The Best Espresso Machines Under £100

[@oscarfuentes7866]

Upvote for James to do a blind test on espressos made on cheap machines vs expensive ones

[@yazcarloman3327]

I bet he wouldn't hit 60%.

[@invisiblekid99]

@@yazcarloman3327 Are you kidding? You know people like this know their coffee inside out right? He'd nail it. This isn't a beer test or even whisky. Knowing what to look for in espresso and being experienced means you could easily pick good ones.

[@Hokum6]

@@yazcarloman3327 Blind testing kills a lot of hobbies, yes. If it's something like a gaggia cc and a hand grinder for 300$ vs. a 2000$ machine + 800$ grinder things could get very interesting. especially if oneself had to prepare and taste the espresso.

[@majtask5585]

He wont make such a video, this pretentious prick.

[@xxxcherrygirl]

Yess plz

[@qwertyasdf3351]

Challenge of the year...you should collaborate with a manufacturer and design your own entry level unit

[@cjj7107]

Hope i can Like this a thousand times! :) That project would be such a treat to the coffee world. Up, up!

[@sawsaga]

Well regarding the price level....good luck ! You'll be better served with a mocha express ;) or crowdfunded maybe but otherwise it's a tough price line if you wanna stay profitable and competitive

[@hectorherrera4193]

very good idea!

[@5naxalotl]

i could imagine you could make a cheap machine that could consistently do one fixed temperature, pressure & pour time for some nominal coffee grind and dose. so if james set up a machine that worked well on some specific load, he could release it with the warning that IF you work around the machine's limitations, it WILL make good coffee if you experiment enough with bean, grind, dose & tamp. although james requires a flexible machine that will get the best out of a wide range of inputs, i think most people would be happy with a machine that, eventually, produces the same good coffee indefinitely

[@koolaiddude7685894]

He did this!!..........for a high end machine lol

[@mountaindew267]

What I've learned from picking up a handful of hobbies and becoming a bit of a nerd in each, is that the amount of knowledge and equipment that you need for a hobby is just as much as it takes you to enjoy it. For some people, that might mean investing thousands, and seeking perfection in every aspect, but for others, it might be a cheap machine that doesn't get up to 10 bar pressure and pre-ground coffee from the Dollar General. Point being, if you like the coffee you make, and you have fun doing it, then you're doing it right.

[@mountaindew267]

@@CrunchyTire everything is subjective. Say you were on an island with 20 people and those 20 people really enjoyed drinking piss. You prefer pineapple juice but they think that's disgusting and piss is the only drink that's really good. Are they right?

[@gmailplaystore1152]

@@mountaindew267 Interesting comment, weird example but I get where you are going with it. I don't happen to think everything is subjective. I think there are somethings that can be measured as good or bad right or wrong. But the fact of the matter is everyone can't afford a $2000 professional machine or maybe they can afford it but do not want to invest that kind of money on a machine. If comparing head to head a professional machine with anyone of these machines the professional machine wins hands down but that doesn't mean people can't enjoy using a cheaper machine.

[@chemistrykrang8065]

I feel like this is one of those things where you need to spend quite a bit to get to the point where it's really enjoyable and not just a gimmick that ends up unused on a shelf. I've had a cheap espresso machine and preground coffee / a terrible blade grinder... it wasn't fun and I gave it away. I'm not saying that anyone is wrong for enjoying messing about with a cheap and nasty setup... but I didn't, and I suspect they could get more fun and nicer espresso-adjacent coffee spending the same money on a burr grinder and a moka pot (and maybe some way to foam milk for a little latte type drink, but that could be an £8 French press from the supermarket). That's certainly been my experience, and there's a good reason why the moka pot is the standard way of making coffee in italian households - they're delightful, and although what you get out isn't quite espresso, it scratches the same itch.

[@Abc-fd5jw]

@@CrunchyTire If people like it, it's good for them and that's all that matters. If someone likes the taste of McDonalds, that means the taste is good for them. There is no general "good" or "bad" in taste. There is only "they like it" or "they don't like it".

[@drewdabbs418]

I bought an areo press and buy fairly cheap pre-ground coffee. It's good enough for me

[@reecelyons9912]

"I bet you thought I was going to say ' Déjà Brew'... But I didn't because I don't hate you or me..." 😂😂😂 I love you James

[@drmedwuast]

still better than the coffee puns Derren Brown made when James was on his show

[@Shalama]

That sentence from James has made me feel oddly happy and appreciated.

[@sirspongadoodle]

Umami*

[@tomhanson6041]

Potential next video idea: "Can you get good espresso for under £300?" ?

[@jossiwilliamson444]

Yes! I would love a second phase to this.

[@anubhavchak]

We just need the Delonghi Dedica Style reviewed basically. Hahaha

[@onraj9mm]

@@anubhavchak that's not a good machine

[@carolyncopeland2722]

If James does do this I can recommend the Sunbeam Barista Max expresso machine. Got it during lockdown, while my son, who is a barista, was at home with me. Paid $420NZD, about 210 uk, and he thought it pulled really decent shots and frothed milk well for a home machine. When I told him the price afterwards he was stunned. You have to grind a little coarse (somewhere between 18-20 on the machines grind settings) but I always get a nice sweet shot with good flavour. Dunno if it is available in the uk though

[@haiang2836]

how about the Breville 870XL guys ?

[@anneblommaert]

It would be great to see this "series" continued and see which espresso machine gets your stamp of approval for a price that does not completely break the bank

[@edoalva48]

That was my thought. In my opinion, none of these machines should have existed, since they are not even worthwhile. Buying a drip coffee maker instead would arguably be a better decision. Although to be fair, it seemed like it may not be possible to be done by any manufacturer, considering the price point. The standard just need to be higher up. I would say $250-400 is going to be a more appropriate price range for budget options. All of these are just waste of money. 7:43 James statement here pretty much summarizes it, except for me it applies to every appliances discussed here. Edit: I watched his other video, same topic but the under $500. Now those are real options.

[@pilotdog68]

The question is, which gives a better product, this or a pod machine like Nespresso or Illy?

[@chemistrykrang8065]

Pod machines are dependent on the coffee you put in them. I suspect if you bought a Nespresso machine that would work with 3rd party pods (not all will, there's a little gasket on genuine Nespresso pods and some machines are designed to only work if it's there... and it only exists as a troll) and buy some lovely ones from say Kiss the Hippo you could have nice pod coffee... but you'd be better off buying a basic grinder (Timemore hand grinder or the basic Wilfa electric one) and an aeropress or a moka pot, or just embrace filter entirely and get a V60. I use a basic Wilfa and a V60 at home, and a Timemore C2 with an aeropress at work and I'm having a lovely time. Sometimes I break out the moka pot and the electric milk foamer thingy (mine is a Lavazza) and have a little nearly flat white. I'll get into espresso one day, but it's something to save up for and do right - in the meantime really good filter coffee is much more accessible.

[@roosaleczka3982]

I love watching these videos not only as a coffee freak, but also as a product designer. In all of the ‘coffee equipment’ videos James mentions so many tiny details concerning design and handy usage, that’s just amazing! :) I think every product designer should watch a couple of these, thank you James!

[@cali6950]

Cool ! I wish I discovered how much I love marketing, earlier in life!

