De'Longhi Ecp3630 15 Bar Espresso and Cappuccino Machine with Adjustable Advanced Cappuccino System $140.98 + Free Shipping

Save money and buy a proper model. With this one, you will end up with lackluster shots that leave you wanting more. Problem is you've now wasted $140+ that could have been put towards a proper machine that fits your expectations.

What is a good alternative? Occasional Latte drinker.

What is a good alternative? Occasional Latte drinker.

Usually around at least $500, like Gaggia Classic Pro with mod.

I'm going to preface everything below with this statement; at home espresso is a hobby and a luxury. Most people would be better off just going to their local roastery and buying a cup instead. It's a very expensive and consuming hobby and unless you're paying a lot of money on a semi-automatic or fully automatic machine, you're going to be compromising in some way or another.

But yes, unfortunately you're looking at quite a bit more if you want to seriously put your money somewhere that counts. When I originally started getting interested in this and asked one of my buddies (who has had several machines over the years) for a recommendation in the $2-300 range, he simply said "just don't." He said anything you get under $500 is going to give you low quality pulls, inconsistent brewing/temperatures, or flat out quality issues with the unit including parts that break/leaks etc. The only way to break into that lower budget field, is to pick up a used Gaggia Classic Pro or similar entry level model (we don't even count the things like this deal as entry level, it's just low quality and not worth the money).

As the other poster said you're looking at $500 new though for a Gaggia. However, if I was seriously considering spending $500 on an espresso machine, I would just really suck it up and go for a Rancilio Silvia if you can find one for $6-700 new (i've seen this on eBay). As James Hoffmann said in one of his comparison videos, it's the closest budget machine to a commercial experience that he's seen. Like the Gaggia, it's a fairly simple design which means easy to repair and replace parts or upgrade if necessary. It also comes with a hell of a steam wand.

To really throw you through a loop though, you can also consider a manual press instead of one of these electric ones. Tomorrow for Black Friday, Flair is going to have their 20% off promotion again. You could pick up a extremely high quality manual machine for $2-300 that will give you excellent espresso....it just requires a little effort each time you want to pull a shot. The problem with this though is that if you want milk drinks you're going to need another device like the Breville Milk Cafe or Bellman Stovetop Steamer to give you something close to a steam wand. Those little wisk wands you see deals for just don't do the trick. If you just want straight high quality espresso though, this is no problem at all with a manual machine.

Your final hurdle to get over, for breaking into espresso at home, is the coffee grounds themselves. If you plan on grinding your own beans, you need a grinder that's capable of espresso quality grinding. It has to be very consistent and very fine. You can save some money and get a manual grinder like the 1Zpresso JX-Pro or J-Max (both on sale on Amazon with 20% off coupons) but then you're manually grinding which takes about 30 seconds for a single cup. Electric grinders get very expensive very quickly. The best bang for buck is the DF64 sold at espresso-outlet.com but that's a $350+ grinder. Some people say the Fellow Ode with upgraded SSP burrs is capable of espresso grinds but the the unit was not designed for espresso (it says so on the company website) and you're trying to force a tool to be used for the wrong purpose.

TLDR; this is an expensive hobby and unless you're looking to spend over $500 to get into espresso and commit time each morning to the process, you should save your cash and just get a drink every once in a while at your local roastery. It takes a long time to make your "at home" investment in to hardware worth the cash not to mention you will constantly have that upgrade itch that every hobby comes with. Also I mentioned James Hoffmann earlier, he has an extremely informative YouTube channel which I highly recommend if you wish to pursue the hobby. Beware he is quite the dandy gentleman which can annoy some lol... just know that his content is top notch for the field and he's highly respected.

Not sure why you got a few downvotes but you're speaking the truth. While you can get an amazing coffee setup for $100 if you play your cards right (decent burr grinder on sale, chemex, cheap kettle) it's almost unreasonable to do the same with espresso. Having been a coffee connoisseur for a little while I've often tried to justify spending money to pull my own shots but really making it yourself is truly a luxury that most people don't have the time, money, or expertise to manage.

