOT! THAT'S DISGUSTING!

[@TheDemethar]

Krispy kream Türkiye'de bu dozajı Double shot için kullanıyor. 18/70 olması lazım fgghhhygkjj

[@canakn8685]

@@TheDemethar 1/4 yapiyorlarsa yine iyiymis. :D

[@eastside1997]

Lol my feelings every single video.

[@ushim7]

So true

[@caboseisstupid]

I don't know anything about coffee, but he's so delightful to listen to, so I had exactly this reaction (unironically)

[@ClemensAlive]

He's a true barista - he doesnt only roast beans, he roasts the whole mashine

[@goobiedoobi]

mashine

[@IEatBabies420]

@@goobiedoobi get his ass

[@missmerrily4830]

He's a true something that begins with b, but I wasn't thinking barista! 🤣

[@AndreasIndustriePro]

"we at hoffmanns roast the whole machine. thats 65% more coffee per coffee"

[@poeticserenade]

He also admits he never used it. 1:48 "START THE VIDEO I DONT CARE IF I NEVER USED IT!!"

[@Ban00dle]

As a store manager for Aldi, I apologise for this machine's existence.

[@luvpamelanewton]

He's horrible. Agree. Super negative.

[@Ban00dle]

@@luvpamelanewton I agree with him though, I hate this machine lol

[@We1ntersoxfan]

@@luvpamelanewton lmao

[@luvpamelanewton]

@@Ban00dle Haha. Didn't care for his presentation. Aweful.

[@ZeldasGhost]

@@luvpamelanewton bye then👋🏻

[@pocket1122]

“This is a stupid coffee machine. I hate this coffee machine. It is a stupid coffee machine” I can’t help but hear Jeremy Clarkson complaining about a car

[@SHrepairs]

This man is somewhere between 20 and 70 years old

[@petrthingsilike8487]

Grimble Snacks I am glad I am not the only one who had that feeling 😂😂😂😂

[@bentaye]

Not sure, I feel like he is more like both at the same time

[@alanz90]

Damn that's really accurate!

[@rcpmac]

HA!

[@hannahyun0]

I thought he was quite old person until watched the 2007 world championship competition, he was very young then like 20 something. i would say between 35- 50 ;-). i like his sense humour and whinging ....

[@Matt-dc8lp]

James: fills the bean hopper to the top Everyone: that's optimistic

[@gavinsterkel9295]

Matt H literally that was my very first, and EXACT thought 😂

[@jameshoffmann]

Haha! (Though, there's always lots of B-roll to shoot...)

[@Gramayr]

Always have a weight of beans on the burrs to get a consistent grind.. lol

[@teddvidler6830]

Noticed that. PLEASE James don't give it to anyone who you like!

[@Owwliv]

Nah, he just thought it would take that much coffee to arrive at drinkable. It turns out it didn't take that much coffee to determine drinkable is impossible...

[@albuseisenhorn3385]

the man makes a very valid point about environmental issues caused by our species wasting resources on absolute garbage like this

[@stephaniewozny3852]

I agree. At first I thought he was being hyperbolic, then he broke down _why_ , and then I got it. Then I got mad too.

[@suntalunta]

Capitalism baby!

[@suntalunta]

@None of your business That's why he said buy a Mocca pot instead

[@albuseisenhorn3385]

@None of your business and you would be right IF that was the case and there were 0 options out there. However he reviews much cheaper machines that do a FAR better job of it for close to half the price no less. As for your what I'm going to perceive as not climate change denial but something close to, I will say this. It should not be up to the citizens to make those leaps first. Electric cars so early is dumb, cold-turkeying our selves off petrolium is dumb. You know what makes sense? doing the easy stuff first and stop trying to magic bullet the issue with tech. Have all poluting industry do carbon cap on site to a high percentage, make transit highly viable with 20's tech called a bus FFS. We the people should be pressuring the CEO's and stakeholders of industry to clamp down first. So you can scoff all you want at my point but the fact is they're right, the problem as always is the greedy few.

[@DigisMr]

Thats what I'm thinking lately, lot's of cheap crap produced which just doesn't work correctly. I mean come on, just make some quality items that's more expensive, but will last you for decades. But i guessing that's just not how money making works and that is sad.

[@pissedpikachu5295]

me watching this video, agreeing that it is a shitty coffee machine, as i drink my instant coffee.

[@stup4501]

I did the same with a Nescafe 'Gold' packet cappuccino 😉

[@annaoophoto5259]

dead

[@at20700]

Made me laugh, thanks coffee fam!

[@barjee8965]

I'll bet your cup of instant tastes better than this espresso judging by his facial expression when he tasted it XD

[@alinaqirizvi1441]

I think even James would agree that even instant coffee is better than coffee from this machine

[@TropicIslandMusic]

I'd feel nervous boiling an egg for this dude

[@jhayc7285]

Hahahah well said😁

[@ianlaurenson4729]

especially if he was standing behind you ha

[@HaidarHavana1998]

Heck, I'd feel nervous boiling water for him😂

[@ranyamohammed3679]

😂😂😂😂

[@onemanmob6756]

Yes, get yourselves coffee from McDonalds ppl!

[@landl190372]

There are nuclear reactors being run more sloppily than this man’s morning coffee.

[@aleisterlavey9716]

Coffee is serious business.

[@tktspeed1433]

@@lookieeight1006 there is a nuclear reactor or something of the sort somewhere in africa that was set up by the french and then left to be maintained and ran by the africans, I didn't watch the video about the bulgarian nuclear reactor but I'd guess the african one was ran even worse.

[@lookieeight1006]

@@tktspeed1433 depends. Did the Africans use a fire hose and duct-tape for some cooling water lines? Because that's the level the bulgarian one was on. Certainly both were accidents waiting to happen that luckily never did

[@tktspeed1433]

@@lookieeight1006 not sure, but if the warning lights turned on they just disconnected them

[@Critiquedu76]

@@lookieeight1006 I mean did fuel rods went missing in the Bulgarian one ?

[@Cherokie89]

Im a little surprised at how many dislikes this video has. There are plenty of ways to make coffee cheaply that don’t suck that James is very supportive of. It’s not a snobbery thing, it’s a ready-made e-waste garbage machine thing.