[@younsmal4873]

A week ago I was unaware of James. A week ago I was thinking I being cool with one of those (In comparison to those who drink instant coffee) A week ago I was still thinking: " I know something about coffee". A week ago my life was much easier as I was ignorant about all of this science behind coffee. A week ago I was also richer because I didn't feel the need to buy a coffee Crushgrind and was happy to do that with blades. A week ago KZbin suggested me to watch a video about a guy who is buying coffee stuff from IKEA...🤦🏽‍♂️ A week later: Watching 10 of his videos a day till 3am. Thanks James for making my life more difficult but more knowledgeable about something I was in fact ignorant about.

[@garyhost1830]

I'm hearing ya, I've been watching his videos for an hour and am considering spending hundreds on a coffee machine.....I don't even drink coffee, I prefer tea. Definatley addictive

[@vinceq.a.1929]

Totally true haha

[@gblan]

Check out CoffeeGeek, you're welcome.

[@Thetache]

@@garyhost1830 Don't start watching Bit Tech then or you will also be looking into buying a CNC machine and making high end Gaming PCs when you don't even play computer games ! Also avoid people making tables with epoxy resin !

[@CalledMaike]

Same... and only started drinking coffee a month ago to get through University....

[@rban123]

some of you may be wondering what he meant by "PID controlled." Well basically the temperature of the water has a sensor which talks to a computer, the way PID control works is if the temperature gets too low, you need to add more heat to get it back to the right temp, and if it gets too high you have to remove heat, but then you get iunto a back and forth where the temperature is always dipping and rising trying to catch up. the way pid works is it uses the area under the curve to calculate the error from the desired temperature, and it also takes the derivative to calculate how fast the error is changing, that way it can correct the error and find the "sweet spot" without having lots of temperature fluctuation.

[@schmud143]

no one has said this yet but thank you that's really interesting

[@Dialogue_SC]

"Thanks Jeff" made me laugh way more than it should have

[@9jang]

I’m canceling my machine order just to wait and hear your thoughts on the “minimum” machine to buy for a “good” good espresso. Cheers, James!

[@harithhumam4372]

Me too. Waiting for upgrade of that Deloghi.

[@showoffvideo]

"If you can get the Sage duo temp pro at a good price it’s definitely worth it. James endorses that model" - I can vouch for this. The older staple 'minimum' machines are: - Gaggia Classic (but apparently after Philips take over they made the solenoid smaller, making it more prone for scale build up/blocking). You can get older ones second hand, but requires more research. - Rancillio Silvia - Same quality as the old Gaggia Classic, but bigger boiler but more expensive. But the new Sages are new in town (in comparison) and have done great. I have heard very good things, and James Hoffman does rave about them. If I recommend to my friends, I would opt for the Sage Due Temp Pro as a 'buy it and you'll be happy'. Or a second hand 'Gaggia Classic' or 'Rancilliio Silvia' and learn to clean/use/service it properly if you want to do it on the cheap, but this level of commitment isn't for everyone. Or wait for a new video :) I'm sure it will surface soon.

[@scod3908]

@@livingart2576 , I had the Breville Barista Express (appears to be similar to that model but with the grinder etc). I'd say that's the bare minimum. However, I upgraded to a Breville "Dynamic Duo" (Dual Boiler and Smart Grinder combo), and I'd never go back. It has a full size group handle, adequate steam pressure, turns itself on in the morning, has the ability to steam and extract at the same time etc. Making a coffee is now a 5mins exercise instead of a 15min exercise, and it's been a daily workhorse for >3yrs now. Easily worth the AUD1100 compared to buying a daily coffee (365days*3yrs*$4.50=$4927!)

[@Alva2323]

Not James but got some decent recommendations since I've been where you've been. Some options would be the gaggia classic ,rancillio Silvia, sage/breville higher end stuff works well but my favourites are the entry level lelits preferably with a pid. I got seriously the best budget extractions at 6 bars using a lelit pl41tem with a baratza sette 280 compared to other machines, but that's just one case

[@scod3908]

Play with a more expensive machine and you'll realise why the cheap ones are junk. Flimsy, small group handles with smaller diameter basket, junk tampers, single hole weak steam wands that take ages to heat up, and just a chore to use instead of an enjoyable experience.

[@myname-mz3lo]

i work in tech and i am convinced they make these cheaper options bad on purpose just to sell more of their expensive ones. manufacturing and tech has advanced too much for me to believe that for over 100 bucks they cannot put multiple temp sensors and a pressure gauge and a mechanism to stop the steam spewing out .. the premium ones could be sold at 100 bucks for a profit these days .

[@WorldsBestToilets]

Love the Marc Rebillet shirt

[@VJFaLk1]

LOOPDADDY

[@henrikhubert4202]

Let's give a quick shoutout to Marc Rebillet!

[@alanredversangel]

How did I miss that! Also, imagine seeing James Hoffman at a Marc Rebillet gig. That would mean that anything is possible.

[@brentroman]

Was so happy to see this. Saw him in Chicago- was great. Makes me happy to know Hoffman is a fan too!

[@greylandrum9164]

For real. Proud of you James lol

[@azulfiqar4436]

“A shape that makes me slightly uncomfortable.” - James Hoffman 2020

[@Tenelia]

Do we need to put the beans in slowly again? giggity

[@PUDINHED]

onlyfans dot com backslash coffeedaddy

[@JazzyFizzleDrummers]

It sounds like the title of an erotic lovecraft fan fiction

[@antopac4067]

Took me a minute to understand the context, but it makes sense...

[@sdranch2800]

Phalic tamper included....

[@Tomeccho]

I found the DeLonghi machine in this vid at a thrift store for AU$5... and for that it makes great AU$5 coffee. I grind my beans in a kitchen blender, it's a beastly little machine and only used for coffee.. 8 seconds for a fine grind for the Delonghi, 5 seconds for a coarser grind for the plunger. Yes, I am a heathen lol

[@lseul8812]

Omg

[@jarredstumberg]

So brave! You're like a thrifting Macgyver

[@petervansan1054]

just.. why?????

[@Tomeccho]

Because where there's a will (and no eff you money for expensive coffee grinders) there's always a way 😁

[@petervansan1054]

@@Tomeccho damn :D I am happy with sage dose control pro (200$ grinder) for my espresso needs (with gaggia classic pro).

[@Liezkuhh]

His voice is so calming. He’s the David Attenborough of coffee

[@happyinbrighton5480]

On my goodness, so yes!!!!!

[@SimonGreen85]

I could listen to him talk about anything.

[@TanayLuthra]

if he was a chain smoker, he could pass as david attenborough with some fine-tuning using software

[@glsracer]

A very accurate description.

[@malcolmfraser2066]

Except Attenborough usually seems to enjoy the things he talks about, when James is just full of contempt for anything that relates to coffee.

[@cabe_bedlam]

James' face always says more about how good the coffee is than his words :)

[@yengsabio5315]

And that's more than enough!

[@bengriffithsseaangling2138]

Imagine making this guy a coffee in the office...

[@lastpme]

Wouldn’t even try…

[@jharris947]

I'd give him a Nescafe instant and tell him to like it or lump it.

[@bhaaratsharma6023]

He's the Gordon Ramsay of coffee.

[@god8347]

Gordon’s more humble than this pillock

[@coop27]

@@god8347 somebody who's youtube profile name is "god" is criticising somebody else for not being humble 😂😂😂

[@TexelGuy]

Time to brew myself some filter coffee that I can sip on while watching this espresso related video.

[@cognitiodissonantia42069]

Oh god so relatable

[@TheSuzberry]

I’m sipping my “pour over” cup now.

[@TulilaSalome]

Ha I'm watching in a cafe, sipping my barista made cappuccino (that isn't that good really)

[@wastedtime101]

Watched this drinking my pour over made with a Finnish filter holder older than me.

