Mk.1 Espresso Machine

The industrial design and build quality is high end. The quality in the cup is also very good. Not sure it’s worth double the cost of where it was but maybe. I have the v1 purchased for $500. I love it.

Cafelat robot or 9barista Mk1. The 9barista is kinda great if you drink medium to dark roast and make it just for yourself. You don’t have temperature control, but good stability. It is also kinda unique in that it is often lumped in together with manual machines, it is much more a set it and forget system. Fill with water, do your puck prep, and put it on the stove. A couple minutes later you have your espresso, no preheating required.

I love my 9barista.

The Robot is fantastic as you can control every single variable and it really has been shown to be a very good espresso maker based on the various feedbacks from users and the fact that they are extremely hard to get. But it's a manual machine so you should consider that. The Gaggia E24 has some flaws if you use it as it is out of the box (temperature control and high pressure). If you replace the OPV spring with a 9bar one I am very certain that this will work well as long as you don't intend to make many shots back to back. If you think you would ever go into the nerdy side of espresso making, this is the ideal machine as you can mod it with a Gaggiuino or Gaggimate which essentially gives it the features of a machine that would cost 2k-3k. The Sage Bambino is fantastic straight out of the box and will surely give you great espresso. But you cannot really improve it. So in your position I would ask myself: 1. Do I enjoy the fully manual aspect of espresso making? If yes, Cafelat Robot! 2. Do I just want a machine that works well without any special modifications or considerations? If yes, Sage Bambino! 3. Do I want to have the future option of getting very nerdy and modding the machine? If yes, Gaggia E24! Also general advice: Use good (soft water)! The Sage and Gaggia will break eventually if you put in hard tap water. Not really the case for the Robot but it still makes a difference in terms of coffee taste.

That really sounds like you would enjoy the Cafelat. But I wouldn't be too sure about these Robots you "keep finding for 400". There have been many scams, so be careful. And the 9barista is really nice, too. Just had a shot from mine this morning. But you have no control over anything so it's not the ideal machine to explore coffees. But don't worry about the pressure! If there's one thing I am sure, it's that this machine is extremely well manufactured and thought-through.

I swear by my 9Barista, but it costs a pretty penny. The only real variable to worry about is the beans: quality and grind. Take care of those and the espresso is fantastic. I don’t have a steaming option to recommend. I don’t take milk but I use the Instant brand one for my partner, would not recommend if you care about microfoam.

Long shot, but you should check out the 9Barista. It’s a beauty, and makes great espresso.