[@miinziiiiiii]

The dislikes are hidden now, was there a higher dislike to like ratio or something?

[@HeelBJC]

@@miinziiiiiii No, Cade just inexplicably commented that the video had many dislikes because he felt like it.

[@HenryFromWob]

@@miinziiiiiii In his video about the 17 GBP coffee brewer from Aldi he hinted at this video again and the like to dislike count was about 33k to 10k back then. So pretty controversial in comparison to most of his other videos. 😅

[@Daddy-Samy]

Last time I checked before KZbin goes ape mode, it was around 120k. This video really blowed up the algorithme, and many, many people mistaken James Hoffman as a snob aristocrate. Which obviously he is not but I agree to some extent that "he look like it" if this is the only video one have seen about James

[@Druhue]

Because of this comment, KZbin removed the ability to see dislikes. I hope you're happy.

[@DavidJamesHenry]

The seething anger being filtered through a stiff British upper lip is actually a great visual metaphor for espresso

[@ginger88895]

ah yes, james hoffmann at 9 bars of pressure

[@alinaqirizvi1441]

@@ginger88895 more like 15

[@user-wd4yj7ck6m]

Aldi: Releases espresso machine James: This is why we have climate change issues

[@MeowmeowmeowGame]

L

[@TJ74su]

Hoffmann for president!

[@Mentocthemindtaker]

He's not wrong. So many shitty, cheaply-made products contribute massively to climate change. What happens to these products after people buy them and then dispose of them after a year or so?

[@MDK-oq5vb]

@@Mentocthemindtaker This is actually a very non political issue. Trash products damage the environment and waste resources. If 10% of these espresso machines are still working in 2022 I would be amazed. If manufacturers were required to stand by their warranty and offer local repairs or pay for shipping trash like this would be gone overnight. Who is going to pay $200 to ship their machine to china and back?

[@thanhnamnguyen5280]

@@MDK-oq5vb like yeah, why do people still bother to grab espresso appliances that break after a year and produce drinks that are worse than a moka with frothed milk. Manufacturers should just make good machines with limited dispensable parts (gasket, burrs,...) rather than rush for a shitty product to flash-farm money.

[@willhomerrr]

I hate to see your misery but this truly brightened my day. Sorry, but also thank you.

[@BoredInNW6]

James suffers for us. He's basically Coffee Jesus

[@sarahbyington2440]

I was giggling very happily at his missery. Brightened my day too. Thanks for suffering for us!

[@jameshoffmann]

I hope not, or I have a rough weekend coming up...

[@darianelwood5946]

@@jameshoffmann This reply made me laugh more than I should of.

[@Maduecejet26]

@@jameshoffmann oh he went there

[@5hif7yx86]

i like how when it cools itself and releases the steam from the tray it will fill the grinder with steam and make it nice and damp. Just what you want in your grinder. that wont cause issues at all.

[@meggymoo5496]

I know right, yuck and a way to get sick 🤢

[@CaveyMoth]

It's free RDT.

[@jesperjnsson6268]

"This is offensive to me as a coffee machine" - nice bit of personal insight there James.

[@louieneri9841]

I need to see more videos of James using horrible coffee machines... this has to be a new thing. This changed my life

[@oddbod123]

The horrible coffee drink series he did is worth a watch.

[@TheOMT]

That face was kinda priceless.

[@kicksledkid]

I want to send him all the espresso machines that they have at Canadian Tire I just want to know what he thinks

[@mavric1177]

seeing James rant on this was the best part of my day lol

[@ZhihaoYu]

I need to see more videos of James drinking coffee out of horrible coffee machines... this has to be a new thing. This changed my life

[@james.randorff]

This is the most calm Rage Against the Espresso Machine I have ever experienced. “I hate everything about this machine. It’s terrible.” …but delivered with the calmness of an NPR classical music hour host. Bravo!

[@BlackSwan912]

Lol 😂 you so nailed it!

[@breadyegg]

Those that grind are justified For brewing the beans They're the chosen fines

[@M-O-Z]

@@breadyegg "F**K YOU I WON'T BREW WHAT YOU TELL ME!!!" sorry couldn't help it

[@mathewjones5520]

Bro that made me lol 🤣🤣

[@BeardedSkeptic]

TBF Aldi does come up with some great stuff, I'm guessing it's just hit or miss based on who sells the Aldi execs on their product for rebrand. I had an Aldi pressure cooker I used for several years & in some ways it was better than the insta pot I now use. It had really nice controls for specific timing at pressure & the release valve was such that you could do in-between releases rather than just slow & fast (so it doesn't spit angry steam all over).

[@missmerrily4830]

Yes. And also to be fair, 'good' coffee is a subjective term. What's rubbish to James Hoffmann may taste delicious to me. His is not the definitive opinion!

[@barjee8965]

Not once did he say that he's against Aldi or has a problem wih them, just this particular product, why are you defending something that was never attacked? You preferred and liked your pressure cooker, he doesn't like this machine so this comparison is just bizarre XD

[@BeardedSkeptic]

@@barjee8965 easy there bud. Just saying ymmv.

[@Channy132]

Aldi is great but they are very hit and miss imo. I've tried several of their coffee products and haven't found a good one yet. Just stick to the regular groceries.

[@SkyndSand]

If I'm ever having a stressfull day, I'll just stop by to watch one of James vids with his amazingly calming voice. Top of the list of the people I'd love to sit down and have a drink with.

[@AbnerG787]

The thing that I like about james is that he roasts this machine but tells you that you can get better coffee from a cheap mocha pot, instead of telling you to buy a more expensive machine 😂

[@Assenayo]

And Aldi fans roast him for turning his nose up at such a rip off, go figure.

[@themissinfowar6629]

Lidl have their own brand coffee machine. The Hoffman (┛ಠ_ಠ)┛彡┻━┻

[@amberhiller]

@@themissinfowar6629 What? No way

[@huckthatdish]

Yeah I don’t have espresso machine money sitting around or really more the issue is apartment with enough space for an espresso machine money, but I love my moka pot. Totally scratches the itch for delicious coffee stronger than drip.