[@AnayMridul]

"I bet you thought I was going to say 'déjà brew', but I didn't 'cause I don't hate you or me." I laughed a little too much.

[@jeremyrobertson3616]

I literally lol'd

[@beverage7335]

Things I learned in this video: the reason my coffee might be tasting bad is that I simply am not preparing it right. I had no clue that things that seem like small details could affect the flavor of the coffee so much. I'm glad I know now!

[@bhowellrun]

Title: "The Best Espresso Machines Under 100" James: "no"

[@shardlake]

True we all held out hope that we could have some decent coffee, but not for under £100 it seems :)

[@Solaxe]

@@shardlake 90% of people won't even tell the difference so why spend 1000 pounds on some crazy coffee makers

[@ho0dedguy09]

@@Solaxe because we’re the 10% :)

[@jose91807]

@@ho0dedguy09 good for you but I personally wouldn't spend more than 200$ on a machine I just want to make home made cappuccino I don't really care how hollow the coffee is if I'm not even drink it alone. I just find this guy kind of a purist who don't respect people who doesn't have the same compulsive passion for coffe

[@ImAnEmergency]

@@jose91807 then why are you even here

[@alexblueification]

The De'Longhi's EC152 (very similar to the machine in the video) was my first home espresso machine back when I was still a broke student. And with that, and a decent hand grinder, I made pretty good coffee in the most labour intensive way imaginable, for about two years. I pushed it to the very limits of what it's capable of, and during my time with it, it taught me an awful lot. I opened it up, serviced, tweaked, tinkered, and made perhaps a half dozen diy upgrades to it before I finally retired it. And actually, right now, with my full-size machine tragically out of service - needing expensive parts I just can't find during lockdown - I'm considering dusting off the De'Longhi again.

[@Rickblues46]

More interested in the best least expensive bean grinder for espresso?????

[@cadeallen7210]

What kind of mods did you do to the De'Longhi?

[@MohammedMangera]

I agree, we need an explanation or even a video of your improvements!

[@teddyb4957]

Be interested to know what mods you did, as I have just got the same machine as you, and am pretty handy tinkering with things.

[@dfitzy]

The swan has been rebranded by kmart in Aus/NZ and has become really popular after a couple of consumer advocacy groups rated it better than a $1000 espresso machine and a $4500 fully automatic machine. I really suspect that preground store bought coffee was used in all machines but paywall prevents me finding out

[@SaraPirret]

Im in nz im looking at getting the kogan machine

[@meganm.8927]

coffee aside, supporting Marc Rebillet asserts your status as a man of culture

[@smitchelluk]

Marc is the man.. He cracks me up.

[@Toogoodxoxo]

Went to make this comment, found it at the top.

[@joshgladden2930]

#norape

[@manuelsen69]

and where does he do that?

[@KazuhiraDK]

@@manuelsen69 Look at his t-shirt

[@d.9309]

Like already other people said: could you please do a video about a decent espresso machine around 300 £? I watch your videos now since quiet a while and i know that good a espresso machine cant cost less than 100£. But i think many of your viewers simply can't spend arround 1k (including a mill), it would be also way overpowerd for my single houshold. So jeah, i would enjoy a budget espresso machine and mill video! Thanks anyways for the good content, beside tha fact that it has turned me a bit in a espresso snob^^

[@shaunconnolly2534]

D. I bought a SMEG coffee machine and I love it! I want James to do a review on it.

[@alexmikhylov]

or just simply "what's the least amount of money you will need to spend to get a good enough espresso at home"

[@toninocars]

Cheap machine that is ok for proper espresso is Delonghi ECP31.21 series and their variations. They come with pressurised baskets but there are non pressurised available. If you have a little bit more money and spot Sage duo temp pro on offer this is the one to buy. Nothing comes closer to that machine at that price range, smeg, and anything similar are no better than what James has shown .

[@daneishere]

I have the Sage Duo Temp Machine, comes with pressurised and unpressurised baskets for proper espresso. It's about £350 but does go up and down in price so you might be able to catch it for a good price at John Lewis. I have had it just over a year and it's great, has a proper steam wand as well so you can create micro foam for the rubbish steam wands that make airy fluffy milk.

[@drkb9272]

Comandante grinder + flair

[@shannonknable]

He described that third one like I do my ex. "Hollow, empty, sour, and bitter." lmao

[@maxscardanelli6185]

😂😂😂

[@carmyvasquez318]

😂😂😂

[@Joan-ot9nf]

:DDDD

[@overclockedproductions]

Best comment ever.... Made my day dude!

[@yunchidd3863]

"It's just disgusting" XD

[@maiochiruhanabira9293]

Am I the only person seeing James so disappointed and stressed by testing these machines? I really enjoyed it James. Nicely done and I want to thank the patrons as well 😅

[@EN-wd9yu]

two things about James I couldn't guess: 1- his profession (he looks like a doctor and sounds like an automotive designer) 2- his age (looks like something between 35 and 70)

[@drewracke1968]

Age most definitely

[@MaurickSh]

Also won the World Barista Championship in 2007 and published a very popular book!

[@Waberner]

He^s 40 apparently

[@jpht1964]

And an awful nitpicker

[@MrDarren690]

@@jpht1964 I guess that kind of personality comes when you've adapted your tongue so well to the nuances in coffee! :)

[@ecmcd]

I owned a DeLongi espresso machine ages ago, the sound of that DeLongi pump takes me back! A lot like the one you tested, it made pretty good espresso when you did everything exactly right; but it was terribly fussy to do so - maybe one cup in 4 was "good". It was particularly sensitive to the grind, which was not good in a time before burr grinders were affordable.

[@jonathangarzon2798]

So by your own admittance the grind made all the difference making it clear it's not the machine

[@Wandelation]

Definitely looking forward to the "minimum entry level for pleasant coffee making experience" video.

[@mjamjom4698]

I paid approx. €500 for a decent set up. Lelit PL41E with a Sage Smart Grinder Pro. It may be not the best grinder, but one of the better ones you could get for €200.

[@ad_fletch]

@@mjamjom4698 Agree. Researched grinders for some time; came to conclusion that Sage/Breville SGP is simply the best low cost grinder at the moment. Amazon here in Australia had it for AU$180 (111 Euros). I really didn't want to like it given all the snobbish forum comments, but honestly it's well designed and a bit of WDT (ie stirring) sorts out its main issue - clumping.

[@ad_fletch]

@@mjamjom4698 PS the grinder might be cheaper here but the Lelit is over 600 Euros, and all other decent Italian machines even more. Sigh.

[@Kyrieru]

Depends if it's espresso or not. If it's pour over I'm sure it would be a 10$ pour over and a $50 hand grinder. Add a cheap scale to that and you could probably get away with like $65.

[@ELuciferC]

"It makes me sad that this was made in the first place. Thanks Jeff -_-" That line had me dying!

[@kivzzzz]

We had exactly the same DeLonghi espresso machine at the office and I can confirm it made drinkable espresso. Unfortunately, we "upgraded" to a bigger machine (as if that makes it better) that makes hot sewer water. :) And this is when my journey to discovering manual coffee started, so at least something good came out of this situation. ✨

[@eladguitar]

So how do you make your coffee now?

[@Adam-gv3uy]

If you don’t mind, do you the name of the particular model i can’t seem to find it

[@maximkonechno8742]

​@@Adam-gv3uythe cheapest one is ec230(235)

[@user-sg6xv2kb8s]

FYI the newest version of the EC230 machine sold in Argos UK comes with a 54mm non-pressurised basket as standard.

