Woot! has
Brim 19 Bar Espresso Machine on sale for
$129.99.
Shipping is free for Amazon Prime Members (must login with your Amazon account and select a shipping address in order for Woot to apply free shipping) or is otherwise $6 per order.
Thanks to Community Member
JollyCaption375 for finding this deal.
Product Details:
- Stable high pressure Italian pump with gauge indicator & low pressure pre-infusion for balanced extraction.
- Featuring a powerful thermal coil system (1250-watt) & commercial style 360 degree swivel action dry steam wand for café quality texturized microfoam, this machine also includes a hot water dispenser & heated die cast top plate to keep cups warm.
- Includes:
- Universal portafiller holder
- 1 or 2 cup filters (pressurized & non-pressurized)
- 120z stainless steel milk frothing pitcher
- Filter cleaning tool
- Metal tamper (with wood accents)
- Measuring scoop
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Going by memory here, so I may have forgotten some details...(EDIT TO ADD: If you just plan to make lattes and don't care about learning about espresso extraction, then you can probably ignore most of the information below and just use the pressurized filter basket with pre-ground coffee. IIRC, this machine can also handle E.S.E. pods.)
Pros:
Heats up quickly
Good steam wand
More consistent results than the lower-end espresso machines with a boiler tank (e.g. Gaggia Classic Pro ).
Good steam. For comparison, a Gaggia Classic Pro (a ~$400 machine) runs out of steam quite quickly without modifications or learning a "temperature surfing" technique.
Cons:
Very high pressure. 19 bar is a LOT, so it requires a bit more precision when dialing in dose and grind size.
The cup warmer doesn't really get that warm. I assume it's because this machine uses a thermocoil, not a boiler.
Good luck finding a bottomless portafilter that fits properly. Some people say they have found 51mm portafilters to work, but every one that I've tried did not seal well, and would leak around the edges. I suspect it might actually need a 52mm. It has been a few years since I searched for one, so there may be some options out there now. If a bottomless portafilter is important to you, you may want to search for one first.
Ultimately, $129.99 is a really great deal for this entry-level machine.
By the way, here's one thing I wish I knew before buying: Espresso requires a really good coffee grinder... Like $80 might get a very entry-level manual (not electric) grinder capable of doing espresso. I ended up getting a 1Zpresso JX-Pro, which I was pretty happy with.
While some people enjoy drinking this straight, many people temper it with milk, like with a latte.
One way to achieve a similar strength of drip using espresso as a base is the Americano. This is straight espresso watered down with hot water.
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Going by memory here, so I may have forgotten some details...Pros:
- Heats up quickly
- Good steam wand
- More consistent results than the lower-end espresso machines with a boiler tank (e.g. Gaggia Classic Pro [without modifications]).
- Good steam. For comparison, a Gaggia Classic Pro (a ~$400 machine) runs out of steam quite quickly without modifications or learning a "temperature surfing" technique.
Cons:Ultimately, $129.99 is a really great deal for this entry-level machine.
By the way, here's one thing I wish I knew before buying: Espresso requires a really good coffee grinder... Like $80 might get a very entry-level manual (not electric) grinder capable of doing espresso. I ended up getting a 1Zpresso JX-Pro, which I was pretty happy with.
While some people enjoy drinking this straight, many people temper it with milk, like with a latte.
One way to achieve a similar strength of drip using espresso as a base is the Americano. This is straight espresso watered down with hot water.
I don't know about the Bella version, but the Breville version also has hot water dispenser, just not in the form of wand.
as for as thermo block goes, this is pretty much it. the extra you pay for name brand doesn't actually buys you much. As someone who owns lower end, mid range and high end espresso machine, the different espresso machine doesn't matter as much as proper grinder, right sized portafilter and beans. although thermoblock machines are actually the most difficult one to dial right.
the downside with thermoblock is that they don't have a reservoir of water at certain temperature. the water is pushed by the pump and go through two blocks of heat element. so the temperature of the water coming out of the machine is a function of water flow. if you didn't prepare your beans right and able to squeeze it out at the right flow... you water temperature will be either higher or lower than the preset value.
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Used 2+ times per day for 3 years. Reliable pump , never a problem.
I moved to a breville bambino. Smaller footprint and same functionality.
If you like coffee, you should get one
Used 2+ times per day for 3 years. Reliable pump , never a problem.
I moved to a breville bambino. Smaller footprint and same functionality.
Do you know if Bambino offers any parts for replacement?
Going by memory here, so I may have forgotten some details...Pros:
- Heats up quickly
- Good steam wand
- More consistent results than the lower-end espresso machines with a boiler tank (e.g. Gaggia Classic Pro [without modifications]).
- Good steam. For comparison, a Gaggia Classic Pro (a ~$400 machine) runs out of steam quite quickly without modifications or learning a "temperature surfing" technique.
Cons:Ultimately, $129.99 is a really great deal for this entry-level machine.
By the way, here's one thing I wish I knew before buying: Espresso requires a really good coffee grinder... Like $80 might get a very entry-level manual (not electric) grinder capable of doing espresso. I ended up getting a 1Zpresso JX-Pro, which I was pretty happy with.
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As said before the Grinder is more important than the machine. There are grinders you can find for $200 or less capable of espresso (like a Turin SK40 for example - I got one open box for like $129 or something that I use for drip coffee but it can do espresso, for my bianca I use a DF83) but if you are using a cheap grinder, most won't grind finely or consistently enough for espresso and you will end up with low pressure shots that run quickly and your espresso will be sour. Once you go down the rabbit hole you will find out how much different grinders and different burrs within the Grinder will effect the flavor and texture. Just don't go too cheap on the Grinder especially.
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