Which is the best Cappuccino maker??

[_=DeltaForce=_]

Hello :wavey2: I m thinking of buying a Cappuccino maker as a christmas gift for my mom... I was wondering which is the best one ?? well around $150... Thanks :cheers:


** Admin if this is not the right forum, Please dont :shake: Hang me :dead: :hehehmm:

[blueindian]

honestly, you can't get a good one for that price. at least not new. decent machines start around $250-$300. anything less than that and you're probably going to get a machine that's good at making really strong coffee, but nothing that even aproximates espresso.

check out coffeegeek.com for some reviews.



edit: i just checked over at www.wholelattelove.com and the have a couple machines onsale ($199) that are probably pretty decent for a first machine:

http://www.wholelattelove.com/Saeco/via_veneto.cfm
http://www.wholelattelove.com/Gaggia/carezza.cfm
http://www.wholelattelove.com/Gaggia/espresso.cfm

of those, the Saeco will be a easier to use and have a smaller learning curve but the Gaggia will probably make better espresso.

you may be able to find those cheaper elsewhere (froogle?)

[_=DeltaForce=_]

hmm... I guess I will have to look on ebay...

[BrewMaster]

i think you should just give your mom a $150 Starbucks or Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf gift card.

[_=DeltaForce=_]

ohh well I am getting $300 for free and so I will put that to get a good cappaccuino machine... How about for $300??

[blueindian]

ohh well I am getting $300 for free and so I will put that to get a good cappaccuino machine... How about for $300??

how did you get $300 for free?

at $300 you're moving into the "good starter machine" category. I have a an older model of
this Saeco machine (http://www.wholelattelove.com/Saeco/classico.cfm) which makes really decent espresso. The Saecos are easier to use because they have pressurized portafilters (the portafilter is the "handle" part what attaches to the machine and has the ground coffee in it). You know how at the coffee shop you see the baristas tamping the coffe into the portafilter before they attach it and pull the shot? This part is VERY important and has a major effect on the quality of the shot (hence the reason startbucks is going to fully automatic machines, but i digress). How tightly the coffee is packed affects the pressue under which the shot is pulled. Anyway, with a pressurized portafilters you get to lightly tamp the coffee and the portafilter will build up the right amount of pressure before releasing the shot.

Also, the Saeco machines have an attachment called a Pannerello that makes frothing milk a lot easier. It basically makes it fool proof.

Both of these features are really nice for a beginer machine, but many people also grow tired of them because it takes away from the "art" of making espresso.

In the same price range you could go with any of the Gaggias. I've never used one personally, but a girl at the local coffee shop who used to sell machines swears by them. I trust her opinion, and the machines all have good reviews pretty much anywhere you read them.

[BrewMaster]

i don't know anyone's habits on this board, but everyone I know who owns cappuchino maker never uses it after the first year.

[blueindian]

i don't know anyone's habits on this board, but everyone I know who owns cappuchino maker never uses it after the first year.

<coffee snob>ok i have to say this: there is no such thing as a cappuchino maker. they are espresso machines. with rare execption, if you guy a device called a cappuchino machine, it is going to suck. cappuchino is a drink made from espresso. the machine makes the espresso. the machine froths the milk. the human makes the cappuchino.

and while i'm at it, can i just say i HATE when people call is eXpresso. drives me nuts.</coffe snob>

now that that's out of the way, i'll say that i'm in full agreement with BM. Most people don't use the machines very long. In fact, most folks I know who buy one don't use it more than once or twice. You know why? They buy ****ty ones and they are hard to use, messy, make crappy espresso, and don't have enough steam pressure to properly froth milk.

but the folks i know who have a good one use them all the time. i use mine daily. the first one i bought was crappy, and i used it about 10 times. the next two i got were much better, and i used them almost daily. the one i have now i really like (thanks to swampfox & gothzilla, btw), it's a superautomitic (meaning i just push a button and it does the rest) and it gets used multiple times per day.

basically, a cheap espresso machine is a waste of money.

[cheapie]

hey...my wife is impressed with your knowledge of espresso machines. lol. we (her familiy) are buying a machine for her sister's graduation. looking at spending $200 or so. we like either...

http://www.wholelattelove.com/Gaggia/espresso.cfm

or ebay a...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=38252&item=4342976931&rd=1

which one is preferable? and my wife wants to know what makes a crappy machine that you were talking about above.

thanks...

what about refurbed machines?

http://www.home-espresso.com/product/SAEVIAB_R1

or

http://www.home-espresso.com/product/SAEVIAW_R1

[ACE]

If you seriously want a good espresso machine, I'd recommend this Rancillio model. It's probably the best you can get for home use. It will last you a great number of years with daily use and is far and away better than any of the machines you listed. However, it is about $500. I bought the previous version, the "Audrey" machine about 10 years ago and have used it daily with no problems whatsoever. I've only had to replace the seal about 6 months ago for $10. A good investment.
http://www.wholelattelove.com/Rancilio/silvia.cfm

[CornMonkey]

if you get an espresso machine, you'd want one what has at least 15 bars of pressure. pressure = good.

but personally, i'd rather buy a french press coffee maker. now that's some good coffee.