[@user-sx4yu3nw4j]

*moka pot

[@TheOMT]

James: "How bad could it be"? ALDI: "Hold my esspresso"..... "Don't drink it. Just hold it."

[@NiaPgn]

Steve 😂😂😂

[@jonathanirons231]

Well played ;-()

[@jengreen6859]

😂😂😂😂

[@AvivRaphael]

Haha

[@alexandrexavier3273]

This felt surprisingly close to the same reaction my father had when i offered him for christmas a Lidl Parkside battery chainsaw when he always used religiously his 50cc Husqvarna

[@armchairgeneralissimo]

@@MsWagons I bought a DeWalt 18v chainsaw a couple of years ago and it's replaced my old Stihl in my recovery truck. Obviously I'm not a professional lumberjack the amount of times I need to use a chainsaw in a year I can count on one hand since I only need it when someone has crashed a car in such a way I need to cut branches or whole trees to get it out.

[@Hithere-ek4qt]

Husqvarna is one of the tops, stil is good too.

[@gospelofrye6881]

@@MsWagons For now. One more generational leap in battery tech and all these small-engine internal combustion appliances are dead. Even now, I couldn't go back to a 4-stroke lawnmower, it's just so much more convenient to press-and-go on the electric. And two-stroke? Fuggedabowdid!

[@beeble2003]

11:29 "This is offensive to me, as a coffee machine." I'm glad to see that you identify as a coffee machine and that you're OK with us knowing that. You be you.

[@RossTheNinja]

Respect his pronouns

[@arielhrrs13]

😂😂

[@douglasrogers1421]

In fairness to some of the exterior design frustrations (grinder "pincers" and portafilter locking clearance), most users won't be operating it from behind with their left hand.

[@tonysicily2687]

Douglas Rogers Exactly what I was thinking. I love this channel, but I do think this was slightly unfair in some areas

[@matrixmirage2148]

_,,Even now, my deadly Robo-Scorpions swarm across Big MT with their _*_pincers_*_ and pointy laser tails. Soon, all Science will be MIIIIIIiiIIiiiIIiiIINEEE!"_ (Dr. Mobius, Fallout: New Vegas)

[@Nubianbeautyandlove]

In addition, he was tapping the espresso hard. As a former barista I barely tapped the espresso grind. Ugh🤦🏽‍♀️

[@zeus01504]

@@Nubianbeautyandlove I really think you should evaluate James' credentials before you go all keyboard warrior on his tamping technique. This isn't his first rodeo "former barista".

[@stevieg6418]

I think that is looking at one good thing in a big bad of bad things. The machine is bad - he demonstrated that quite well.

[@danielwhite5780]

James: this coffee machine is dreadful Me:*sips nescafe*

[@octpod3923]

I'm so sorry.

[@Lliamhd]

@@octpod3923 I am ashamed I like cheap Nescafe growing up on it. I'm so sorry :'( I do like certain beans though, but they're just a hassle to make and clean for the amount of cups I drink a day, even not espresso just a regular cup of coffee.

[@Alexander_l322]

You mindless peasants! Have Douwe Egberts or get out! (Yes I had to look at the jar to be able to spell it)

[@ckm-mkc]

I have a percolator....

[@Thetache]

@@ckm-mkc me too and paper filters, good tasting coffee if you buy decent beans and grind or a decent pre ground, none of the faff or expense and I think I am not enough of a coffee snob to notice the difference of a £1000 machine and all the faff.

[@2009raeed]

There is an OPV inside it I have modified it to 9 bar plus I installed a dimmer switch to control the flow . It’s perfect now 👍🏻

[@inefekt]

I had a similar experience with another coffee machine. Pretty much exactly the same result as this. Turned out that the machine was very fussy when it came to the level of the tamping. If it was slightly uneven then it would produce a poor espresso but now that I pay attention to the level and try to get it as even as possible it produces much better espresso. The dead giveaway of an uneven tamp is when you see your espresso pour come out one side before the other and that's exactly what happens in this video.

[@iliyanivanov7337]

whaaat R U just a tamp, serious

[@luvpamelanewton]

So it was him. His fault.

[@xtsgaming8518]

​@@luvpamelanewton the tamps fault and maybe his ignorance to the fault of the machine. A tamp should ideally be even, but it's a cheap machine so you get cheap accessories.

[@samuelbarham8483]

​@@luvpamelanewtonHe is one of the world's foremost experts on coffee and espresso. I doubt his tamp was uneven. The man has released videos about just tamping espresso grounds.

[@luvpamelanewton]

@@samuelbarham8483 Haha. His video was cruel.

[@AMTunLimited]

This is by far the angriest I've ever seen James. I want more. Do the Mr. Coffee Steam Espresso maker next. It's a $50 (USD) machine that only has one knob on the side for a control (so at least it won't get into a positive feedback loop...I hope?). It's so cheap I will personally send you one with absolutely no strings attached if you don't want to spend your money

[@niharmehta6086]

Wonderful that would be, master jedi.. 👽

[@mapobapodoufu7148]

I just looked it up, it only uses 3 bar of pressure. Can that even be called an espresso? (It's more like a Moka pot from what I undestand of it)

[@PatrickJoannisse]

OMG it's a "4 cup" espresso machine that would be hilarious.

[@Adderkleet]

$50 MIGHT trigger import duties/fees.

[@armandoibarra2540]

I was thinking the same thing. This seems like a more expensive version of the $50 Mr Coffee. I actually owned one... it wasn't bad but for some reason I cant get it clean anymore... when i run water i keep getting sand in the pot.

[@bebazZz]

I just watched 13 minutes of a man roasting a coffee machine and I don't regret it 😂

[@TexelGuy]

He roasted it quite dark, most of it is burnt toast smell.

[@Jorcap]

It’s a guy?