[@Nighthawkinlight]

Great video. You hit all the key notes I was looking for

[@221b-l3t]

Fancy finding you here. :)

[@ErtugrulK]

😎

[@varza_cu_ciolan]

I have the Delonghi, a birthday gift from my amazing girlfriend, yes it is basic but it's a fantastic entrypoint into coffee in my opinion, because, as students, we don't have hundreds of euros to spend on a machine so it's the best we can do right now....and honestly, I love it

[@dmcerrrmmmm]

Or the time to dial in a machine...if you wear umbro t-shirts and just want a quick coffee a Delonghi is a good cheap option.

[@gamepat9]

I bought the Krups Calvi for 130€ as an experimental secondary espresso machine to my Bezzera Magica, and I surprisingly have to admit, I tend to keep going for the Krups, because I don't have to wait for it to heat up. Especially since my Magica broke, I only started missing it after a year. My Krups makes good enough espresso that it feels rewarding to make one, and that's enough for me most of the time.

[@joshcook777]

"Dejabrew" got my like.

[@worawatli8952]

//cue the Initial D music.

[@luissierracampanella8963]

Dejabrew earned the like for me!

[@benskidmore6523]

I had to replay it for my girlfriend to groan at!

[@jellesmith]

Me: watches james hoffman videos Also me: drinks lidl brand coffee from a krups nespresso machine

[@lescrawford4685]

I really enjoy lidl ground espresso coffee. Think it's great. I've been doing espresso at home with various (obviously) machines for 35 years and must admit there's an awful lot of wanking that goes on. I've tried lots of cheap brands of machine and really you just have to learn to work with what you've got to some degree.

[@danlarwood4068]

Haha

[@BariSaxGod25]

As long as you like it...

[@jellesmith]

Calvin Rey I do! It’s kind off weird coffee, like it’s somehow inconsistent in taste. Sometimes it’s really sour and sometimes it even tastes a little burnt, but most of the time it’s pretty decent 🤷‍♂️

[@jameshoffmann]

If you enjoy coffee then you should be welcomed here without judgement!

[@mcon1964]

I got the Delonghi EC155 for Christmas and after a little trial and error, I learned how to make a really enjoyable cup of espresso. It's my first espresso machine. I got it to get the Latte budget under control. With a little practice, people should have no trouble using this machine. One thing I learned is to tamp it lightly. This seems to make a big difference. Another thing is to drain any water out of the frother or your milk will be watered down. There are a number of helpful videos on KZbin for anyone interested. I think this is a good first machine for anyone just starting out with making home espresso.

[@Moeshuk]

"The bare minimum to have a good espresso at home" .. I'm waiting for that James

[@JC-fj7oo]

Flair manual press with the gauge, an electric kettle and a manual grinder. Probably looking at 350 all in.

[@امولهودوخي]

@@JC-fj7oo مخوممووى حممي😝🍐😛🤣🤣🤣🤣😂😛

[@MiguelMorales85]

#MeToo

[@jeremychristian5409]

I think at some point when James conducts a survey of some sort of what kind of contents his viewers enjoys the most from the channel, he will find that we all kinda enjoy seeing him struggle drinking terrible coffee or testing terrible coffee products. I don't even know why myself, maybe it's that frustrated response that he shows that's so genuine it's delightful.

[@lurklingX]

it's the reactions, both facial and verbal, and also the absolute ROASTING of certain products. : )

[@Tobez]

So glad your channel exists. I started out wanting to get an espresso machine to make myself some lattes at home. That led me down a rabbit hole and learning I can't make espresso for under 500 bucks. That then led me to your channel where I've learned a ton. So, Thank you.

[@ericpmoss]

If I can't come up with the $2000+ that produces really excellent espresso, I'll stick with the $30 that produces really excellent drip coffee and spend the other $1970+ on good beans.

[@dannysprawka374]

I want this guy to review my life. I just know when he explains how miserable I am I won’t be ready.

[@britaz44]

😂😂😂😂😂..

[@Elijah-nl9dw]

This channel is a total lifesaver. this man is saving us potentially thousands of dollars. Thank you thank you thank you

[@manbiteslife3110]

Dunno about you, but I wasting so much more money now on coffee. But I'm loving it

[@chrishanssen1980]

What I have found most interesting since watching your video is that there is more to coffee than espresso. Its a precise thing and for good drinking a V60, Mocha Pot or similar will do nicely. I dont need a £500 bit of machinery to make a nice drink.

[@remnant24]

You do actually... that bit of machinery being the grinder.

[@NathanSimmonds]

As an experiment I've been trying to get a decent coffee out of my old Dualit Espressivo (~£160 a few years ago) because I wondered the same thing. So I replaced the pressurised basket with a DeLonghi single-wall basket and bought a nicer tamper. The cheap DeLonghi grinder I used to use (~£40) wasn't up to the task of grinding for espresso. So I dialed in some tasty Square Mile beans on my Barista Express, then ground extra and extracted with the Dualit. It was less consistent, and didn't taste quite as good as with the BE, but it was absolutely better after a couple of tries than anything I used to make with it using a cheap grinder. Certainly good enough to make a half-decent cafe latte that tastes better than anything from Costa. I won't trade in my BE but at least the Dualit would work as a backup in an emergency. Thanks James.

[@stephaniesmith7817]

😂😅I would love to have conversations on ANY topic with this man!!! I love your vocabulary and delivery....!! Thank you for saving me purchasing CHEAP and I'll wait to make my purchase when I've got a little more cash! You rock!!!

[@mateusznowicki9638]

That Marc Rebillet shirt tho! Recently discovered this maniac, he's DOPE! :D

[@1chrisanderson]

I'm so glad he's blown up. I started tuning in during his first few livestreams at the brewing company when he had about 2000 subscribers!

[@hogey74]

(googling Marc rebillet)

[@roilangarcia]

Normal people: *enjoys espresso with these machines* James: This is Krups

[@penname9360]

I bought the DeLonghi twice. The first one I used for years until it broke and the second one I eventually replaced with a more time convenient method. I learned to get get okay espresso by watching videos and practice. I have always had a limited budget and I wanted to make espresso as inexpensively as I could instead of spending all my money at coffee houses. I am considering going back to this DeLonghi machine because it was an easy machine to maintain and I don't have a quality experience to compare it to so I was used to having to hold the machine while removing the filter and live with it's other cheap quirks. I bought a real tamper instead of using that weird attached one which also helped.

[@preproduction7789]

Thank you for the lesson, rather enjoyable, since I found myself confronted with the same question about two years ago. I did some research and went with a Gaggia Baby from the early nineties for 80 Euros. These are identical on the inside with the Gaggia Classic of the same time, but go for about half the price. There is no use pretending I know a lot about espresso, but I really like what I get from it and so do others, so much so, that my girlfriend who used to work as a barista got one for the same amount just a few month later and her friend, after drinking espresso at her place, bought one for herself as well. My point being, everybody I know who owns one, including myself, enjoys using it and the resulting espresso from it. I also bought a Gaggia MDF grinder for about the same amount. Also, if you want to, still every single part of the machine is available as a spare and the internet offers plenty of advice on fixing them. I like the idea of something lasting for a while and repairing instead of replacing. The Gaggia is already sought after, but prices for working units still seem decent, might go up though if more people pick up on them. Anyway, I appreciate the content, entertainment and knowledge you provide, please keep up the good work.

