Slickdeals is community-supported.  We may get paid by brands for deals, including promoted items.
frontpage Posted by joudo • Nov 25, 2022
frontpage Posted by joudo • Nov 25, 2022

Costco Members: Sur La Table Espresso Coffee Maker w/ Dual Boiler Heating

+ $10 Shipping

$400

Costco Wholesale
144 Comments 111,448 Views
Get Deal at Retailer
Good Deal
Save
Share
Deal Details
Costco Wholesale offers their Members: Sur La Table Espresso Coffee Maker w/ Dual Boiler Heating (SLT-4209) for $399.99. Shipping is $10.

Thanks to community member joudo for finding this deal.

Product Features:
  • Dual Boiler Heating System: Brew Espresso & Froth Simultaneously
  • Built-In Burr Grinder With Fineness Settings
  • Single & Double Shot Espresso
  • LED Touchscreen Display
  • 15 Bars Of Pressure For Optimal Extraction

Editor's Notes

Written by RevOne | Staff
  • Ratings & Reviews:
    • Rated 3.8 out of 5 stars based on 13 customer reviews.
  • About this store:
    • Click here to view Costco's return / exchange policy.

Original Post

Written by joudo
Community Notes
About the Poster
Deal Details
Community Notes
About the Poster
Costco Wholesale offers their Members: Sur La Table Espresso Coffee Maker w/ Dual Boiler Heating (SLT-4209) for $399.99. Shipping is $10.

Thanks to community member joudo for finding this deal.

Product Features:
  • Dual Boiler Heating System: Brew Espresso & Froth Simultaneously
  • Built-In Burr Grinder With Fineness Settings
  • Single & Double Shot Espresso
  • LED Touchscreen Display
  • 15 Bars Of Pressure For Optimal Extraction

Editor's Notes

Written by RevOne | Staff
  • Ratings & Reviews:
    • Rated 3.8 out of 5 stars based on 13 customer reviews.
  • About this store:
    • Click here to view Costco's return / exchange policy.

Original Post

Written by joudo

Community Voting

Deal Score
+32
Good Deal
Get Deal at Retailer

Leave a Comment

Unregistered (You)

Top Comments

dohturdima
1622 Posts
194 Reputation
I did a bit of digging, and concluded this NOT a dual boiler machine but a dual thermoblock. A true dual-boiler machine would cost much more, and with espresso machines if it's too good to be true it probably is.Shame on Costco/Sur La Table misrepresenting this product.This machine design is similar to the one below, which is a dual thermoblock:
https://www.homecoffeesolutions.c...1a88&_ss=r

Single vs dual thermoblock: https://www.homecoffeesolutions.c...ng-systems

Thermoblock vs thermocoil vs boiler:
https://owlychoice.com/thermobloc...il-boiler/

I found this comment on Reddit regarding comparison of thermoblock vs boiler - the former leads to inconsitent water temperature.

"Thermoblocks are worse for several reasons, all of which involve temperature management:

with a boiler, the brew pathway, including the group, is heated by the passive heat of the boiler, or actively heated in the case of an e61 or electrically heated group. This means that when you pull a shot, the water doesn't lose much heat to its surroundings on the way to the puck. A thermoblock machine never really gets hot, so the brew pathway will suck heat from the brew water in a very non predictable way (i.e. each shot will be affected slightly differently).

a boiler heats up all your brew water before the shot, whereas a thermoblock heats up water on demand. A pid controlled thermoblock will be able to heat water to a temperature which is dependent on the flow rate, because more contact time with the thermoblock means hotter water. Therefore, the brew temperature will be dependent on the flow rate, and hence the puck resistance. You might get away with this if you're always pulling classic 25s shots, but you certainly wont be able to experiment with things like ristretto and lungo as the change in flow will completely mess up your brew temperature.

High end thermoblock machines like the decent are only successful because they are extremely smart, and can dynamically change brew temperature to a very high accuracy using lots of fancy technology. A PID alone on a cheaper thermoblock machine simply wont give you consistent brew temperatures".
rawrrrrr
70 Posts
16 Reputation
I wouldn't bet on quality. It looks very similar to the ones here

https://www.amazon.com/Espresso-M...U241FG3KTV

And I see several other names under that :

https://beem.co.uk/products/espre...der-15-bar

similar design, same grate pattern on the drain pan and tamper
ACGNerd_US
46 Posts
18 Reputation
I am in the exact same boat as OP here - spent the last few weeks waiting for a good Breville deal and got nothing.
Also am not willing to settle for anything that has plastic parts touching the hot water (so ruling out almost all of the super-automatic ones).