[@bebazZz]

@@TexelGuy Lol 😂

[@bebazZz]

@@Jorcap Yeah, I'm sorry to disappoint you 😕😂

[@mariocg]

Jor Cap 😒 are you? 🤔

[@GoetheNorris]

How can someone who drinks so much coffee have such a calm voice

[@AA-lc6yi]

I don't really care for coffee over and above how quickly I can make it, but this is fascinating. The fact I'm unable to turn off a video about something I don't really care too much for other than convenience factor and know very little about is testament to your presenting ability. 10/10, subscribed.

[@Dave-yv7tg]

*sips instant nescafe" ah yes, what an inferior machine

[@vinceiopez3657]

I honestly enjoy freeze dried coffee from the local grocery store more than some coffee place's coffee. Not a single touch of bitterness

[@benbooth2783]

@@vinceiopez3657 If the coffee is bitter it is because they let the expresso shot oxidise before adding it to the hot water/milk. Your supposed to prepare the water/milk while the shot is brewing and immediately add it to the liquid, basically they made it poorly.

[@r_bear]

Even *instant* nescafe is probably a bit better than this

[@vinceiopez3657]

@Dym Sohin 🦾🤡 they all achieve the end goal, drunk

[@PCayMan]

Great comment!

[@lukeheyes780]

This really could've been a parody video about coffee snobs.

[@ArmadilloGodzilla]

It isn't?

[@rmatt53]

I though he was joking he's serious. That's a real human being. This is basically a rich person going how can the poor's act like they do.

[@bigshott9117]

We all operate our machines from behind. Breathing for him was a chore, not to mention those flaccid wrists.

[@vkd8721]

@@rmatt53 bruh which poor person buys a £300 expresso machine?

[@MikiCab1]

I think I am watching the Onion.

[@vinyei93]

I use this machine, and i have to say for the first 2-3 weeks, i found it hard, to get good results, not really hard, but not easy also. but after that, i started to try different ways, and it is a really good machine. Of course, not the best, but for the money, it IS good. I made delicious espressos with it, even with light roasts, overheat with steam, and it is working just fine. but for darker roasts, it is really good. The steam also. If you are patient, it makes perfect, yes, perfect milk texture. So, anyone who did not try this, but want to, give it a try, and be a little patient, it works really good.

[@dropdowntoawesome6047]

Same experience here my friend. I don't understand how someone can judge a book by its cover in such a short time. It's just sad.

[@RWoody1995]

@@dropdowntoawesome6047 i mean... he did make multiple coffees and it either flowed way too quickly or the whole thing clogged because the pressure skyrocketed, hardly would call it judging a book by it's cover, he was even optimistic about it before testing it, that's about as far away from "judging a book by it's cover" as you can get... If you can explain what he did wrong then just say that.

[@bbrockert]

Why not mention a single point of how to make the machine operate well?

[@vinyei93]

@@bbrockert no points. you have to be very very on point and precise with the grinds and the amount of coffee. If you find the right point, it work really fine. I drink espressos day to day from this machine, and not even once it made a bad espresso, sometimes it is delicious. Not a work of art, this machine is, it does not work perfectly, but if you find a sweetspot, it is really good for its price. so i cannot tell any point, other than you should pay more time finding the sweetspot. Mine does not clogged, and wasnt too fast, just had to make fine adjusments with it for a couple days, 3-4 coffees a day.

[@jgcommander]

@@vinyei93 i just want to stop and say this "someone can judge a book by its cover in such a short time" spend thousands of hours to understand how machines and coffee works and I'm almost certain that he will produce better results than any of commenting people. Not to mention darker roasts which usually means italian roast where you cannot find difference between arabica and robusta not to mention any more subtle coffee profile

[@EspressoGuy88]

Am I the only guy who suspects the dislikes came from Aldi social media team? James gave his usual honest + professional review and the comments here siding James.

[@sonnyrynsaard3567]

That or people who have been assigned 'aldi wine drinkers' by the algorithm got this shoved in their face heard James doesn't shop there, and disliked

[@EspressoGuy88]

It’s bloody 299 pound machine. Better spend well than wasting it imo. 🤷‍♂️

[@trinhtunglc]

Watching James roasting this coffee machine in straight 13 mins is oddly satisfying to me 🤣

[@johannes4518]

Tùng Trịnh regulars roast coffee. James roasts Coffee machines.

[@ImpactWench]

Good thing he had first *and* second crack at the thing.

[@smwillia]

This coffee machine roast went past dark to burnt.

[@888SpinR]

Aldi's coffee machine got roasted harder than Aldi's coffee

[@TJ74su]

Roast Master!

[@thezaher]

Has anyone seen James enjoying a cup of coffee? At this point I really doubt that he even likes coffee.

[@jsiminski]

yep. See some manual espresso lever reviews. Or French Press technique video :)

[@drmedwuast]

At this point he's probably just working on perfecting his disgusted face and cashing in on it.. I think you're on to something

[@kitjoslin]

he only likes 'good' coffee

[@bookoffholicbookwart5945]

🤣🤣👌

[@trisi95]

@@bookoffholicbookwart5945 First of all, what techno156 said: 100% "no one hates something more than a fan." - in my special interest topics i nitpick about everything to the point where you can seriously ask if i'm even likeing it and, in addition to this, in regards of espressos i absolutly hate every espresso i made to the point were i dont even enjoy makeing it any more. Worked as an barista (for a bigger commercial coffee franchise) and it drove me nuts when the espresso wasnt like i want it. James like a lot of stuff he drink in the videos probably aroung 30% :D thats high for a nitpicking critic (and i dont mean this as an insult, as a product critic you should nitpick about everything for the sake of you consumer if something dont bother you you can ignore it, but if this little detail make this product unbearable for you it good that he mentioned it.)

[@photonpattern]

Thank you. This is the correct response to a bad product. Badly designed products are unethical.

[@regularguy3665]

Part of the problem with poor equipment is hat they simply give up and carry on going (in this case) to their mermaid based coffee shop down the road. Good example/analogy of this would be something like a bike from a supermarket. Dave the factory worker (other factory workers are available) sees a bike shaped object next to the potatoes and decides to have a go at commuting to work on it. Problem is that it’s poor build quality, a bit heavy and breaks quite often so he just goes back to his car. If he’s been to an actual bike shop and spent a bit more, had it set up properly he’d have more likely continued to use it even if it cost an extra few quid.