[@yorusign]

Used to have an earlier version of that DeLonghi that I managed to find in a thrift store for €3,50. For that money it was easy to manage expectations and it served me well through uni. I do agree that the tamper is shite. These days I have a barista express, improving on absolutely everything the DeLonghi had to offer, but what I want to say that (as James points out) you could do a lot worse than the DeLonghi if your budget can't stretch.

[@ExcaliburTheOnlyOne]

3 euros and 50 cents? How in the world did u get it that cheap, the store must be stupid to sell it that cheap right xD

[@scod3908]

I had a Barista Express, it was ok for about 1-2yrs before I upgraded to the dual boiler. Honestly, if my machines breaks and I'm not in a position to repair or replace it, I'll just go to filter coffee rather than buy one of the entry level machines to get by. I don't think I'd enjoy using an entry level espresso machine again after using a more capable one. The Barista Express is probably the bare minimum I'd recommend as an investment into making coffee at home (if you add up the cost of buying a daily coffee from a café it far exceeds the cost of a Barista Express and supplies over a year!).

[@RaggyJha]

I have a delonghi and agree with you.

[@Nassifeh]

I have an inexpensive Nespresso right now but it's great because I expect fuss-free caffeine delivery, not The Espresso Experience. I feel like partly it's the audience--after this many videos, I'm inclined to avoid the machines in this price range because I don't want to wake up every morning and think about how this doesn't feel like everything I was fantasizing about while watching this channel! I'll upgrade in a couple years once I can do it right.

[@merlinathrawes6191]

I've been using a Delonghi Icona for the past couple of years. It makes a lovely cup tbh and is excellent at milk frothing. Learnt so much about coffee from having it and use it 4-5 times a day. It shakes, rattles and rolls but I've not needed anything more expensive. It cost £40 second hand ;) The previous owners had it for a week and put it in a cupboard. It's great for getting the girls round. And you get tampered with.

[@georges1380]

Dear mr Hoffman, I own a really cheap espresso machine. After pressing my coffee in the basket, I put a piece of round paper filter cut from a v60 coffee filter. This way, the really bad water distribution of my machine is kind of normalised and I get a solid puc, a delicious espresso and a smile. Every owner of a crappy espresso machine like these should try it. Totally worth the extra effort.

[@shnitz22]

Dear George, I used your advice and seeing great results from my cheap De'longhi espresso machine. Shots are consistent and produce balanced and tasty shots. Channeling is practically gone. I honestly recommend the paper filter on top to any one having trouble getting good espresso due to flow issues. Thanks again George

[@georges1380]

@@shnitz22 dear Gil, I am honestly really glad to hear that!!!!

[@willtaylor2374]

I love how much James hates everything in these cheap reviews. I'm going to keep watching in the vain hope that one day something surprises him

[@joblink5688]

I'm using a cheap 80 pound machine , he should use 17 gram of coffee not 12 gram!

[@richieboylush]

I also love how much he hates them! Weirdly makes me smile!

[@jeremychristian5409]

I think that was the story behind that grinder he is now using. Look up the video

[@doctorx-4u]

We can't all afford expensive machines!!!

[@LoganBriggs]

@@jeremychristian5409 I'm not quite sure I would call $600+ cheap! You're right about him being surprised though, and I think his continued use really shows how much he likes it

[@jergarmar]

I had a somewhat older DeLonghi, but similar in build and style to the one listed here. The best thing I can say about it was that it was an interesting way to learn about espresso. And I did have a lot to learn about the basics, and about general machine maintenance. And I even jury-rigged an unpressurized portafilter, and got some decent shots out of it. But ultimately, when my skills were a bit better, I still couldn't get reliably good results, and it was difficult to clean and maintain. I switched to Aeropress for a long while. Then recently I got the Flair on a bit of a whim, and I've really enjoyed using it. It scratches the itch of "occasional espresso" without large investments of money, counter space, or maintenance. That's all to say that I tried, for a long time, to be content with a machine in this price range, but ultimately I recommend against it. I've also started recommending against home espresso in general, unless you're already pretty familiar with coffee and cheaper brewing methods. To make concentrated coffee, I think most people would be much better served by an Aeropress or a moka pot.

[@purple-flowers]

I agree 100% with the last suggestion of just getting an aeropress of moka pot. The price/value ratio is going to be leagues higher than any espresso machine. I love really strong concentrated coffee, and so I use my moka pot basically every day. If I want real espresso I can just go to an amazing café in my city and get an espresso that will 100% be better than anything I could get at home without pouring so much money and effort into

[@billyjaquis9553]

I came here searching for a budget friendly espresso machine. I left with so much enjoyment on my man’s displeasure for everything.

[@georgehargreaves9535]

As much as I love the educational and informative content (and find it really useful, more of these!), I'm really here for that "I can't believe I just drank that" expression

[@benyeomans3096]

My old Gaggia Baby was less than £100 back in 2012. Far from the best home machine but decently built with a commercial size portafilter and worked fine with non-pressurized baskets (although I think I had to buy one separately). Those were the days!

[@lukedgos]

You can depressurize some of the Gaggia baskets and older DeLonghi too. The ones that have screws through the botom. Unscrew it, gut it, put it back together. Probably irreversible, though.

[@Adnxn_]

@@lukedgos what do you mean by gut it? I'm willing to try

[@WTFA54]

My home setup right now is a delonghi ec702 I got used for $35, a better tamper and a distributor, around $30 or $40, and an unpressurized basket for $15. I also cut the bottom off the portafilter. All in all I think it pulls decent enough shots for a little under $100 and it was fun assembling all the little accessories and diving into the hobby! I've pulled some horrendous shots learning how to dial in the grind settings and ratios I want, but I've also pulled some very tasty shots. And overall it's just been an absolute pleasure to fiddle with the process of prepping a puck and sip my morning coffee thinking about the flavors and the extraction and all the variables I can continue to play with. The EC702 is, however, I think over $200 new and very much not worth that price 😅 but I think buying used may really be the way to go for people who KNOW they're interested in the hobby of espresso

[@JayNewberyy]

aside from the actual content of the video, my first thought was "if your local cafe is charging £100 for espresso, you should find a new cafe"

[@emilybohr5396]

he would have a heart attack knowing i'm drinking instant coffee while watching this

[@ItsNickP]

I hope you dialled it in? :D

[@ubayyd]

heathen

[@thephilosopher5799]

Same

[@ellaisplotting]

Nah, as he's said in this very comments section- whatever coffee you drink, as long as you enjoy it that's good enough for him.

[@sabofx]

Very informative test! I'm picking up a Stilosa delonghi tomorrow, second hand, but unused and new in box for €50. Under the circumstances of my limited budget your video convinced me that there's a good chance of producing quite an acceptable espresso with it. If I don't forget 😑 I'll report my experience here 😏

[@sabofx]

I promised to report my experience back here. So, here we go.. (5 days in to using my new machine) I bought a DeLonghi espresso EC235BK, which is very similar to the DeLonghi device from your comparison. There are some differences between my EC235 and the model you demonstrated. The EC235 comes with a separate plastic tamper scoop combination same as the one in your video at 02:23. The two sizes of baskets it comes with look more like the one you showed at 02:11 with a rubber gasket. But at least the portafilters firmly click into the lever. It looks like I'm dealing with pressurized filter baskets. They look quite different from the baskets I've seen on your channel. To get to the important part of the review; Using finely self-grinded coffee, I find that the resulting espresso tastes ok. I would rate it a 7 out of 10. I hope this review helps some of your viewers out there.

[@trzynasty909]

"The whole machine actually just... Bends." That was beautiful, James.