Was about to pull the trigger for Gaggia classic pro, but not sure which grinder should I get... then I saw this... hmmm really not sure about its quality, but could be a good gap-filler until a good Breville deals comes alone?

Thanks for posting!

143 Comments

Sign up for a Slickdeals account to remove this ad.

Nov 26, 2022
175 Posts
Joined Nov 2007
Nov 26, 2022
shivetya
Nov 26, 2022
175 Posts

Quote from ACGNerd_US :
I am in the exact same boat as OP here - spent the last few weeks waiting for a good Breville deal and got nothing.
Also am not willing to settle for anything that has plastic parts touching the hot water (so ruling out almost all of the super-automatic ones).

Was about to pull the trigger for Gaggia classic pro, but not sure which grinder should I get... then I saw this... hmmm really not sure about its quality, but could be a good gap-filler until a good Breville deals comes alone?

Thanks for posting!
I look at it this way, the majority of people will have a difficult time getting good espresso out of a Gaggia Classic Pro, you need to know how to temperature surf to use it to its fullest extent. Its similar to grinders, people will "reddit advice" post to always buy a Niche Zero... which is overkill for most home brewers simply because the grind is the last thing to hold you back. What holds back espresso makers at home is knowing what goes into making good espresso, which is factors like grind, tamping, and such, as compared to what you make it with. You start to spend money once you have outstripped your current gear and I have always been in the camp it is best to have an espresso maker you don't have to play games with far more than a grinder.

The Gaggia and Rancillio are good in the hands of those who know what they are doing but there are better choices for those new to the game.
1
Nov 26, 2022
1,622 Posts
Joined Dec 2007
Nov 26, 2022
dohturdima
Nov 26, 2022
1,622 Posts

Our community has rated this post as helpful. If you agree, why not thank dohturdima

I did a bit of digging, and concluded this NOT a dual boiler machine but a dual thermoblock. A true dual-boiler machine would cost much more, and with espresso machines if it's too good to be true it probably is.Shame on Costco/Sur La Table misrepresenting this product.This machine design is similar to the one below, which is a dual thermoblock:
https://www.homecoffeesolutions.c...1a88&_ss=r

Single vs dual thermoblock: https://www.homecoffeesolutions.c...ng-systems

Thermoblock vs thermocoil vs boiler:
https://owlychoice.com/thermobloc...il-boiler/

I found this comment on Reddit regarding comparison of thermoblock vs boiler - the former leads to inconsitent water temperature.

"Thermoblocks are worse for several reasons, all of which involve temperature management:

with a boiler, the brew pathway, including the group, is heated by the passive heat of the boiler, or actively heated in the case of an e61 or electrically heated group. This means that when you pull a shot, the water doesn't lose much heat to its surroundings on the way to the puck. A thermoblock machine never really gets hot, so the brew pathway will suck heat from the brew water in a very non predictable way (i.e. each shot will be affected slightly differently).

a boiler heats up all your brew water before the shot, whereas a thermoblock heats up water on demand. A pid controlled thermoblock will be able to heat water to a temperature which is dependent on the flow rate, because more contact time with the thermoblock means hotter water. Therefore, the brew temperature will be dependent on the flow rate, and hence the puck resistance. You might get away with this if you're always pulling classic 25s shots, but you certainly wont be able to experiment with things like ristretto and lungo as the change in flow will completely mess up your brew temperature.

High end thermoblock machines like the decent are only successful because they are extremely smart, and can dynamically change brew temperature to a very high accuracy using lots of fancy technology. A PID alone on a cheaper thermoblock machine simply wont give you consistent brew temperatures".
3
2
Nov 26, 2022
1,622 Posts
Joined Dec 2007
Nov 26, 2022
dohturdima
Nov 26, 2022
1,622 Posts
Quote from professorxavier :
One of the videos in the Costco listing shows them brewing and heating the milk at the same time.