[blueindian]

hey...my wife is impressed with your knowledge of espresso machines. lol. we (her familiy) are buying a machine for her sister's graduation. looking at spending $200 or so. we like either...

http://www.wholelattelove.com/Gaggia/espresso.cfm

or ebay a...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=38252&item=4342976931&rd=1

which one is preferable? and my wife wants to know what makes a crappy machine that you were talking about above.

thanks...

what about refurbed machines?

http://www.home-espresso.com/product/SAEVIAB_R1

or

http://www.home-espresso.com/product/SAEVIAW_R1


between the gagia and the starbucks barista, i'd probably go with the starbucks machine (fyi: it's made by saeco). I've got two of them and they pull a pretty good shot. gagia makes good stuff, but i've heard some negative things about the entry llevel machines. a big bonus to the starbucks machine is that it uses a pressurized portafilter which makes pulling a good shot a little easier. however, it's also a feature which one grows tired of because it a little "less authentic".

while saeco is a good machine (i have one myself) i wouldn't reccomend either of the two you listed in the refurb section. sub $300 (full retail) machines carry a high likelyness of becoming dust collectors. $300 seems to be about the price for which you can get a servicable machine.

some factors that make a crappy machine:




crappy pumps: found in many entry level pump driven machines these can't sustain the proper pressue throughout the pull. they may start at 15 bar but by the end of the shot they've dropped way below that
difficulty to clean: this it what i hear about some of the entry level gagias. they get dirty and are a pain to clear
small water resivoirs: so you have to fill them up too often
poor design: not enough room to fit a full sized steaming pitcher under the wand or having to remove pieces just to get to the water resivoir
cheap portafilters: the handles on cheap ones will break, many are the wrong size, etc



If you seriously want a good espresso machine, I'd recommend this Rancillio model. It's probably the best you can get for home use. It will last you a great number of years with daily use and is far and away better than any of the machines you listed. However, it is about $500. I bought the previous version, the "Audrey" machine about 10 years ago and have used it daily with no problems whatsoever. I've only had to replace the seal about 6 months ago for $10. A good investment.
http://www.wholelattelove.com/Rancilio/silvia.cfm

i don't know if i'd go so far as to call it the "best machine for home use" (that's a big statement) but it looks to be a good machine. there area lot of good machines though.

[ACE]

[i don't know if i'd go so far as to call it the "best machine for home use" (that's a big statement) but it looks to be a good machine. there area lot of good machines though.[/QUOTE]

Just a couple of items about the Sylvia. It is not a pump machine, it has a boiler in it. Before I bought my old Audrey, I went to an expresso machine dealer and talked to the repairman. He said that gaggia machines are bad because they change the boiler design constantly and finding spare parts is a real pain. Asked which brand he would buy, based on his experience, he said "Hands Down" a Rancillio machine due to their quality components and craftsmanship. Just my two cents.

[oblongmelon]

The Best cappucino maker is my brother !~ :)

[blueindian]

Just a couple of items about the Sylvia. It is not a pump machine, it has a boiler in it.

all machines have a boiler in them; but that's not to say they are not pump driven. the Sylvia is, in fact, a pump driven machine. you can read up on the pump specs at rancilio's website (48 watt electromagnetic, 15 bar max pressure, 8-9 bar brew pressure).

if it just had the boiler and no pump it would be a steam driven machine and wouldn't cost nearly $500.

and to reiterate, i agree with you 100% it's a good machine.

[ACE]

My mistake Blueindian,,, I guess I was referring to the Krups type machine where they pump the water thru a block with channels in it to heat the water. Not the way to go.

[blueindian]

My mistake Blueindian,,, I guess I was referring to the Krups type machine where they pump the water thru a block with channels in it to heat the water. Not the way to go.

exactly. those machines are total crap, destined to become charity donations which are ultimatly doomed to life in a landfill. honestly, the companies that make those machines should stop. I wager a large chunk of money that 90% of folks that have them don't use them with any regularity.

[BrewMaster]

BI, do you realize how much Stone Russian Imperial Stout you could buy with the $300 you are recommending he spend on an espresso machine? (the answer is 5 cases give or take a bottle or two.)

i'm with you though, i hate when people call it "expresso."

[blueindian]

BI, do you realize how much Stone Russian Imperial Stout you could buy with the $300 you are recommending he spend on an espresso machine? (the answer is 5 cases give or take a bottle or two.)

i'm with you though, i hate when people call it "expresso."

true, but consider this: in "starbuck prices" i've probably made $3000 worth of lattes and other coffe drinks in the comfort of my own home in the past year or so.

[BrewMaster]

true, but consider this: in "starbuck prices" i've probably made $3000 worth of lattes and other coffe drinks in the comfort of my own home in the past year or so.
dude, that much coffee would give me the runs to no end. i'll stick to beer.

[cheapie]

any updates as to which espresso is a really good one for home use in the sub $500 range?

we make lattes almost everyday with our POC machine and i wouldn't mind upgrading. it's actually not a bad machine but making two drinks or more takes a LONG time. the espresso isn't that great but my wife is pretty happy with the way it foams milk. whatever that means.

and yeah....golden shovel.