[@Gretchen_Trouble]

This is EXACTLY the same issue I had with my Breville Barista Express several years ago. It's actually nice to have the issue explained. Now I'm thinking about getting back into home espresso, but this time I'm looking at a $3000 Rocket machine.

[@SpektrikMusic]

Watch his comparison video of coffee machines around that price range, he doesn't recommend rocket

[@EugeneLimPhotograpy]

or may be a Flair58 or Cafelat Robot can be more tolerating to bad puck

[@matthijs4434]

''I suspect a number of terrible things happened at once.'' James, you made me spill coffee. Everywhere. Damn you, James.

[@LumiLunar]

Roasts coffee beans by day, roasts coffee machines a little later in the afternoon. What a legend.

[@t0niu]

Hahahahaahah

[@racquelpalma-vijar6620]

@@t0niu 1 bb] b

[@M-O-Z]

Hes a full on roasting machine

[@AzanAli-]

Very posh roaster.

[@lucasbuchheister9999]

The use of the cake's resistance to regulate pressure probably would make users think their ability to tamp, the grind size they chose or anything at their end is the problem, not the machine's. It makes for a frustrating experience.

[@vp5429]

Yes, this is why I’m just as mad as James. I have been in the position to have a cheap espresso machine and I wasted hours of my life thinking I was too dumb to make a good drink. I feel for the people scammed by this grocery store chain and blaming themselves while the CEO laughs all the way to the bank.

[@thomasvocke1707]

Not sure I understand. How else would you regulate the brewing pressure if not by choosing the correct grind level? Coarser grind, faster flow, lower pressure. And vice versa. Can you please elaborate?

[@florianliebetrau8670]

@@thomasvocke1707 All modern real espresso machines have an over pressure valve that regulates pressure to 9-10bar.

[@SerfonteinL]

Thanks for your effort, James, to bring us these video, with all the pro's but also the con's.... My feeling is, our speciality coffee beans, in South Africa are just too expensive to waste on a cheap coffee machine and equipment. Thanks again.

[@Claudio-zj8uk]

James before: Maybe it'll be okay James after: This machine is literally destroying the planet

[@michello9233]

Did he really say: "I am not a snob..."? haha

[@eyeborg3148]

If the dictionary had a definition for a coffee snob it should just be this guy’s picture lol

[@pwareham61]

I thought it was a lesbian

[@yungsportysmoke9327]

😂

[@LordBhorak]

Doesn't change the fact that that machine makes shit espresso. 😅

[@andycwm888]

Lol...

[@petersarubbi]

"I hate this stupid machine." "This is offensive to me." "Terrible, terrible espresso of terribleness." James is amazing😆😆😆

[@revandenburg]

Looks exactly like a Breville Espresso Machine. I have a Breville looks almost identical to that machine, except my Breville grinder is separate from the machine. It really did take some practice grinds to get it inside the pressure zone. At first it was frustrating though. So I had to chuckle at the fact it looked as if you were going to throw it across the room.

[@Limemill]

He did say, “Buy a Sage”. Sage is the alternative branding of Breville and apparently it’s light years ahead of this machine

[@alinaqirizvi1441]

Yeah, Sage = Breville

[@JustJes10]

"Use your aggressive feelings, boy. Let the hate flow through you" - Democratically elected Emperor Palpatine

[@mikeyoung9810]

so much better for leaders to just take power and execute those who complain....

[@lincselo]

You mean Corona-time Viktor Orban?

[@fraichemilk]

I think you mean "Let the bad espresso flow through you."

[@Hammi4Real]

@@fraichemilk Execute coarse setting 66 (!).

[@DarkAngelEU]

@@lincselo Oh yes. Good thing he's an insular nationalist or we'd have another Hitler on our hands.

[@SnakeTheBoss13]

I don't drink coffee, not even tea, but the passion this man has for coffee just kept me watching

[@sjundemartelaere]

So this nice English chap got a terrible disappointment with an Aldi machine. And he is right to warn the people with an English taste in his review. If you have to go on a cheap but good espresso: Put some money extra with you and go for a refurbished tiny Quickmill 820, a metal 58mm tamper and an apart grinder. Or make your coffee the French way like he suggested. Let's make this review go viral.

[@NeillRobinson]

He was once the official world champion Barista. So like, officially, he was the best person in the world at making coffee. 2007 I think. So yeah he’s pretty into it

[@flyingfranklin]

This absolutely sums up why I can't stop watching his videos 🤣

[@Phoenixx713]

OMG fr same lmao Like, I'll get the occasional brew at starbz or wawa, but idk shit about hiphop or beans and this channel is just fun

[@scottpreston5074]

I'd be afraid that thing would blow up. High pressure devices are not something you want cheaply made.

[@subaruxv8152]

I happen to have this machine at home for abt 2 months and is great for the price!! Do NOT trust hoffman on this!

[@stellarlofi7240]

What’s so funny is after a few months of trial and error I’ve landed on exactly what you said ( a mocha pot and one of those Electric milk frother whisk things) Unfortunately that was after spending quite a bit of money on other things

[@Ben-vg1lw]

“This is why we have climate change” - pretty damning summary of a coffee machine review

[@Idefilms]

That pivot caught me off guard and was pure gold

[@nextlifeonearth]

It's a bit more of a things like this, not just this machine in particular, are wastes of resources. They use more than they need and don't do their tasks well. That's common with some of those single use products. An avocado slice/scoop appliance can't compete with a spoon and knife, so why do they exist?

[@petervansan1054]

and all they forgot to put in OPV lol

[@rxonmymind8362]

That was brutal.

[@dronedad5784]

He’s so posh he doesn’t live close to a Aldi.

[@ModernWarfareBroZ]

Drone Dad an Aldi *

[@thecaffineman]

tbh there aren't that many Aldi's in london.

[@mmanda515]

Tho... found one to buy the machine? (or, idk... could have been stock footage from elsewhere I suppose & just something sent to him free by Aldi?) Either way.. :) Stay safe & be well.

