Ascaso - Dream PID

How can you upgrade with latte art like that. I’ve been a barista for 10+ years and my little home machine just gets better as I get better (Ascaso Dream). Save the money…. Trust. Otherwise you’re gonna be trying to start a coffee business or selling old gear that isn’t worth anything anymore.

DF83 on the grinder. (that's a full stop, IMHO, it'll do espresso and everything else that you ever get into) I'm partial to the AscasoDream because I have one, but anything that's a heat exchanger/thermoblock (instead of single boiler) is great for the home barista and the use-case you describe. Open-box and refurb machines will absolutely stretch your dollar. But, unless you are a tinkerer, I'd suggest sticking to reliable sellers (SGC, WLL, etc.) and not Craigslist or eBay. Might consider a Bambino Plus and with the little bit of money left over, get all of the accoutrement that you'll invariably find are necessary - some more than others - (e.g., scales, WDTs, towels, cups, brushes, pitchers, extra portafilters, upgraded baskets, etc.), The Profitec (as many others have suggested) would be a good choice too, I just personally dislike the aesthetic. Since you have a little wiggle room in your budget to get, consider style some...you and your partner are going to have to look at this thing everyday. I assure you that if I had a massive science-experiment looking Lelit Bianca sitting out on the counter instead of my sleek "space-age" looking Ascaso, my wife and I would have different conversations about the "coffee bar".

This is the one advice, OP, that you should take to heart. Start with a good grinder, grind your beans fresh. Tapos kahit entry level espresso machine, like say a Delonghi Dedica, Ascaso Dream, or a Bambino Plus, okay na yun. Makakapag produce na yun ng good enough espresso kung maganda na yung grinder mo (like DF54, DF64, Eureka Mignon, Varia, etc.)

Careful the ascaso dream pid starts a flame war in these parts. I have one too but I keep quiet about it. I absolutely love it and have zero need for better. It heats up so fast it's amazing. By the time I clean the portafilter and fill the carafe with milk it's ready to steam. The thermacoil is very good.

My ascaso dream pid as well heats up so fast I've never found myself wishing I had a dual boiler. They're good I guess if you are making 8+ lattes for a dinner party but even then.. I just dump steam out the group head and temperature falls fast.

Very happy with my Ascaso Dream and Libra 65 AP. A lot depends on the workflow you envision. I’m loving GBW and don’t feel I need a double boiler. And the almost instant on heat of the thermoblock is great for me. The Lelit and Quick mill machines are nice as well and can allow for a nice grinder to fit within your budget.

I’m very happy with it. I get very delicious consistent shots with it. The volumetric doesn’t work well but who needs it? Easy to fill. Comes with a nice tamper and IMS made competition screens. Comes with a ESE pod filter which I appreciate. I keep a box of decaf pods around for after dinner drinks without needing to empty and reset the grinder. Such a cool retro looking machine too.

Ascaso. My Dream PID is ready to pull shots in 3 minutes. And if the 45 second wait for steam is too long look at the duo. BTW Uno is the same as the Dream in a more modern case.

Much more faster to reach temperature in the morning because of the small boiler.Also only brass components and not chromed , hot water capable, fantastic design, stainless steel portafilter and stronger chassis.The Go is very heavy and tends to bend in the drip tray area .Also some rust isues for the Go .I owned both Classic E24 and Profitec Go and sold everything for an Ascasso Dream PID because stainless steel tube thermoblock is much more food safe than brass and the looks are awesome.But between the Go and the Up i would choose Up every day. The go is fucking ugly.

Came here to say this. I upgraded to an Ascaso Dream PID from a TempIQ. I actually was fine with the espresso coming out of the TempIQ, but was not looking forward to the day it started giving me problems. Thankfully I only paid $25 for it (Craigslist find), and I gave it to a buddy who wanted to dabble in espresso once I found my Dream.

> I just found about heat exchangers. And that with these you can have immediate spontaneous coffee. This is not true. Most HX machines have E61 groups which need 30 to 45 minutes to warm up. When you said "heat exchanger", I think you meant "thermoblock". Breville/Sage machines such as Bambino warm up in just a few seconds. Better quality thermoblock machines such as Ascaso take a bit longer but are still ready to go in a few minutes. Boiler machines with smaller boilers such as Gaggia Classic, Rancilio Silvia, and Silvia Pro X warm up in about 10 minutes. At your budget I suggest Bambino Plus. That will leave you enough budget to get a really nice grinder. Jura and other fully auto machines are easy to use (just push a button) but the espresso they make is much inferior to what you can make with a properly dialed in semi-auto machine and grinder. If you want to go down this path, check out r/superautomatic.