[@wyattparker120]

Why do I have a sinking suspicion that James Hoffman is actually jacked as hell

[@marxflyful]

Wyatt Parker funniest comment I’ve read in a while

[@azcomeazgo]

I couldn't help but notice his lats every time he turned sideways.

[@wyattparker120]

azcomeazgo yeah when he leaned forward towards the espresso machine I saw his arms and was like... “huh, so, is James Hoffman jacked?”

[@zackula1]

Thank you for this video. Truly appreciated. I believe this type of content is important. The average person on a budget might like higher quality coffee, but can't afford to go to the cafe every day (a shot/day for a year is over $1,400). But because they know they can't afford it, they don't do that. Maybe most of the week they're making a french press or pour over. With their current habits of coffee, a high-end machine and a high-end grinder (the one you had featured is nearly $600, I assume about the same for a better than decent espresso machine), plus buying nicer coffee for the espresso (my math says about $0.60/10 grams), you're looking at making yourself an espresso every day for a year and then just barely breaking even on your investment instead of going out to the cafe... but in reality, you weren't drinking that much espresso to start, so to keep on with former habits, the investment won't pay itself off for over 5 years, and that's not to mention the time and convenience-cost of making it yourself. Not knocking anyone who owns an espresso machine. Eventually it pays for itself and you have the benefit of having excellent coffee without ever needing to leave your home. It is also a great way to entertain guests. However, for the average human, living more pay-check to pay-check, that already cannot afford to go out to the cafe every day. The idea of how cheaply you can make a good espresso at home, without the hassle of something like a Flair lever system, is important.... With that said, this video is 4 years old. Hopefully you can do a 5 year update. Might I suggest doing side-by-side of the best for every price category? Under-$100, $100-$250, $250-$500... etc? No need to do all the machines in each category in that video. Just explain why you believe it is the best in its price-range and then compare it to the rest in the other price ranges.... Can do the same thing with grinders, and end it with the "best value" combination "grinder/espresso machine" to get someone into finer home espresso making, without the idea that they will probably want "more" and upgrade too soon, as I always found the idea of "entry level" wasteful, as it implies that the product will most likely head to the trash not too long after it was purchased, just for the owner of said product to spend more money on one that's nicer.

[@michaeljjensen]

"I know you thought I was going to say deja brew, but I didn't because I don't hate you or me" 😂😂😂😂

[@nathanaelwendel883]

I came down to the comments section specifically to look for this comment

[@WollyChaps]

There's a LARGE community that hacks the DeLonghi - depressurize the basket, add pressure meters, change out the steam wand for one that can actually do things. I'd love to see your take on modifying the machine.

[@Matt_J95a]

Hi James, I have a John Lewis 'pump espresso machine' that I got for £70, however it can be bought second hand for more like £20. First step, ditched the pressurised portafilter altogether and got a new 52mm portafilter with unpressurised basket. Luckily all the cheapy consumer machines (including amazon basics) use this thread size and a generic third party 52mm Portafilter seems to work in all of them. Then rather than buy a larger basket (which im not really sure I like the idea of having a really deep basket) I found the trick of gently patting down each spoon of coffee to allow more to go in, allowing me to put between 19-20g. I'm guessing you could just use more finely ground coffee and aim for 17g to make the process easier, but my grinder wasn't quite good enough to manage that fine. But now I get LOVELY coffee from my machine, and my whole setup including my hand grinder takes the total to about £110 with everything brand new :) sure, it's not terribly consistent but 95% of the time get a lovely espresso 🤗 Also my brew ratio is usually between 1:2 - 1:2.5 and I can get between 25 - 35s for that ratio :)

[@MrKayakinglife]

Morning James and that your answer is exactly what I have come to the conclusion of just doing five minutes of research, lol. The cheapest, easiest and best espresso machine I found is the Gaggio Pro Classic.

[@gutti4508]

Thank you for addressing the "pressurised PF" found in so many home espresso machines. I happen to own a Saeco Aroma unit, that I like quite well. However I am always struggling to get the right grind size + right tamping pressure + 35 seconds brew time sweet spot. I found the following information on a Saeco parts and repairs site. "All Saeco pressurized portafilters have built-in valve for pre-infusion delay. The operator does not have to worry much about the fineness of grind or tamping. The grind setting should be like the table salt grain. No tamping is necessary. The valve inside the portafilter prevents flow of water through for 4 to 5 seconds allowing the extraction pressure to build to the required 9-Bars. The 4 to 5 seconds delay allows the coffee grounds to be soaked and swell allowing water to dissolve essential aromatic elements in the coffee before extraction. As the valve opens up at 9-Bar pressure, the coffee extract drips into the cup as a classic shot of espresso. If the quantity of extract is limited to 2-Oz., it will not be bitter or have any burnt taste because the extraction time is never more than 12 seconds". It seems 12 seconds and no tamping is the sweet spot here. Interested in hearing your thoughts.

[@natfailsyoutube8163]

Most have pressurised/dual wall baskets, I think the Saeco pressurised PFs are meant to be fairly easy to remove the spring from to prevent that valve from restricting flow (not something I've tried as I've never oned one), someone else in these comments said that they did that for the PF that came with their Saeco Poemia machine, perhaps it's worth looking into? 17 seconds sounds really short to me as a lay person (I'm presuming they aren't including the 4-5 second "preinfusion" in the 12 seconds, and I think espresso timings, such as the 35 seconds you meantion aiming for, usually include preinfusion time)

[@aryafeydakin]

This thing is beast of its own. With a spring loaded pressurized PF (PPF), never expect an extraction time beyond 20 seconds. As soon as you see it does not make good crema anymore, it means you have the pressure spring doing funky things because it has to "know" that the puck is at 9 bars, with enough through flow to keep the spring fully compressed. That is why you should not tamp the coffee in a PPF. As soon as the PPF does not make good crema, it means that the top of the puck is already doing the organic equivalent of a valve, but the flow at the bottom of the puck is also constricted by the mechanical valve as well as the small size of the exit drip hole. Basically the puck extraction pressure profile become totally messed up because of the spring load sensitivity, and the extraction time ends up meaning nothing. When the coffee is not coarsely ground to "grain salt" size, you can also expect the fine grounds to clog the pressure valve and make a overly over-extracted shot. Too fine a ground and the machine will completely stall and the valve getting silted, result in having to manually remove the silt accumulated into the valve. You can tinker with the ground fineness to end up just short of clogging/underpressurize the valve to get to the best espresso shot possible with this pressurized crap, but that's actually extremely tedious : it beats the whole point of having a PPF.

[@gutti4508]

@@aryafeydakin Thank you. You pretty much summed up my experience with it. Adjusting the variables gives me extremely inconsistent results (specially when changing the/roast level) of coffee beans. I feel like I have no control, whatsoever. I will try your suggestion of grinding coarser and no tamping. Probably need to find me a non pressurize portafilter to replace the PPF that came with it. Any suggestions where to get one that will fit? This one has a 54mm basket. BTW, I found a hack to get the coffee flowing again when stalled. I just gently open and close the steam knob.

[@aryafeydakin]

@@gutti4508 I don't think there is. Just gut out the whole original portafilter and make it a bottomless. A PPF is nasty and unhygienic, running it empty we see the water is always somewhat dirty and rancid from the accumulated gunk. Just unscrew the 3 screws holding the metal assembly to the plastic base, throw away all rubber and other plastic parts that's in there. Clamp the upper metallic part of the portafilter into a vise. Get a dremel and just hollow it out. Or use hand tools, drill several contiguous holes just enough to start cutting with a mini hacksaw, clean the rough cut with a half round file. Then finish by sawing off the black plastic spout just short of the screw holes.