Sure you can get a hand crank manual machine that'll pull a decent shot for $150-200, you'll still need a grinder that has espresso appropriate grind settings which will likely set you back $700+. I have a great grinder at home and even that won't grind fine enough or consistent enough for proper espresso. I assume that will be the sticking point with this machine as well, even if the pressure and temperature were perfect.

A good shot costs $3-4 at a good and local coffee place. A good latte will set you back $5-6 and I think that's worth it to have one or two of those a week while making coffee at home the rest of the time. Plus you'll be keeping local folks employed and money flowing into a local coffee shop.

I work from home and I have the time in the morning or early afternoon to do this, and Im not rich but I get by, and I love coffee and espresso. Still - this isn't something I'll be doing anytime soon, if ever.

I'm going to preface everything below with this statement; at home espresso is a hobby and a luxury. Most people would be better off just going to their local roastery and buying a cup instead. It's a very expensive and consuming hobby and unless you're paying a lot of money on a semi-automatic or fully automatic machine, you're going to be compromising in some way or another.

But yes, unfortunately you're looking at quite a bit more if you want to seriously put your money somewhere that counts. When I originally started getting interested in this and asked one of my buddies (who has had several machines over the years) for a recommendation in the $2-300 range, he simply said "just don't." He said anything you get under $500 is going to give you low quality pulls, inconsistent brewing/temperatures, or flat out quality issues with the unit including parts that break/leaks etc. The only way to break into that lower budget field, is to pick up a used Gaggia Classic Pro or similar entry level model (we don't even count the things like this deal as entry level, it's just low quality and not worth the money).

As the other poster said you're looking at $500 new though for a Gaggia. However, if I was seriously considering spending $500 on an espresso machine, I would just really suck it up and go for a Rancilio Silvia if you can find one for $6-700 new (i've seen this on eBay). As James Hoffmann said in one of his comparison videos, it's the closest budget machine to a commercial experience that he's seen. Like the Gaggia, it's a fairly simple design which means easy to repair and replace parts or upgrade if necessary. It also comes with a hell of a steam wand.

To really throw you through a loop though, you can also consider a manual press instead of one of these electric ones. Tomorrow for Black Friday, Flair is going to have their 20% off promotion again. You could pick up a extremely high quality manual machine for $2-300 that will give you excellent espresso....it just requires a little effort each time you want to pull a shot. The problem with this though is that if you want milk drinks you're going to need another device like the Breville Milk Cafe or Bellman Stovetop Steamer to give you something close to a steam wand. Those little wisk wands you see deals for just don't do the trick. If you just want straight high quality espresso though, this is no problem at all with a manual machine.

Your final hurdle to get over, for breaking into espresso at home, is the coffee grounds themselves. If you plan on grinding your own beans, you need a grinder that's capable of espresso quality grinding. It has to be very consistent and very fine. You can save some money and get a manual grinder like the 1Zpresso JX-Pro or J-Max (both on sale on Amazon with 20% off coupons) but then you're manually grinding which takes about 30 seconds for a single cup. Electric grinders get very expensive very quickly. The best bang for buck is the DF64 sold at espresso-outlet.com but that's a $350+ grinder. Some people say the Fellow Ode with upgraded SSP burrs is capable of espresso grinds but the the unit was not designed for espresso (it says so on the company website) and you're trying to force a tool to be used for the wrong purpose.

TLDR; this is an expensive hobby and unless you're looking to spend over $500 to get into espresso and commit time each morning to the process, you should save your cash and just get a drink every once in a while at your local roastery. It takes a long time to make your "at home" investment in to hardware worth the cash not to mention you will constantly have that upgrade itch that every hobby comes with. Also I mentioned James Hoffmann earlier, he has an extremely informative YouTube channel which I highly recommend if you wish to pursue the hobby. Beware he is quite the dandy gentleman which can annoy some lol... just know that his content is top notch for the field and he's highly respected.