Nespresso. You said cheap right? Pros: Consistent, convenient, fast as hell -- no Espresso machine can match it from the time you turn on the power, save electricity too. Cons: costly pod, coffee is just so so, it will never be great. BUT if you're not drinking straight espresso, not making milk based drink, and making all those pattern-pattern drink, add sugar, add syrup etc. then it is fine. I have to say, espresso con panna with the right dark roast pod.. is very drinkable.

Any milk based drink with it is... utter rubbish. other than iced latte LOL. straight up espresso....its just not good.

Yes you're right, assuming space is not an issue and I am okay with the look, Elizabeth wins hands down with some small caveat:
1. No flow profiling kit as future upgrade since that's only applicable for E61. Not an issue for most people
2. SOME said that Mara X has slightly better build quality, but I can't confirm. It might just be a false impression because the E61 giant group head might make you feel it's better quality
3. Mara X has both Steam and Brew pressure manometer, both are analog and I love it. Elizabeth only has the brew pressure manometer. Not a deal breaker for most.

For Mara X, there's an ideal time window between shots so that the temp is well maintain. Based on my testing, it's between 1-3 minutes.

For example, your temp setting is 93-94C. Once you exceed the 3 minutes *after the first shot*, it will slowly go up to 95 C (almost 1C per minute). So if you manage workflow to pull the second shot within 3 minutes, there's no need to wait. After 3 minutes, either you wait for another 15 minutes, OR you can flush some water to cool it down. After all, it's still an HX. For my usage, I pull max 2 shots back to back. So the 3 minutes window is perfectly fine for me.

It is close to a month now and I will still get a Mara X if I am offered a choice. But in the future if I move to a bigger house, I am definitely considering a dual boiler.

That said, Mara X being a E61 machine definitely requires more fiddling and maintenance. Lubing the lever cam is a must after chemical backflush. For a 100% peace of mind, non-E61 is better. I like tweaking stuff so I went with the tougher route!

oh. hmmm. how does those off brands like BSBoss/Donlim on shopee do?
Abit not keen on nespresso cause I want to learn how to do it haha. and Tuning it maybe is part of the fun.

thinking.about moka pot as well, but that I think is not espresso pressure. hmmm

Hi Veterans

any recommendations for a cheap espresso machine?
wonder if it's realistic if budget is 300 to 600 700...

right now I am doing v60 filter brewing. hahah

thxthxthx

What you want to drink? Espresso? Pour over? French press? Espresso you'll need to factor in the grinder as well, and the manual hand grinder is the cheapest consistent result you'll get. I think the whole setup it'll easily exceed your budget. Which is why I suggested Nespresso, I think during sales, the faux espresso machine and the milk forther combo is around RM599 before using any vouchers on top of that.

Nespresso is very cheap to start, high recurring cost.

got a few happy gemilai users here... go search for their feedback

I got good results with my friend's saeco... but I was using 64mm grinders...

if you love coffee... I'd suggest just skipping the cheap starter machines... save your money and then jump on a prosumer, also for espresso a good grinder is everything

while saving up... an aeropress should add some variaty...

Thinking to head closer to espresso land.
Yea i like coffee, haha. I scout around for good local type coffees from kopitiams around and mark them. And if im at home i just do a pour over through filter. But it's still off taste sometimes(mostly tend to get sour when i did it wrong). Still learning. Possibly due to many factors but definitely my cheap cheap hand grinder that spits out inconsistent grind size is a factor as well. =P

Nespresso is having a high recurring cost hence it feels kinda 
Maybe a good compromise would be an Ikea Moka Pot + grinder update, while saving up for a 1k+ espresso machine?

TQVM for sharing. Your insight makes it clear that the Mara X is not the machine for me. Now is a question of stock availability.
Moving on, any insights on grinders?

I'm looking at the Eureka Mignon Silenzio vs Specialita. I don't really care much about the display. The only thing is, I am unsure if I will be single dosing, or put in the amount of beans for the day -- e.g. 3 servings worth of beans into the hopper. Assuming its single dosing I think it doesn't make any difference since we can ignore the grind time.

If I drop the beans of the day in, then the screen will make it easier to dial in, but once dialed in, you won't mess with it.. so the way I look at it, the Specialita makes it easier to set things up relative to the Silenzio. But after its dialed in, there's practically no difference between the two right? How hard is it to dial in without a screen?

I am aware of the 55mm burrs vs the 50mm burrs, my assumption is that it won't make that big a difference in the cup, but feel free to share any insights.

I actually ordered a very affordable DF64 single dose grinder which has 64mm flat burrs and it can fit SSP burrs at a very affordable price (almost half of Specialita). PM me if you want to know more, it's very new and not so well known in the market yet.

iota?

Thinking to head closer to espresso land.
Yea i like coffee, haha. I scout around for good local type coffees from kopitiams around and mark them. And if im at home i just do a pour over through filter. But it's still off taste sometimes(mostly tend to get sour when i did it wrong). Still learning. Possibly due to many factors but definitely my cheap cheap hand grinder that spits out inconsistent grind size is a factor as well. =P

Nespresso is having a high recurring cost hence it feels kinda 
Maybe a good compromise would be an Ikea Moka Pot + grinder update, while saving up for a 1k+ espresso machine?

Yes, it's either called the G-iota or DF64 grinder.

Yes, it's either called the G-iota or DF64 grinder.

yeah...looks like budget version of the lagom

keep us updated ya...

bro, any information about this grinder? single dose kan? how to order and how much is it?

waiting for a Niche Zero is like waiting for the moon to turn blue... ppl want to throw money at them to order also cannot... Resellers are selling at a huge markup.. I hope some other companies see the demand for this and start providing alternative to them..