[@gutti4508]

@@aryafeydakin alright. Thanks for all that info. I'll get into the modified home made bottomless, then. Hopefully I don't screw it up and ruin it for good.

[@BaysviewPg]

I really like the way you editing the video, very short, concise and straight to the key points, very pleasant for viewing and understanding.

[@josephcano1447]

Finally, he reviews something I can actually afford.

[@hasanshah1470]

Yeah and then shits on absolutely all of them.

[@hastheride]

Something we can buy it is shit so we would waste our money 🤣

[@Solaxe]

@@hasanshah1470 I mean a horrible coffee by his standards is likely very good to most of us

[@hasanshah1470]

@@Solaxe yeah I agree, I really don't think his reviewing style is aimed at the a more general audience. I got my partner a Breville one-touch VCF109 from Currys during black Friday sales and she absolutely loves it. 150 quid in the end (reduced from 300) and well worth it. Makes a great espresso and the milk frothing attachment is quality, lattes, cappuccinos, macchiatos all come out great. Does the end product taste like I've ordered it from a lovely little cafe in Italy? No, definitely not. But it's comparable to Starbucks/Costa etc. (in fact better because it all depends on what roasts/blends you're buying) and a damn sight cheaper in the long run.

[@stinkybips]

Bought a cheap but nice retro looking machine to replace a Nespresso machine.. Couldn't get anywhere near decent (N)espresso. Tried different beans, bought a good grinder, bought other filters, created 5kg of waste. And then, I came across this video and what does James look at first?.. The same but slightly older model that I have. There is just no way I can get anything decent from this and I don't know why. *sadcoffeeface

[@TheQueenofMaggots]

I drink folgers coffee with a bunch of coffee mate and have never had an espresso... but I think your videos are making me see the error of my ways

[@TheQueenofMaggots]

I got a french press (I was using a keurig before) and a c2 manual coffee grinder and I have gotten fresh roasted coffee from a local shop, and its such a difference for just some simple improvements.... I still have to use a little coffee mate though lol...

[@SP.Learning]

Everytime i watch a Hoffman video i ask myself if i have ever drank real coffee 😭 😂

[@AyseY]

Me before watching the video and recently got a delonghi espresso machine: nervously sweating edit: I'm glad the best one out of these was delonghi, I dont actually have that exact model and mine was a bit more expensive as a beginner to coffee I enjoy my first machine lol

[@kaspermj]

I also started out with a fully automatic delonghi. A lot of their machines actually provide great value for the price.

[@_leoniden]

Do you use a Dedica 685 or a different one? How are you doing with it?

[@jongmassey]

@@_leoniden Dedica 685 here. Bought a naked 51mm portafilter and plain 18g basket from alibaba for about £25 and a better tamper off amazon for about a tenner I think. After a bit of grinder hacking to get good consistent fine grounds I can pull consistently good shots. After reading this - hackaday.io/project/162176-open-source-espresso-machine/log/157592-temperature-stability-in-the-delonghi-dedica-style-ec685m and doing my own experiments with a thermometer I also found that thermal stability was better after running two shots through with an empty basket first. I've got it set on the "high" temp setting and my brew temp is about 90c. I don't let the double shot button run all the way but instead use a small scale and stop at the yield I want. Next step is some water chemistry because Bristol has mega hard water and although my v60 experiments with bottled water (tesco ashbeck as recommended by David at extract coffee) were good it's not sustainable.

[@wilfriedreichardt6364]

@@_leoniden I owned a Dedica 685 for a while, and was getting very nice shots using a good grinder (Kinu M47 Phönix), after refitted it with a regular basket. It only lasted about 4 weeks though, until the motor could not get up to pressure any more, and I sent it back. I'm now a very happy owner of a Cafelat robot....That could be one of the cheaper options for good espresso at home....:-)

[@tyaty]

I use a EC850. It is pretty neat machine. Though I mostly drink french press at home , as my hand grinder is too slow with fine grind, and it lot more cost efficient than Espresso.

[@quickfoxwoodworking]

I've been waiting for the video on what machine is the bare minimum for a good home espresso experience. I'd love to see that!

[@tomboyer5608]

I've been making espresso for 25 years and I think pressurized portafilters deserve more respect. You waste so much time dialing in grind and tamp and you waste SO much coffee -- pressurized eliminates the waste and gives you a respectable coffee. You'll never get a God Shot but even putting in all the work, how often do you get a God Shot anyway? I don't know why people would assume that if you have a pressurized portafilter you have to have a terrible grinder and awful coffee. If you have a good grinder and good coffee, you can get very nice results with pressurized. And no it's not "fake crema" -- it's real crema that represents carbon dioxide bubbles resulting from heat and pressure. Pressurized is so good at producing crema, you can get crema even from old or poorly ground coffee -- in that case the coffee will not be good, duh, but it doesn't mean it's not real crema, it is. But if you use good coffee a pressurized portafilter gives you good crema and the coffee is good. This is not rocket science. I think it's 'just hard for these professional coffee influencers to accept pressurized because that would mean admitting that cheap technology can produce pretty good coffee without people needing a PhD in barista. Which is why coffee machine manufacturers make them available -- pressurized portafilters work!

[@putucoq3]

interesting take. I will have a cheap Oster espresso machine soon and I will buy a non-pressurized filter and compare the results between them (it comes with a pressurized filter)

[@alusandrea1501]

I have a DeLongi that my husband bought. For both of us, the cost for a good quality expresso machine was way out of our budget. Honestly, it tastes fine to me when compared to what we can get from local coffee shops and is fine for lattes and Americanos. I only pay for iced drinks now and make hot ones at home.

[@bethany2693]

I have a similar machine, a Krups Il Primo circa 1994 with a “Made in Switzerland” stamp on the bottom. It’s true that every coffee puck has a blast mark from the water, but I’ve been using this for decades and I enjoy my cappuccinos far more at home than at most high-end coffee shops, which to me taste bitter and acidic. Maybe I’m a coffee wimp but to me it should taste bold, rich and full-bodied and not have me needing to add sugar to compensate for bitterness. With the exception of a few fine Portuguese restaurants, it seems no matter where I buy coffee from out, I need to temper it with sugar. Krups of course doesn’t make machines under $150 in Switzerland anymore, but maybe that is the secret in my case. Heck I don’t trust myself with a grinder so I have a subscription for Lavazza Qualita Rossa which I’ve enjoyed for ages now. To each his own I suppose! Thanks for your video, it was entertaining and educational. I don’t know how many more years I will get from my 27 year old machine so I will keep the deLonghi in mind... :D

[@Meeeeeerk]

Swan Retro owner here (mine has another name, it is the same cheap asian product, which sold under various brand names). I've drilled out the pressure thingy, which leaves me with a "regular" portafilter. Its holes are pretty big, though, which makes it tough to have good pressure. This modification alone improved the espresso by a lot (given that I have a decent grinder and good coffee beans). Also a good third party tamper is pretty much needed. Overall, the espresso isn't great, but good enough and much better than one might expect at that price point.

[@ajgago]

the marc rebillet shirt was unexpected and delightful

[@jrtbone817]

How many Marc Rebillet t-shirts can you buy for £99?

[@Clyman974]

Now I want to see Marc Rebillet review espresso machines, but in his own style you know

[@aaronreyna6993]

I finally got to a point where I wanted to try and start making my own coffee as opposed to Starbucks or 7-Eleven in between pay periods. With that said I don't think I know what a truly great espresso can be but I started on my journey. I purchased an "espresso machine" the Mr. Coffee Cafe Barista and then came across your videos (unfortunately lol). I hope eventually this machine makes one of you comparison/review videos so I can learn a thing or two that may help me. Anyway, keep up the awesome work James!