[@DangusWangus]

@@thecaffineman yeah, ALDI's business model doesn't really work in zones 1/2 since it's impossible to find large buildings with low rent there. Lidl are doing some smaller shops nearer to central london so maybe Aldi will copy them on that.

[@chumleyk]

Actually, posh people do shop at Aldi/Lidl. They get the basics there and the special stuff at Waitrose. Only the basic middle class buy everything in Waitrose *trying* to be what they think is posh. Posh people are better with money basically.

[@duthegee]

So surprised about the like to dislike ratio. When James Hoffmann talks down on something, it really means it's something you should never use your own dime on it.

[@MalteForstat]

Maybe people got confused: They dislike the product rather than the review.

[@marcojimenez2725]

@@MalteForstat exactly

[@JH-tc3yu]

You're surprised? Really? This pompous ass that's too stupid to figure out how to use the machine properly, whilst basking the superiority of a culture that cant be bothered to engineer their way out of a pickle jar.

[@WilcoBrouwer]

Maybe it's his character

[@noahcole6622]

@@JH-tc3yu omg you have never had espresso have you

[@lenhumbird]

Thank-you ... for probably the most brutally honest review I've ever seen for an espresso machine. I know all of your reviews are honest, but the words you chose to describe this "monstrosity" were sublime. These words needed to be said. Please continue to review, and tell us exactly the emotions these devices conjur in your head.

[@zeus01504]

Let's be honest with ourselves, this was never going to go well. At 30 seconds in we had : "A place that's really cheap, but people tend to be like oh but the wine is really good". What came after this was a march towards the inevitable, with some brief sprigs of hope, that were then dashed.

[@SuperHeliboy]

I have the false belief that at sometime in the conversation I will be enlightened with some knowledge that I haven't had previously.

[@laurelhardymarx]

I invited this guy over to my house once and he savagely critiqued the thread count of my toilet paper.

[@sigmamale6128]

you have toilet paper with a thread count? thats a little odd

[@surfaceten510n]

Some arseholes are sensitive if you know what i mean

[@Apanblod]

Well, you have to take into consideration the ratio of thread count to residue. I usually count 2.3 to 2.4 grams of paper fibre per ml of excrement, depending of course on the consistency of the waste product.

[@jerryhernandez2852]

@@Apanblod Jesus Christ 2.4 g of toilet paper that is why we have climate change you’re wasting way too much toilet paper just use your finger or take a shower lol

[@Apanblod]

@@jerryhernandez2852 I realise it may sound excessive at first, but I compensate my carbon footprint by using bio-degradable, non-bleached paper from fair trade grown bamboo in north-eastern Nepal. I also freeze dry and process my disgusting waste into fertiliser using natural, locally produced, non-chemical ingredients and donate the fertiliser to eco-friendly compost depositories for fossil fuel free farms which in turn use it to plant organic, non-GMO vegetables free from pesticide. That and I drink my own piss.

[@-A.n.d.r.e.w-]

Well done mate, you deserve a prize for persisting for so long with it, and for the wonderful roasting you gave it! 🤣🤣🤣 Thanks for that, it was a nice reality check and a good laugh!

[@rvn912]

Thanks James, this was by far THE Best review of cheap inexperienced companies espresso machine. Producing espresso machine is not a joke i was always wondering how these cheap machines with standard 58mm portafilter work. I mean if anyone wants to spend les than 200£ , just bye a Flair or Delonghi , it would be useable at least

[@gamm8939]

I love this dude. Like I don't give a fuck about my coffee, put my capsule into my machine and make some but the way he gets passive aggressive about coffee is just comedy gold

[@charleshowie2074]

Passive?

[@badlarry172]

yeh stick that capsule in man

[@DaveyMulholland]

Plastic capsules?

[@badlarry172]

@@DaveyMulholland ally caps ?

[@DaveyMulholland]

@@badlarry172 eh?

[@thyduck7542]

I guarantee this man did a double dose of hand sanitizer immediately after leaving the Aldi's

[@tossmonkey1]

Whole body wipe down and hair removal too I'd say

[@epitome3970]

@@tossmonkey1 his hair turned grey due to the amount of bleach he used to sanitize his hair.

[@experiment54]

he sent his elderly neighbour to get it

[@dreiundzwanzig23]

@@experiment54 hahahahahahahah

[@telectronix1368]

One does not "Go to Aldi" That's what the day staff are for.

[@saleen12]

James, Love the channel. What do you recommend as a great starter setup? I'm thinking breville bambino plus 1zpresso jmax to get my feet wet. Then I can upgrade the bambino down the line, and the grinder further down the line. Would that be a decent starting point?

[@captainbeard3323]

The patience of this man is legendary

[@louisnap2610]

It’s 1am, I have work in the morning. And I’ve just watched an entire video about a machine I don’t plan on buying, for a drink I don’t like 😂😂

[@SAMX4949]

Haha Its 4 AM for me rn

[@Just-a-bit-Jay]

Welcome to KZbin bro. Welcome to KZbin.

[@snoffels3949]

Another 4 am here hahaha

[@Tschudenizer]

I know the feeling, for me its 2am and I have to work tomorrow, erhm, later today.

[@sirrathersplendid4825]

You don’t like fresh coffee? How is that even possible?

[@Wolham]

Fucking brilliant how they built in a grinder than can grind coffee magnitudes finer than the machine can handle for brewing. It's like they put a bugatti gearbox in a toyota aygo; if you go above 3rd gear your car actually starts slowing down 😂

[@frankgressiii7206]

it reminded me of a stupid car build too

[@shantanujchauhan]

And it will straight up implode in 4th gear😂😂😂😂😂

[@KhoaNguyen-jt8tk]

Some beans need finer grind than others.

[@Szanth]

@@KhoaNguyen-jt8tk Yeah this machine can't do those beans, it shouldn't offer the ability to handle those beans

[@TLK22]

@@Szanth The engineers who designed this machine have probably never drank espresso.

[@bikebasket9594]

‘A lot of things happened.’ Like he’s talking about Chernobyl!! Lol

[@eleanorzissou]

Probably my favourity review - ever. That includes every Radiohead AND Randy Newman review done by Pitchfork. So much hate and truth and love for mocca pods. Adequately satisfied, thank you.