I'll just post the info here. I don't want to say it's good or not (since I haven't receive it or tried myself) and there's not much info on the web, so judge by your own.

You can order via @thegluons on instagram/Facebook, their Malaysia page is J Coffee Enterprise (same owner, same people behind it). Current price is around RM1399 for the basic steel burrs. Next batch is around late March delivery.

Some Europeans have received and have some short reviews, just use google translate:
https://forum.wszystkookawie.pl/index.php?t...21498#msg221498
https://www.espressoman.ro/forum/Thread-R%C...50656#pid150656

I'll just post the info here. I don't want to say it's good or not (since I haven't receive it or tried myself) and there's not much info on the web, so judge by your own.

You can order via @thegluons on instagram/Facebook, their Malaysia page is J Coffee Enterprise (same owner, same people behind it). Current price is around RM1399 for the basic steel burrs. Next batch is around late March delivery.

Some Europeans have received and have some short reviews, just use google translate:
https://forum.wszystkookawie.pl/index.php?t...21498#msg221498
https://www.espressoman.ro/forum/Thread-R%C...50656#pid150656

Thinking to head closer to espresso land.
Yea i like coffee, haha. I scout around for good local type coffees from kopitiams around and mark them. And if im at home i just do a pour over through filter. But it's still off taste sometimes(mostly tend to get sour when i did it wrong). Still learning. Possibly due to many factors but definitely my cheap cheap hand grinder that spits out inconsistent grind size is a factor as well. =P

Nespresso is having a high recurring cost hence it feels kinda 
Maybe a good compromise would be an Ikea Moka Pot + grinder update, while saving up for a 1k+ espresso machine?

very good price for a 64mm actually... 250w 64mm burrs same spec as mazzer mini e... the top parts mechanism looks like copy from mazzer actually... lol... should be quite good in the cup...

fyi, its just a tad cheaper than most super jolly china clone

Yes.. but this design is probably better than the SJ clones in terms of single dosing and low retention. Also has local supplier!

Thinking to head closer to espresso land.
Yea i like coffee, haha. I scout around for good local type coffees from kopitiams around and mark them. And if im at home i just do a pour over through filter. But it's still off taste sometimes(mostly tend to get sour when i did it wrong). Still learning. Possibly due to many factors but definitely my cheap cheap hand grinder that spits out inconsistent grind size is a factor as well. =P

Nespresso is having a high recurring cost hence it feels kinda 
Maybe a good compromise would be an Ikea Moka Pot + grinder update, while saving up for a 1k+ espresso machine?

Moka gotta be stove top, so if you’re ok with the work and effort. Sure you will get good results. Doesn’t need to be IKEA. The design is simple. Decent affordable one will work.

Another popular one is aeropress.

Coffee can be an expensive hobby — for enthusiasts. Which is why Nespresso sells more.. for consumers. I’m a fussy consumer so Nespresso isn’t cutting it for me. I don’t mind the high recurring costs, but it’s not up to my mark. Thanks to more and more people entering this hobby, more and more relatively affordable prosumer equipment is available.

Honestly it’s not bad, Nespresso is better than some catering coffee or hotel coffee.

You should go to their showroom to try the coffee yourself and see if it’s up to your mark.

moka pot is just another way to make coffee... not espresso

grinder upgrade definitely preferred... a good hand grinder will be around 1k... a good electrical around 3k, of course something around 1.5k is good enough for most people

You can remove IKEA mokapot + IKEA grinder from the list: its gasket doesnt fit properly, and IKEA grinder sighh...

- Mokapot - get a cheaper Bialetti 3-cup mokapot with 2 spout/cups under discounts.
- Grinder - If you intend to go until espresso machine, put no less than RM600++ on handgrinder (currently cheapest espresso capable brand is 1Zpresso from taiwan, manufactured from China)

Nespresso technically behave very similar to Espresso Machines, but replacing the portafilter with aluminium Catridges
- if you do not want to pay a lot for the catridges, you can opt for reusable stainless steel capsules from 3rd party maker.
- but you will still need espresso-capable grinders if you are refilling the reusable capsules with your own coffee beans.

For hand grinder, you can consider this instead:

https://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=a1z10....id=567667604867

It used to be around MYR 400 when the manufacturer using imported Italmill burr (similar to Kinu M47 burr), but now you can get it @ MYR220~ before shipping since it is using locally made burr.
Can easily choke any 58mm espresso machine.

Not a big fan of Moka pot, I have an unused Bialetti Brikka which I hardly used.

At the risk of sounding like lowkl  if you want to venture into espresso, do consider Flair espresso maker.

Thx for all the inputs all. =)
Hmmm.. I did went to try a Nespresso. Its ok. My coffee palate does not let me differentiate what a good coffee is yet HAHAAHHAH

I think after all the inputs i think it'll be something like a discounted Bialetti Moka Pot or Ikea one if i'm reallyyyyyyyyyy stingy =P But yea i saw people complain about gasket. Good thing is i live near Ikea. =P, so i can go inspect and see. haha.
For espresso, maybe not now, perhaps later on if i'm getting into it more. Though admittedly the flair neo looks interesting hahaha.

For hand grinder, would something like a Timemore C2 be ok? I did see the 1Zpresso Q2 online for i think Rm480.  And the 1zpresso JX for i think 700 O.o O.o O.o
Im currently using this el cheapo clone ciplak grinder. :