Sur La Table isn't a no-name brand. This should be a decent espresso machine.
Dual thermoblock machines can do this too, but it does not make them dual-boiler.
1
Nov 26, 2022
46 Posts
Joined Nov 2019
Nov 26, 2022
ACGNerd_US
Nov 26, 2022
46 Posts
Quote from Ajax77 :
For the Gaggia Classic Pro, or any good espresso machine with non-presurized baskets, you could get the 1Zpresso JX Pro. if you don't mind going for a manual grinder, this would be better than many electric grinders twice its price. If you want to go electric, the cheapest option (in my opinion) is from the Eureka Mignon seried. I think the cheapest ones foe espresso are sold by Seattle Coffee Gear for about $350.
yeah I took a look at mignon nott and it looks pretty decent.
Nov 26, 2022
46 Posts
Joined Nov 2019
Nov 26, 2022
ACGNerd_US
Nov 26, 2022
46 Posts
Quote from spica :
I recommend the niche zero for the grinder.
that's a little bit above my budget lol
Nov 26, 2022
391 Posts
Joined Apr 2019
Nov 26, 2022
Ajax77
Nov 26, 2022
391 Posts
Quote from ACGNerd_US :
yeah I took a look at mignon nott and it looks pretty decent.
BTW, I just got a slickdeal notification for the 1Zpresso being on amazon for about $115 that's less than what I paid 2 years ago. If you don't mind the workout, this is a really great grinder.
Nov 26, 2022
215 Posts
Joined Jan 2016
Nov 26, 2022
myrep
Nov 26, 2022
215 Posts
Quote from Ajax77 :
BTW, I just got a slickdeal notification for the 1Zpresso being on amazon for about $115 that's less than what I paid 2 years ago. If you don't mind the workout, this is a really great grinder.
1Zpresso JX-PRO. $111. 34% off Amazon

Sign up for a Slickdeals account to remove this ad.

Nov 26, 2022
3,112 Posts
Joined Dec 2006
Nov 26, 2022
sshlyk
Nov 26, 2022
3,112 Posts
I have a feeling this will be re-branded generic chinese espresso machine and finding parts will be impossible. If this machine disappears in a few month, I am going to assume that everyone returned it.
2
Original Poster
Pro
Nov 26, 2022
497 Posts
Joined Nov 2015
Nov 26, 2022
joudo
Original Poster
Pro
Nov 26, 2022
497 Posts
Quote from sshlyk :
I have a feeling this will be re-branded generic chinese espresso machine and finding parts will be impossible. If this machine disappears in a few month, I am going to assume that everyone returned it.
It's definitely a gamble. I'm just hoping to be pleasantly surprised. The few reviews there are on this unit are reassuring. And if things don't work out, back to Costco it goes.
Nov 26, 2022
215 Posts
Joined Jan 2016
Nov 26, 2022
myrep
Nov 26, 2022
215 Posts
Do you have to use the pressurized filters or can this portafilter be used without them?

Maybe someone has experience with other machines that have pressurized baskets???
Nov 26, 2022
892 Posts
Joined Apr 2010
Nov 26, 2022
lbp775
Nov 26, 2022
892 Posts
Quote from ACGNerd_US :
I am in the exact same boat as OP here - spent the last few weeks waiting for a good Breville deal and got nothing.
Also am not willing to settle for anything that has plastic parts touching the hot water (so ruling out almost all of the super-automatic ones).

Was about to pull the trigger for Gaggia classic pro, but not sure which grinder should I get... then I saw this... hmmm really not sure about its quality, but could be a good gap-filler until a good Breville deals comes alone?

Thanks for posting!
The Gaggia + grinder will allow more growth if you decide to dive deeper into the espresso. As suggested, 1Zpresso is a good cheap option depending on how much you intend to make per day. I'm currently using a J-Max myself and it's working out well. Baratza makes good grinders as well.
Nov 26, 2022
70 Posts
Joined Nov 2013
Nov 26, 2022
rawrrrrr
Nov 26, 2022
70 Posts
Quote from dohturdima :
I did a bit of digging, and concluded this NOT a dual boiler machine but a dual thermoblock. A true dual-boiler machine would cost much more, and with espresso machines if it's too good to be true it probably is.Shame on Costco/Sur La Table misrepresenting this product.This machine design is similar to the one below, which is a dual thermoblock:
https://www.homecoffeesolutions.c...1a88&_ss=r [homecoffeesolutions.com]

Single vs dual thermoblock: https://www.homecoffeesolutions.c...ng-systems [homecoffeesolutions.com]

Thermoblock vs thermocoil vs boiler:
https://owlychoice.com/thermobloc...il-boiler/ [owlychoice.com]

I found this comment on Reddit regarding comparison of thermoblock vs boiler - the former leads to inconsitent water temperature.