[@OnlyBlix]

Hey bud, I bought this machine a month ago! He would almost 100% say it's okay coffee because he's just used to professionally brewed coffee everyday. But we can enjoy our lattes and cappuccinos! I love this little machine so far and it's a great entry machine! Happy new year

[@buttonman6262]

I’ve had the delonghi for over ten years and I’ve always liked it. Admittedly it’s only in the last two weeks (thanks to the KZbin algorithm and yourself) I’ve realised I needed to up my coffee game so I’ve bought a distributor, a spring loaded tamper and a bottomless portafilter!

[@tylerhuntley9454]

THIS is how to do reviews. Honest, highly attentive to every detail, and almost snobbishly picky.

[@williamruck]

Now these are the questions I want to know the answers too. How cheap can I be?

[@thegetupkid311]

Could always go manual! A ROK or a Cafelat Robot paired with a Comandante C40 or Kinu M47 Phoenix can make excellent espresso if you have the patience!

[@danlarwood4068]

😆

[@danlarwood4068]

@@thegetupkid311 that's about £500 though. Barista version of the robot imported to UK is £300 ish and commandante is £190 at best

[@Doylerx]

Get a sage barista express 😀

[@thegetupkid311]

@@danlarwood4068 gotcha. Mr. Ruck is in Japan, so there may be better options there for the price. I see people selling used ROK or Robots with some regularity around $150 in USA, and used premium hand grinders (picked up a Lido E myself) in the $150 range. EDIT: definitely should have specified "used" on my end!

[@ritadelgado7644]

So glad I watched this as I was so close to buying another DeLonghi. I had one that I got on Ebay...worked for a while. During the height of the pandemic on the NE I thought about replacing it and found the one I wanted out of stock. That was a good thing as I've been close to trying again. You are so right...machine is noisy and not worth the effort...thanks for reminding me. I'll stick to my Moka pot and my aeoro-latte to make a very acceptable latte every morning. Used to be a barista and when you are accustomed to the pro machines...hard to get used to the at home variety. Thanks for your other videos. Moka instruction helped me fine tune my method with the easy stove top and inexpensive route.

[@williamruck]

I actually had a delonghi machine for years and it was exactly as you said: an impulse purchase that spent years in the cupboard.

[@blakem000]

Love the Marc Rebillet shirt, rep'n that Loop Daddy!!

[@NICHOLSON7777]

He got +2 awesome points on my list because of the tee.

[@DanRichardson]

The world isn't ready for that crossover

God shut up dude

[@Iszk]

I couldn't sleep the other night and I was browsing some used things online, found used, old espresso machine for 10$, Delonghi, good condition, they were selling because they bought a newer, more expensive one. I cleaned it, descaled it and now every morning I am enjoying a nice shot of espresso. Today I rewatched this video and realized that my Delongi is THE Delongi from the video. Feels good.

[@specteramber]

James: "I don't wanna put my hand on a warm-ish machine, to remove the portafilter." Also James: *Will put both his hands on the machine just to mock the quality of the plastic*

[@Jingels247859]

Hey James, thank you for being such a fantastic resource for us! An idea I would really love to see is a review of some machines with grinders built in; I’m curious as to how quality they may be, something like the Breville barista express or DeLonghi La specialista. For me personally I’d rather one unit that I can work at than several machines, but not at the expense of quality

[@segamble1679]

From previous videos, I would guess James has no love for built in grinders. I think the video on robotic pour over machines has a machine with a built in grinder that he goes on at length about.

[@Anaskin-Skywalker]

I bought a Delonghi bco420 about 7 years ago, I didn't have much knowledge in this area when I bought the machine. I used it to make filter coffee in the first years, when I made espresso or americano, I usually got a fluffy and flavorless crema and a weak-bodied coffee. When I learned that this was due to the pressurized portafilter, I came up with 2 solutions: buy a new machine or buy a different portafilter. I decided to buy one of the bottomless portafilters that I always come across on KZbin, and I also bought a better tamper and coffee dispenser instead of that plastic spoon tamper. The result was much better than I expected, a fine-textured, very tasty crema and a coffee with a good body. I can now go up to 18 gr in shots that I used to use 12 gr. As a result, if you have a chance of getting a good shot from a cheap machine, I think it is a different portafilter.

[@rolfni4311]

James Hoffmann, when you find the most affordable machine that (perhaps with some minor design changes) could produced acceptable espresso-experience why not chat to the manufacturer of that machine to affect said improvements and re-launch it as the most economical good espresso machine according to you. Design rescue, as it were. r:)

[@horvathpeti84]

Cause it does exists already. James started with that too, the Gaggia Classic - pre 2015 - or the cheaper plastic but identical siblings like Baby Gaggia ... Also decent community with loads of doable open source upgrades.

[@derz1rkel609]

@@horvathpeti84 Gaggia Classic

[@MultiSigil]

@@horvathpeti84 Rocking my pre 2015 and i can confirm the community support is brilliant. They offer help on everything from dialling in to full rebuilds or just fancy mods.

[@bmjames]

Amazon sells a 4 bar "espresso machine" (Von Shef) for £54 and Robert Dyas sells a similar-looking 5 bar machine (Salter) for £35. "Ideal for any coffee lover." I am fascinated and would love to see a review of one of these not-really-espresso machines.

[@EvilijoUK]

Thanks for the video, funny thing I got Amazon basics machine off Ebay for £25 new and love the coffee from it, and none of our friends ever complained about it, in fact most of them complemented it saying that the coffee from this machine is actually really good. But then again, we never use it for espresso, but rather for americanos, cappuccinos and plain white coffee.

[@jetfowl]

The Delonghi is something I have on my desk at work. And outside of the first month I had it, it's been very consistent. It doesn't make a stellar shot of espresso, but it's good... and head and shoulders better than Starbucks. And the money it's saved me from having to buy espresso from a coffee shop has more than made up for its price. That said, I did buy mine on-sale for $69.99... roughly 2-years ago.

[@slothc]

I had one as well, was fine for about 1 year, then the quality of the coffee dropped significantly and after 6-12 months it kinda exploded with steam going everywhere so I threw it out

[@italiwoods]

I just love it when people are this honest. It´s a review, that´s what we want to see. Thank you sir. Have you, by any chance, reviewed the Ariete 1389 Vintage Expresso machine?

[@runesmom1]

I would love to have a good espresso machine for my home but…. I am a single mom & there is no way that I could ever afford a decent one so what I prefer to do is just accept that fact that I will never own one for myself & accept the fact that what I CAN afford is a moka pot &/or French press & make the best coffee that I can with those which by the way, I can make some delicious cups of coffee with those now that I have discovered James’ channel here on KZbin & I’m learning so much that helps me make knowledgeable decisions about this wide world of coffee that I never realized could be as complex as it is. Thank you James for sharing all of your expertise & knowledge, I really appreciate it & it has helped me in an area that I have struggled with my entire life.

[@chemistrykrang8065]

So we did formerly own the DeLonghi - my partner had started working at a large coffee chain as a barista whilst saving up to pay for her masters degree, and I was a PhD student... so budgets were tight but she cared enough to want to practice her coffee at home and make espresso and lattes. We did get some OK coffee out of it, despite a horrible cheap grinder (or preground) but it proved to be quite frustrating and fiddly so eventually we stopped using it and it went to the charity shop. I wouldn't recommend it.