[@whil6473]

Your "Pre-infusion‽" was the funniest single word I've ever heard

[@eyuns72]

Whil Your use of interrobang made me happy 😀

[@jonathansmith8793]

Can we see other reviews of “budget” espresso machines?

[@jameshoffmann]

Yes

[@aryamanparashar3238]

@@jameshoffmann Aliexpress has a ton of suspiciously cheap espresso machines that may be worth checking out

[@drmedwuast]

@@jameshoffmann I'd be really interested in what the cheapest espresso setup that you'd recommend would be

[@lorddalek]

@@jameshoffmann Best espresso machines under $200 US?

[@FlorianLinscheid]

@Aaron Shiu And the Silvia ist super easy hackable. That was the main point for me.

[@Can-Am1989]

I find it rather expensive, at LIDL I've found the same machine for 75 euros. I have at home a philips EP2220/10 for which I paid 243 GBP and is a true coffee machine.

[@TheSageSpeaksB4U]

Thanks for running it through it cycles. I had heard of Aldi machines, and I also doubted its performance, but you made it clear why. Thanks James, very much. I subscribed today.

[@marbballz]

James: this is a stupid coffee machine, I hate this coffee machine Me: so stupid, so unrefined **eats a chocolate sandwich, drinks Yorkshire gold**

[@gideonkloosterman]

Ah, another Yorkshire gold drinker :p

[@Hokum6]

don't you say one bad word about yorkshire gold. makes my tea look like ristretto in 20 seconds.

[@MaryShelleysNib]

Builder’s tea *dribbles*

[@InefficientElectron]

In a WIRED interview I watched recently, Patrick Stewart said he drinks Yorkshire Gold every morning. In my eyes that makes it perfectly acceptable :)

[@Brando56894]

I have no idea what "Yorkshire Gold" is as an American, but yeah

[@maxbevan8457]

Love how the comments are populated by people who found this because ‘Aldi’ is part of their KZbin algorithm and not ‘coffee’.

[@Zooropa_Station]

regular JH viewers/coffee nerds: * nod in agreement * people who found this video randomly: "ugh what a snob, how dare he accurately review a cheap machine"

[@clyde2599]

Yeah, this comment section sure is a dumpster fire

[@TheMrVengeance]

@@Zooropa_Station - It's also funny how easily they betray their ignorance. Seen people comment on him not drinking that 74 gram ""espresso"" saying; _'Look at that snob, throwing away and wasting coffee. No normal person would be able to tell the difference.'_ It's like: Say you don't have the slightest clue about espresso, without saying it. Or maybe they just like sucking on pennies?

[@MrApacis]

The wine people algorithm lol

[@TheMarmite09]

The way James looks at the machine 😂😂😂 I just can’t 😂😂😂

[@b-beale1931]

Lidl are doing one this week, would love to see your take on it. It's just an espresso machine, no integrated grinder, so should be more reasonable, and have the space to make something that could be okay

[@michael.d.]

So these are aldi reasons why this is a terrible product?

[@dsvwtrbeytnryune]

Groan.

[@CalebEdl]

Stop. 😂

[@WarfareJournal]

Took me a second. I get it now.

[@izarscharf7845]

nice

[@PrypeciowyHovnozer]

*coughs blood*

[@letskranx452]

"Nothing makes sense and I hate everything about this grinder" I'm crying 😂😂😂

[@aamackie]

As someone who has never used an espresso machine, I'd have assumed the max fill line was pre-compression. Maybe that's why the pressure was high, it expected a thinner puck?

[@murraythebaker]

No the max fill line is so the puck doesn’t touch the screen

[@drfuzz1756]

Funny thing....... I bought this exact machine just under a different brand name and it works great!!! The trick is to use oily dark roast coffee beans and set the grind to 9.5. Also use 1 cup button not 2 cup button. I measure 11 grams with scale and grind each load separately. The tamper I got with my machine is solid stainless steel and is very heavy!

[@Adam-vx6to]

You clearly have much lower expectations of what is good coffee. No offense.

[@Lockdown335]

@@Adam-vx6to You have no idea how his coffee turns out LOL i have cheap sunbeam like this and it is trash to be fair but after having it while i figured out how to make coffee atleast close to my local where i get beans that they roast themselves so obviously they know how to extract coffee and i know what it should taste like as best i can but there is better options for cheap.

[@Adam-vx6to]

@@Lockdown335 no they don’t and this video proved it. Trust me, you can’t make good coffee, you just have low standards

[@youtubeaddict1]

What's the name of the brand u bought?

[@SeraphimKnight]

James I'd love to see your take on a "budget" setup for making espresso, like a good cheap grinder and machine that I don't need to spend several weeks' pay on combined. I've mostly kept to manual grinders and pourover/infusion coffee because of budget restrictions so far and I'd love your opinion on this.

[@antonioriojas8299]

Seraph He’s said in several videos that he’s just not a fan of home espresso because you need expensive machines and lot of time and resources (e.g., cleaning, dialing in) to get proper results. Thus, he would rather go and pay a few dollars to get espresso at a coffee shop and have someone else deal with all that. In any case, it would be interesting to see what’s his recommendation for a budget setup.

[@matsab7930]

Antonio Riojas are manual espresso machines like the flaire any good? I’ve been interested in those for a while as I’ve not really got a nice cafe nearby and making your own espresso leads to some pretty big savings in the long run

[@adam5zki]

Would be nice if he could bring himself to shoot a video like that. I doubt he will tho.

[@kylepetit1189]

I’m conflicted between my love for Aldi and laughing so hard at how savage James is when roasting this machine 😂

[@epicsmurfyzz]

The wine is really good there after all

[@andersjjensen]

I bought a cheap angle grinder at Aldi, and it's been trucking on perfectly for almost two decades. I also bought a cordless drill at Aldi. I feel exactly the same about my (now disposed of) cordless drill as James feels about this espresso machine. Moral of the story: It's not cheap to buy tings at Aldi if half of them don't work. You'll end up spending the same amount of money as if you just bought a "in the lowish end of actually nice" of everything to begin with.