"Thermoblocks are worse for several reasons, all of which involve temperature management:

with a boiler, the brew pathway, including the group, is heated by the passive heat of the boiler, or actively heated in the case of an e61 or electrically heated group. This means that when you pull a shot, the water doesn't lose much heat to its surroundings on the way to the puck. A thermoblock machine never really gets hot, so the brew pathway will suck heat from the brew water in a very non predictable way (i.e. each shot will be affected slightly differently).

a boiler heats up all your brew water before the shot, whereas a thermoblock heats up water on demand. A pid controlled thermoblock will be able to heat water to a temperature which is dependent on the flow rate, because more contact time with the thermoblock means hotter water. Therefore, the brew temperature will be dependent on the flow rate, and hence the puck resistance. You might get away with this if you're always pulling classic 25s shots, but you certainly wont be able to experiment with things like ristretto and lungo as the change in flow will completely mess up your brew temperature.

High end thermoblock machines like the decent are only successful because they are extremely smart, and can dynamically change brew temperature to a very high accuracy using lots of fancy technology. A PID alone on a cheaper thermoblock machine simply wont give you consistent brew temperatures".

I agree, and I'm pretty certain it's the same one I found in my earlier comment and it's not a dual boiler.
Nov 26, 2022
46 Posts
Joined Nov 2019
Nov 26, 2022
ACGNerd_US
Nov 26, 2022
46 Posts
Quote from gobbgookV :
I am really excited to see your comment on the plastic part as I share the same sentiment. I am a recent coffee drinker and have been shopping for an easy effort automatic one but I haven't come across even one with hot water parts completely in metal. do you have any recommendations for a decent one? Thank you.
Oh yeah, there is a lot more to it if you want to know for sure whether a unit has plastic touching the hot water. One way to know for sure is to watch some tear-down (or cleaning) videos, I found out that all Phillips super-automatic ones, and all DeLonghi super-automatic ones have plastic brewers. Also for the couple jura models I checked, their brewer is also plastic.

BTW when you say "easy effort automatic one" you mean super-automatic machines like Phillips 3200 lattego right?

If you are just looking for a semi-automaic machine like breville barista express, then there are a couple ones that no plastic is touching the hot water. Like Gaggia Classic Pro, Breville barista express (please look at below edit) ... etc. For this type of machines, you mostly want to check the portafilter and where you connects the portafilter to the machine (the steam wands and water boilers are almost always metal).

edit: breville barista express uses rubber/plastic tubes to pump steams into the steam wand... so I guess that also ruled it out as "not plastic touching hot water"
Last edited by ACGNerd_US November 26, 2022 at 03:40 PM.
Nov 26, 2022
46 Posts
Joined Nov 2019
Nov 26, 2022
ACGNerd_US
Nov 26, 2022
46 Posts
Quote from uncledunkel :
Is there a way to know if this one has plastic parts touching the hot water? Or machines in general?
I am not sure about this one as there is barely any info or videos on the internet about it, let alone say tear-downs.
But from the unboxing video I checked, seems like the inside of the portafilter (including the basket), where the grounded coffee mixes with hot water with high pressure, has no plastic touching the hot water. So I guess that's a good start.

Sign up for a Slickdeals account to remove this ad.

Nov 26, 2022
70 Posts
Joined Nov 2013
Nov 26, 2022
rawrrrrr
Nov 26, 2022
70 Posts

Our community has rated this post as helpful. If you agree, why not thank rawrrrrr

There's a machine on alibaba that looks very similar.. same tamper, same grate, same wand, same words on the grinder. This is not a high quality machine.

https://www.itopltd.com/automatic...5020a.html

https://www.itopltd.com/commercia...5020c.html

https://www.alibaba.com/product-d...77502.html
Last edited by rawrrrrr November 26, 2022 at 04:15 PM.
2
1

Leave a Comment

Unregistered (You)

Popular Deals

View All

Trending Deals

View All