[@RevolutionaryLoser]

£299 sounds extremely expensive for something youd fish at Aldi

[@PatrickJoannisse]

I need a Netflix show where it's just coffee experts who have to use or taste awful products.

[@levifowler7933]

A friend of mine who also works in coffee's dream is to have a show pairing horrible coffee/wine with horrible cigars.

[@remnant24]

Sure thing, all you have to do is finance it. I doubt the manufacturers are going to pay for people to see their products being roasted.

[@lucasrem]

why Netflix??

[@shibomi1]

I feel that a series like that if done poorly could easily get too pretentious and snobbish. I rather see a series about baristas try make make coffee in conditions that aren't ideal with cheap equipment. They could experiment on how to make the best tasting coffee while camping or something like that.

[@jklax]

The Gordan Ramsay of coffee. Give him a show called "Cafe Nightmares".

[@Oharris995]

This would be phenomenal

[@CantEscapeFlorida]

And instead of yelling he just gives a disappointing glare

[@tijmen131]

I would watch that

[@paraiskaparaiskai4762]

XD

[@christophertubigan2060]

Who is Gordon Ramsay?

[@nessafitzgerald]

So I don’t have the aldi one, but my parents have an espresso machine that Lidl were selling for under €100 a few years ago which is actually surprisingly decent for the price range. They didn’t try to fit a grinder into it, and it came with a pressurised portafilter but it fits Breville portafilters so it was easy to replace. It’s a bit hit and miss but I’ve had really good shots from it

[@daniwicaksono5884]

I had this machine, the steam was amazing. But i have the same issue with the pressure with finer coffee, usually i used the griender around 7, and go with 30s brew. Thankfully it had programable button. So yeah i dont really know coffee and just starting to learn. I dont hate it, but i will replace it with a better one for sure

[@CertifiedSlamboy]

Being at your most humorous when you’re angry shows just how very British James is.

[@one_smol_duck]

In my experience most of Aldi's stuff is amazing quality for the price you pay... With the exception of anything and everything electronic. _Especially_ anything with a heating element.

[@pablorackham]

Well, I have a microwave oven, a toaster, and a boiler that I bought at Aldi in 2007. They were dirt cheap and I was a young student. I use them daily since then and *they still work perfectly*.

[@zacharyedwards665]

@@pablorackham fam you bought a boiler from aldi?

[@juliebrooke6099]

My nespresso compatible machine was under £50 and works great. Got it nearly three years ago and it’s still under guarantee. Aldi electrical usually come with a three year warranty which beats a lot of more expensive brands. I would never pay hundreds of pounds for any coffee machine as I only drink one cup a day.

[@one_smol_duck]

@@pablorackham maybe it's a quality assurance issue, then, or maybe they started selling lower quality appliances over time. Because I bought a toaster a few years back, when I was also a dirt poor student -- and that thing nearly burned down my dorm.

[@bort_1265]

@@one_smol_duck many electronic products Aldi sells (including this coffee machine) aren't really made by Aldi but are just some cheap Chinese stuff, companies stick their branding on. So you will find this coffee machine for example under many different labels. Quality isn't really consistent with those cheap store brands. However I have some electronics from Aldi that works fine

[@alanbates1471]

Aldi do sometimes get it rightish. I brought a Bifiinett Espresso machine from them some years ago that appears to be a badge engineered De'Longhi. After replacing the pressurised basket and getting a decent tamper it produces a passable cup of espresso.

[@levelerzero1214]

Treating an Aldi coffee machine as a £ 2,500 machine is same like expecting a 3 year old to win olympic gold.

[@marcusborderlands6177]

he was comparing it to results you can get for the same price, or far less...

[@Adam-vx6to]

Did you even watch the video?

[@oddballaklyama4395]

"My disappointment is immeasurable, and my day is ruined" vibes

[@jaytorr6701]

Maybe do a video on best budget espresso machines? Sub £300

[@krystina9002]

Thank you James for your videos. Brilliant and thank you for this one. I did think about it in the store but decided to stick to my Dolce Gusto mini me pod machine. Which I love to bits. But would love a proper machine some time.

[@TheFroneyZone]

omg watching you roast a coffee machine is priceless!!! even funnier I was ssssooo excited about ur coffee giveaway...only to see it ended...only then to notice the date u posted the video lol! Hopefully I'll catch the next giveaway ; )

[@internetdumbass]

"I find this offensive, as a coffee machine". I know what you mean but I can't take you seriously when you claim to be coffee machine

[@dtonpbac]

He said "THIS is offensive to me as a coffee machine".

[@lukekenny5946]

A thought, and this is a totally subjective thing. This machine probably aims to produce an Italian normale shot, 7 grams of coffee to 21ml of water over 20 or so seconds. From this machines "point of view," you were trying to pull a triple ristretto, and it just couldn't take it. Would love to see how it goes with less coffee in the basket.

[@sisi-ey8hs]

Luke Kenny as an italian, i totally agree.

[@russellburton2135]

@@sisi-ey8hs If that's true then why didn't they call the machine a Normale?

[@S1ipperyJim]

Its a double shot tho, but yes likely dose was too high

[@IllusiveAdventures]

Agreed, this machine is being sold to the average Joe that just wants espresso at home. You are not going to get $1000 quality from a machine sold at ALDI.

[@ss-nc2dy]

@@IllusiveAdventures An average Joe that wants espresso at home will get better coffee from MUCH cheaper items than this. That's Hoffman's point.

[@clashwithkeen]

Strangely I'm intrigued to know if the pressure problem was fixed, would it be a decent combo unit, and if they did fix it in a V2 release would it then be worth it for the price? I wish he had delved a little more into the grind quality and burr construction. If it is a capable espresso grinder then that alone is pretty hilarious to me considering it would be one of the extremely few at that price range. (electric) Imagine some bizarre scenario where you walk into someone's house and there's 2 espresso machines and you ask why and they reply, "oh this one I just got for the grinder".

[@luissturridge1717]

Dude the picture of the Aldi store is literally 5 minutes away from my home in Liverpool , most random thing I have ever come across on KZbin is that pic then followed by your vid haha love the content man 👌